The Armory Show, organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, included over 1,400 modern works of art by both Americans and Europeans. In NY, when the exhibit opened, the city was changing politically and socially. There was a shift to progressive thought, and the exhibit added to the shift in the way Americans thought about art. Many Americans, accustomed to realistic art, were now introduced to European methods such as Fauvism, Cubism, and Futurism.  The original exhibit evoked a range of emotions within Americans. Bold colors and primitive forms were used. Some of the paintings were even considered controversial.  Paintings by Henri Matisee, such as Blue Nude, were burned in Chicago by students of the Art Institute because most people were not accustomed to this expressive form of painting. This painting was classified as Fauvist, meaning Matisee used painterly qualities and strong, unrealistic color schemes.  In Blue Nude, Matisee uses the subject of a woman, which has been done throughout all of art history. However, the Impressionistic and slightly surreal style he uses to distort the human image made viewers critical since it was not representing the idolized body image. It did encourage other artists to steer away from what was traditionally and socially acceptable in the art world. I like this painting because despite the distortion, it coincides with reality more so than some other classical nude paintings.

My favorite painting at the Armory Show was Madonna by the expressionist painter Edvard Munch. I like the unfinished, raw look of the painting. It looks textured and rough. The lack of colors places emphasis on the woman, especially her facial expression. She looks as if she is in a state of euphoria. There is a duality with the title of Madonna; she could be seen as a saintly figure with a “halo” wrapping around her head. Yet, she could also be seen as someone who is pain or victimized with the swirling strokes of deep black enveloping the figure. The portrayal of the victimized woman could relate to how women were feeling around 1894. Her arms fade into the swirling strokes behind her head, making it seem as if she is surrendering.

Vine Woods by Agnes Pelton was the first painting that caught my eye. Up close, the painting looks chaotic as if it were a random arrangement of different colors, but the colors were actually carefully placed so that if a viewer looked from far away, they can see the entire scenery. This helped me understand Impressionism even more. Pelton was inspired my Matisse’s work although she didn’t incorporate many of his tactics. Created in 1910-11, Vine Woods is a romantic, imaginative painting that connects humans with nature. At the exhibit, I learned that Pelton believed that paintings were a form of visual poetry. Vine Woods exemplifies her idea because it is conceptual and leaves for various interpretation. The woman in the can be seen as a symbolist figure similar to characters in poetry.

Francis Picabia was one of the most talked about artists at the Armory Show for his use of Cubism. Objects are represented three-dimensionally into abstract form in Dances at the Spring by Picabia. Many had trouble understanding this type of avant-garde art. The use of shadow helps define the two girls dancing in the painting. It was inspired by a peasant dance he saw in 1909 on his honeymoon. Both stillness and liveliness is exemplified here. Picabia expresses inner feelings through geometric shapes similar to Duchamp in his Nude Descending a Staircase. Both pieces helped be understand Cubism as well as a taste of Futurism.

This piece entitled “Group of Teachers” by Martin Honert was in the Matthew Marks Gallery. The sculptures are made of Polyurethane, sand, glass, textiles, and oil paint. This was the first gallery we went to, and it helped me appreciate Honert’s style of contemporary art since I could come up with stories the people may be linked with. Despite their smiling faces, the teachers have an intimidating, watchful expression on them; for instance, the blonde woman’s eyes seem to be following you. There is a very eerie vibe to the room. The lighting is focused predominately on the figures.These six figures could represent Honert’s own teachers from the boarding school he attended. The teachers are an example of how the past is always lingering, and an image could stay vivid in one’s mind forever. I think it is very interesting that Honert created this bunch based off of negatives of photographs. Additionally, I think it is interesting that he kept the teachers entirely in bland, dull colors. They could parallel the dull, washed-out feelings one gets as they age. The characters look so real, and one can get a sense that they are being judged as they stand in front of them. The fact that Honert’s parents were of the Nazi Era may be of import. During this time period, the youth had a conflicted relationship with adults. This could affect his portrayal of adults in general. The room was very spacious and the group of teachers definitely stood out. The long, narrow room of emptiness could represent the empty path one feels that they travel until they obtain a career. To the masses, having a steady career such teaching equates to success. This contemporary piece leaves an ambiguous message on the viewers, which I love.