Monday, 21 February 2011

The National Gallery

1. Critique the logo
Is this just a typeface?  
After viewing the collection, would you propose a different typeface or a symbol?



Yes, I think it is rather obvious that this title is simply a typeface.  Although it is not an ugly logo to observe, it is also not very memorable.  This is due to the fact, in my opinion, that both words “National” and “Gallery” get pretty equal attention and are both displayed in the exact same way.  Perhaps there logo could involve simply the first letters “N” and “G” in some way, or more attention could be given to the word “National”.  Another idea would be to use the unique position of the museum’s location within
Trafalgar Square
, by perhaps including the four pillars of the Square within the title.  This would associate the logo with a specific area making it more memorable.

2. van Gogh
In your opinion, do the van Gogh paintings live up to their position in art history? Feel free to discuss: line quality, gestural brushwork, color, mood, subject matter, etc. You may also feel free to compare and contrast two van Gogh paintings (to elaborate on your level of engagement).



Although I do not think the subject matter of many of the van Gogh paintings depart from what was painted at the time (natural scenery, still life of household objects, self portraits, etc.), his interpretation of these subjects is entirely different.  The picture above is a great illustration of this innovative spirit.  One of the most prominent things to notice is his novel use of color and brushwork.  Notice how he uses bold color differences to highlight borders of objects, and how there is no smooth transition within an object from color to shadow.  Rather, any shadows on an object are just bold black strokes.

This particular use of color serves a critical purpose: it highlights each stroke, helping the viewer to pay a vast amount of attention to the brushstrokes used rather than the colors themselves.  Thus we are allowed to see the true mood of the painting.  We see that with this new technique of highlighting stroke, van Gogh can simulate a windy day simply by curling these strokes through the clouds, or making the lines within a tree non-linear.  In this way, the whole mood takes on a more tangible feel, and is a prime reason why van Gogh definitely deserves his place in history.

3. Object of Desire
What object from the collection would be suitable for your future home? Describe the characteristics that make this both a desirable work of art –and suitable for your future penthouse, cottage, log cabin, trailer… Please provide artist name and title.

Usually I rely on my camera to take pictures of the object and to remember the name of it, but they didn’t allow pictures in the camera.  However, they had this beautiful golden chest, about six foot in length, that would be perfect for a future bachelor’s penthouse.  I would insulate the inner lining of it, install plumbing, and turn it into a hot tub.  Naturally I would call it my Chill Chest.  The Chill Chest would be great for my “game”.  It solves two purposes.  Not only can a woman be looking at amazing art while sitting in a hot tub, but the small size of it guarantees that we’d have to be very close to one another while sitting down in it, allowing me to tactically escalate the romance in any dinner date.

4. Gallery / Display
The National Gallery has the brightest palette of wall color thus far from our museum visits. Do these colors enhance or interfere from the displays? Do you prefer the minimal palette of the Tate Modern in comparison?

I don’t necessarily think it would be fair to compare the Tate Modern and the National Gallery in the same way.  Yes, they both have drastically different color palettes of wall color.  However, each works to the advantage of its unique collection.  For example, I believe some of the beauty of modern art lies within its relative mundanity/bleakness, which is inevitably reflected in the blank white walls.  The National Gallery, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.  The colors of course are brighter and more vibrant, but this simply reflects and enhances the same mood we find within the gallery itself.  In both cases, the collection fits naturally within the surroundings.

5. Exploitation / Merchandising?
Does the use of objects from the collection to create merchandise such as handbags, umbrellas, and t-shirts diminish the original work of art? Are certain forms of merchandising more acceptable –and if so what are those forms –postcards and posters? 

I can understand why someone would take this position.  I, however, don’t believe that the art is being exploited.  There’s a general opinion that this art is elite and made to sit there so we can come through in lines and view them and consider them.  But art wasn’t made to be locked away.  Expressing a van Gogh piece on your handbag is just as interesting to me as a poster hanging up in one’s room.  Art is cultural, not meant to be locked away.  In my opinion, the more people with cheap but artful handbags, the better.

6. Object of appreciation
Provide a short description of your favorite object from the collections? Please provide label information such as name, date, origin, etc. Why would you return to this object for greater contemplation? 

Although I couldn’t decide on just one piece, I think that the collective works of van Gogh that they displayed were truly my favorite pieces.  For reasons that I explained in the second question, I feel that van Gogh is undoubtedly one of the most innovative artists of recent history.  His use of stroke created an entirely new way to make pictures innovative, allowing him to express movement as if it was actually happening across the canvas.  This, in my opinion, is pure genius, and has provided a whole new level of experience in his art.

Monday, 14 February 2011

Tate Modern

1. Critique the logo
There are variations of the Tate Modern logo presented with a range of blurred effects. In your opinion what benefit or distraction is executed with variations of the logo? Do slight variations connect to the range of contemporary art more than a static/single logo?

Modern art is defined by a conscious break from old art ideologies, focusing on the emotional undercurrents that live within the bleak, scattered images of our everyday world.  Thus, it is proof in itself that art can be found anywhere, in a million different forms.  In this way the slight variations within the logo become its great benefit.  It connects to the work because it represents the ability of art to morph into a million different forms, and yet, under these myriad possibilities, there is always the same message (Tate).

2. Free Admission
Every museum that you have visited has free admission. In Chicago, admission to the Field Museum (Museum for biological and anthropological collections) is $29 Adult and $20 child. Are museums only for the rich in the United States? How do free museum admissions impact the London culture?

Although I would hesitate to say that museums in the United States are only for the “rich”, I would agree that these price differences set art in our country to a different standard.  By paying nearly thirty dollars to see a collection of art, you are unconcsciously agreeing that that collection is something extraordinary.  It becomes something that is both restricted to and external from society, something that is elite.  However, here in Britain, the museums are free.  Although I do not necessarily believe that this completely breaks the elitist vision of art as held in the United States, it definitely makes art more accessible.  Rather than being locked away, it seems to be melded in with the culture in general, allowing the public to grow and contemplate whenever they desire.  Here the art is the internal heartbeat of London, not an external gem one has to pay to see.

3. The Unilever Series: Al Weiwei
The Unilever Series is comprised of millions of individual porcelain objects. The curator states the following, “Each piece is a part of the whole, a commentary on the relationship between the individual and the masses.” Do you agree or do you believe the installation falls short of answering pointed questions such as: What does it mean to be an individual in today's society? Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together? Feel free to express your opinion on the ongoing discussion of installation art.



I think that this series definitely falls short of answering either of those questions.  Although I understood that the mass of sunflower seeds were indeed a simulation of the masses, I don’t necessarily think the artist made a commentary on the relationship between those masses and the individual.  What is this artist trying to say?  That the individual is helpless among the sea of thousands?  Perhaps, though this wasn’t the original message that struck me.  I think a sea of seeds is simply too neutral a gesture to really inspire much contemplation.

4. Display
The gallery walls remain white throughout the Tate Modern exhibition spaces. Does the color white enable a neutral field for contemplation of the contemporary and modern art? Would you prefer a break in color – an introduction of additional hues to alter the experience, or do the corridors and spaces in between art displays enable visual pulses?


I believe much of the beauty from modern art lies in its relative simplicity and, at times, neutrality.  Thus, it would not be good to have a color scheme that enables the walls to distract form the work itself.  The color white enables the art to break from the neutrality of the background and shine.  These little moments of artistic bursts become that pulses that guide you as you walk through the museum.

5. Power station to Art museum
Describe your impressions both exterior and interior of the Tate Modern building. Is this an ideal building to house a modern collection?

Although the concept may seem strange at first, I believe that this site is perfect for housing a modern art collection.  The outside suggests a bleak sort of industrialism, a remnant of the working class.  The interior feels much the same, except much cleaner.  The interior walls are lined with iron beams that support the skeleton of the buiding, giving the museum a cold, bleak feel at times.  However, as a factory is on its own representing both a certain period and culture, it may even be considered a piece of art on its own.  Modern art is all about the contemplation of one’s position in society, and therefore the building is perfect to house the collection.

6. Object of appreciation
Provide a short description of your favorite object from the collections? Please provide label information such as name, date, origin, etc. Why would you return to this object for greater contemplation? 


I think the two pieces entitled Portrait 1986 and Portrait 1988 by Thomas Ruff were my favorite works from the collection.  I love how, rather than using sculptures, he uses photography to capture human expression.  However, the originality of these works derive from the complete lack of expression by the people themselves.  Notice that they are both well groomed and colorfully dress.  Indeed, everything about their appearance suggests success and happiness.  And yet, they seem almost robotic in their emotionless state.  This therefore leads to contemplation about the conflict between our interior selves, which is who we may truly be, and the exterior shell we choose to show the world.

Monday, 7 February 2011

Tate Britain

1. Critique the logo
Does the logo relate to the architecture, galleries, and collections? 
Describe the overall essence/energy?


The Tate Britain logo is displayed with letters that are fuzzy and less focused around the edges.  This gives the letters the slight appearance of having been spray painted there, which is a very modern form of art.  The font also lends an air of mystery.  All letters are out of focus, and the hole in the middle of the “A” can’t be seen.  These characteristics therefore feel as if a message is trying to work its way through the paint, although that message might not be crystal clear.  This relates to the art found in the galleries, where it often feels as if an emotion is pushing through the art, although the exact message in the work may be up for debate.


2. Ophelia
For members of the Theater class please contrast the depiction of Ophelia’s death in Director Nicholas Hytner’s Hamlet with the visual depiction of John Everett Millais painting. For members not enrolled in the Theater class, discuss why you think this painting is one of the most popular artworks in the collection. Is it part of the fabric of English Literature? Note: it is the highest selling postcard in the museum shop. 


The depiction of Ophelia’s death in Director Nocholas Hytner’s Hamlet was quite different from the scene depicted in the painting.  For example, in the play Ophelia is taken offstage and killed by an agent of a modern day policed state, whereas the painting is the classical display of Ophelia drowning.  However, I’d say possibly the greatest difference between the two depictions is that, in the play, Ophelia’s death is always done offstage, so we never see her die.  Thus, the artwork is able to offer a sense of closure to her death, in that we can physically see her on the canvas and we know that she has died.  In the painting, there is neither mystery about her death nor room for interpretation, while in the play it is our imagination that must be relied on in order to fill the gap.

  3. Display
Compare and contrast the varied display techniques of Gallery 11 and Gallery 9. Discuss the relationship of the sparsely arranged style with the modern art in contrast to the salon style hanging (presented in groups with multiple rows) of the Pre-Raphaelites.



I feel that the Pre-Raphaelite art means to impress visually and powerfully, whereas the modern art works to create feeling through experience.  The main differences are readily apparent.  In Gallery 9, the paintings were all done with an eye for detail and lush scenery, all of it framed by a large golden frame.  They were also all bunched very closely.  The modern art, on the other hand, often featured only solid backgrounds with simple geometric shapes in the foreground.  They often had no true frame, and there was also a lot of spacing between each painting.  The lack of a true frame made the art seem to blend into the wall, and so my emotional reaction was actually based off the room itself rather than on one single piece.  In contrast, the Pre-Raphaelite work was made to impress visually, and each piece could be viewed and contemplated on its own for long periods of time.  Thus, the modern pieces all worked together to create an emotional ambience, whereas the pre-Raphaelite pieces were independent of one another and expressed their own unique voices.


4. Installation Art
Describe your experience of “The Coral Reef” by Mike Nelson. Elaborate on the odors, navigation, mystery, etc. In your opinion – is this art?



The coral reef was a collaborative maze of various rooms, each representative of a certain lifestyle and decorated accordingly.  For example, in one room was a crack pipe and tin foil, whereas the very next one was a sixties style basement, carpeted and featuring hangings of John F. Kennedy.  However, most of the rooms shared a common, musty odor, as well as a sense of abandonment, as each room was rather sparse and poorly lit.  The gallery was also rather confusing to navigate, as the rooms were arranged in a sort of maze, so that you were rarely walking along the same direction twice, and often didn’t know if a door led to another room or if it would just be locked.
            In my opinion, this should definitely be considered art.  The main purpose of art is to evoke emotion or thoughtfulness within the observer, and I thought “The Coral Reef” did exactly that.  I frequenty felt lost, not simply because the gallery was hard to navigate, but also because of the sense of loneliness those sparsley decorated rooms seemed to evoke so easily.  It felt as if I was often intruding on the secret life of some person I did not know, which is the type of mental transformation I always look for in art.

5. Tate Britain versus V&A
Which museum experience did you find most favorable and why? Items for discussion: architecture, collection, navigation, etc. 

I think the Tate Britain was more favorable.  I base this not necessarily on navigation, as both museums did a pretty good job with that.  More than anything I just enjoyed the work more at the Tate, especially those pieces by Turner featuring vast landscapes and monumental storms at sea.  What grabbed me about these works was the scope.  He often included a detailed foreground scene, but it always seemed to be overshadowed by the openness of the horizon, evoking a sense of wonder and beauty from the world we know.  The V&A just tended to feature a lot of historical artifacts and work, which didn't really move me in the same way (although it was interesting).

6. Object of appreciation
Provide a short description of your favorite object from the collections? Please provide label information such as name, date, origin, etc. Why would you return to this object for greater contemplation? 


I would have to say my favorite part of the museum was “The Coral Reef” by Mike Nelson.  Walking through that exhibit was one of the only times where I felt that I was actually experiencing art rather than simply observing it.  I was completely immersed in a multitude of worlds, and I loved how the loneliness and hopelessness felt almost palpable depending on the room.  It was truly an original piece, and I felt completely transported into a world other than the one I know.