Night at the Museum

I did not visit the Montclair Museum due to personal issues, however, I was able to visit the MOMA. The exhibits were displayed in order by year 1880’s- 1940’s, 1940’s-1970’s, 1970’s- present. Many of the artists we studied during class were present as well as many of the other innovators of their time periods, some of which I've admired for quite some time outside of this classroom.

Identity is how we are able to make sense of ourselves, and portray that to other people. Figuring out what makes you happy and unique and mentally sound everyday is who you are. So many people in life feel like they have to rush to find out who they are, or what they want to be doing in life. Truthfully, this process does not need to be rushed, it just needs to be expressed properly. Our expression is how we construct our identities. We construct these identities through our relationships and how we are towards others. We have experiences that help us figure out how we feel about things, and then apply them to ourselves and how we deal with things moving forward. These identities are always changing depending on how others see us, and the trends of society, as well as how we see ourselves. 

I was inspired by many of the pieces in the museum. One of the artists displayed, and one of my favorite artists that we’ve studied in class was Cindy Sherman. 

           

        Cindy Sherman released a series of self portraits called “Untitled” in the late 70’s early 80’s. She photographed herself throughout New York City, and in her apartment; using pieces of her own life to tell a story. Her art tackles issues of power, identities, and manners. In her photos she wanted to be seen as In many of her photos she is portrayed as a very proper woman, always very well dressed and very delicate looking. She has a very soft feminine look to her, which as a woman, gives her power over the viewers. I was very intrigued by the fact that these stills were all black and white. This made them look simple and still so captivating. 

The Male Gaze 

         Many of her works were criticized for catering to the “Male Gaze. This was something I witnessed while I was the only woman standing there in a room full of males for quite some time - which is quite unusual for the MOMA. "Fashion products and images deliberately manipulate the gaze to stimulate the pleasure of looking and infuse goods with a sexual charge" (Finkelstein 214). This was however what she wanted. She wanted to be seen as a sexy, city girl. 

Another artist that we studied in class, which is my personal favorite, is Jean - Micheal Basquiat. 

                   

I wish I was rich enough to buy this piece. It was genuinely my favorite piece in the whole museum. I used this one as my proof to say that I went to the library, and that I was ever in its presence. His artwork explores the themes of morality, race, self-identity and religion. In this particular piece you get a look at identity. As a troubled person who was very much into drugs and other vices, his mind seemed to be very crowded at times. Knowing that, this piece stood out to me the most because of how busy it is. Then, the one main piece in the middle is so unique to him, that you would know this was his painting anywhere you went. He chooses to use deep brush strokes and various colors to show you the many parts of who he is. In his work you see letters that look like graffiti which is much of who he is and his style as an artist. His work is very striking overall. 

The next artists that caught my attention was Lady Pink and Jenny Holzer. This painting came about in the 1980’s during a period of social injustice and pleas for reform. The painting reads  “TRUST VISIONS THAT DON’T FEATURE BUCKETS OF BLOOD” in spray paint across a painted canvas. This painting is about the war in Central America during the early 80’s. The people were concerned that President Reagan was giving guns to the wrong people during the war, and they wanted to say what they had to in the most effective way they knew how to at the time. They used their New York flare (graffiti) because during the 80’s it was the most popular emerging art form. This touched a lot on class as well because the artists who made this painting were broke. All the materials used to make this painting were shoplifted or stolen by the artists. This is ironic in a sense because they’re talking about justice while stealing. What intrigued me most was the size of the painting. I feel like it was just as big as it’s message. At the time the artist - Lady Pink - was 15 who just wanted adventure. At 18 years of age this was how she wanted to portray herself. 

Lady Pink & Jenny Holzer
"TRUST VISIONS THAT DON'T FEATURE BUCKETS OF BLOOD"

The artist Jacob Lawrence emerged in Harlem in the late 40’s, from where he drew much of his inspiration. Lawrence took as his subject the exodus of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities during and after World War I, when industry's demand for workers attracted them in vast numbers. As the son of migrants, Lawrence had a personal connection to the topic. He researched the subject extensively and wrote a matching narrative before ever making the paintings. This showed a two sides of him, the educator and the artist.                        

The next artist was Frida Khalo. Both the pieces on display gave me different emotions. But the one I enjoyed the most was her “Self Portrait With Chopped Hair” oil painting. This painting was made to signify a turning in herself. At this point in time, she redefined herself by cutting her hair off. Something that is very much a part of someone's entire personality.

              

The portrait reads  “Mira que si te quise, fue por el pelo. Ahora que estás pelona, ya no te quiero” which translates to “Look, if I loved you it was because of your hair. Now that you are without hair, I don’t love you anymore". Off first impression, it made me feel like she knew this is exactly what whoever response would be when they saw her with short hair. It legit played like a story in my mind. Artistically, she really showed her personality through composition. She was very straightforward and her use of colors always felt warm. This portrait just hit differently.