Gallery Visit

Art Appreciation -

Art Gallery

Exhibitions can take months to plan and develop. The artists want to focus on two things: the message they want to communicate and the audience it is aimed at. There are certain things you should think about when visiting an exhibition:

Use of space: This is not just about the elements of design, but also about the spatial experience. What is the nature, quality and design of the space used? Is it calm and peaceful or noisy and aimed towards children? How is the spatial experience enhanced by other design elements such as light, use of colour and the shape and size of the room? How is the space used to enhance how you experience the messages or themes in the art work?

Lighting: This can be really important, as not only does it create or enhance a mood but it can also affect it in negative ways. Also, textiles and paper are extremely sensitive to light damage, so conservation is a major issue when it comes to illuminating objects and displays and they can often be dimly lit for this reason.

Key messages: What is the exhibition about? When visiting an exhibition it’s a good idea to list the main topics/themes of the artwork.

Interpretive media & technology: These can be touchpad, interactive, audio, video device. How are these designed and planned to support the messages or themes?

Who is the audience: Is it for experts or for people with little knowledge of the subject? Is it for students, adults, children or a range of visitors? Have the items in the exhibition been explained properly or the visitors left wondering what the artwork was about?

What type of experience is provided?

Are you being allowed to form your own opinions and thoughts or are you being given a particular viewpoint? What objects and themes get priority? Has anything or anyone’s viewpoint been left out?

Supporting materials: These can be leaflets, advertisements or catalogues. These materials are important tools for helping the organizers of the exhibition to get the message across for the audience. Examine the graphics/text and images used in support materials.

Directions: Note the directions and signposts used in the exhibition. Are they effective?

Placement: Take some time to look at how paintings are placed/ hung, such as an open display or in display cases.

A visit to an art Gallery Question –Sample Answer and Information

Here are points but you should write it out in essay form & you should never re-write it directly as it is here, change it around to suit your answer......

This question is from the art history & appreciation section of the art history paper (section three)

1.      My teacher took us to Dublin this year to visit the National Gallery of Ireland. The national gallery is just off Nassau street in the grounds of Leinster Lawn in Dublin

2.      The paintings in the National gallery of Ireland belong to all the Irish public – everyones welcome to visit the gallery and entry is free.

3.      The national gallery is open from mon – fro all day and on a half day on Sunday & visitors receive a booklet on arrival with the floor plan so that they know the layout of the gallery, this is helpful as the gallery is huge. All the rooms were named on this plan and the centuries that the paintings came from. Each wing is colour coded – the gallery has 4 wings.

4.      Before I visited the national gallery I thought it was only for wealthy artistic people but after my visit my opinion has changed. I now know that an art gallery is a place where works of art are cared for and displayed for everyone to visit & enjoy.

5.      We had a guide who showed us around the gallery and explained the different rooms & paintings to us.

6.      We were not allowed to touch the paintings as they are very fragile & very old.

7.      The galleries paintings are all arranged by themes eg: still life / landscapes etc.

8.      When you walk around the gallery you ask yourself: What is the story of the painting? Why did the artist create it? Where was it meant to hang, in a palace/ monastery or a house? Does it fall into any of the themes in the history of art such as portraits, narratives, landscape, mythology etc. We are also told to consider when looking at the paintings , did it make us feel happy, sad, angry, frightened etc? And did we like the painting or not?

We visited the ‘Yeats room’ the famous Irish painter Jack B Yeats. This room is different from the rest of the gallery. The lighting is low and it is like that to protect & preserve the paintings done in watercolour and oil. There is also a glass barrier to protect the paintings, The low lighting makes the room very peaceful & creates a special atmosphere. And strong light may damage the paintings. Because the oil paint is applied very thickly your natural reaction is to want to touch it (the texture) and the paint was applied with brushes & palette knives.

9.      Yeats love to paint scenes from the west of Ireland. His paintings in the gallery are arranged from his early simple life drawings to his heavily applied knife paintings. The paintings are hung at eye level with info underneath it about each painting.

10. My two favourite paintings by Yeats are ‘The liffey swim’ & ‘Grief’.

11. The liffey swim – the subject matter of this painting is a sporting event in Dublin. We see a crowd cheering on swimmers as they swim up the liffey. We feel that we are actually looking at the race from where the crowd was standing. We can see a boy in a green hat trying to work his way into the crowd to sell papers. Yeats paints himself into the painting (something the does quite often) along with his wife Cotty. They are in the foreground, she wears a fancy hat and he wears a grey hat with a black band.

12. Grief – this painting is very emotional. The subject matter (what the painting is about) is about war. It is a painting about the civil war in Ireland. In the centre there is a man on a horse with his arms raised. He seems to be angry. To the left of him I can see soldiers carrying rifles. A person in green leaves the scene. In the foreground Yeats shows the victims of war, a mother trying to comfort her dying baby, there is an old man on his knees with his hands in his face. He is either praying or just in despair. The gable of a house can be seen in the background with an explosion going off to the left. In the distance I can see a background of the sun rising which maybe is a symbol of hope.

13. From his traditional period, ‘The Liffey Swim’ captures the excitement of this annual event in Dublin, but sporting events were always of interest to him.He painted with loose brush strokes in his later works and emotion became a stronger feature in his work. He felt that the paintings could speak for themselves, he said ‘It doesn’t matter who I am or what I am, people may think what they will of my pictures’.

14. Another of Yeats most common images involved horses, and though he was never a horseman himself, he had a great affection for them. ‘For the Road’ expresses the understanding between horse and rider and the light of hope and optimism at the end of the tunnel. He died in March 1957 and has gained widespread international recognition as Irelands most renowned painter.

15. I really enjoyed my visit to the national gallery and I hope to return very soon to view all of the fantastic paintings from history.

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Here are the guidelines I would give in relation to answering this question on the art appreciation section on the paper.
Find out the following information
Artists-
Background information
Style
Influences

Exhibition-
Description of gallery space (shape,floors/wall)
Lighting- natural/artificial-positioning
Layout- Chronological/thematic/other
Information about the exhibition- (work, labelling)
Framing- are the artworks framed/canvas'

Describe 3 pieces-
Title
Medium
Format (landscape/portrait/irregular)
Composition
Colour
Use of Materials
Does the painting show the art elements? (texture/line/shape)

If you gather all this information while at the exhibition you should be able to answer the question successfully.

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Example of Art gallery Essay - This got an A. It's about the Hughe Lane Gallery in Dublin and two works of Art.

I recently visited the Hugh Lane Dublin City Gallery on a class trip. I had visited the gallery once before but on this occasion I gad a better knowledge of art and the techniques used in its appreciation. So I had a better awareness and understanding of the gallery structure.

The gallery is located in Charlemont house in north Dublin. This is a fitting setting as the building is of neo-classical design and many of the works on display date from this period. The gallery display modern and contemporary art, with substantial collection of impressionism.

Charlemont house was designed for Lord Charlemont by the architect Sir. William Chambers. The building did not become the Hugh Lane Gallery until 1933, when the Hugh Lane collection was relocated to the house. Hugh Lane was a philanthropist who spent much of his life collecting fine examples of art. Having no previous knowledge of art he chose pieces based on the opinions of his friends, eventually forming his own eye for art. Lane would raise the money for the art by asking the wealthy for donation and getting deals from artists who would offer him a lower price or even donate the work for free. Hugh Lane demanded that these works be made freely available to the public and this was upheld in his will as they were transfered into state ownership.
I noticed that the layout of the building is well designed to display works of art as the house is designed with as series of networking rooms. This means that each room leads on to the other as was originally intended for socialising. Although this wasn't part of the original house, it still would of been important to Sir Hugh Lane to be able to entertain in the house.

Today is means that the progression from room to room flows naturally and allows an orders and chronological hanging of the work while allowing the viewer to focus on the paintings in a single room.

Each painting is also given its own space to focus on, with no more than two to a wall. In addition smaller painting are often hung adjacent to larger painting to put emphasis on size and scale. Paintings are usually hung with the centre of the picture being around eye level as this allows the best view of the painting. Tags are never placed near the entrance of the room, rather than the doorway so as not to detract from the paintings themselves.

The information given is usually; the title, the artist, medium, the date painted, birth and death of artist along with a brief history of the artist life and work. To surmise, all of the above techniques mean that the work is presented in a very clear and informative manner which effectively engages the viewer.
Modern technology has allowed for an even more comprehensive background of the artist, such as the interactive video screens in the Francis Bacon studio. There is also a movie room where there is an interview with Francis Bacon shown on screen which is viewed before entering the studio. The gallery also has a book ship with an extensive range of subjects allowing patrons to learn more about the artwork after their visit.
In old galleries the walls are painted in rich victorian colours, in keeping with the period of the displayed. A number of skylights are in place to provide natural lights along with spotlights angles at the wall (to prevent glare).
The newer galleries, such as the Francis Bacon studio, are generally all white with no frames on the paintings, allowing the viewer to focus on the work itself. Large skylight provide a great amount of natural light, along with artificial adjustable spots on sliding mounts.
The gallery also has certain artifacts which are highlighted so as to draw out their characteristics. For example, the Harry Clarke room is devoted entirely to displays of stained glass. The room is almost completely dark with black walls and very soft, low lighting. Each piece of stained glass is placed in front of its own light source, slotted into the wall. This draws out all of the unique colours of the glass and completely focuses the viewer's attention on the work.

The Francis Bacon Studio is one of the only three preserved studios in the world. To do this every detail of Bacon's studio in London was recorded, the disassembled and reassembled in the Hugh Lane Gallery. The studio gives a fantastic insight into Bacon's work and the creative processes behind it. It is located in a newer parts of the gallery, designed with the sole purpose of highlighting Bacon's work. The studio is seen before Bacon's paintings, allowing the viewer to better appreciate the work.

While visiting the gallery there were two paintings on display that I found particularly appealing. Both were impressionist works, painted by Claude Monet. The first "Lavacourt under snow" is a landscape painting depicting a few small picturesque houses in the countryside covered by snow. The painting is very tranquil with small quick brushstrokes, capturing the fading light and pale pinks of the sky.The painting was hung in its original frame in the style of the late 19th Century.

The second painting is called "Waterloo Brigde", by Monet. Monet spent a considerable amount of time in London. While there, he made many paintings of the Thames, enjoying the way the fog influenced the light and its effect on the water. The painting shows waterloo bridge from an obscured angle with part of the bridge cut off and out of frame. The painting shows the bridge in the early hours of the morning with a heavy mist present. The pale pinks and reds of the rising sun can be seen distorted in the water. London city can be seen in the background, obscured and slightly out of focus.
Monet is renowned for his brilliant renditions of light at the different times of day. In addition his penchant for capturing a scene of natural beauty in a man made and industrial environment is clearly evident and particularly effective when viewed in person.
I thoroughly enjoyed my art gallery visit as I was able to fully see the skill and artistry that is used in a gallery to highlight and focus the works of art on display. In addition seeing many of the paintings I have studied in person mean that I now have a better understanding and appreciation of them.

______________________________________________________

2009 paper

17. A visit to an exhibition is best judged by the quality of art work on display and by the

gallery space itself..

- Discuss this statement with reference to any named exhibition you have

visited.

and

- Discuss two specific works from this exhibition in detail.

Use sketches to illustrate your answer.

2009 Q17 Marking scheme

A Name of Gallery/Exhibition. 10

B Discussion of statement with reference to visited exhibition . 10

C Detailed discussion of work 1. 10

D Detailed discussion of work 2. 10

E Sketches 10

Total : 50

Sample Answer:

The gallery I have visited and will discuss in my answer is the National Gallery of Ireland. The national gallery is just off Nassau street in the grounds of Leinster Lawn in Co.Dublin I had visited this gallery once before but on my most recent visit I had a better knowledge of art and the techniques used in its appreciation so I had a better awareness and understanding of the gallery structure and art work on display there, in particular the work of Irish artist Jack B.Yeats work displayed in the Yeats room which I will discuss in detail later.

The paintings in the National gallery of Ireland belong to all the Irish public, everyone’s welcome to visit the gallery and entry is free.

I noticed that the structure and layout of the building is well designed to display all of the different works of art, as the gallery flows from room to room so that each room leads on to next. This gallery is very well laid out and on arrival visitors receive a booklet with the floor plan so that they know the layout of the gallery and can find their way around easily, this is helpful as the gallery is very large and spacious and you could easily get lost. All of the exhibition rooms in this gallery were named on the plan and the centuries that the paintings came from. Each wing is colour coded & the gallery has 4 wings. We had a guide who showed us around the gallery and explained the different rooms & paintings to us. The galleries paintings are all arranged by themes eg: still life / landscapes etc. The overall atmosphere in this gallery is very calm and peaceful and the rooms are very large and spacious with lots of room for visitors to walk around and enjoy the Art work on display. .

I agree with the statement above that ‘a visit to an art exhibition is best judged by the quality of art work on display’ and one exhibition on display in particular caught my attention and I feel this is the reason I really enjoyed my visit to this gallery. Before I visited the national gallery I thought it was only for wealthy artistic people but after my visit my opinion has changed. I now know that an art gallery is a place where works of art are cared for and displayed for everyone to visit & enjoy.

We visited the ‘Yeats room’ featuring the art work of the famous Irish painter Jack B Yeats. This room is different from the rest of the gallery. The lighting is low and it is like that to protect & preserve the paintings done in watercolor and oil. There is also a glass barrier to protect the paintings. The low lighting makes the room very peaceful & creates a special atmosphere. And strong light may damage the paintings. Because the oil paint is applied very thickly your natural reaction is to want to touch it (the texture) and the paint was applied with large brushes & palette knives. Yeats loved to paint scenes from the west of Ireland. His paintings in the gallery are arranged from his early simple life drawings to his heavily applied knife paintings. The paintings are hung at eye level with info underneath it about each painting.

My two favourite paintings on exhibit in the national gallery of Ireland in te ‘Yeats room’ by Yeats are ‘The liffey swim’ & ‘Grief’.

The liffey swim – the subject matter of this painting is a sporting event in Dublin. We see a crowd cheering on swimmers as they swim up the liffey. We feel that we are actually looking at the race from where the crowd was standing. We can see a boy in a green hat trying to work his way into the crowd to sell papers. Yeats paints himself into the painting (something the does quite often) along with his wife Cotty. They are in the foreground, she wears a fancy hat and he wears a grey hat with a black band.

Grief – this painting is very emotional. The subject matter (what the painting is about) is about war. It is a painting about the civil war in Ireland. In the centre there is a man on a horse with his arms raised. He seems to be angry. To the left of him I can see soldiers carrying rifles. A person in green leaves the scene. In the foreground Yeats shows the victims of war, a mother trying to comfort her dying baby, there is an old man on his knees with his hands in his face. He is either praying or just in despair. The gable of a house can be seen in the background with an explosion going off to the left. In the distance I can see a background of the sun rising which maybe is a symbol of hope.

From his traditional period, ‘The Liffey Swim’ captures the excitement of this annual event in Dublin, but sporting events were always of interest to him.He painted with loose brush strokes in his later works and emotion became a stronger feature in his work. He felt that the paintings could speak for themselves, he said ‘It doesn’t matter who I am or what I am, people may think what they will of my pictures’.

Another of Yeats most common images involved horses, and though he was never a horseman himself, he had a great affection for them. ‘For the Road’ expresses the understanding between horse and rider and the light of hope and optimism at the end of the tunnel. He died in March 1957 and has gained widespread international recognition as Irelands most renowned painter.

In conclusion I really enjoyed my visit to the national gallery of Ireland & the Yeats room and I hope to return very soon to view all of the fantastic paintings from history.

Illustrate your answer - so you would sketch a plan of the layout & strucutre of this gallery & also sketch your two names pieces of work by artist Jack B Yeats

The Wandesford Quay Gallery, "Traces" Exhibition by Art Group 7

The gallery question is one of the more popular questions that students answer because it is one that you can plan and prepare for. It comes up every year in different forms so it is vitally important that you reads the question carefully and adapt your answer to what is being asked. We visited the Wandesford Quay Gallery on the 23rd of January 2014 and the experience was unique as student were able to see artwork created by Art teachers. Below is information about the exhibition which should help you to write about the exhibition. You own personal opinions about the exhibition experience and your response to the artwork is very important.

Here is link to the Gallery website;http://ccad-research.org/gallery/?page_id=1232

Here are sample gallery questions that have come up in previous years

Here are important questions that you will need to ask yourself about the exhibition experience

Checklist for Gallery Visit. Information that you need to collect while at an exhibition.

Art gallery key words. Find in link below

http://www.pdst.ie/sites/default/files/Key%20words%20art%20gallery%20visit.doc

Here is a great link with useful tips for answering the gallery question.

http://www.hughlane.ie/phocadownload/the%20francis%20bacon%20studio%20a%20resource%20for%20leaving%20certificate%20students.pdf

The Wandesford Quay Gallery Information

Gallery floor plan layout (this is important for you know and be able to sketch from memory)

Exhibition "Traces" information

Exhibition opening night 17th of January

The Gallery space

The main floor space

Sandra Norris

Mark Ewart

Declan O Meara

Evelyn Egan Rainy

Tracy Cronin

The Matter of When, 2013. Mixed media and oil on board. 76x61cm

"Dear Kate" 2013, mixed media and oil on board.

Reupholstered, 2013. Mixed media and oil on Board. 40x40cm

Untitled, 2013. Mixed media and oil on Board, 40x40cm

Daniel Sexton

Zara mc Daid

Sample Gallery Question Answer.

"Barriers" Exhibition by Art Group 7

Barriers is the third exhibition by Art Group 7. Using painting, drawing, digital, and mixed media, each artist has interpreted the theme of Barriers in different ways – but all investigate how personal and social barriers can alter an individual’s outlook on life, and the ability to communicate with the self and others.

The central topics which run throughout the work for this exhibition range from the imposition of technology, stresses of a busy lifestyle and mental health issues; social exclusion, nostalgia of the present and questioning structures and conventions in everyday life. Each artist aims to open up a conversation with the viewer - that on an intrinsic level - may have bearing on how we all strive to overcome barriers, no matter what they may be.

ART GROUP 7

Art Group 7 is a collective of artists from diverse backgrounds working as art educators. The artists include Mark Ewart, Gearóid Hally, Zara McDaid, Sandra Norris, Declan O’Meara, Daniel Sexton, and Tracy Sexton.