The Guggenheim was one of the most intricate and diverse museums I have ever been too and I knew it had something to do with the founder, Solomon G. Guggenheim. Solomon Guggenheim was originally a businessman who just happened to have a love for collecting art. Eventually, Solomon wanted to show his art to people so he began presenting them in small showrooms. There came a time when he just had too many paintings and needed a larger venue. Solomon wanted a “temple” that reflected the thoughts of the people when looking at the artwork.
Finding the museum was not difficult since it does stand on one of the most famous streets in New York City, adjacent to Central Park, Museum Mile. The architecture of the museum was nothing to ignore. The obscure white outside wrap around makes practically everyone on the street stop to observe, thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright who was able to come up with such a unique architectural design. The extensive security and bag check seemed to differ from other museums since most don’t have such a strict process. The best part of the museum experience was walking in, and looking up. The spatial, white, open arrangement of the museum was astounding and unexpected.
One piece in particular sparked my interest during the tour. The painting was titled “Before The Mirror” by Edouard Manet. What I enjoyed about the tour was that the guide
gave us two minutes to scrutinize the painting and reflect on our own personal thoughts. The rapid movements of the artists brush made the painting very vague and unpredictable. When you look at the mirror particularly, you cannot even see her facial expression. From the way she is dressed, to the pleasant pastel shades Manet used, I inferred she is from some sort of a bourgeoisie class. If you walk around the floor and look at the painting from across the floor, it is interpreted differently. From a far, the painting looks put together without much to question or interpret which I think makes this one of the most fascinating contemporary pieces I looked at while at the Guggenheim.
Walking through the museum, I realized Solomon’s goal was to let everyone construe the art in completely different ways. There was no right or wrong answer in the museum and the bright open architectural design helps one think and reflect on the art peacefully. If I were to create a museum, I would want the overall theme of the museum to resemble one of serenity. I would want one to feel untroubled and at peace with themselves when stepping foot into the museum. Instead of bright white like Solomon, I would go for a more neutral tone approach with calm waterfalls or sitting areas throughout the museum. The Guggenheim truly showed how paintings that were hundreds of years old, are still viewed and interpreted by people differently each day. As the years went on, the thoughts of Americans varied and dispersed.
Karina Karazhbey
Tags: calm, peaceful, relaxed, serenity, untroubled
I definitely agree with you that each museum needs a narrative. The narrative brings the museum to life and allows for the viewers to have an educational experience.
I agree with you that the narrative should be interactive. A tour guide is always advantageous, as you mentioned how incredibly helpful he was in making the paintings come to life.
The audio tours are always helpful for those who may not have time to remain with a guided tour or they simply prefer to browse through the museum solo.
So happy you got to enjoy a museum you never experienced for the first time!
Iwould personally love a serene feeling museum, so I really appreciate the idea and color scheme behind yours. I also took an interest in that painting, but rather focus on the medium and detail, I thoughted it looked like a take on Cinderella. Just not the slim, lithe body that everyone is accustomed to seeing. The way I interpreted it, it was actually a picture on the issue of body image. Nice blog!
I was walking around with Amy and I remember her mention that painting. She said she loved it, because it reminded her of Cinderella. It is so interesting to see people’s perspective on certain art works, because I would have never came across that idea or connection that she did. Its also interesting to think about the point you made regarding the point of view. It is so interesting to see how the story can change depending on how close you are to a piece of work.
Aye I just commented that!! Yeah, it really does remind me of Cinderella.
The tour guide did a good job by allowing us to think about the painting and contemplate its meaning. The museum allowed us to view the painting in different ways whether it was through the other another side of the museum or 2 inches away. That specific painting actually had a great and different view when looking at it from a distance. It kind of looks like there is no green as opposed to up close the green doesn’t blend in with the yellow. The location of the Guggenheim is definitely not hard to find not only because of the famous street it lays on but also because of its unique strucutre. I totally agree that it should have seats throughout the building and I think that would allow visitors to come and spend a long time there analyzing the art.
I also loved the painting that you spoke about. I’ve seen paintings like that before but I never got the opportunity to stand as far back as I did at The Guggenheim. The architecture of the building played a major role in understanding this piece of art. At most museums, you only get a few feet in front of the art before you’re met by another wall.