Reading The Visual

Service Description

Contemporary art has a reputation for being high-brow and ornery—ungraspable, perplexing, and impervious. However, if we look carefully at the work of those who have truly mastered the practice of visual communication, there is strategy and method in place; a discernable technique that can be identified, simplified, and studied. We can access systems of visual communication, understand them, celebrate them, and put them to use in our lives. In this class, we will be led by contemporary artist, Jennifer Thoreson, toward the beauty and brilliance that constructs the foundation for good contemporary art, diving deeply into the psychology of perception—the stuff our brains do without even consulting us, drawing on instinct, stereotypes, collective consciousness, and the powerful subconscious mind. We will peer into the magic (it really is magic) of visual perception through the thorough study and discussion of the work of well-known artists. We will analyze the use of style, implication, symbolism, visual simile, and visual metaphor to better understand how meaning is constructed and digested, allowing you to have more confidence and awareness while viewing works of art. Our final class together will consist in exercising these skills, dwelling in the comfort of seeing contemporary art for the beauty it does possess at the New Mexico Museum of art in Santa Fe. Visit jenniferthoreson.com to learn more about the instructor and view her work. *This is an ‘a la carte’ event purchase. Loom members attend classes as part of a monthly subscription.

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