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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 — 6 Comments
10
Sep 17

Museum Narrative

Grasping my father’s hand as a child while dancing through the crowds of New York City tourists brought me joy. My father was often very adamant about visiting museums in Manhattan on his days off with me, knowing it was one of my favorite things to do. Through these countless trips to the MET, MoMa, and, our personal favorite, The Whitney, I came to appreciate all different types of art at a young age. I grew an extraordinary interest in my now favorite artist, Edward Hopper, due to the stories each of his paintings tell. Each museum we encountered left a mark on us.

As I entered the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, I was taken back by the overall architecture of the building. It was my first time visiting the Guggenheim and I was excited to learn what it was all about. My neck strained as I walked into the front doors, trying to capture all of the beauty of the interior of the building. As we began to congregate for our tours, I noticed a man wearing vibrant abstract art socks, who ended up being our tour guide. Our group followed this energetic man up the continuous, windy ramp, of which the museum consisted of. He began to narrate the story of the Guggenheim, how it was constructed and the people that made it happen. He put emphasis on the revolutionism of the Guggenheim itself, and how influential a handful of artists were towards the expansion and appreciation of abstract and surreal art.

We stopped at the first painting, Vasily Kandinsky’s Landscape with Red Spots, No. 2. The tour guide began to explain how influential Kandinsky was towards the revolution of abstract art. He detailed the artist’s life, putting emphasis on certain aspects, allowing the observer to understand the piece and the artist’s intentions to another level. The guide mentioned that Kandinsky studied law in order to work as an advocate for other abstract and surreal artists. Compared to the small label next to the painting itself, the tour guide was able to personalize the artists and help me understand the meaning behind the painting and the gallery as a whole. Without the help of the guide, I wouldn’t have understood how revolutionary this art was at that time.

Understanding the meaning behind a painting, sculpture, or even an entire museum itself, is almost impossible without some sort of narrative. Whether it’s that little plaque on the wall that gives you a brief summary of the work of art or if it’s an actual tour guide with unlimited amount of knowledge on the subject, a museum needs description. If I were to create a museum, the collection of works would have to flow together. The collection would tell a meaningful story, each piece adding onto it, as the Guggenheim did so effortlessly. My museum’s narrative would be interactive, allowing the observer to understand and question the artist’s intentions. All of my favorite museums left me understanding something that I didn’t before, and all of my favorite artists have opened up their own world to me through their creations.

 

Blog #2 — 5 Comments
10
Sep 17

The Guggenheim Rollercoaster

On a sunny Tuesday morning, I arrived early to the first museum of many I will be attending this year as a part of my Macaulay class. As a result of my promptness, I had time to spare before entering the Guggenheim to meet with my fellow classmates. So, I walked across the street to Central Park and sat on a bench and read a book. In my opinion, Central Park was the first museum I stepped into that day. The park is full of foliage, peace and natural beauty.  When time came to enter the Guggenheim, I looked up at the museum and was amazed at its beautifully unique structure. The architecture of the museum was remarkable and upon entering the museum, I appreciated how the natural sunlight seeped from the top of the building as the spiral ramp hugged the surrounding walls that overflowed with art. The first topic of discussion initiated by the tour guide was the elephant in the room, the architecture. Who created it? And why did the architect build the museum like this?

The docent informed the class that the Guggenheim was built by the renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, in1959. Wright had intentional motives for all the details of the museum. The location of the Guggenheim is right next to Central Park, thus, Wright built big glass windows facing the park. Wright purposely built these windows to escape the noise, distraction and congestion of the city while providing inspiration from nature. I wholeheartedly agree and experienced this isolation and inspiration when I arrived early to the museum. Additionally, the exposed rotunda presented the onlookers the special opportunity to view the art from different levels simultaneously. For example, as I walked up the ramp, the tour guide pointed down to a painting from on a lower level that we had seen earlier. When observing it from a farther and higher angle the painting became fascinatingly clearer.

Walking through the Guggenheim made me wonder how the museum choose its art and the frames that surround them? Is it the name of the artist or the artists’ followers that make the paintings grant entry into the museum? I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Guggenheim, that I never got answers to these questions. I hope on my next visit to a museum I explore these questions further.

I began to think as to why my grandma’s work is not hanging in the Guggenheim? My personal experience with art growing up were these beautiful landscapes water color paintings my grandmother made. Her artwork always drew my attention and my support. When looking at Pablo Picasso’s painting, arguably the most famous painter of the 20th century, I thought about how, if I were to open a museum or gallery, my grandma’s work deserved to be displayed next to Picasso’s The Poet.

 

The painting on the left is Picasso’s The Poet

My Grandma’s Artwork

Before the Mirror by Édouard Manet

Before the Mirror by Édouard Manet from a level above

Guggenheim “Rollercoaster (interior design of the museum)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Langer