Yet, another wonderful opportunity to share my opinions with my dear Macaulay classmates! I must say, curiosity was the primary feeling that arose within my mind as I stood staring at the peculiarly colored objects firmly placed into the ground. “Why would a museum containing a myriad of exquisite masterpieces of art display such a strange piece on top of the roof?” I wondered. Furthermore, “What could have possibly coaxed Anthony Caro to concoct such a thing in the first place?” As questions continued to form in my head, the magnificent view of the city had grasped my undivided attention. I greatly admired the enormous skyscrapers, dim sky, and greenness of the trees that surrounded me. Only if the artwork was as ravishing as the scenery around it… Overall, I thought of Anthony Caro’s exhibit as a set of foreign materials that plunged down from outer space. I was unable to grasp the genuine meaning of the colorful steel contraptions and as a result, did not appreciate it as much. Since this was my first time coming to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was expecting the Anthony Caro exhibit to be something beyond the boundaries of my imagination. Unfortunately, Anthony Caro’s work did not live up to my expectations. Even though an indefatigable effort must have been made by artist Caro, I wished he had made his works of art more creative and less obscure. In addition, the other portions of the museum I found highly interesting and unique. Some of the paintings I witnessed seemed so real that it resembled a snapshot of the scene from a 13.1 megapixel camera. I think that the excellent works of art beneath the rooftop compensated for the dullness of the Anthony Caro exhibit.
After leaving the Metropolitan Museum of Art that night, one question still remained in my head: “Why were such oddly shaped pieces of art formed within such an amazing and picturesque scenery?” Something equally beautiful should have been placed on top of the roof to match the unparalleled splendor of the city. An artwork so mysterious in nature and unattractive detracted from the attractiveness of the view around me. I was expecting elaborate and mind-blowing depictions of art before me, not something made out of paint, screws, and steel. Despite all the negative criticisms I possessed of Anthony Caro’s work, I feel there might be some latent meaning behind his art. For example, maybe Caro might have wanted people to ponder over his work rather than admiring it, and discover its concealed significance. Perhaps, this so-called “hidden” message will be figured out one day, if there actually exists one, so I can be more appreciative towards Caro’s steel sculptures.
As I mentioned previously, I loved the scene more than I did the sculptures in my presence. Nevertheless, I did not appreciate the crowd I was surrounded by. Most of the people on top of the roof exhibit seemed so snobby and indifferent; it’s as if they did not even notice I was there. All the people were involved in their own affairs and could not care less about what was occurring “outside” of their conversations. I definitely felt out of place and hoped someone would be kind enough to try to clarify or interpret the importance of these “interesting” art pieces that lay on the ground. Sadly, this was not the case. Also, the crowd’s lack of respect for the artwork kind of ticked me off. For example, some people put their drinks on the artwork and some even had the audacity to sit or lean on them, while yelling at others for touching them. Even though Caro’s artwork might not be as fancy as the way these “elite” were dressed they should at least show some sort of respect towards the artwork. The upper class people on the rooftop were just as “modernized” as the artwork, I felt. In fact, their supercilious demeanor made me lose appreciation for them and even took away a little from the lovely environmental view. Basically, I enjoyed the spectacular view the most, and liked the artwork more than the wealthy people around me.
Hopefully, next time I visit an art museum I have a better experience and get a chance to see more wonderful pieces of art. The pictures below accurately describe the emotions I felt as I stepped out of the museum:
