The biggest delight of the gallery experience was the discussion I had with the group of students. Visual engagement strategies such as addressing the use of the artist's materials, understanding the social history of the work at the time it was made, etc., were thrown at Ms. Gavino's students. I was impressed to hear their ideas and interpretation of Dickson's work. It is different than simply hearing, "I like it," and when that statement was expressed, it was even better to hear the reasoning behind it. It was an honor to talk with this thoughtful group.
It's certainly not easy to talk about art, and I've been given the same "art is so subjective" excuse from past students in foundation courses I've taught. It's important to understand that not everyone will like the same artistic work, and that there may be art that might make you feel uncomfortable or even challenge your ideas of what you believe art is and should be. And that is OK. I prefer dialogue about a person's read on an art piece, rather than hearing, "I can do that," or "I do/don't like it." Our worldview is different and shaped from the way we were raised and what we were exposed to in life.
Come on, talk about art with me. If you can shed more info about the visual details you see that make you think and feel a certain way, the more I can learn about you and what you understand in the world.