The View of Art
There was a digital installation in the MOMA that was composed of multiple screens. The primary screen, though, took up most of a sizable wall (in a room with high ceilings), and the image changed over time. There was also a bank of floor beanbags in a line where you could lie down and watch the image.
The beanbags put your in much more of a horizontal position, and I was beat, so I got into one and relaxed. About thirty seconds later, I noticed a curious effect. When I'm looking at a painting, I'm not moving, but I am standing.
If I'm lying down, though, I'm still. My eyes are still, and my body is still.
My brain started processing every single minor detail in the image, many of which I'd missed when I was standing. A charcoal grill. A trash can, with pieces of trash around it. Tiny flares from gas rigs in the distance.
Being still made the viewing experience entirely different in a way I never expected. Eli 24.4 talks about ideal viewing distances for art, but this was ideal orientation.
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