Perspectives in Painting

 “Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” – Pablo Picasso

There is a lot of perspective involved when it comes to painting. Most artists will think of the 3-dimensional displayed in a 2-dimensional medium, but what about the perspective of the artist, the subject, or the viewer?

You see, when you look at a piece of artwork, there is far more than meets the eye. The artist has a vision he or she is wanting to convey while also taking into account the point of view of the subject. Kind of like the whole "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" bit.

On top of that, each viewer brings his or her own twist to the perspective of the painting based on his or her experiences. So, yes, you have can paint the 3-dimensional in 2 dimensions, but you also have a triple layer of individuals' perspectives to consider and conceive.

This is why when we study art, we ask questions like:

1) Why did the artist choose this particular subject or technique?

2) Where was the artist at in his or her own life when this painting was created?

3) What is the subject's background in real life?

4) How does the painting compliment the subject?

5) How would this painting come across to viewers of different backgrounds?

6) Who would the target audience have been, and how does that change our understanding of the painting?

Art is so much more than a pretty picture. It's a multi-layered puzzle that is often social and relational in nature.