That is the question.
Just been reading a terrific book about art: The story of art without men, by Katy Hessel.
Unputdownable.
I read to learn – I’m that kind of consumer.
I’ve long been painfully aware of gaps in my knowledge – about pretty much everything!
If I often feel insufficiently able to venture my opinion it’s related to a less than ideal education. Not to mention the fear of sounding like yet another “listen to me” voice seeping out of internetland.
I went to a secondary modern ( don’t know why they called it “modern” – it wasn’t) : even at the time I knew I didn’t know much. At school there seemed to be more focus on crowd control than disseminating knowledge.
So I grew up knowing I needed to know more. I’m still like that now.
I’ve always painted, drawn and made art stuff. Therefore, I found it invaluable to see work by other artists, seek out source materials, go to the library – “excuse me, where’s the art section ?” and so on.
Later at art school we were encouraged to sign up for the art history course – which I loved; delving deeper, finding out about chronology, isms, schisms and ” what did the artist intend with this work?” Politics, became part of the picture.
Where, when and why.
Often, in lectures, a voice would pipe up ” where are all the women?”
The book I spoke of earlier answers that question. Perfectly.