The idea of slow looking began in art galleries as a way of getting visitors to engage with works of art in more depth in a way that personal to them.
‘Slow looking is not about curators, historians or even artists telling you how you should look at art. It's about you and the artwork, allowing yourself time to make your own discoveries and form a more personal connection with it.’
Definition from What is slow looking? Tate (2023)
Slow looking doesn’t just apply to works of art. It can be applied to any image. Slow looking enables you to go beyond your initial impressions. The more time you look at an image the more you will notice about it, and you will have more time to reflect on what the image means and what effect it might or might not have on you.
The advocates of slow looking believe that well as helping you to understand an image it will improve overall alertness, awareness and attention to detail and ability to make connections.
Slow looking is like mindfulness but can be used for academic study of images as well as for enjoyment and wellbeing.
For information on how to really look slowly at an image see:
What is Slow Looking? (and How Can I Get Started?) Claire Bown, Thinking Museum (2020)
For more about the theory and practice of slow looking see