I’m not sure I entirely agree with this article, but I think it clarified something for me today. In thinking about art from a neurological perspective, I like the comparison this NYTimes opinion piece makes: that looking at, and understanding, a work of art in your brain (and as the author argues, your whole self) is like having a conversation.

“We might say that works of art pose questions and encountering a work of art meaningfully requires understanding the relevant questions and getting why they matter, or maybe even, why they don’t matter, or don’t matter any more, or why they would matter in one context but not another.”

This is exactly the work that museums try to facilitate, especially for a public who often have not had the opportunity to hone those conversational skills. Museum educators, curators, interpreters, docents, strive to build a space or an exhibit with background knowledge and focused attention to help visitors understand and communicate with art. By not teaching art in schools and not encouraging each other and ourselves to look closer/deeper, we are ill-prepared to speak with art, just like an individual without friends. And that lack of understanding (ability to understand context, patience to take turns and listen) can become a feed-back loop of feeling inadequate and overwhelmed for visitors. These are the obstacles museum professionals are trying to overcome, to develop those moments of conversation in the galleries, and encourage visitors to take that conversation home with them.