LOOKING WITHOUT SEEING

“I sat staring, staring, staring - half lost, learning a new language or rather the same language in a different dialect” – Emily Carr.

Have you ever noticed how we become unaware of what is actually in front of us because we’ve seen it too often? Attentional selectivity has been well documented as a method we use to function. Taking in every visual in our field would be overwhelming, so we filter, focusing our attention on what we deem to be the most relevant details. This ability frees up energy in our brains for other tasks. We are so good at this that we seldom even notice we’re doing it. 

I recently became aware of this attentional selectivity when I realized I had been overlooking a cluttered pantry that had been this way for so long that I no longer saw it. Until that moment, I had looked past the clutter, focusing only on what I needed to retrieve. We naturally tune out what our brain deems to be unimportant, so I simply retrieved what I needed. The fact that my pantry was a mess didn’t serve my purpose at that moment, so I was blind to it. I wondered how I could be looking at this clutter for so long and not be seeing it!

This experience prompted me to ask the question, what happens when we really need and want to see – like when we are making our art? There are times in our creative work when we need to see clearly and thoroughly to make the important decisions and choices. So how do we switch off the filters that deploy organically after looking at something continuously for some time?

We all know how it feels to have looked at our work for so long that we just can’t see it anymore. We lose our objectivity and feel lost. This is when we need to bypass our tendency to simply look and instead consciously see.

What helps is to slow down and get methodical. Take some time to make a complete visual inventory of what you are seeing in your work. Use mindfulness to observe what you are seeing, as you would to observe your thoughts. Make an extensive list of what you are noticing, and do this as a neutral viewer, withholding any and all judgement – there will be a time for this later. Once we have taken time to simply be an observer, we will have more information to be a discerning judge of our work, giving our observations clarity and purpose.

As you look, pay close attention to what you are seeing that you might not have noticed before, no matter how small. Turn the work and view it in different orientations and angles. Try viewing the work through a mirror to see it in reverse. This is often like seeing the piece for the very first time, fresh and unfiltered.

Change the placement of where you are looking at the work. Take it to a different room. Take it outside. Adjust the lighting from very bright to barely lit. Take pictures of the work and look at it on a screen, view it in black and white or different tones.

Each time you make a change to how you are viewing the work, ask yourself what more you are seeing. How has the work changed as a result? What has been discovered and what has been lost? Is there anything that feels uncomfortable or off-putting in the work? What really stands out to you as beautiful, effective or captivating?

What do you notice when the colour is absent from the work? What role does the colour play? Could it be doing more in the work or is it too much? How about the texture? Both the implied texture that is a result of the imagery, and the actual texture created through applications of paint and other media. Are you now seeing it differently?

Consider the qualities of what you are looking at. If you were describing this work to someone who has lost their sight, how would you convey what you are seeing and experiencing? What words could you use to speak about the quality of the work and the overall feeling, along with the details and essential elements?

Make a drawing of what you are looking at, using your observation skills to render the work in a different media. This forces us to distill every aspect of the work we are observing so we can recreate it with some accuracy in its new iteration. Close and thorough observation through drawing not only helps us see what we are looking at, but also strengthens our drawing skills.

These are just some of the ways we can help ourselves to let in more visual information through which we can assess our work more deeply. We need to be able to do this for our own work and it also trains us how to look more slowly and contemplatively at other artists’ work. The fact is that when we slow down and become intentional about looking, we see more than we typically would. When we do that over time, more can be revealed to us.

It is often said that a really great painting does only this – it reveals more of itself to the viewer the longer the viewer engages with it. Great paintings pull us in and intoxicate us with their initial impression. We notice certain things first, usually the contrast, in its values and colours. The strongest elements do their work and grab attention. It is when we take the time to look longer that the more subtle and evocative aspects reveal themselves. But what if we were to spend an hour looking? By spending protracted time deeply looking at a piece, we ourselves can be changed through the experience. We may discover something we hadn’t known or understood before, and our perception could be altered. When we take the time to really see what is being presented to us, we discover more, and that discovery can lead to change.

Sometimes the long looking can generate anxiety for us simply because it feels like we “should” know what the painting is saying, needing or doing. Sitting in the space of not knowing is challenging, so we often avoid it. We may try to relieve the discomfort of those feelings by making an impulsive choice. Sometimes that does take us to an interesting place in our work, but I often feel there is a balance needed between action and contemplation.

We need to become attuned to not only seeing, but sensing when is the best time to do this deep looking. I think that perhaps there are two key stages that can benefit from this slowed down looking – when we are stuck with where to go to next in our work, and when we are contemplating what a piece needs to be finished or whether perhaps it already is. Both of these stages of our work are asking for our discernment and judgment to guide us forward, or to conclusion. The rest of the time, it is action we need – movement, intuition, choices informed by feeling and sensing our way. These are the times we play, express, and push boundaries. We entertain what is possible, and how we can get out of our own way to be more open and freer in our work.

As artists we not only want to be able to truly see our work, but we also want to create an experience of the work being revealed to the viewer and unfolding over time. So it only makes sense that finding ways to look deeply at our work, with mindful observation and patience is key to the process.

Becoming intentional with how you look at your work can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of your craft. Expand this deeper looking to other aspects of your life and you may find you develop a new appreciation for the small details and nuances in the world around you. Like me, you may even find you need to organize your pantry. 

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