A Macaulay Honors College Seminar taught by Prof. Roni Natov
Posts about the class trip to see the Robert Rauschenberg exhibition at MOMA
The MoMa was our first trip as a class, and proved to be very interactive. The lessons prepared by Alexis beforehand proved to be extremely helpful, and it felt as if we were visiting pieces we had already become so familiar with. Seeing the pieces we had discussed in class beforehand really enhanced the element of collage in Rauschenberg’s work. Aspects of everyday life were reflected in his art, as he created breathtaking amalgamations of his experiences throughout life.
I understood parts of Rauschenberg’s work because I agree with the idea that there exists almost no line between life and art. Furthermore, I don’t believe anyone has the right to decide what is art and what is life. Therefore, I appreciated Rauschenberg’s art since he took ordinary things and didn’t try to transform it into art, but instead, he highlighted the mundane character of such objects. For example, he took a taxidermied goat with a tire around it and put on it on a collage of materials. He didn’t transform the goat or tire into art, but simply put it on a pedestal and made people realize that this can be art. Furthermore, in my opinion, Rauschenberg let his audience discover the meaning behind his work, and I really appreciated that freedom. For example, his piece of 5 or so blank canvases was interpreted as a mirror, or as silence by the tour guide, but for me, it, simply, was blank canvases. I am not claiming it is not art, or that it doesn’t mean anything, but I am a literal person and all I choose to see are blank canvases. He took the mundanity of blank canvases and presented it to the world because anything can be art, anything can be life.
Before our trip to MOMA, I’ve only been to this museum once. Both times, I did not get to walk around and explore the museum as a whole. Due to time constraints this time, the museum staff rushed us out, allowing us to only see specific pieces of Robert Rauschenberg’s work. Although I was not able to spend a lot of time with each piece, I was still able to grasp what Rauschenberg tried to convey. Each of his pieces contained everyday items that we throw out and see as garbage. However, Rauschenberg saw these items as pieces of art. He took multiple pieces and put them together to create a piece that no one could ever imagine, such as a goat with a tire around it. This piece that Rauschenberg put together is truly unique. How did he ever think to put a tire around a goat? Why did he think to paint the tire white? Why was the goat’s face splattered with paint? These questions that come to my mind have gone through Rauschenberg’s mind when creating this piece. He did not let the norm stop him. Instead, he used his art as a creative expression, shown clearly by the different unique pieces that is shown in the MOMA.
When Professor Natov asked us to find unordinary pieces that are beautiful around us, I was reminded of Rauschenberg. I used his artwork as an example to find pieces in our everyday life that is considered art. Art is not confined to just an artist’s painting or sculpture, but expands out to things like nature creating a piece of art by coating tree branches with snow. Such an ordinary thing on a winter day, but when looking at it, it’s beautiful. It’s easy to just walk by small pieces of art around us, but it’s important to stop once in a while and observe all the little things that can also be considered art.
The MOMA was one of the best experiences I have had when it comes to museums. The best part about the art was that it was different from anything I have ever seen before at other museums. I especially loved many of the works by Rauschenberg. They defied all previously seen criteria for art. For instance, the mud muse was something I wouldn’t expect to see at a museum. I realized that a lot of his work focused on putting together different textures, materials, and sounds together to bring together an overall cohesive piece. I did however, feel like we were rushed out of the museum and would’ve liked to spend more time. In general though, I loved the atmosphere and overall setting of the museum. I would definitely go again!
Thoughts on the MoMA
Our trip to the MoMA was a rather interesting one- to say the least. I had rather high expectations, in terms of the art, however modern art was, and still is, a new field of perspective for me. I do appreciate the interpretive quality of modern art, but the simplicity itself can be difficult for regular civilians like myself to really-truly- appreciate. I did enjoy the layout of the building, and the modern interior design, which offered in its own way, a blank canvas for the artist’s works to be placed. However, what I disliked the most was the rush. I feel like the MoMA is a place for someone to find a particularly compelling piece of art that they could just stare at for 5 mins to 30 mins, trying to either understand its value or trying to understand the artist’s mindset. Instead, we were brought to see the most “important” portions, that being said primarily just Rauschenberg’s work, and then just walked through the rest without getting a chance to really indulge in the museum itself. We did assume that they rushed us, and the other visitors out because investors were visiting, but, at the end of the day, we wanted to enjoy the museum and the art..so that wasn’t very fair….:( But, if I could go again I would, to try and experience it once more.
*[Image credit: Google.com]
As our first Macaulay seminar trip, the Rauschenberg exhibit at MoMA set the bar for what would follow. The lecture on Robert Rauschenberg that we had prior to visiting came in very useful as it gave some background knowledge into the type of work we would be seeing and from what part of time. I didn’t that a museum guide would be showing us around, so that was great as well. Her commentary on all the pieces of the exhibit was actually very helpful. MoMA stands for Museum of Modern Art and that’s exactly what I felt like it was showcasing. The building architecture and internal layout gave a very modern vibe and it felt more like a building than a museum. The exhibit itself was something I didn’t expect. It consisted of pieces that Rauschenberg made from things he just found on the streets, like cardboard and the goat. Although from afar it would be easy to brush off his work as not significant, once I got closer and actually thought about the work, many different thoughts came to my mind. I started thinking about a lot of different things, things that must’ve came to Rauschenberg or maybe that’s just the beauty of his work. That it’s open to the individual and it’s up to the individual to decide on the meaning of the work that they want to take with them. The center piece in one of the halls, was the preserved goat. I didn’t actually imagine it being a big as it was. I mean how would’ve thought to make an art piece out of that. This unexpectedness and subtle randomness to Rauschenberg’s work is what intrigued me. It forced me to think a way about art that I wouldn’t normally. It allowed me to have a new perspective toward everything I see, which I now all view as art.
