Charles White: A Retrospective was the first exhibit I ever experienced in the Museum of Modern Art. This was a guided one-hour tour of several pieces by Charles White. The guide provided interesting information about the artist and his work, but her delivery was flawed. There were points where sudden pauses lost my attention and the attention of other classmate.
The second work of art, and the most interesting work of art, the class was shown by our guide was Native Son #2 (1942). This is a drawing of a man with projected muscles and a torn shirt, offering a piece of wood to the viewer. The subject’s prominent right hand is holding his stomach, symbolizing pain and tiredness from labor. The figure is showing his strength by offering the piece of wood, symbolizing the labor he performs. The idea that the man is hurt and continues to work, shows his strength and willingness to show his internal power.
The main aspect of the drawing that I found amazing was that this was all done using graphite. It is fascinating to see how many pigments and shadows can be produced with a pencil. This simple tool was used to develop an image with features that cannot go unnoticed. This work is also significant because it was one of Charles White’s earliest creations. This drawing was borrowed from Howard University and is referred to as one of White’s signature works.
Personally, I did not enjoy this exhibition. The messages of the work are important and need to be observed. The artist is clearly very skilled and talented in his development of characters and incorporation of history in his art. However, even though I found it impressive, it is not work that I would consider viewing for entertainment purposes in the future.
The goal of this IDC class is to expose the students to different types of art in different settings. The exposure to art is meant to help the individuals in the class develop an interest in the arts and begin to embrace the art. The true value of this exposure is the idea that students are able to develop an opinion and then use that new attraction in their future for entertainment and even investment purposes.
Through all our experiences in viewing art in New York, this exhibition made me realize that it acceptable to dislike certain art. The importance of art comes from the ideas the viewer creates, not ideas the author wants the viewer to create. The value of art is subjective to every individual. Every individual has a different monetary or symbolic value they would put on a creation. In this instance, this art did not spark my interest. However, other pieces in MoMA caught my attention. Specifically, the Collection Galleries on the Fifth Floor of the museum.
Native Son #2 (1942) by Charles White
