Writing 2: Way of Seeing

Museums influence my way of seeing because by having context to what I am viewing I can heighten my understanding of the objects that I view. Museums have the ability to influence the way that I view an object by the structure and detail that the object is given. For example, if I go to an art exhibit I might see paintings without a name or description that are lined up right next to each other. If a museum is structured in this way it allows me to casually walk around and view the paintings, but after a while this becomes tiresome because I don’t understand what I’m seeing. However, if paintings are given the right amount of space and some description of the artist and time period I take more time with each piece that I’m particularly interested in which enhances my experience. The reason that I enjoy going to a museum that displays art or other objects in this way is that it allows me to learn and helps give meaning to the object that I’m viewing. Another way that museums shape the way I see is by sub-dividing the objects within the museum, allowing for more understanding of the artifacts as a whole. Since the museums that I have visited are broken up into different time periods or themes I have a more comprehensive view of the objects that I see or interact with. In this way, museums shape my way of seeing because I can have more of a choice in what I view. In Washington, D.C. a Smithsonian may be dedicated only to American History, but because there are so many subgroups within American History it’s important to be able to have objects broken up into coherent groups. Museums shape the way that I see because by creating exhibits that give context to artifacts and group them in a particular way I learn more about the museum and the objects that it holds.