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.
