[作業-學習心得] 英語線上導覽：李美蓉教授

Reflections of the audio tour lectures

Med 2^nd Reggie

109810041

In the last two lectures, I became familiar with the role of audio tour guides, and different views taken on a piece of artwork.

First of all, Professor Lee has planted the concept that “life itself is art” deeply in my mind. She told us that many artworks do not convey apparent meanings that viewers can logically analyze. On the contrary, artists’ inspiration comes from their daily lives --- a color, a geological form, or even a stroke --- which may be abstract to the viewers’ eyes. We can try to decipher or analyze their artworks, but we may not capture the first intention for creating the works, since there is no fixed interpretation in any art.

A better way for art appreciation, in my opinion, is to feel the art itself. We can have more profound reflections by trying to get the first impression coming through our minds at the sight of the artworks, and by knowing the background of the artworks, such as the period of time, culture, and the life of the author. For example, seeing Picasso’s “Nude Woman in a Red Armchair” for the first time, I got an abstract feeling. However, after I knew the story between Balzac’s novel and Picasso’s illustration, I had a deeper reflection: maybe Picasso imagines himself to be the character in the novel, and tries to finish the painting which is burnt up in the novel. (This is just my guess)

Second, viewers can have systemic ways to appreciate artworks. In her second lecture, Professor Lee told us when appreciating a sculpture, we don’t have to ask questions before we look it around. We can observe its light, texture, color variation and unity, details, and inner tension. Through the analysis of various components of the works, some mystic sense of beauty may emerge from our minds. I’m impressed by Donatello’s “Mary Magdalene”. Donatello uses woods as a medium, and creates special texture on Mary’s face and her muscles. I feel Mary is a woman who has experienced many vicissitudes in her life by examining her face, but still has a strong will as her muscle has revealed.

To conclude, we should not only equip ourselves well with knowledge in visual arts but also get prepared psychologically before appreciating an artwork. First impression is the most important. Our feeling will be enriched after we know the background of the artwork and the artist, and the techniques the artists use. After all, the more information we can get about the artworks, the more we can appreciate them.