Oct. 15, 2002
Portholes Into Another Universe
Using Art to Stimulate the Imagination
By Brian
Krause
The Greeks, who were very aware of the power of viewing, used artwork
as a means of stimulating the imagination in order to find their “flow,”
which would lead them to a higher order of thinking. Painted in red
and black so that the figures would stand out in dim light, plates and
vases were regarded as “portholes” into another universe.
The scenes portrayed on these works played a very important role in
the Greek symposium. Participants in the symposium, an evening dinner
party where they attempted to activate all the senses, would envision
what they thought was happening in the image.
“Greek art stimulated the imagination,” says Diane Harris-Cline,
visiting associate professor of art history and classics. “The
Greek painter was brilliant at only giving us a part of an image and
forcing us to imagine the rest. Our mind has to trigger a repair for
the rest of the scene.”
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
