To discover what art works best for you, you might need a little vocabulary to be able to articulate your preferences. Why is this important? Let me tell you a story of my dating life. Many years ago, I met someone online and we agreed to meet for a first date. I suggested the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, as there was a modern exhibit there that I wanted to see and it was a nice neutral place. As we walked through the exhibit, it was clear he was not very engaged with the pieces. Meanwhile, I wanted to take my time to read about each one, step back and admire and sometimes get up close to see the details. It was a bit awkward for both of us, but when we were done with the exhibit, I asked if there was anything else at the museum he would be interested in seeing.
“I like pictures of boats”, he said, unironically. Um, boats. Maybe the Dutch masters I thought, remembering some painting of sailboats and clouds with thick gold frames. We went to another floor at the MFA and found some Willem Van de Velde, a Ludolf Bakhuizen and even a Monet with ships. But it didn’t impress him. The date didn’t go well for a lot of reasons, but our language barrier around art was a good indication of how many of us feel about things we don’t know much about. If we are new to buying art for ourselves it’s helpful to learn a few basics to help identify what you like. You don’t need a full course in art appreciation, but a few key concepts can be helpful.
Linear or Painterly
Linear style has crisp borders or edges to the subjects. Paintings look a bit like photographs.
Painterly has soft edges of objects. You can often see the brush strokes or paint movement. The impressionist painters excel in this.
Realistic or Abstract
Does it look just like the subject or does it resemble the subject?
Realistic images look, well, real. They are generally understood for what they are. There may be a story behind the image, but the image itself stands alone in what it is.
Abstract images are simplified, non-realistic, distorted and require more interpretation by the viewer. Color, shape, size, perspective are areas for experimentation, often adding emotion and personal ideas into the work.
Masculine or Feminine
Okay. Not related to sex or gender and not necessarily binary, but using masculine and feminine to describe the characteristics of the artwork is another way to identify your style. Many pieces can have elements of both present.
Generally, masculine elements in art are expressed with dark, deep colors, strong shapes, bold angles, powerful subjects.
Feminine elements in art are generally shown with softer lines, graceful curves, lighter colors and delicate, fluid subjects.
So, now when you tell someone you like paintings of boats, do you have a bit more language to use? Leave a comment below on what you style(s) might be your favorites.
