The Center of Attention

Artists have a variety of methods for guiding our eyes around the surfaces of their artworks. Lines, colors, textures, and shapes are just a few of the devices that artists can use to direct, or at least to encourage, our vision to follow a preset course. Of course, if an artist wants us to really look at something, s/he can either put that something right in the center of whatever surface is being used or create a clear and symmetrical composition. The question becomes, then, what should our eyes see when guided toward the center of the artwork. The wide artworks selected for this exhibition will help reveal the variety of visual experiences that are possible when we stare straight ahead.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website