What does art develop?

I want to develop an appreciation for Art ?

• I am a 27 yr old Male and I like abstraction very much. I am into Literature for example, and I look at Chess and Football from a philosophical angle. Now, I want to build an interest in Art but I do not know where and how to start. Can you tell me of some Free resources/ebooks/websites on the internet which will make Art more interesting and understandable for me. Going to museums is not an option because there aren't any museums where I live + I'd like to develop a basic understanding before I take that next step. I cannot give you more data because I simply do not have an idea what you will want to know or even what I myself want. All I know is that my understanding of Art is Zero, but once someone explains what he sees to me - I am awed by the brilliance of the work.

• Answer:

  I have three suggestions: 1 - Try to see the artwork from the eyes of the artist. I had a really amazing art teacher in high school who would always talk about depicting what you see. I know that sounds simplistic but thing about it a bit. All of us see things differently. When some of us look at a grouping of musical instruments we might see the practicality of how they function and focus on the strings and the keys, etc. Others might see the play of light and reflection of the brass. How we see things, I believe, comes from our experiences. Learn a little about the artist (a brief search online would give you enough information if the painting doesn't have some explanation near it) and then re-look at the artwork. 2- You didn't mention this in your question, but you should study a little about each of the styles of art. You don't have to become an art major, just read a little bit about each style so that you can learn a little bit about the choices the artist made in medium, etc. 3- Do some artwork yourself. Nothing gives you more appreciation and understanding than trying it yourself. Before you start dismissing this idea because you "can't even draw a stick figure" you should know by this point that art could just be a flow of paint across a canvas, if it conveys what you "see." Here's a great online gallery to look at http://www.nga.gov/onlinetours/index.shtm, otherwise, I recommend wikipedia to start getting some ideas on the styles and types of art.