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Blog #2 — 2 Comments
10
Sep 17

My Guggenheim Experience

As a New Yorker, you hear places such as the ‘infamous’ Central Park, Broadway, Times Square, the MET, and of course the Guggenheim. I’ve never visited the Guggenheim museum before, but only saw it in movies and pictures. I was always mesmerized by the structure of the museum, it was art itself. So having this museum as one of our first field trips was truly exciting.

Before arriving to the museum, I strolled pass Central Park and tourists being captivated by the city that I call home. The Guggenheim, located right by the park, is the ideal spot for tourists or even locals to appreciate the art that was created by renowned artists such as Henri Rousseau and Pablo Picasso. When I arrived at 5th Avenue, I was taken away by the building itself. I was having my college class at a place where people come around the world to visit. The intricate architecture of the dome-shaped museum was outstanding in person. The moment we entered, I looked up at the amount of floors this place consisted of. Each floor, carrying art that tells the story and history of society. People walking the ramp up to the sunlight roof brought fluidity to the museum as the visitors were piling in. The roof brought sunlight throughout the entire museum. Our tour guide was extremely informative, which helped bring the art to life and give it meaning. His passion led our group to be engaged with the pieces of art. He answered all our questions with such detail, it was almost as if he was alive during that time period.

I had two pieces of art that stood out to me during my visit. The first one was by the renowned artist, Pablo Picasso. I was in awe on the fact that I was standing in front of a painting that I learned about throughout my entire time in school. The detail that Picasso put on the piece with the color he uses and the way the waves were moving exhibited his feelings he was going through. Another piece that caught my eye was of a woman ironing. It revealed about the struggles and the work-life in America, an everyday chore was a way of making a living. The way the woman’s posture is stiff, her empty facial expression, and her shoulders arched in a tense position depicts the endeavors Americans went through. Art is able to tell a story about the past as well as the future of society, and how far a generation has grown.

If I were to create my own museum, I would like it to have a simplistic scheme like this museum conveyed with the white walls. The architecture of the museum plays a huge role on how you want your visitors to flow through the artwork. I learned how the museum itself can be art as well. I personally would want my museum to be in a maze-structure, so visitors can actually get lost in art. I would also like it to be informative, so they can get meaning out of the work they’re looking at. In that case, I would include descriptions by the pieces and have tour-guides that are well-educated on the art as well. This experience was different than any other museums or exhibits that I visited in the past, and it opened my eyes to art in New York.

Blog #2 — 2 Comments
09
Sep 17

A Modern Guggenheim

Visiting the Guggenheim had been something on my bucket list for quite some time actually; when I heard we would be going I was genuinely excited to go! The building is easy to find, especially because I’ve past it so many times before and literally just sat in amazement because it’s so beautiful.

Inside of the museum, it definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved the high ceilings, open floor space, and spiral walkway the extended through all of the levels. As you ascended higher, every floor was set up in the same fashion, down to the bathrooms being stacked on top of each other. The artwork was forced into the spotlight due to the fact that no matter where you went you were able to view a piece of art, even from across the gap. Our tour guide at one point even had us compare our thoughts on a piece when we were up close to it, and when we were viewing it from afar. I have never been to a museum that allowed that type of viewing experience.

“Woman Ironing”, Picasso

The collection told a story of American artists, transitioning between portrait work and more modern style, like cubism or minimalism. A lot of the pieces had dark undertones that at least alluded to a more depressing America, and one that didn’t treat artists well at all (many of the artists featured in the Guggenheim lived poor lives and only became relevant after they died).However, the pieces itself were nothing extraordinary. I have visited plenty of art museums in the past, and so I guess nothing at the Guggenheim really made me take a second look, or think particularly much. A lot of the pieces we lingered on were modern pieces, and in my own opinion modern art doesn’t make me feel…anything. A collection of lines or dots (or even both), are simply lines and dots. There had been one painting that left an impression, “Woman Ironing” by Picasso, because it captured a human emotion, an experience, and had the ability to make me feel something. Not many of the other pieces I observed were able to do that, the rest were merely lines or dots on a canvas (which I could’ve done in kindergarten). 

I think if I were to open a museum, I would want it to reflect New York City. I know that seems trivial or stereotypical in an Arts in NYC class, but it’s true. I find NYC fascinating, and the relevance it has had in shaping our world leaders and our world in general is something I would want to focus on. Not only that, but I want to tell a story of inspiration, and creativity. I would hope that people could visit my museum and leave feeling a new sense of hope for not only our city, but the fact that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Giving students the impression that they can accomplish something huge, and implement their own ideas on the world through learning about the history of the city. Therefore, my museum would have to be educational. Like the Guggenheim, I would want the building to tell a story on it’s own. My museum’s building would have to be sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing (at least to me). My museum would tell a story that left people with the passion to continue creating their own dreams.

 

 

 

Blog #2 — 4 Comments
09
Sep 17

Visit to The Guggenheim

The thought of visiting a Museum is daunting. Concerns of personal creativity and proper perspective begin to play in one’s mind. However, once stepping into the lobby of the Guggenheim Museum, all those concerns were subsided for views of awe and wonder. Thoughts of confusion began to turn to thoughts of how important art is to shape the time period of an entire generation.

Upon arrival to the steps of the Guggenheim, the architecture of the Museum immediately blew me away. Located on 5th Avenue, rows of similar high rises began to become stale and repetitive. Then I saw the Guggenheim. I had seen pictures on Google Maps to familiarize myself for the walk from the 6 train to the Museum, but nothing really compared to the actual structure. In a place where repetition and commonality was a default, the Guggenheim was able to set itself apart from all its surroundings.

The warm reception from the Museum staff immediately put any thoughts of confusion to rest. With the guided tours, we were able to receive vital information and background stories that gave the art work life and meaning. Throughout the visit, the Museum staff was able to dictate which art pieces we would see, how long we would spend at each piece, and most importantly give us their certain perspective on how the art should be viewed. This was not only an example of how the tour guide directed us, but it was rather an extension of the vision of the Guggenheim Museum through their employees.

The unique architecture of the building was art in and of itself. The circular scheme and ramp completely dictates the flow of visitors. The ability to use geometric shapes in the art they collected as well as the building which they saw come to life speaks to the mindsets of Solomon R. Guggenheim and Hillel Rebay themselves. Mindsets of innovation, experimental, and creative expressions of art work that would challenge the art world and its norms. The tile throughout the floor was composed of a circular pattern, which carried on through its ramps and all the way to the sunlight roof. Literally, from top to bottom, the Guggenheim was able to continue the circular theme all while challenging the confines of the art world through its simple, yet abstract artwork of non-objective, cubism, and impressionist paintings.

Through the works collected by Kandinsky, Picasso, Mondrian, and many other famous artists of their time, Guggenheim was able to complete his masterful artwork of a building, with physical showcases of art for the visitors to see. This combination of art really gave visitors an overall enriching experience. My personal over-complicated views of art were challenged by the simplicity of this Museum and made me realize that though artwork may be subjective, architects work on their craft just like an artist would.

Abishek (AJ) Johnson