Do you think the environment in which we see art influences our experience of it?

Do you think the environment in which we see art influences our experience of it? Is viewing art in a crowd different than viewing it in a more intimate setting?

For me, art is subjective. I like what I like for no other reason than it is something I like. I know that's a bit simplistic but it's the truth . I feel the same way about music. There isn't a genre I could say describes me. I just like what I like.

Yes very much. For example, on a trip to Paris with my daughter the art exhibits were more than appreciation of good art. It was a creating of a great mother/daughter bonding and I believe that influenced my reaction to many paintings.

I absolutely think that the environment in which we see art influences our experience of it. Reproductions are nothing like originals. I remember the first time I saw an actual Botticelli in Florence. It was so beautiful that I wept. I have taken art history classes and seen reproductions in books and on screens but there is nothing like the actual work of art. Additionally, museums and galleries provide environmental spaces and the ambiance in which to appreciate art.

I'd love to take an art appreciation class some time. I know very little about the subject. I have to say, though, that when I've gone to shows at my local art museum, I'm a bit turned off by the crowds. You feel you have to hurry along and can't always take your time to enjoy a piece. My best experiences have been when I've ventured there alone and spent time enjoying just a couple of works.

The lenses which we view life are all colored by our past experiences, culture and environment so the same would hold true of the environment in which we see a work of art. The example of viewing art in Florence surrounded by the buildings and environment that the art was created gives the viewer a totally different dimension than if the art was viewed from a book or just any museum.

Absolutely!

Yes, definitely.

Environment influences how we see most things. That's why theaters are air-conditioned and have padded seats. It makes the experience more enjoyable. Michelangelo's David is on a spotlighted pedestal in a separate alcove in a two story room. I think that made it seem even more magnificent than it might have seemed otherwise. I know it was an incredible experience for me.

I agree that the environment influences our experiences.
I also think that our emotional state and mood influences our opinion of books, movies, etc.

Definitely. I agree that seeing a reproduction or a photo of a painting in a book is nothing like seeing the real thing. I love walking into an art gallery and the artist is actually there painting. Instantly I want to buy something.

The environment definitely affects how we see art. Also, expert opinions affect it, as well. If we see a piece of art in a museum and the experts are all agog then we tend to also see it as a great work of art whether or not we really like it. If we saw it sitting in a garage somewhere we might have a totally different perspective

Definitely! An example: On a recent trip to Spain we toured many cathedrals & basilicas where we saw "floats" or pasos on display. Impressive, beautiful, magnificent HOWEVER it wasn't until we accidentally bumped into a procession with the pasos being carried down the street in Seville at 10 PM in the shadow of the great cathedral on the backs of 48 men (castaleros) in the moonlit street ~ lead by incense waving robed people & followed by the brass band & drummers, did I realize the true wonder of it all. It was a peak experience for me!