Art Gallery Visit #1

1. While walking around, there were several pieces that caught my eye and made me look closer, but a few of them really made an impact. Jackson Pollock's oil painting, 'Convergence' (1952, 93x155in) had an impact on me because of its scale. It is abstract, but you can look at each paint drip and the layering and it is amazing. The second piece that really pulled me in was William Harnett's, 'Music and Literature' (1878, 24x32in, oil on canvas). Everything about it was so realistic, and for being of such a smaller scale, he paid close attention to detail, texture, and the preciseness and repetition of the triangular shapes that unify the piece. The third piece was Agnes Martin's, 'The Tree' (1965). It is so simplistic yet inspiring. From afar it appears as a plain canvas, but up close it has a precise grid lightly drawn in. A simple grid on a canvas got her recognition and a spot in the Albright Knox Art Gallery. It impacts me because I know that there are people who look at that and think "I could do that", and don't have appreciation for it. Yet, I know it is recognized because she was the first person to do it, and that's where creativity plays a big part in art. Open-mindedness and being the first to do something could take you places.


2. I found that the works I felt most connected with were works that I've seen before in textbooks, and in general society. It's cool to be able to go to a local gallery and see world famous paintings that you've learned about and researched. I chose "Peaceable Kingdom", "100 Cans", and "Yellow Christ". Edward Hicks painted 'Peaceable Kingdom' in 1848(24x32in). From reading about him, I know that he was known as an outsider artist, or naive artist, meaning he had no formal art training. From knowing that, I am fascinated by the detail and the thought behind his work. '100 Cans' is Andy Warhol's famous Campbell's Soup oil painting (1962, 72x52). I felt a connection with this piece simply because of how well known it is, and it was a common reference in art classes in my childhood. The third painting that I felt a connection with was Gauguin's 'Yellow Christ' oil painting (1889, 36x28). Again, it is in several art history textbooks, and its quality appears child-like. It doesn't have a whole lot of detail, and I like when I feel like I could re-create a painting done by a famous artist.



3. I chose three pieces that I either didn't understand, or became curious about. The first piece was Jasper Johns' "Numbers in Colors" (1959, 169x125cm). It was done with encaustic paint, and layered on very thickly, but I wanted to know if the numbers had any meaning? I looked it up online afterwards and found out that he used symbols in alot of his works, without a real explanation, but I still think it is interesting. The second oil painting I chose was 'Elegy to the Spanish Republic #34' by Robert Motherwell (80x100in). Looking at it, I knew it was an abstract painting and was trying to interpret it myself, but after reading the title I knew there had to be some story behind it. The third piece was "Child's Blue Wall" by Jim Dine in 1962 (60x72in). I was curious as to where he got this idea. I think it would be very interesting if this is actually what his sons room looked like, with that same lamp.