Learning how visitors respond to my gallery show

Halfway into Dances and Dreams, my month-long show at the O’Connor Gallery, I’ve gained some insights into how people view art.

I’ve been delighted, for instance, to see how many people are deeply interested in photographic art.

I’ve had many conversations in which people ask how, where, or when I took a photograph, or even just “What is it?” (Like the photograph of the yellow bridge, below left.)

*Visitors sign up for my blog and examine the photographs*

Initially, I had expected that a majority would want to gaze without interruption, but I found that they often turn to me to ask questions.

Some want to know whether I use a drone. The answer is, sometimes. In fact, three of the ten images on display were shot by drone.

Some asked if I’m ever surprised by what I find when I look closely at my pictures. My answer: often.

For instance, I thought the drone had taken a photograph of minnows swimming around tiny islands.

Once I had a chance to examine the image though, it was clear that the fish were actually kayaks – hardy people self-propelling through the natural environment.

I’ve also learned how much visitors welcome a chance to immerse themselves in art, as a way of putting on hold the more stressful aspects of their lives.

For instance, a lay minister told me she appreciated visiting the gallery, right after officiating at the memorial for a parishioner who had died recently.

And yesterday, someone came in just to enjoy the air conditioning!

Some spend a few minutes focussed on the two or three images that appeal to them. For me, the surprise has been that over time every one of the images has been examined in that kind of depth. (I’d imagined, wrongly, that only a few would attract most of the attention.)

Others take the opportunity to look at every one of the ten images, going back and forth across the display, as something new catches their eye, often asking me questions about them.

With these visitors being so enthusiastic, it’s certainly been an enriching experience for me.

The show is at the O’Connor Gallery West, 49 King St. E, Gananoque, Ontario. It’s sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty, and ends August 30th.

Thanks to those of you who have visited. If you haven’t yet but would like to, drop me a line. I’ll make sure the gallery is open and show you around.

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Please forward this to anyone who might be interested in the show.

I hope you’ll share the link below with people who might appreciate a fresh vision of our world: TimothyBentley.Photography

You can also visit my pages at 500PX.