Category: September 15

NAWA

The exhibit was pretty much exactly what I expected; devoid of life, oppressively bright lighting, and outrageously high prices for some mediocre-looking “art”. Seriously, the sculptures looked like they were made by seventh graders. And they were all upwards of a thousand dollars a piece. God, why. The worst crime there was definitely the doll head on the deer. My only thought upon viewing it was just, “okay, STOP”. I had to walk away when I saw the $3000 pricetag. Those curators did right by shoving it in the back corner, but I just Have to know who let that thing in there in the first place. Speaking of disappointments, there was this one painting that was a simple outline of a woman’s torso, but with baseballs for boobs. You know what it was called?? “Diamond Queen”. I was absolutely Distraught at the missed golden opportunity to title it “Second Base”. Very Tragic.

Despite my complaints, there were a few (very few) pieces that I actually liked. The bull head on the Virgin of Guadalupe made me laugh. And there was a painting of a calla lily and red rose together (I think it was called “Purity vs. Passion”)  that was very pleasing to look at. There was one that I kind of wanted to buy for myself, it was a geometric pattern that was colored in aggressively vibrant rainbow. But guess who doesn’t have $5000 to throw around?? Me.

NAWA

The NAWA was an interesting experience. Most of the artwork was confusing and strange. Some of the pieces were beautiful, but most of them didn’t seem to have any message. It seemed like the artists tried to think of the most random and weirdest thing possible, created it, and called it something that may or may not seem to be connected to the art in any way. I personally did not like most of the art because of this; most of it just made me uncomfortable (the deer with the baby doll head). One piece that I did like was one that looked like it was a picture on glass. I don’t know how this was made, but it was of a short dark tunnel showing vibrant leaves and water at the end. The contrast of the blackness of the tunnel with the bright colors made the colors pop even more. It looked like it was lit up from the inside. Another one that I found interesting was called “After the Election,” which was like a grey swirling vortex that seemed to reflect many people’s feelings about the presidential election. Overall, I was slightly disappointed but at the same time impressed with all of the different art. Also, when I walked in, the first person I saw, ironically, was a man. I’m glad we had to go since I don’t think I would ever go to a place like that on my own, but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to go to little art galleries again.

I forgot what this one was called.

“After the Election”

~Gianna Marchisella

NAWA Exhibit

Last Saturday was an eventful day in the city. We got lost, took many trains, and finally arrived at the correct destination. As strange as it sounds, walking around Manhattan was different that day. I was exposed to a whole new city that I had never gotten a chance to see before. Walking downtown, passing Shakespeare in the Park, I realized that I live in a city that offers me endless enriching experiences. Upon arriving to this little hole in the wall exhibit, I came to the conclusion that this was just another one of Manhattan’s many gems.

The exhibit though small, was rich in beauty and meaning. I stumbled upon abstract art, 1940s memorabilia, cartoon cats, and even an eye made from buttons. One drawing that I fell in love with was of a girl sitting among red flowers. She was black and white, and the only color in her was red for her intricately drawn heart.  Another piece of art, which I mentioned above was the eye. The eye was made of buttons. I really started to think about it and asked myself, “Why buttons?” It was not until after the fact that something dawned on me. The holes in the buttons are called eyelets. My inner nerd came out and was excited about the play on words. I laughed to myself, and wondered if that was pun intended or if I was just being silly. Either way though, that piece made me think.

The trip to the NAWA was certainly an adventure. It was inspirational to see art from all women, at an exhibit run by women. It touched my heart to see that these women do what they love and get the recognition that they truly deserve. This trip further instilled the notion that anyone could accomplish anything that he or she puts his or her mind to. This exhibit encouraged me to go and see more exhibits that maybe are not as well known. It is those little places that hold true treasures and stories that no other can match.

NAWA

Never in my life would I voluntarily visit a museum. However, and unfortunately, within the last year or so, I have been forced to visit a number of museums for educational purposes and I am yet to find a museum so great to make me change my mind about how I feel about them. (Not going to lie; the Whitney was pretty cool). As I was instructed to visit the National Association of Women Artists, I imagined the same type of scenery any museum would have; high ceiling, large frames, big crowd of people hovering the art, and a basic collection of detailed work. However, my expectations were the complete opposite at the NAWA. It was a small, quiet, one floored room in a building with little to no people in it. The artwork was visible right away and can easily be looked at in one glace across. In one case, I was as easily viewed to the artwork as it was to me.

Jill L. Kline’s “What is Seeing?” is a sculpture that takes the physical form of the iridescent green eye of a woman. Complete with mascara and eyeliner, Kline speaks to the nature of seeing as something that is pieced together. From afar, this piece appears only as an eye. It is only when the viewer moves closer that they can see the intricate lacings of buttons and seashells that help form that eye. If they move too closely, those details become the focus and their beauty is accentuated but at the cost of understanding the bigger picture. In seeing this sculpture, Klein forces viewers to acknowledge her question. To Klein, the act of seeing is a balance. There is beauty in all aspects, but how much of it is the viewer able to truly see? Overall, though I did not love my experience at the exhibit, it is evident to say it was a distinct and different from any museum I have ever visited.

NAWA NAWA

Museums aren’t usually my thing, let alone specific exhibits. NAWA, or the National Association of Women Artists, hosted a small exhibit on the 4th floor of a building on Lafayette St near NYU, and it showcases women artists without the bourgeois nature of donations or large fees. The gallery was small, quaint; you could spot all the art in minutes if you were rushing.

I decided to take my time with the gallery, though I was exhausted from classes and the long commute from Staten Island. The location was tough for me at first, due to the secluded nature of the building. It also highlights how art doesn’t have to be found in the Met or the Guggenheim; it attempts to diversify a long-standing approach to the art exhibition, by letting anybody, free of charge, admire the sculptures, paintings, and knickknacks.

At first, I entered the unit, and it looked more vast than it actually was(this made sense because the building floors are very small). I was met with the logo of NAWA, as well as the lady on the left that greeted me. There was a sign-in sheet. She offered me a tour(which would have been quick or tedious, depending on the artist) but I refused, as I was partially in a rush to eat or to go home entirely.

 

I’m not a frequent museum goer, but something about the gallery just didn’t click. I didn’t feel like the gallery was doing its work, nor that the art had a lot of meaning behind it. I tried my hardest to ascertain some sort of interpretation, but the paintings that had that effect on me were a dime a dozen.

One of the few paintings or sculptures I connected with was a painting that contained a very realistic oil/pastel picture of a street in a city; it doesn’t really have significant meaning for me, but I am particularly interested in how realistic, yet vivid and bright the picture looks without it being a photograph.

 

 

Overall, the lady at the counter was very welcoming and even gave me suggestions for other exhibits. She had her own art displayed, a sculpture using a car gear and some metal strips, all with the goal of creating motion in stasis.

 

I didn’t really interact with the rest of the art; I have a strong affinity for bodily-kinesthetic learning, but art always prohibits touching (sensibly), so I do not enjoy it as much. NAWA was interesting because of its initial prospect of emphasis on women; while I do not judge the gallery for the prices, I could never wrap my head around the art market and did not see the worth. Maybe someone else’s hobby, but not mine.

 

 

CB

Independent Museum Journey: Cooper Hewitt Museum

For this assignment, I decided to go to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum for three reasons: it was free for me, I have never been there before, and my free admission was not going to last since I will be turning 19 soon. So it was check off on my bucket list for free things I can do while I am 18.

My first thought about the museum when I approached was it was so beautiful! The architecture of the inside and outside of the museum and the garden was spectacular. After I got my ticket, I amazed even more because of the technology I was given to enhance my experience at the museum. They gave a pen that you would use when you wanted to learn more about the artwork. You would press the tip of the pen against a symbol on the description tag of the art work and it would save to a website created by the museum that is personalized to you! Instead of taking pictures of the art, I was able to login to my personalized webpage and see all the art pieces I collected.

The main theme of the museum was designs that explore other methods of creation. The first exhibit I saw was the Making | Breaking: New Arrivals. This exhibit showcased artworks that incorporated technology into its development. The first piece that caught my eye was the Sidewall, Aurora Ray by Calico Wallpaper because it reminded of sunsets. The ombre of colors in the wallpaper reminded of all the similar posts on Instagram or Snapchat. Sidewall

The second artwork that caught my eye was the Fractal.MGX Table by Gernot Oberfell, because of its fascinating geometry. Apparently, the table was designed using 3D printing techniques and mathematical algorithms. It would not be possible to reproduce this table without using this technology.  Table

In the other exhibit, Esperanza Spalding Selects, the only piece that really caught my attention was the Piano Parts, Evolving Perspectives. Unfortunately, the museum has either yet to upload an image of the piece or due to legal issues cannot post it. So you will have to imagine it based on my description. The piece showed the devolution of the piano or the breakdown of the creation of a piano at the end to the beginning. Instead of having a whole keyboard, the board progressed into its more simpler components. I thought it was cool because we never get to see the process behind making a piano or what’s under the keyboard. We only get to see the finished masterpiece.

There was an interactive table on each floor where you can create your own architectural design and save it using the pen! For example, you can design a chair, a hat, a building or anything you want out of different materials provided. After you are done with your design, you can save it to your website.

Overall, the museum was not that exciting because of the limited number of exhibits to see and it was not the kind of art I would appreciate. I believe engineers or fashion designers would find the museum more appealing. However, I am glad I went before I had to start paying for admission!

If you would like to see some other pieces that I tagged onto my personalized page, please click the link below:

https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/visits/3rrs/

  • Sidewall, Aurora Ray, 2014; Designed by Calico Wallpaper ; digital print on linen-textured vinyl; L x W: 243.8 × 132.1 cm (8 ft. × 52 in.); Gift of Calico Wallpaper; 2015-24-2
  • Fractal.MGX Table, 2009; Designed by Gernot Oberfell, Jan Wertel and Matthias Bär; stereolithography-formed and pigment-infused epoxy resin with polyurethane (pu) filling; H x W x D: 41.9 × 72.4 × 57.8 cm (16 1/2 × 28 1/2 × 22 3/4 in.); Gift of George Azar; 2016-22-1

Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Every artist was first an amateur” – 128th NAWA Exhibit

NAWA was a great experience overall. My brother and I really enjoyed the variety of artwork on display. There were some pieces that truly amazed me, but others that were extremely unusual. My brother, Sam, perceived most of the pieces much differently than I did and that was usually the case whenever we compared our responses. This relates to a point that John Berger made in “Ways of Seeing,” when he discusses how every human perceives art differently. Our perception of what an artist is trying to evoke (or convey) is shaped by our emotions, experiences and how we react to the atmosphere. Something even like music playing in the background or someone describing what the piece really means can change how you see art entirely -although thankfully the exhibit had nothing of the sort.-

My personal favorite was Flowers from my Heart, by Tokoha Matsuda.  Take a second to breathe it in.

I wrote an interpretation of what I believed was the message on Instagram.

This is the interpretation I had: The subject is a naked woman. Her beautiful pure heart is manifested by fading red flowers that stem from her core. What was once a source of life has begun to wilt away. Was she foolish? Her back is exposed, her head cupped in her hand. Perhaps the images of the man she trusted flood her mind. Perhaps he only used her. Like a bee who thieves nectar from a flower, he too stole something valuable from her… without any care for her desires (and he’s already on his way to the next delicate flower). Helpless and confused, she becomes stagnant. Can you relate to her anguish? Only time can mend her heart. Even then, she will never be the same.

Of course another persons interpretation could be entirely different, that is why I saved my own interpretation until after the artwork was presented.

I took several more pictures of works that were appealing to me. The first picture is by Merrill S. French, W 47th Street.

The last two pictures are of a ceramic sculpture by Natalie Koren Kropf, Together. The two pieces are holding each other up, if one is removed, they will fall and break without each other. They hold each other up, much like a couple or family members.