Wallace Collection

1. Labels. Wallace Collection

Share your thoughts on the identification of paintings within the Wallace Collection. Do the titles and artist names feel more integrated with the art when engraved/painted upon frames? Do you prefer object labels (separate labels outside of frames)? What feels appropriate for this collection?

I definitely feel that the names titles and artist names feel more integrated with the art when they are located on the frames of these paintings.  It simply feels more personal, as if the artist had signed the piece himself. When the titles and artist names are located on separate labels outside of the frames, it feels as if I am simply staring at an artifact rather than a piece of work created by someone.  For this collection, I definitely believe that it is appropriate for the labels to be engraved on the frame.  As this was a personal collection, these engravings feel more natural and make the collection look more like a collection rather than a museum.

2. Object of Appreciation. Wallace Collection

What object captivates your attention and why?

I would have to say that Jean Honore Fragonard's piece entitled "The Swing" captured my attention out of all of the artwork.  Notice how both men are enraptured by this woman on the swing, and how her dress is given a bright sheen to make her stand out.  However, the main reason I loved this piece was because of its social context.  Made in the year 1766, it is obviously one of the first pieces of pornography to be painted in such detail.  It is obvious that the man on the ground is looking up the woman's skirt, making this one of the most scandalous paintings of the century.

3. Object of Excessive details/ornamentation Wallace Collection

What object either intrigues or disgusts you based upon ornamentation (ornate or lavish detailing)

Louis XV's Commode was definitely a piece of furniture that stood out to me based on ornamentation.  However, I found this object to be intriguing, whereas other pieces seemed over the top and disgusting (green walls, apollo's clock, etc.).  The reason this does not seem too lavish is mainly because of the color scheme.  The colors are light and blend naturally with one another, and the brass overlays match the oak perfectly.  On top we have a dark covering of marble.  These combine to make a beautifully furnished piece of furniture that may get noticed but is never too loud.

4. Favorite Museum

Please tell me your favorite Museum experience and why?

My favorite museum experience had to the Saatchi Gallery.  I felt that only this gallery truly displayed pieces that exemplified what it means to be on the cutting edge of art.  Each piece felt bold, new, and incredibly interesting.  I loved the piece called "Down", made by the artist herself climbing down into a pit of clay, and how the human footprints sticking outside gave the illusion of clawing and scratching.  I loved "Swarm", which made even the everyday insects we take for granted seem epic and heroic.  It is true, none of these pieces could be considered classical.  But they still made me feel something, which is a constant reminder that truly anything can be art if it engages you emotionally and psychologically.

5. Museum Interest

Do you have a greater interest in visiting Museums after taking this course? Were you previously intimated by art? Do you have a greater interest in museum branding / design (logos, labels, mapping, graphics)?

I definitely have a greater interest in visiting Museums now that I have taken this course.  I have never really felt intimidated by art, though the only forms I had ever really studied were literature and music.  However, this class has opened me up the worlds of painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture.  On multiple occasions I found myself standing in front of a piece, engaging with it on an emotional level, and thinking "Wow, I've never had this experience before."  That was the gift that this class gave me.

All though I still do not have a great interest in museum branding, I definitely have a much greater appreciation for the work that goes into logos, labels, and mapping.  I never truly understood that those parts of the museum are works of art in themselves, all of which work toward expressing the distinct nature of the museum itself.  

6. Any additional comments

I just wanted to say that this has been one of the best and most intriguing classes I have taken.  Going to a different museum and exploring alternative forms of art every week has been sort of a dream come true.  Thank you for all of your enthusiasm, you made the trips so interesting!  Thanks!

Design Museum

1.  Design Nominations

Furniture
For the furniture award I would nominate Dune by Rainer Mutsch.  Not only is the asymmetrical wave-like design of each chair aesthetically pleasing, but the chairs themselves are also functionally useful.  Also, their design allows the individual to connect them in a multitude of different patterns to create a seating area.  Thus, the design enables the user to be creative and to mix and match as he/she pleases, making the design a fun way for owners to design their own seating spaces.

Transport
For the transport award I would nominate the Barclays Cycle Hire.  It is obvious that the bicycles themselves are not nearly as innovative (or even as remotely interesting) as some of the other nominees.  However, the Cycle Hire system itself does loads more for both the city and the environment than any of the other designs.  Not only has the Cycle Hire already been implemented, but it also encourages cheap transport, an active lifestyle, and a heightened environmental consciousness.

Architecture
For the architecture award I would nominate A Forest For A Moon Dazzler by Benjamin Garcia Saxe.  In my opinion, this design stands above all others in both elegance and simplicity.  It does everything a house should do: it shelters valuables, allows a dry place for sleeping, and has utilities for baking and cooking meals.  However, unlike most modern homes, this home embraces the surrounding world rather than excluding it.  The materials used make it a part of the surrounding forest, while the skylights ensure that one could see the sun or moon at all times.  This is truly a beautiful place.

Graphics
For the graphics award I would nominate A Love Letter For You by Stephen Powers.  I chose this design both for its message and for the nature of the art itself.  As street art, this piece may at first be considered both grimy and low class (notice the cheesy gold chain pictured below).  However, the simple message of "I Love You" written across the chain, possibly addressed to the entire city, elevates the piece above mere graffiti and into the realm of true street art.

2.  Wim Crowell: A Graphic Odyssey


I did not necessarily believe that Wim Crowell's work was too minimal, as the designs (especially the text designs) often varied greatly in both layout and color.  Rather, the work would better be described as modern.  Every text piece and graphic seemed painstakingly designed, using only straight edges and blocks of color.  All though this does not suite my aesthetic taste, I appreciate the ambience of simplicity and functionality that his work seems to radiate.  My taste lies more heavily among the explosions of color and controlled chaos that Jackson Pollock seems to evoke so easily, which is so completely different than the straight edged exactitude of Wim Crowell.  Overall, I would say that Wim Crowell's work reminded me very much of Mark Rothko.  They both prefer straight edge blocks of simple color and simplicity of design rather than freedom of chaos and movement.

Saatchi

1. Sightlines

The Saatchi Museum definitely employed a great use of space in order to create an environment that enabled a multitude of different sightlines when viewing a piece.  This is especially evident when one studies the placement of pieces such as "Up", "Down", and "Swarm".  Rather than being shoved up against a wall, these works were placed towards the floor center, allowing observers to walk completely around the object and to view it from multiple vantage points.  This created a feeling of immersion within the piece, allowing one to experience it in multiple ways.  This definitely diverts from the layouts found in many of the other museums, where the artwork is placed directly against the wall, limiting one's view of the piece.

2.  Didactics

For me, the absence of a comprehensive description of the piece within close proximity to the artwork itself did nothing to lessen my experience.  My relationship with the art is entirely based on how I see it visually, or what immediate feelings it stirs up within me.  An in depth knowledge of the piece's background (including the artist's intentions) usually does nothing to enhance that experience.  In fact, I feel that it may hinder my subjective opinion's of the piece, as I may force myself to see it the way the artist meant it to be seen, rather than simply allowing myself to see it in my own personal way.

3.  Collection

I definitely felt that the collection was more adventurous.  Most of the other museums we have visited feature pieces that are typically considered classically as "art" (paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.).  However, here we see such pieces such as swarm, where real dragonflies and bumblebees are doing battle with fictional demons, all strung up in a three dimensional casing.  We also saw the incredibly unconventional Spam piece, where multiple posters were hung up displaying vulgar and nonsensical pieces of Spam.  However, although these are not necessarily conventional pieces of art, they definitely all had an effect on me, and both I believe made commentaries about life.  While Swarm made me question the idea of what is small and meaningless, the Spam piece made me consider the values of our society today.  For me, these are not meaningless pieces, they are steps forward.