Welcome to the Art Historian's Toolbox

[Nemia]

As some of you may know, I'm an art historian. That means I have a specific set of skills that help me in my tarot practice. As art historian, I constantly move from the mute, artistic right-brain that thinks in forms and colours to the talking, counting, rational left-brain (let's accept this as metaphor, okay?)

Tarot cards give a visual language. And the visual message doesn't use words. Obviously, each card also gives verbal messages: it has a name, number, astrological associations or other information, and we can name symbols and depictions on the cards: that's a crown, that's a dog, and that's a snake.

I hope that knowledge from my art historian's tool box will help others to understand how "reading a picture" works. I don't have a very clear plan yet but I want to open a new thread every week (at least, maybe more, we'll see) and explain a different set of terms and techniques how to de-code a visual message.

Artists, by the way, work intuitively. They don't say: I want to express anger, so let's look it up in the encyclopedia of artistic expression - ah, red and spiky it must be! They just express what they want to express. And much of it is obvious to us. We simply know to read visual messages from a young age. We SEE what our parents' faces tell us, we understand whether it's night or day, we orient ourselves in the space around us, all this is natural and instinctive for us. (If we have full sight, of course).

So why this thread?

Well, if we read for others, we need to put these visual messages into words. And in order for that to work, we can use every tool in the box. The personal association, intuition, book knowledge, esoteric theory, certain reading techniques - everything.

I'd like to add one thing here.

If you have ideas or questions, tell me so.

My idea is to structure this sub forum like a little course. I start with one card and what we can see there, and then we'll move to spreads, i.e., the interaction between cards.

What do you think?

[Myperception]

I think start with one card is a good idea, let us get the feel and explore, than slowly move forward with spread.

[Nemia]

Oh yes, I'll go through everything first concerning ONE card, only later we'll look at spreads. I made myself a little plan and it says: first we look at a single card, then at a deck overall, and then at spreads.

I'll have to take lots of photos which I hate but I have lots of ideas!

[qndynes]

Oh, I like this, sounds very promising and enriching. Reminds me a bit of a mini course I took with Camelia Elias called Art Tarot.

[Diana]

So when do you start ? Am waiting here tapping my feet impatiently!!!

[Nemia]

Tomorrow I need light to make pictures but I've been thinking about it for some time.

[Tomatosauce]

Just jumping in here to say that... I haven’t been around much lately, but I stopped in today and have absolutely devoured this forum. This is right up my alley. Thank you, Nemia.

[katrinka]

As some of you may know, I'm an art historian. That means I have a specific set of skills that help me in my tarot practice. As art historian, I constantly move from the mute, artistic right-brain that thinks in forms and colours to the talking, counting, rational left-brain (let's accept this as metaphor, okay?)

Whew! Relieved.
Yes, as a metaphor, it works.

Tarot cards give a visual language. And the visual message doesn't use words. Obviously, each card also gives verbal messages: it has a name, number, astrological associations or other information, and we can name symbols and depictions on the cards: that's a crown, that's a dog, and that's a snake.

I hope that knowledge from my art historian's tool box will help others to understand how "reading a picture" works. I don't have a very clear plan yet but I want to open a new thread every week (at least, maybe more, we'll see) and explain a different set of terms and techniques how to de-code a visual message.

Artists, by the way, work intuitively. They don't say: I want to express anger, so let's look it up in the encyclopedia of artistic expression - ah, red and spiky it must be! They just express what they want to express. And much of it is obvious to us. We simply know to read visual messages from a young age. We SEE what our parents' faces tell us, we understand whether it's night or day, we orient ourselves in the space around us, all this is natural and instinctive for us. (If we have full sight, of course).

So why this thread?

Well, if we read for others, we need to put these visual messages into words. And in order for that to work, we can use every tool in the box. The personal association, intuition, book knowledge, esoteric theory, certain reading techniques - everything.

Exactly.
I often see the word "intuitive" used as a way of saying "books are bad!"

We can comprehend some things instantly, on a gut level. But not everything, especially old pictures. Some things require an explanation.

I used to love watching Sister Wendy. She showed me how to see the expressiveness of a lot of the old paintings. Before that, many of them were just tangles of beardos and chubby naked ladies and horses and whatnot, and I didn't see them.
But a master painter is communicating things with every hand and foot, every wisp of hair, the light, the composition, all of it.

Tarot is generally not done by masters, but the same thing applies, more or less. And the images are old, you need some historical background. We need to understand where things come from RWS is influenced by the theater as much as anything else. Even the Birchrods in a simple little Lenormand deck are often misinterpreted as a broom. And in many cases, there is a myth or story involved.

So I'm happy to see an art historian doing this!

[devin]

I don't want to be pushy or anything, but: We want more. We want more. We want more.