Throughout my tour of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, it became apparent that the institution was a microcosm of the modern art movement of the twentieth century. It highlights the transition from classical periods of art history where artists took inspiration from the past and largely focused on idealism, to the era of modern art, where recent innovations in artistry promoted the depiction of everyday struggles among other commonplace human sensations in artwork. Having the opportunity to observe several pieces from the collections of Hilla Rebay, Vasily Kandinsky as well as Justin K. Thannhauser and others, it was clear that the museum’s objective was to capture the essence of abstract artistry in one experience.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim is found on fifth avenue, conveniently located in front of one of New York City’s most popular tourist attractions: Central Park. The museum structure itself is an intricate architectural work complimented by an entrance decorated with vibrant fields of grass. Upon entry, after going through several stages of security, I entered a spatial first floor, which was where my group was introduced to one of the guides who would lead us throughout the spiraling floors of the exhibition called “Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim.” Though we did not fully engage in each art display, our guide stopped by several works that showcased the most visible textures and technical attributes of modernism.
Walking around the museum, I came to the conclusion that the Guggenheim in itself was a work of art that embodied the main premise of modernism; abstractionism. From the coiling floors which act like individual layers of the museum, but really constitute one continuous circular floor that revolves around itself as you progress, to the occasional cubicle divisions that highlight the works of particular artists, the Guggenheim as a structural work is it’s own exhibit to be appreciated as an extension of the contents of the museum. As we observed different exhibits, particularly several landscapes in ink by Vincent Van Gogh, our guide pointed out the stylistic traits, as well as a semantic interpretation, particularly of the piece titled “Two Trees.” I was intrigued when I discovered that Gogh had created this piece of art during his time at an asylum. However, after some light research into modernism, I realized that Gogh’s piece may have been instrumental in the development of modern art. Being in an asylum may have been a driving force in his creating such ambiguous, yet emotionally saturated pieces of art, that expressed many of his mental health struggles.
I also found it interesting when our guide would explicitly criticize certain aspects of a painting, or completely discredit it as the artist’s way of “making ends meet,” since he had displayed such passion for the institution and seemed to emphasize the importance of each work. Though I found it peculiar, I realized that although not every piece may have had an identical significance, each display was influenced by the cultural, or even political circumstances of its time, and plays a role in not only making different periods of art tangible, but also telling a different side of history that may not be visible from merely reading a textbook.
Ronald Osherov
