The Visual Experience

by Gloria Hopkins

The visual experience, as it relates to the viewing of art, is one where the observer is engaged in the act of viewing, studying or evaluating a work of visual art. This includes all the internal processes that can happen during this time including perception, interpretation, recognition, understanding, association, evaluation, acceptance, approval, and so on.

The visual experience can be as casual as a brief glance or it can be a deeply moving experience where the observer feels he or she is communicating with the artist through study and understanding of the work.

This idea in art has been described by some as the "aesthetic experience" but that word is somewhat limiting and suggestive. It implies beauty, art and the evaluation of the aesthetic properties of a work of art. This is only a part of the process of evaluating visual art. How the image was composed, executed and the meaning or idea behind the image are all things that need to be considered while evaluating a work of art and in many cases these considerations go beyond visual aesthetics.

You get out of the visual experience what you put into it and a great way to begin expanding your visual horizons and get more from the visual experience is to expose yourself to new arts, styles, techniques, and the processes of creating visual art. Become and remain aware of the various dynamics and processes these experiences have to offer and learn from them. One of the best ways to do this is to go into the visual experience with an open mind and the goal of understanding or at least acquiring an appreciation for the image.

For a continuation of this writing, please see "Approaching the Photographic Image."

excerpt from Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers

Text and images copyright Gloria Hopkins