How to learn to distinguish bad painting from good. How to learn to understand art

How to start understanding art

The most interesting answers from artists, art historians, cultural experts and film critics, with which you should start filling the gaps in your education in the field of art.

11 questions

1. What should I read to start understanding art? 2. What should I read to begin to better understand contemporary art? 3. What should you read in order to better understand the history of cinema and learn to analyze and understand films? 4. What books exist on the theory of criticism - music, cinema, literature? 5. What books about curating in Russian or English are worth reading, besides Misiano, Obrist, Paul O'Neill and Terry Smith? 6. What do you recommend reading about modern theater? 7. What is the list of must-read books about theater? 8. What to read and see on the topic of Baroque art? 9. Which countries were the main suppliers of new styles and trends in the art of the twentieth century? 10. Can art have no message? 11. Can an artist, having no idea about contemporary art, become a recognized genius?

I would recommend starting with Gombrich's History of Art. This book was first published in 1950, and it cannot be said that this is recent. And yet it continues to be republished not only in its own country, but also abroad, improving only the quality of the illustrations. It is very simple and accessible language covers all periods and styles. As the author himself writes in the preface: “This book is addressed to everyone who would like to get initial guidelines in a tempting, but not yet familiar field of art. A beginner will be able to get acquainted here with the general plan of this area without getting confused in the abundance of details, that is, to understand itself the order and correlation of periods, styles, names that fill the more voluminous and difficult books, and thus acquire the baggage necessary to read more specialized literature."

Among the literature introductory to art is the book by Horst Waldemar Janson and Anthony F. Janson “Fundamentals of Art History,” which is dedicated to the history of painting, sculpture, architecture, photography - in a word, “from the bison to Barbizon,” or rather, until the end of the 20th century century.

If you dig deeper, I recommend the textbook and reference book for all beginning art historians by Boris Vipper, “Introduction to historical study art." Unlike the two previous books, genre-technical problems and the specifics of the technical foundations of each genre of fine art are covered here in great detail.

Let's start with Ernst Gombrich's History of Art. The book, on page five, explains why Picasso painted not only naturalistic hens, but also a cubist rooster.

About modernism and avant-garde art there is an amazing book by V.S. Turchin "Through the labyrinths of the avant-garde."

About postmodernism it is worth starting with Jean Baudrillard. In general, quite a lot has been written about (mostly) post-war American art. Usually one visit to MoMA in New York is enough for contemporary art to suddenly become closer and more understandable.

By the way, on Bookmate they collected a whole series of answers to this question bookshelf:

Cinema can be analyzed as a philosopher and cultural scientist (which is incredibly useful and correct), or as a cinephile and a fan of specific films and people - and the second is closer to me.

Basic books that won't hurt anyone - "What is Cinema" by Andre Bazin and "Cinema" by Gilles Deleuze, books by Robert McKee and Christine Vogler on screenwriting, and an excellent series of books by the New Literary Review, where there is how basic research Anton Dolin about Lars von Trier, and translations by Gordon Gray.

Another good series is an interview with the directors of the Art House series published by ABC-Classics. Many books are outdated in terms of movie release dates, but not in substance. There are a lot of details and details about the filming process itself, few sensations, intrigues and investigations, and from these books, first of all, it is clear that cinema is a complex and exhausting job, where you often need to be a control freak, and not fly in your dreams or in reality . It is especially a pleasure to open the Russian magazine SEANS, which produces excellent thematic issues. Other wonderful books about cinema in Russian that I held in my hands are Leklesio “Watching Cinema,” a fundamental book about New Hollywood by Peter Biskind, which was translated (this is “Easy Riders and Raging Bulls”) and the three-volume memoirs of Sergei Solovyov, from which it becomes Incredibly much is clear about how films were made in the USSR, how the filming process is structured, and that cinema becomes life when actresses turn into wives, and colleagues into sworn friends. Barthes and Sontag's essays on photography often resonate with what I think about films, even when they are written about other media.

My library about cinema has long been expanding with books that have to be expensively purchased and brought from abroad. Unfortunately, few books about directors and cinema in general have been translated in Russia, and even fewer works on film studies have been translated, so knowledge of English, French, German, Spanish and Italian can be very helpful if you want to read a book about your favorite director that hasn’t made a splash all over the world .

I bought everything important books film critics Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert to understand how America's most popular writers analyzed films and directors.

The book My first movie in two parts is an excellent study of how to make your first film from the mouths of the best directors (mostly American).

Books by Hoberman and Thompson, the canonical study A Cinema of Loneliness, A Shock Value, as well as the series of monographs on directors Director's Cuts (Columbia University Press) are very inspiring reading in order to understand where cinema is coming from and where it is going.

Sidney Lumet's great book Making Movies talks about how the entire filming process works - from beginning to end, how to kill a film and improve a film, what to do with actors, sound and light, and how not to refuse work if it promises anything experience or growth at first.

I love America very much, so my advice is quite one-sided. And yes, about almost everyone great director there is a compelling book about work and creativity. My favorite, incredibly collected and coolly made is Scorsese on Scorsese, because in the world there is hardly such an experienced film fan and a great modern director who generously shares his methods and tastes. This book is just happiness.

In general, the film lover’s library is good books 500, each of which I would like to leaf through and leave on the shelf. But you can start with this small list.

4/11 What books exist on the theory of criticism - music, cinema, literature?

5/11 What books about curating in Russian or English are worth reading, besides Misiano, Obrist, Paul O'Neill and Terry Smith?

In my subjective opinion, books on curating are often quite pointless. Supervision cannot be taught. For a person who decides to become a curator, it is fundamentally important to know the history of exhibitions, to navigate modern discursive practices, to know the history of art and the history of curating itself. When this or that curator talks about his method in detail, this does not at all lead to an understanding of his own goals and objectives by his readers. Of course, curators have a lot of excellent books, but they are not about curating. It seems to me important to “keep your nose to the wind” to read periodicals about exhibitions. These are Afterall, Springerin, The Exhibitionist, Mousse Magazine, E-Fluх Journal, Manifesta Journal, On Curating, and some others. This will help to understand what is happening right now in exhibition practices. In general, read about exhibitions, find a curator you trust and read his texts. I have a lot of them, for example, I read most of the texts and articles of the wonderful Maria Lind, Juan Gaitan, WHW, and I never get tired of following them.

6/11 What do you recommend reading about modern theater?

It is very easy to answer this question today: over the past two years, two key monographs on modern theater have been translated into Russian and beautifully published, without which not a single researcher or expert in this field can do without. This is, firstly, “Postdramatic Theater” by the German theater scholar Hans-Thies Lehmann. Secondly, there is “The Aesthetics of Performativity” by the German researcher Erika Fischer-Lichte. Both authors explore the boundaries of theater as unique language modernity and help to refresh and renew the viewer's optics, going beyond the existing stereotypes of perception theatrical performance. If you are not afraid that your ideas about theater will change and become more complex, if you are ready for something new and often extreme theatrical experience– start by reading Lehmann and Fischer-Lichte.

For those who are interested in philosophizing about modern theater and its origins, I also recommend Keti Chukhrov’s bright and provocative book “Being and Performing: A Theater Project in philosophical criticism art."

Also read good ones theater critics– on or on. They know how to keep track of the most important and relevant things. And describe and evaluate it qualitatively.

7/11 What is the list of must-read books about theater?

For those who want to connect their lives with the theater, it is vital to read next books: Mikhail Tumanishvili “The Director Leaves the Theater”, Peter Brook “Empty Space”, Roland Barthes “Works on the Theatre”, master the 4-volume book of Efros, books by Alexei Bartoshevich and, of course, Stanislavsky.

There are hundreds and thousands of books about Baroque, but among them there is one with which you simply need to start getting acquainted with this style. This is the book "Renaissance and Baroque" by Heinrich Wölfflin. It was first published in Russia in 1913. Wölfflin easily and elegantly deduced the Baroque formula, showing how this comprehensive style appeared and on what principles it was based. He carefully analyzed the smallest details Roman Baroque architecture and masterfully revealed philosophical basis style. After Wölfflin, you will never again be tormented by the question: “And yet, what does an irregularly shaped pearl have to do with it?”

Thus, the Spaniards Gris and Picasso have a very distant relationship with Spanish art, the Romanian Tristan Tzara - to the Romanian, the Belarusian Jew Marc Chagall - to the Belarusian, etc. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, which passed under the sign of wars and upheavals, Germany, Austria, Italy, and to a lesser extent Britain, coexisted with France in secondary roles.

In the second half of the century, the United States became the undisputed leader, although this does not mean that defeat and decline set in in Europe. London is the taste maker of the gallery world of the last quarter of the 20th century: English artists- among the most expensive at auctions. Because of the low cost of living, Berlin is very attractive for artists, although living there does not mean being German.

In general, the concept of the national in art has faded and withered earlier than in other areas. No national traditions- there are just artists.

10/11 Can art have no message?

Art can do anything at all. However, it doesn’t owe anything. Common sense, focused on survival in a particular environment, often inclines us to simplify in all areas of life. Art is necessary tool complication, without which a person degrades. In this sense, it always carries some kind of message, but its decoding depends on the abilities of the perceiver. Even the most non-objective art enters into dialogue with us, and it is not its fault if we capriciously expect that everything will be clear to us. If any effort is required to understand, we are no longer satisfied. But if we are simply forced to master some skills, then art causes particular irritation to the average person, who is accustomed to contemptuously rejecting everything that, in his opinion, is useless. Unlike complex and dangerous science, art is defenseless, so it is always targeted by various guardians of morals, traditions and other purity. They do not understand that this is already clear evidence that the message has reached the addressee.

Most of the paintings created before the 20th century are devoted to the same subjects. To begin with, it will be enough to orient yourself in a set of main biblical events, remember about two dozen mythological stories and characters and distinguish the most popular medieval saints.

If you want to understand better, read Nikolai Kun’s book “Legends and Myths” Ancient Greece”, retold excerpts from the “Golden Legend” of Jacob Voraginsky about the lives of saints and, of course, the Bible - at least in an adapted version.

Check which of these plots and characters you can recognize with your eyes closed:

Biblical subjects: the Fall, expulsion from paradise, David, Judith, Annunciation, worship of the Magi, flight into Egypt, holy family, passion of Christ, crucifixion, mourning.
Mythological subjects and characters: the court of Paris, the birth of Venus, Athena and Marsyas, the labors of Hercules, the centauromachy, the Minotaur, the abduction of Europa, Cupid and Psyche.
Medieval saints: Sebastian, Stephen, Jerome, Catherine of Alexandria, Francis of Assisi.

2. Interpret the symbols

In art, especially classical art, nothing happens for nothing. Each detail carries its own symbolic meaning.

There are universal symbols: they have not changed for centuries and are characteristic of most cultures. For example, it is useful to know that the white lily traditionally signifies the purity and beauty of the Virgin Mary, and the skull always hints at death.

Most characters vary depending on the country or period. To understand all this, read James Hall’s good book “A Dictionary of Plots and Symbols in Art.” The main thing is to understand the general principles. This way you can guess at the level of intuition what this or that object means.

3. Determine the style of the painting by its striking characteristics

The style of a painting is a very important thing, allowing you to mentally fit the canvas into the context of the era and find out which works to compare it with. Good news is that there are few key styles. It is enough to understand the differences in a dozen directions, and you can roughly estimate the century of creation of paintings painted up to 1900.

The art of Byzantium, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, classicism, rococo, romanticism, realism, impressionism and movements in the art of the 20th century - this is a set with which you can move mountains.

For a quick educational program, visit the course of three lectures “”. For a thorough study, the book “History of Art” by Ernst Gombrich, “ Short story Arts" by Nina Dmitrieva or "Fundamentals of Art History" by Horst and Anthony Janson.

4. Share your impressions

If art does not yet make such an impression on you, share any associations, sensations and thoughts that the paintings suggest. It’s impossible to make a mistake here, and everyone will appreciate it.

What to do when the paintings do not evoke absolutely no response? Exercise! Before going to the museum, read about the artist, the characteristics of his style or era. Since the visual part leaves you indifferent, perhaps specific stories will interest you.

5. Talk about technology

Performance technique is a win-win topic. You can literally describe everything you see. The main thing is to learn to notice details. From a technical point of view, we can discuss color, light, composition and stroke characteristics. It’s better, of course, if you can listen several times to how artists talk about paintings. For example, the Level One lecture “Five Artists: Understanding and Loving Geniuses” helps you look at the world’s masterpieces from the perspective of a professional.

However, even without this, you can be observant and notice that somewhere the picture is smooth, and somewhere it seems to be convex due to the texture of the stroke. In some places the light is scattered throughout the entire canvas, and in others it is directed at a specific point, like a spotlight beam.

Quantity will eventually turn into quality. The more you look, the more you will notice.

For those who in the paintings of Piero della Francesca, Rembrandt, Bruegel, Cezanne and many other masters see only their material objectivity and their symbolic content, the doors to the world will forever be closed artistic power and beauty.
Johannes Itten, artist, theorist of new art

6. Don't be afraid to argue

The terrible secret of art critics: the truth is nowhere or almost nowhere. What direction does the artist’s work belong to, who or what inspired him, how to interpret the symbols - any of the questions causes heated discussions among specialists.

It is clear that you should not overuse and openly mix sour with insipid, therefore knowledge of symbols and artistic styles it won't be superfluous.

First, study them, and then feel free to talk about them. controversial issues: By this time you will probably have developed your own point of view.

To stock up on many good arguments for future discussions, look at Sergei Daniel’s book “The Art of Seeing”: it will not only help you practice describing a painting, but will also teach you how to perceive painting in a high-quality manner.

7. Don’t discount the 20th century

Most people like it when everything is clear, beautiful and preferably with naked women, and they consider “Black Square” or the paintings of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko to be daub. This is a comfortable position, but it immediately reveals that you are a beginner.

A small observation: the more you immerse yourself in art history, the easier it is for you to accept the paintings of the last century. Not everyone is ready to love her, but everyone stops saying “I can do that too.”

8. Focus on contemporary art

At least at the level of terminology. Introducing the idea of actionism, happenings, performance or art intervention in a timely manner is priceless.

Seriously, contemporary art can be different. Main secret his perception is that you shouldn’t go to the first exhibition you come across without preparation. You need to read and understand if this is all for you.

There is art designed to evoke shock emotions, even horror and disgust. There is also something that evokes only admiration for the artist’s skill. If you are not yet ready for the first one, you should find out about it in advance and not torture yourself needlessly.

Iman Maleki. Girl at the window

Aesthetic contemporary art includes the works of the Iranian photorealist artist Iman Maleki. Pay attention to the attention to detail: the strands of hair and the watch bracelet are depicted with extreme precision.

9. Be aware of and prepare for major events

Nothing is discussed more in the art world than important imports largest museums. They write about this in the news, on social networks - everywhere. It is also worth keeping an eye on the plans for the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

Forewarned is forearmed. Exhibitions are usually accompanied by annotations, lectures and excursions. You can further prepare by studying the era to which the author’s works belong.

10. Ask stupid questions

The less you think about how you look in the eyes of others, and the more you are interested in art itself, the faster you approach the ideal interlocutor with whom you want to go to a museum. Check out all the art questions on The Question and relax, you're not alone.

When the stress is relieved, explore good selection literature on art on Bookmate and go to lectures. There you will find guaranteed good lectures with hundreds of reviews that will ignite the desire to immerse yourself in art more and more.

Everything is not limited to fine arts: lectures on architecture, classical music, history and religion will help you better navigate different areas beauty and ultimately perceive life in a new way.

I came up with and drew excellent cheat sheets that will help both adults and children understand art trends. They are incredibly useful and interesting.

However, Natasha will tell you about them herself. And, of course, it will show. By the way, you can download and print each cheat sheet.

How the idea was born

The idea of art history cheat sheets did not appear by chance- I'm constantly searching effective methods teaching art history. At the same time, I encounter typical problems in studying and teaching the subject:

Firstly, lectures in the form of continuous notes on several sheets are very quickly forgotten.

Secondly, Most people don’t have the time to dive deeply into the material, much less check the accuracy of the facts and critically evaluate the sources.

Cheat sheet on primitivism. Author - Natasha Kaya.

Third, art- it's about ideas. It is like a mirror of the searches of each era: the work reflects ideas about the world and its structure, about truth, about beauty and morality, about man’s place in life. But for some reason most lectures are based on biographies of specific artists, listing works and the dates of their creation. In fact, the names of the paintings, dates and sad facts from the biography like« born-studied-married» . After all, all this is forgotten instantly.

Fourthly, when teaching art history in the format« born-studied-married» understanding is not formed artistic processes and their origins.

Cheat sheet on cubo-futurism. Author - Natasha Kaya.

I really wanted to find a way to convey information in a condensed form (= time saving), but at the same time cover the phenomenon with different angles, give an idea of specific artistic tasks and ways to solve them (= understanding artistic processes). And add a few interesting facts, which could capture the imagination and remain in the memory. This is how the idea of art cheat sheets was born.

Why cheat sheets will help you quickly understand art

- Everything is succinct and to the point. The sheet format allows you to contain only really important information.

A cheat sheet for the analytical arts. Author - Natasha Kaya.

- Hierarchy of main and secondary. Something will certainly be forgotten: a date, a fact from a biography, or the title of the third manifesto of this particular great artist. But the main thing will remain in memory- understanding the essence of an artistic phenomenon (be it a specific master, direction or style).

- The cheat sheet format allows you to visually divide all the information into different blocks. It’s easier to remember this way because they work simultaneously different types memory.

Cheat sheet on abstract art. Author - Natasha Kaya.

Why are cheat sheets written by an art critic effective?

- They help to form in the reader a competent idea of the art of a certain era, since only a person who understands the topic of art can choose the most significant and correctly place the emphasis.

- A decent art critic read scientific literature about the era/direction/master, checked the facts, studied diaries and documents- A professional look allows you to highlight the truly key features.

A cheat sheet on realism. Author: Natasha Kaya.

Cheat sheets on six areas of Russian art

In the book "Let's play art" we're talking about about Russian art turn of XIX-XX centuries and about the six main trends of that time: realism, modernism, cubo-futurism, primitivism, analytical art and abstractionism. Since the book for children aroused great interest among adults, in addition to the book, I made six cheat sheets for each area.

There is an opinion that"realism" - this is when what is depicted looks like the world. But is realism always really"realism"?

Modern

Which artistic values shared by the masters of the Art Nouveau era? And how can you learn to quickly determine that a work belongs to the Art Nouveau style? All this is described in detail in the cheat sheet.