In more traditional Art I mostly respond to how the piece of Art makes me feel and what it makes me think of. For example; ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorites. I know it has nothing to do with France but when I look at this piece it reminds me of going to Disney World as a kid. I think it’s the bright colors, the over view of the city and the object that look like a castle that reminds me of Disney World. With that being said; I’m sure Van Gogh was not thinking of Disney World while working on ‘The Starry Night’. I do think that good artist want everyone to see and form different and unique ideas and feelings towards their work. If everyone viewed all Art work the same there would be no topic for discussions, arguments, etc.
Making a good assessment of the formal qualities in works of art is critical to figuring out what the work expresses. The emotions and thoughts evoked by our contemplation of the work should be based upon what can actually be observed. If we say we are saddened by the work or that we experience a