A sentiment shared amongst many is that if they don’t know something about art, then they will not like the art or they will not “get it”. Upon viewing Proof for the first time, I had little background knowledge. Of the three artists whose work were on display, I had only ever heard of one. My lack of knowledge concerning the artists did not have any impact on what I felt. Along with the other Macaulay students that accompanied me, I was floored by the quality of the work presented. Proof is a breathtaking exhibit showcasing etchings, film, and hyper realistic charcoal drawings by Francisco Goya, Sergei Eisenstein, and Robert Longo respectively. Everyone I witnessed viewing Proof, from students within the Macaulay Honors program to tourists visiting from different countries and states, were in awe of the exhibit.

The exhibit offers many things which is why it can be so widely receptive. At face value, the work from each artist is highly impressive. However, being in a museum that is to be expected. What really stands out is that all of their work is about political unrest and whether or not you know anything about the Spanish or Russian government during the times of Goya or Eisenstein, the exhibit gives detailed histories of the works and artists on the cards next to each of the works. Therefore, even if you come in knowing nothing and do not “get it,” all you need to do is look to your left or right and an abundance of information is available to you. For most of Longo’s work, U.S citizens may not need to look at the inscriptions because his pieces are reflective of the turmoil in American society today. To be a part of history, to see artwork reflecting our own times in our own country, is honestly chilling.

Upon entering the exhibition, viewers are met with tall walls forming an almost complete circle in the center of the room. Projected onto the walls are the three films Sergei Eisenstein is most well known for- which address the revolution near the time of their creation-in addition to five others. The label on the side tells viewers that Eisenstein’s career was greatly influenced by Stalin’s Five Year Plan which restricted his work that had been previously funded by the government. The fact that I was unable to take a picture devoid of other viewers speaks for the popularity of this part of the exhibit.

Sergei Eisenstein’s films on display.

Moving further into the exhibit, people are greeted by the etchings of Francisco Goya who released his etchings in series. They are presented in cases in the middles of the rooms as well as hung on the walls where each print is illuminated with light rather than the entire wall which draws people to view them more closely. Some are devoid of any writing while others feature a few words or a question- all of the work however, is representative of the struggle in Spanish society. Whether the work is reflective of the fight between religion and the Enlightenment or of the advancements changing society, all of the work seems demented or violent or shows some sort of representation of a struggle, and one of the cards on the side notes how amazing it is that “Goya achieves the same dramatic intensity at small scale as Eisenstein and Longo do in larger formats”

Francisco Goya’s etchings/prints

The last section of the exhibition displays the artwork of Robert Longo. As a citizen living through the turmoil and protests Longo showcases, this was the most profound portion of the exhibit for myself. His work is breathtaking in the quality alone because it is large scale, hyper realistic work. I could not believe that the art I was seeing wasn’t simply photographs that he had taken and blown up to be a larger size. Every single person I took to see this was equally as astounded by his work, and I noticed many other people in the exhibit getting very close to the art in order to see that it truly is charcoal. His work ranges from a bald eagle to the “hands up don’t shoot” pose, to religious artwork. It is spread out through many rooms because of how big each work is, allowing you to walk through the final portion of the exhibit taking in each of his drawings. One image in particular stood out to me from this portion of the exhibit, Untitled (Bullet Hole in Window, January 7, 2015). It depicts a hole in a glass window. The window is cracked but intact, save for the entry hole of the bullet that went through it. This is a depiction of what I thought to be the Charlie Hebdo shooting  (because of the date in the title) which I remember hearing about on the news, and it was surreal to me to see something I remembered happening shown in a museum. In an interview for #59 magazine about a different exhibit the drawing was featured in, Long says “It refers to every bullet in every window… [it] could be a bullet hole in Santa Barbara, it could be a bullet hole in Sandy Hook in Connecticut where the kids were killed. A bullet hole is a bullet hole,”. In other words, one bullet hole can represent the tragedies of every shooting because they have so often nowadays it’s hard to tell them apart and that really struck me.

Untitled (Bullet Hole in Window, January 7, 2015), Robert Longo

Untitled (St. Louis Rams/Hands Up), Robert Longo

Overall, each portion of this exhibit is packed with history and the political unrest that defined these artists.Through its showcasing of work reflective of political turmoil, Proof highlights the political purpose of art that may have otherwise been overlooked.  I wholeheartedly recommend this exhibit to any history buff or art lover especially, but even someone who usually isn’t receptive to art will most likely find themselves in awe.

Citation

Engelen, Mart. “Luminous Discontent by Robert Longo.” #59 MAGAZINE. 19 Aug. 2016. Web.    17 Nov. 2017.

Wall text, Francisco De Goya Y Lucientes, Proof, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY.