Undoubtedly, technology has revolutionized the accessibility of art.
The advent of photography and smartphones has made it possible for everyone to appreciate and engage with art, empowering us to explore the world of creativity by watching images on smartphones or laptops and taking pictures. As far as I remember from books about the history of art, hundreds of years ago, art was not for all. I assume only sacred art, placed in churches, was for all. The rest of the paintings were reserved for rich people. Today, we have a different situation. Today (I wrote this text on the 25th of September, 2023), art is for all. We can reach and almost literally grab most of the world-known works of art online, with Rembrandt’s, Vincent van Gogh’s, or Salvador Dali’s masterpieces at the forefront.
Still, I know one of the best ways to learn art. The initial hint is that I prefer to avoid walking to museums. Why?
It is because we usually cannot contemplate great works of art in silence. The noise and distractions in public spaces can make immersing oneself fully in the art world challenging. That’s why reading books by the German Taschen publishing house, the British Phaidon and Thames & Hudson, or the Polish Bosz and Arkady is one of the best ways to learn art in one of the most proficient ways. I must admit it: I am addicted to buying books. Almost every day, I visit the Taschen online store or one of my favorite bookstores in Warsaw, Bookoff. I do it to see if there are some new positions.
When I try to think rationally, I see I have too many books. Still, when I consider how much unknown wisdom and inspiration is hidden in books I do not have, I strive for more and more books. It is not the case I do not have money to buy them. I do not have enough space in our flat in Warsaw and our house in Brok to store the books. That’s why I donated (mainly art books) to the public library. That’s how I made the slogan “Art for all” a living theme.
