Those that know me in person might be surprised to find out that I enjoy and indulge in art, as I never really bring it up. I usually try to visit at least one museum or gallery every time I set foot in a new city. What also might be surprising - is that I don’t care for 95% of the art I see on display. I walk by, take a glance for a few seconds if even that, before moving on. Well, that’s a bit nonsensical isn’t it? Why would I spend the time going through galleries and exhibitions when it doesn’t seem like I actually like what I’m seeing, you might ask.

I’m sure that basically every art student has probably come to a similar conclusion at some point in their life, but a lot of art is simply boring and uninspiring. Just as how tourists going to Japan or Europe get temple and church fatigue, you can only look at so many 15th-18th century portraits, large spanning canvases of religious subject matter, or yet another still life of a plant before it all starts to look similar. That’s not to say that it’s ‘bad’ or unskillful art however. Pretty much everything that has been curated into and exhibited at a well known gallery is masterful and technical work. Rather, it’s art that doesn’t really stand out in a way that makes me want to view it for much longer than a glance. It’s just not captivating.

So shifting the question to - what is captivating? Well that’s a little difficult to answer because it can be any number of things which will vary from person to person. A rich and vivid palette of colours, particularly interesting subject matter, sense of scale, a peculiar execution, among many other things can make a piece have much more staying power in a sea of lookalikes. After visiting many galleries, I’ve felt a lot of these qualities in the art of movements that many would not call ‘artistic’ at all - postmodernism, abstract expressionism, contemporary, and the like.

In the critique of works by those such as Rothko or Basquiat, you will often hear lines such as It's just two rectangles?? or My toddler could draw this!, which I feel is viewing the art from a fundamentally disconnected lens to those of artists. Art, to many artists at least, is not necessarily a display of craftsmanship or refinement of technique, but rather a malleable medium of expression used to evoke feeling. If geometric shapes or doodle-like paintings are what elicit an emotional reaction from the viewer, then let it be that way.

One of my favourite pieces of art is ‘Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)’ by Jackson Pollock. When I first laid eyes on it, I stared for several long minutes before taking a few steps over and staring some more. People seeing a photo might be quick to disparage it by saying It looks like random splattering of paint!, but the photos will never do it justice. As you walk up to it, it fills your entire field of view. It is engulfing, in a way that has not been demonstrated from the paintings of movements that came before it. I’ve heard from many people who have seen Rothko works in person recount a similar experience. I had previously seen absolutely beautiful pieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Klimt, Matisse, and so on but this was different… It was like an abyss that silently whisked away my attention before I’d knew it. As I stood in its captivity, I gradually came to like the splattering of paint and found it quite beautiful.

The next time you visit an art exhibition, try to judge the works not by the perceived difficulty of artistry, but rather by what is captivating. Frequenting museums isn’t about leaving thinking Wow everyone's really talented!, but about finding the one that makes you stop in your tracks. The most memorable pieces just might not be what you expect.

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Here are some works which have captivated me enough to note down immediately after viewing. If you’re ever in the area, please do try and view them in person if you have time - it’s an entirely different experience. Despite everything I wrote, they’re not all abstract or weird. I love the Renoirs and van Goghs of the world just as much as the Pollocks :)

Claude Monet - Nymphéas

• A series of many paintings on exhibit around the world, the biggest few spanning entire walls can be seen at:
  • Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris
  • Kunsthaus Zürich in Zürich (Love the few here particularly!)
  • Museum of Modern Art in New York City

Johann Knapp - Homage to Jacquin

• On exhibit at the Belvedere in Vienna

Georg Mayer-Marton - Drei Musiker

• On exhibit at the Belvedere in Vienna

Augusto Giacometti - Friede

• On exhibit at the Albertina in Vienna

August Strindberg - Marine avec récif

• Formerly on exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris

François Flameng - La Carta

• On exhibit at the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City

David Alfaro Siqueiros - Movimento

• On exhibit at the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City

Hokusai - Peonies and Butterfly

• On exhibit at the Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo

And last but certainly not least,

Jackson Pollock - Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)

• On exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City