Visual Thinking Strategies

There are five different stages in developing an understanding of aesthetics; these stages were created and refined by Abigail Housen and Karin DeSantis. These stages are refined over time and experience, which means that viewers need to be around art in order to develop an understanding of aesthetic. However, I believe that you do not necessarily have to visit a museum in order to be around art. While viewers will miss out on the ambiance of a museum, they can still analyze or appreciate art through their phones or computers. The only hinderance would be technological glitches in the programs that museums or others use to view art through technology (Google’s Art Project is a great example of this).

Technology also opens people up to discussions about art, which is a vital part of developing an understanding of aesthetics. When people discuss artwork, they learn more about it and are able to progress through the five stages of aesthetic development. VTS's (Visual Thinking Strategies) facilitation methods are designed to help viewers of art through the five stages and provide viewers with the tools to more openly look at art. VTS does this by talking about the content and context of a work of art so that viewers can delve further into interpretative ideas and develop necessary observational skills.