Amanda and I went to the Whitney Museum of Art. Unfortunately, We were informed that we weren't able to take any photos. Here Is a written evaluation of some of the key pieces of Art that I was attracted to the most.
Whitney Museum Of American Art Experience
The Whitney Museum of American Art is located in New York City, on 945 Madison Avenue. The Whitney’s collection comprises more than 18,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, and new media by more than 2,800 artists. The museum contains some of the most significant and exciting work created by artists in the United States during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the founder of the Museum, focused her collecting efforts on living artists, and this emphasis has been a guiding principle of the collection for the past eight decades. Unfortunately, The Whitney Museum was going under some reconstruction the weekend we decided to go, so we were only able to experience the first, fifth, and sixth floors. Even though we didn't get to take in everything the Whitney had to offer at that time, I did enjoy many intriguing pieces that I would like to share.
The first piece of work that really caught my eye was by artist Trenton Doyle Hancock, called "Rememor with Membry", 2001. This piece was created with acrylics and plastic on canvas. I was automatically drawn into this piece because of the classic black and white design. I love everything black and white, so this was a great start to my attraction. The picture was an entire black and white forest with intertwining textured branches creating almost a surreal, mythological world. I loved how the only color that was mixed in this black and white piece, was this light blue shiny textured plastic that covered only small portions of the lettering all over the canvas. The phrase "Rememor with Membry", is repeated throughout the entire piece throughout the branches of the forest. Creating a crazy psychological impression you get when you first view this piece. I love how this piece created such mystery and wonder within my head. The artist Trenton Doyle Hancock's work, is based on personal mythology of epic dimensions. In his narratives are half-animal, half-plant beings that he calls "mounds." If you were to lay on your back looking up at this piece, you would view this mythological forrest with it's long twisted branches, sky, and forest floor interlaced with the words "Rememor with Membry" interpreted as "Remember with Memory", a sentimental phrase. This piece was truly amazing in my eyes and really intriguing with its dream like design.
Another piece that was quite intriguing was by Stephen Greene, "The Shadow", 1950.
This piece was created with oil on canvas, and displays a broken down human skeleton seeming to hang off of an artist's easel of some sort, casting a large shadow of the skeleton itself and the easel on the wall. This sort of morbid, creepy piece caught my attention mainly for the feeling of loneliness you took away from the large shadowed cast. On the floor, beneath the skeleton's feet, rests a large bone that could represent a part of the broken down skeleton's frame, either being from his leg or arm. The bone also cast a large dark shadow on the wall. The piece is dark and mysterious making you wonder the story behind who the skeleton may be, or how it got their attached to the easel, and for what reason. I like the concept in general.
Another one of my favorites from the Whitney goes to Philip Guston' piece, "Corbal" 1977. I loved how abstract the image was and you could basically take away anything from what was painted on this canvas. The picture portrayed a large sort of island scene with complete black background sky mostly concentrating on the large mountain in the center which looked like to me, made out of human eye balls. I called this piece "eyeball mountain", due to the odd shaped eyeballs that created a mountain. You can see almost a human head as part of the mountain structure and an eyeball closed with lashes and all. This is a very strange, dramatic piece, because the ocean in which the mountain of eyes are coming out of, is a bright red body of water. This sort of depicts a bloody river, which can be interpreted in many ways, possibly death. The eyes are almost sort of crying blood, which is why the river is that color. It's dramatic and abstract at the same time, due to its color scheme being only red, white, and black.
Last but not least, I enjoyed viewing one of Jasper Johns works of art known as "White Target", 1957. This piece is made out of wax and oil on canvas. I liked how even though this is a still just a picture of a target bulls-eye, it's not your traditional colored target. Jasper actually has two different versions of targets, one being in color yellow and blue, and this one being a cream color and white wax bulls-eye. What really attracted my eye to this target, is how the wax caked on the canvas gives the entire piece a stone-like look. A look in which you want to come up real close and touch it to feel it for yourself. The illusion of this texture is unbelievable. The wax texture also gives the piece an ancient roman look. It looks like a staccato wall in some ways. Definitely different, and tasteful.
All together, our journey to the Whitney was a great time, other than the fact that we were only limited to viewing three floors of the museum. I definitely enjoyed my time there, and have gained new favorite artists that really caught my attention. I would love to take a trip back to the Whitney again sometime in the near future, to experience their entire collection they have to offer.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wadsworth Museum Hartford CT
Mladen Curakovic
Spring 2010 Museum experience
Wadsworth Atheneum.
To introduce my museum experience I believe that it would be right to give you the basic history of the museum that I have visited. Wadsworth Atheneum is the America’s oldest public museum since 1842. Hartford art patron Daniel Wadsworth started the museum. He founded the Wadsworth Atheneum in order to share the wonders of art with the public. In the mid-nineteenth century, average citizens had little if no exposure to fine art, antiquities, or beautiful objects. Only the very wealthy purchased paintings or decorative arts, and then only for their own enjoyment. Thus, Wadsworth's generous gesture was an exciting turn of events that raised the cultural fortunes of an entire community.
When I was getting to the museum I decided to make my museum experience even more fun by thinking that if I had million dollars and had to pick one painting to buy which one would it be. Getting to the museum was no problem and finding a parking spot was no problem. When I got inside the staff tagged my camera and told me what I can and cant take pictures of.
The museum has collections of European art, American decorative arts, American painting, Contemporary art, Costume and textiles, European decorative arts. All of these exhibits were amazing and fun to look at. While at the museums first floor I was blown away by the six centuries of impressionist Renaissance favorites paintings.
While looking at many exhibits and other collections of many different paintings from all over the world I was extremely impressed. However one painting that struck me the most was the Apparition of Face and fruit dish on a beach by Salvador Dali. Being a big fan of Salvador Dali and the surreal type of artwork I was happy that I got to see one of his art peaces in person. This painting is done so well and professionally that one may look at it and think that it was done on the computer however it was painted in such detail that it is unbelievable.
Being a big fan of Vincent Van Gogh while at the museum I found one of his paintings there as well. It was a self-portrait painting. I have to say though I was shocked to see that the painting was not larger. Instead it was little bit larger then a 12 by 12. However the detail and style of painting was truly amazing and it is obvious when the person sees it in real life why it is in the museum.
The one exhibit that I found the most interesting was the Hudson River school. This exhibit was filled with paintings that were ninety five percent landscape and atmospherics style paintings. These paintings were done so well one might stand next to it and think that someone took a photograph of the landscape.
Coming back to the one million dollars that I would spend on the painting I think that if I was to buy a painting it would have to be the Vincent Van Gogh self portrait. I know it would be more then one million dollars but if I had to choose one it would definitely be that painting. This museum experience was amazing because knowing that we have the Americas oldest art museum in our back yard that is amazing in every way possible is just a awesome privilege.
Mladen Curakovic.
Spring 2010 Museum experience
Wadsworth Atheneum.
To introduce my museum experience I believe that it would be right to give you the basic history of the museum that I have visited. Wadsworth Atheneum is the America’s oldest public museum since 1842. Hartford art patron Daniel Wadsworth started the museum. He founded the Wadsworth Atheneum in order to share the wonders of art with the public. In the mid-nineteenth century, average citizens had little if no exposure to fine art, antiquities, or beautiful objects. Only the very wealthy purchased paintings or decorative arts, and then only for their own enjoyment. Thus, Wadsworth's generous gesture was an exciting turn of events that raised the cultural fortunes of an entire community.
When I was getting to the museum I decided to make my museum experience even more fun by thinking that if I had million dollars and had to pick one painting to buy which one would it be. Getting to the museum was no problem and finding a parking spot was no problem. When I got inside the staff tagged my camera and told me what I can and cant take pictures of.
The museum has collections of European art, American decorative arts, American painting, Contemporary art, Costume and textiles, European decorative arts. All of these exhibits were amazing and fun to look at. While at the museums first floor I was blown away by the six centuries of impressionist Renaissance favorites paintings.
While looking at many exhibits and other collections of many different paintings from all over the world I was extremely impressed. However one painting that struck me the most was the Apparition of Face and fruit dish on a beach by Salvador Dali. Being a big fan of Salvador Dali and the surreal type of artwork I was happy that I got to see one of his art peaces in person. This painting is done so well and professionally that one may look at it and think that it was done on the computer however it was painted in such detail that it is unbelievable.
Being a big fan of Vincent Van Gogh while at the museum I found one of his paintings there as well. It was a self-portrait painting. I have to say though I was shocked to see that the painting was not larger. Instead it was little bit larger then a 12 by 12. However the detail and style of painting was truly amazing and it is obvious when the person sees it in real life why it is in the museum.
The one exhibit that I found the most interesting was the Hudson River school. This exhibit was filled with paintings that were ninety five percent landscape and atmospherics style paintings. These paintings were done so well one might stand next to it and think that someone took a photograph of the landscape.
Coming back to the one million dollars that I would spend on the painting I think that if I was to buy a painting it would have to be the Vincent Van Gogh self portrait. I know it would be more then one million dollars but if I had to choose one it would definitely be that painting. This museum experience was amazing because knowing that we have the Americas oldest art museum in our back yard that is amazing in every way possible is just a awesome privilege.
Mladen Curakovic.
Wadsworth Museum Hartford CT pictures
Here are some of the pictures that i took at my trip to the museum. Vincent van gogh self portrait, Salvador Dali, and Hudson river school painting,Monet, and interior of the museum and outside of the museum. for additional pictures email me and i will send you more if required
Monday, February 22, 2010
Whitney Museum
Alyssa and I went to the Whitney museum in New York City.. here are some of the captions of the art work before we were asked to not take pictures at all...
Whitney Museum of Art
When I visited the Whitney Museum of Art, there were several pieces that appealed to me among the many other great works of art in the museum. I was able to view work from some of my favorite artists, Jackson Pollock and Milton Avery and also artists that I have never heard of yet. I enjoyed interpreting their work.
Trenton Doyle Hancock’s “Rememor with Membry”, is a very unique piece within the gallery. He used acrylic (plastic) on canvas to create this work of art. He used the entire space of the canvas which made the forest emerge when taking a first glance. As you move closer you were able to see the details and the word “rememor” which entices your brain to think you are seeing the word remember. This work depicts the forest from the Legend’s perspective after the forest vegans have punctured the legend with holes. The legend looks up into the trees, and sees the branches, sky and forest floor interlacing with the words rememor and membry which appears to mix together the words remember and memory.
Each new work by Hancock is a contribution to the saga of the Mounds, portraying the birth, life, death, afterlife, and dream states of these half-animal, half-plant creatures. Influenced by abstract expressionism, Hancock transforms color, language, and pattern into opportunities to create new characters, and convey symbolic meaning. This piece caught my eye because of the immense detail with the usage of text and the black and white theme with just a few pieces in a blue-ish color.
Milton Avery’s work combines both abstract and representational elements in his paintings. Seashores and beaches were frequent subjects for Avery. His “Sea Glazers” 1956, uses flattened planes of color and simplified shapes to represent a couple sitting under umbrellas at the beach. Avery is a master of two-dimensional objects, and yet in his scenery of shapes and colors he achieves an immediate sense of space which is natural to the work itself. I feel that his abstractions and representations have achieved a new kind of unity. As I looked at this piece, I felt very relaxed because his use of colors and brushstrokes brings that smooth feeling to your eye. He leaves details and just paints the essential shapes which I feel makes his style unique from other abstract painters. I was drawn into the simplicity of colors and the beach. I was also interested in this piece because it is not one of his most popular, yet I was able to see another gentle minded composition. If I was a painter I think I would use his techniques because I truly enjoy the simple yet attractive outcome of the work.
Jackson Pollock’s designs in his painting have no relation to the shape or size of the canvas. When he would paint he had no fears of making changes or destroying the image because his paintings had a life of their own. In his # 17, 1950 (fireworks) piece enamel and aluminum paint on composition board the paint splatter resembles a firework. I like how he has a black background (like a night sky) along with the color splatters for the fireworks. I was drawn to this piece of art because I am able to spot Jackson’s work from a far without looking at the tag. I like how he uses objects like sticks or knives to create the lines and shapes in his work. I think when looking at this piece your mind is able to drift in any direction with the many abstract lines and spots on the canvas. Even though many people feel like they could create pieces like his themselves they wouldn’t be able to put themselves into the piece like he is able to do. He works on the floor, so he could get at the canvas at any angle and become part of his creation. His pieces were either praised or dismissed because of the lack of detail and planning that went into them. He lived an unhappy life so I feel this painting were a way for expressing his pain through the many lines and strokes to symbolize his depressed and frustrated thoughts. The dark color theme in this piece could possibly symbolize his anguish which wasn’t known if you didn’t know his life behind the canvas when viewing his art.
David Hammons “Untitled” 1992 sculpture reminded me of a spider and a sea urchin. He created his big sculpture from cover wire and hair. There were stones on the bottom which I believe held in the several long skinny hair covered sticks that were popping out all over. Because he used found objects to create such an abstract piece it worked, Hammons justified his use of such non-art materials; which marked a reaction against what he saw as ‘clean’ art, by pointing to Dada for an example. This sculpture caught my eye because it was so different and hairy; it was shedding on the floor. Since Hammons is centered in the black urban experience, he often uses sarcasm as a means of confronting cultural stereotypes and racial issues. After viewing this piece for several minutes I couldn’t come up with his motive to create this piece, but I do like how he is able to create something unusual out of found tools. The untitled model is very balanced and protrudes out all around from the rocks at the center of the room. I wish he named this piece to let the viewers know a little bit more of his reasoning for this sculpture. I would like to know what the many stick like objects symbolize, and if he had a vision of this before he created it or if it just came to mind as he was working.
These are just a few of the best pieces in this museum. I like to interpret each piece I come to, and try to figure out how and why the artist used the color and elements that they used and what came to mind to make them express their feelings on canvas or through other medias.
Whitney Museum of Art
When I visited the Whitney Museum of Art, there were several pieces that appealed to me among the many other great works of art in the museum. I was able to view work from some of my favorite artists, Jackson Pollock and Milton Avery and also artists that I have never heard of yet. I enjoyed interpreting their work.
Trenton Doyle Hancock’s “Rememor with Membry”, is a very unique piece within the gallery. He used acrylic (plastic) on canvas to create this work of art. He used the entire space of the canvas which made the forest emerge when taking a first glance. As you move closer you were able to see the details and the word “rememor” which entices your brain to think you are seeing the word remember. This work depicts the forest from the Legend’s perspective after the forest vegans have punctured the legend with holes. The legend looks up into the trees, and sees the branches, sky and forest floor interlacing with the words rememor and membry which appears to mix together the words remember and memory.
Each new work by Hancock is a contribution to the saga of the Mounds, portraying the birth, life, death, afterlife, and dream states of these half-animal, half-plant creatures. Influenced by abstract expressionism, Hancock transforms color, language, and pattern into opportunities to create new characters, and convey symbolic meaning. This piece caught my eye because of the immense detail with the usage of text and the black and white theme with just a few pieces in a blue-ish color.
Milton Avery’s work combines both abstract and representational elements in his paintings. Seashores and beaches were frequent subjects for Avery. His “Sea Glazers” 1956, uses flattened planes of color and simplified shapes to represent a couple sitting under umbrellas at the beach. Avery is a master of two-dimensional objects, and yet in his scenery of shapes and colors he achieves an immediate sense of space which is natural to the work itself. I feel that his abstractions and representations have achieved a new kind of unity. As I looked at this piece, I felt very relaxed because his use of colors and brushstrokes brings that smooth feeling to your eye. He leaves details and just paints the essential shapes which I feel makes his style unique from other abstract painters. I was drawn into the simplicity of colors and the beach. I was also interested in this piece because it is not one of his most popular, yet I was able to see another gentle minded composition. If I was a painter I think I would use his techniques because I truly enjoy the simple yet attractive outcome of the work.
Jackson Pollock’s designs in his painting have no relation to the shape or size of the canvas. When he would paint he had no fears of making changes or destroying the image because his paintings had a life of their own. In his # 17, 1950 (fireworks) piece enamel and aluminum paint on composition board the paint splatter resembles a firework. I like how he has a black background (like a night sky) along with the color splatters for the fireworks. I was drawn to this piece of art because I am able to spot Jackson’s work from a far without looking at the tag. I like how he uses objects like sticks or knives to create the lines and shapes in his work. I think when looking at this piece your mind is able to drift in any direction with the many abstract lines and spots on the canvas. Even though many people feel like they could create pieces like his themselves they wouldn’t be able to put themselves into the piece like he is able to do. He works on the floor, so he could get at the canvas at any angle and become part of his creation. His pieces were either praised or dismissed because of the lack of detail and planning that went into them. He lived an unhappy life so I feel this painting were a way for expressing his pain through the many lines and strokes to symbolize his depressed and frustrated thoughts. The dark color theme in this piece could possibly symbolize his anguish which wasn’t known if you didn’t know his life behind the canvas when viewing his art.
David Hammons “Untitled” 1992 sculpture reminded me of a spider and a sea urchin. He created his big sculpture from cover wire and hair. There were stones on the bottom which I believe held in the several long skinny hair covered sticks that were popping out all over. Because he used found objects to create such an abstract piece it worked, Hammons justified his use of such non-art materials; which marked a reaction against what he saw as ‘clean’ art, by pointing to Dada for an example. This sculpture caught my eye because it was so different and hairy; it was shedding on the floor. Since Hammons is centered in the black urban experience, he often uses sarcasm as a means of confronting cultural stereotypes and racial issues. After viewing this piece for several minutes I couldn’t come up with his motive to create this piece, but I do like how he is able to create something unusual out of found tools. The untitled model is very balanced and protrudes out all around from the rocks at the center of the room. I wish he named this piece to let the viewers know a little bit more of his reasoning for this sculpture. I would like to know what the many stick like objects symbolize, and if he had a vision of this before he created it or if it just came to mind as he was working.
These are just a few of the best pieces in this museum. I like to interpret each piece I come to, and try to figure out how and why the artist used the color and elements that they used and what came to mind to make them express their feelings on canvas or through other medias.
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