Dark Art, Darker Walls

One of the most common mistakes we make involves pupils.

Not students. The other kind.

We all love spaces with light walls. White, or off-white. Light walls brighten a room, reduce artificial lighting, feel safer, seem modern.

Sure. But they also make some things on display look awful. Here’s why.

When you go from a bright space to a dark space, it takes time for your eye to adjust to see details. Your eyes have to adapt, which takes minutes at least.

The same is true when you look at something bright, then something dark. Galleries are mostly walls. Bright ones. Lots of museum content is dark — say Hudson River School paintings — where the most important details are in the rich deep tones.

If we put that art on a bright wall, we are essentially asking visitors to walk from a bright room to a dark one with every new piece of content. Their eyes can’t do it.

So they aren’t experiencing what we think they are.

And they never were.

Here’s the thing:
Dark art, darker walls.

No one can see dark details right after seeing something bright.

Warmly,
Jonathan