Going to the Guggenheim was a very memorable experience. When I asked the woman at the resource desk where the Mapplethorpe exhibit was, she told me that there is no such exhibit at the Guggenheim. She said that Mapplethorpe did make a significant monetary contribution to the Guggenheim, but there is no exhibit currently present in his name. I assumed the woman was mistaken and asked the security guard the same question. She told me that many kids have been asking her about a Mapplethorpe exhibit this week, but no such exhibit exists. I was disappointed because I had really been looking forward to seeing Robert’s work in person after reading so much about it in Just Kids. However, she did direct me toward the fifth floor to an exhibit called “Lasting Images” that she thought might be of interest to me.  It consists of a boldly colored blanket thrown on the floor guarded by two large men who do not let visitors come within five feet of it, a few pictures of poor villages, a bunch of skinny metal rods hanging from the ceiling, and about a dozen paint splattered book pages lined up on the wall. This exhibit definitely brought to mind the question of what is art. In my opinion, this exhibit was not art because the pieces did not require a lot of skill to create. I enjoy admiring works of art that I could not have created myself.  Maybe the purpose of this exhibit was to make these contrasting images remain in the viewer’s mind. All of these pieces seem to have no relation. If that was the purpose, this exhibit succeeded. I viewed one other exhibit on the third floor of paintings involving pastel colors and strange shapes. No item in this exhibit evoked an emotional response from me either. If you are reading this entry and have not yet visited the museum, it is important to note that pictures are not allowed to be taken inside the museum. Ashley got yelled at twice. Also, no talking on the phone is allowed anywhere in the museum. The museum itself has a very proper and uncomfortable vibe to it. All of the walls are white and  the hallways are very narrow. It reminded me of the way dreams are depicted in movies in which everything is white and the objects that are not white are hard to interpret. I hope everyone else had or will have a better experience than I did.