We visit museums and galleries not just to view and comment on artworks that we see. We go to these places because they interest us, educate us and interact with us. Viewing an artwork is like speaking to someone - except we are listening with our eyes. An artist's work is his interpretation of the world around him - it may be a landscape, person or abstract subject, but it remains a reflection of that person and a part of his life. When we visit a gallery we are not merely interested in the brushstrokes on a canvas and what they depict, but the artist himself - his life, his loves, his mind. It therefore seems sensible that we would want to learn not only the work's title, medium and size, but how and where it was made, and why. An artist's choice of materials and techniques often gives a clear indication of what he/she is trying to express. By examining these techniques, materials and preliminary sketches, we learn a lot more about the artist's intentions, challenges and considerations.…
