Nowadays, the world is filled with images and technology; close looking and analysis have been proven to be helpful tools, and I have learned a lot from historical art about visual literacy in my personal, artistic, and professional life. Through the eyes of art history, it has been my duty to analyze with a quality of critical thinking that goes beyond the immediate. Though it has taken some time, I have managed to keep developing these skills and today, I can say that I feel more connected to the world that I surround – the world of paintings in museums, cinema films and product designs. Thus, we will close with the highlights, which have shown how the historical classes for art skills have affected my life beyond the tutorial.
A great point to be drawn here is when Pater (2023) narrates the famous painting, the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci (p.n). By focusing on the smallest details of the painting, I got a fresh look at the painting led by da Vinci, from the blurring of colours or tones described by sfumato to the enigmatic face of the sitter. Accuracy of detail is my most remarkable ability now. I can be extremely good at examining the minute details of facial expressions and gestures. By devoting to real-life situations the same degree of attention and concentration as I would to a piece of art, I have developed the ability to spot those hidden intricacies of human communication, ultimately making me more knowledgeable about interpersonal bonds.
On the other hand, user interface design and experience design are practical applications, and within these fields, my exposure to art historical skills is well put to use (Hakam et al., 2020). Through the scrutiny of the principles of the design seen in different art models, for instance, Classical art has balance as its principle and Abstract Expressionism experiments with form and colour, I have developed a vision of how to come up with well-conceived and beautiful digital interfaces. By embracing this rinse-and-repeat process, I’ve applied the fundamentals I learned to my UI/UX projects, reflecting visual delight while improving the user experience.
Another example of how I’ve applied these skills in my personal life is through the analysis of a painting we studied in class: “Starry Night.” (Van Gogh, 2021, p.57-67) Among the other pieces that captivated me not only for their visual appeal but also for their deeper meaning and richness of emotion was a famous work by Vincent van Gogh. My close and careful scrutiny and analysis demonstrated how the artist’s colour, brushwork, and composition expressed his turbulent feelings and religious beliefs through his paintings. Developing this knowledge encouraged me to look for my emotions and express them in pictures. Since I’ve been interested in painting as a tool to express myself, I use colours and textures to visualize my sensations. I was not only able to use the aptitude I acquired in my artistic process for the analysis in the class, but I also found a much more satisfying expression in my creativity, resulting in a new sense of freedom and mental discharge.
In marketing and advertising, I employ art historical skills that assist me in fulfilling the required tasks. By breaking down ad campaigns and visuals, I can see that the purpose, target audience, and persuasion strategies used in marketing are all right there. For example, after analyzing the most famous commercial of all at that time, “1984” by Apple, in class, I gained a profound perception of how images can be used to touch the soul and concisely translate complex messages. Having acquired this knowledge, I have developed more effective marketing strategies and campaigns, and I ensure that their messages sound appealing to their targeted consumers. In addition, I have cultivated an acute sense of critical media analysis that has allowed me to spot emerging trends, forecast changes in consumer dynamics, and stay ahead in this highly dynamic marketing landscape.
Looking back at how I have expanded my awareness because of the art history course I took, I am amazed at its impact on my overall perception. What used to be just a series of inanimate objects that appeared on museums’ walls is now a frame through which we may easily look into the distant past, creating pictures of the cultural, social, and political milieus of different eras. In addition, my ability to read and interpret firmly increased as well. Currently, when I see photos, I always find myself curious and able to dig deeper; therefore, my personal and professional interests have been broadened.
Given that the thumbnail of such a class would enhance critical thinking ability and develop a sense of art, I would advertise it to another Wildcat. Instead of pure observation, this course provides students with the instruments that allow them to break down and extract information from visuals, enabling them to comprehend and relate to the environment they find themselves in. As in a passion for the arts or the desire to grow our cultural outlook, the lessons the class will teach us will not be limited to those four walls and will perhaps change our lives forever.
Works Cited
Alomari, Hakam W., et al. “A User Interface (UI) and User eXperience (UX) evaluation framework for cyberlearning environments in computer science and software engineering education.” Heliyon 6.5 (2020). https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(20)30762-3.pdf
Pater, Walter. The Renaissance: studies in art and poetry. Univ of California Press, 2023. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aRm3EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA351&dq=renaissance+artwork&ots=957BTFZ1hq&sig=dbYXODgA8gvcFmmPlnLhcWk-1Uo
Van Gogh, Vincent. “Starry night.” In the Mind’s Eye. Routledge, 2021. 57-67. https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/chapters/edit/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9781003235750-7&type=chapterpdf
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