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Blog #2 — 4 Comments
10
Sep 17

The Guggenheim

Odd and out of place. Not bad but different.

Those are the first two thoughts that come to my mind when I think of the Guggenheim.

For me, our visit to the museum was simply eye-opening.

From the moment, I laid eyes on the building I was intrigued by it.  In a city full of skyscrapers and apartment buildings, the white, circular Guggenheim sticks out like a sore thumb.

A fact, I find to be apropos.

Upon entrance to the museum, one is ushered into an open space. At first, it doesn’t seem like much – a big room with a crowd of other people. But then I looked up. I looked up and saw the most beautiful skylight.

To me, that is the single most spectacular thing about the Guggenheim – all the natural light. This is going to sound strange, but it makes the museum feel alive.

Walking from ramp to ramp, looking at all the different artwork, I felt something. I felt the history of each piece. I felt the emotions of each artist.

I also noticed something. I noticed that even though people were looking at the same painting they all had different expressions on their faces. They all saw different things. In my opinion, that’s truly amazing.

What I saw and what I felt when looking at Kandinsky’s Black Lines differs from what another person could have seen and felt.

Art is individual in that sense.

For our first blog post, we were asked to define art. I wrote that art is subjective and therefore not subject to limitation. I believe that I saw this in action at the museum.

The Guggenheim, in its entirety, demands attention.

Architecturally, it is one of the most attractive buildings in New York City. Externally and internally. In regards to artwork, the beauty of the museum’s collection is its diversity. From Pollock to Picasso and Kandinsky to Monet, there are so many different styles, techniques, and disciplines showcased.

If I were to open my own museum, it would be similar to the Guggenheim, in the fact that different styles would be displayed. However, I think I would make the exhibits more interactive. Instead of canvases being hung from plain white walls, I would put the canvases on easels. I would paint the walls of the museum different colors. I would have a café inside. There would be more benches and maybe a waterfall or two. I think I would even like to have an area for people to create their own art, to leave their individual mark. My goal would be to just create a fun, open, and inclusive space for anyone to use. A space where artists could display their work as well as create it.

 

 

 

Blog #2 — Comments Off on The Guggenheim Experience-Marie Traore
09
Sep 17

The Guggenheim Experience-Marie Traore

The most notable aspect of the Guggenheim is the shape of the institution. I have been to the museum before, and I was always intrigued by the shape and design. I always wondered what the shape signified especially since I did not know much about its history before. Finding the museum was not difficult for me, because I have passed it while I ride the bus along Museum Mile. However, I noticed that it is easy to spot this crisp “circular” building. The Guggenheim is notable for its shape just as The Metropolitan can be found because of its iconic steps. When I entered I felt captivated when I looked up to see the museum’s form. When I see the museum, I think of modernism. It is such a different and unconventional approach to museum architecture. I have been to plenty of museums and I know that shape is a big part to me. The Musee D’Orsay in Paris is an old train station, and it is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable museums to me. When I see the Guggenheim, I think of change. It makes me feel like there was a major change in the world and that is why the architects insisted on making the building look so different. In hindsight, I know that there was a change. The museums curators and founders were major art collectors in a time where art was being overlooked and labelled. The Guggenheim almost seems to be a breath of fresh air in the horrible time period that it was created in. The tour guide also reiterated the feelings that I thought of upon entrance. He was able to effectively convey the emotions that Solomon R. Guggenheim and Hilla Rebay must have wanted to be passed down.  The tour guide was very helpful, because he did not only give the back story to certain pieces, but he also made us delve into the art works ourselves. An example is the final Picasso piece that we saw. It is still very fresh in my mind, because the tour guide gave a lasting impression. I would have never realized the things that I did, such as the woman’s posture signifying her burden, without his insight. It was very helpful to also see the backstory of certain pieces of art. An example is the piece by Van Gogh. I had no idea that Van Gogh had been put into an asylum. It makes me wonder can there really be beauty behind the madness? Also, what gives us the right to judge someone else as being “mad”? The art that Van Gogh created was also interpreted in such a variety of ways that I wondered if that was his intent. I enjoyed the tour guide’s ability to push us out of our comfort zones as he kept questioning us in a way that the Guggenheim’s original collectors probably would have wanted us to think.

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