The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

“Marilyn Munroe I,” 1962

James Rosenquist’s “Marilyn Monroe” absolutely amazed me. The sheer artistry of this piece made it impossible for me to believe that this was from the 1960s. Marilyn’s beauty and instant recognition are magnificently and effortlessly translated to this painting – particularly through the partial use of the brand name “Coca-Cola.”

“The Starry Night,” 1889

When I finally found my way around the museum after about an hour, I suddenly transformed into some sort of art critic/museum tour guide. I instantaneously recognized the paintings of the “masters” Henri Rousseau, Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh through their “distinct art techniques.” Apparently, I have had more exposure to art than I realize. As a matter of fact, for the girl who complains about her disconnection to art, many will be quite surprised to hear about my overwhelmingly positive response to my encounter with Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night– which I had no idea was even housed at the Museum of Modern Art, but it is! For the sake of brevity, I will post the extensive explanation of my reaction to the painting on my blog – if you would like to read it. I will, however, say that the painting’s incredible beauty nearly brought me to tears. . I was emotionally connected and moved by the painting. I felt like I was looking at something. It suddenly was much more than a painting. I felt like I was being carried away into the night by those swirls of wind. The nature portrayed was so beautiful. The cypress tree was not the ugly, abrupt, and dark monster overpowering the beauty of the night sky covering the small town. 

From inside the MoMA, the view of the garden’s surrounding.

Before sending the MoMA my heartfelt adieu, I spent a few moments outside in the sculpture garden and snapped this final shot of it from inside the museum. I realized that I was surrounded by my home – New York City – and thus, this institution was a part of my home as well. There is nothing for me to fear.

 P.S. Check out the inspiration for my post’s title …

“Museum: enfants non admis”

Salma M.