Tourist Guide

The second painting that caught my attention was Albert Bierstadt’s “A Storm in the Rocky Mountains.”  Landscape painting of the raw, untouched wild has always had a special effect on me. The sheer level of depth and detail in this painting make it hard to believe that it was created with a simple brush. The perspective that Bierstadt chose is also very interesting, as you can see the violent, dark storm in the distance, yet the clouds are still white and the sun is still bright and shining closer to the viewer. This contrast of moods created conflicting emotions within me. In my interpretation, besides simply depicting the Rocky Mountains, this painting also shows the constant balance between the positive and the negative essences of our world. Another interesting aspect of the painting is that even though the viewer can clearly see that the storm will soon hit this peaceful part of the mountain, it will undoubtedly pass, just as it did over the peak of the mountain visible in the background behind the storm. Perhaps this too points to the natural cycle of constant change yet preservation that’s present in our world. Landscape painting such as this amaze me in that they not only allow you to marvel at the mystical beauty of nature, but can also provoke deep, philosophical thoughts as to the nature of our planet.

Visiting the Brooklyn Museum proved to be a valuable experience in that I was exposed to types of art that I have never previously seen before. An example of such art is a painting by Valerie Hegarty entitled “Fallen Bierstadt.” This painting is based off another work by Albert Bierstadt, which depicts the Bridal Veil Falls. What’s interesting about this work of art is that it acts as a critique of landscape painting, which was prevalent in the United States during the 19^th century. Landscape painting sought to idealize the American continent and played a heavy role in creating an identity for the American populace. Hegarty took this notion and applied it to art in that she shows nature as an accurate portrayal of the current situation of the country at the time. My first interpretation of this work was to show that art in itself, as magnificent as it may be, is still made out of a material, and is thus at the mercy of the forces around it. Yet the impression that it leaves on those who see it is timeless, because the mind can’t burn as easily as a canvas. The title of the work is worth noting as well, as it connects Hegarty’s work to that of the original painter and shows how his accomplishment in portraying the beauty of the American wilderness can be easily destroyed and reevaluated.

Back in ancient China, the Chinese monarchs would often pick their wives from various portraits of beautiful women. In Japan, they also hold the same practice of depicting both real and idealized beautiful women in paintings. Kikugawa Eizan was a famous painter and the leading designer of bijinga during his time. Bijinga is the Japanese art for beautiful women. In this painting, the female is dressed in a simple, casual attire, showing that she belongs to a lower rank. In the past, these types of paintings only featured high-ranking courtesans, but as time progressed, bijinga began depicting lower-ranked courtesans, fictional characters, geishas, and historic figures as well. The woman in the painting also has her leg shown from the slit of her kimono, which is to help attract men to the painting. Most of the women in these types of paintings are often shown as really pale and their hair tied up with ornaments.

This African mask is called the Dugn’be Mask, meaning “the ox raised in the village.” Young men of Bissagos Islands’ initiation ceremonies often wear it, which marks the men’s formal entrance into adulthood. The cord running through the nostrils of the ox mask enforces this fact that both the young men and the ox’s strength must be controlled and encouraged. Made out of wood, glass, hide, cow horns, fiber, metal, and pigment, it makes one wonder how anyone can survive under such a large and heavy mask. One thing that is unique about this mask is that while many African masks resemble human figures, this mask resembles an animal, the ox.

“I Love to Beat You” by  Dorothy Ionnone 1969-1970
Exhibition: Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists 1958-1968

This was a very explicit painting and the artist herself is famous for her psychedelic and erotically-charged work. In this painting the woman is in power and in control of the man sexually which is often not how men are portrayed to be. The title pretty much suggests that this is also about domestic violence. The woman has the genetalia of a man, which suggests that the artist wanted to switch the roles of the sexes, where women are the superiors. This is meant to make people uncomfortable which is always exciting, but also create room for discussion on the sensitive topics that this piece might bring up.

“Triptych II (Beach Girl)” by Marjorie Strider 1964
Exhibition: Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists 1958-1968

This piece captures three almost identical poses of a pin-up style bikini model with 3D breasts. It almost humors the typical one-dimensional sexuality that is portrayed in the Pop culture; clearly the breasts always grab the viewers attention, but now its exaggerated and looks in a way pornographic. Both of these works of the exhibit try to bring attention to the experiences and expectations of women in the 60’s and 70’s.

The Dinner Party is an important icon from the 1970s. It’s presented as a centerpiece around the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. The exhibit comprises of a ceremonial banquet on a table with a total of thirty-nine settings, each of which commemorate an important woman from history. The Dinner Party features embroidered runners, gold chalices and utensils, and beautiful china. It’s quite the beautiful piece. Additionally, there are 999 women who’s names are inscribed in gold on the floor. This is a permanent installation at the Brooklyn Museum.

The Dinner Party immediately caught my attention. Not only did it seem extremely sophisticated, but it’s a huge exhibit and is sure to stand out. I remember spending a lot of my time just walking around the table, appreciating all the art and the beautiful utensils and china. Learning about the Dinner Party was a really good experience too because it allowed me to educate myself on influential females in history.

Kehinde Wiley (1977) is known for painting members from urban neighborhoods in very regal settings. While traditionally, the people in Wiley’s paintings would be looked at as troublemakers or “shady” characters, Wiley’s work helped paint them in a lighter light. Seeing them float around on clouds and be painted in such vivid colors allows the audience to be more comfortable with their image.

The reason this painting stood out to me was that it was a painting I found myself relating to. Often, we find that we make hasty judgments on people based off their appearances. Every day walking down the street, walking into class, walking into a store, anywhere. I found Wiley’s work a refreshing way to slowly break down our stereotypes and make us more comfortable with all types of people, from all demographics. It was humorous to see men who would traditionally be called “scary” floating around on clouds, being giddy and energetic, and it was an image that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Walking to the Brooklyn Museum, what surprised me most was that the building was simply gorgeous. The building has a very historic look to it, with grand pillars and sophisticated sculpting towering over the building. It surely makes a great first impression on any prospective visitor.

This headdress was worn by the “police” of African tribes, as well as those who attend funerals and other significant events or rituals.  The reason for covering the face is to invoke respect towards the one wearing the headdress.

The term “akonkromfi” means “praying mantis.”  This chair has very elaborate detail and a well-crafted design.  It was most likely used by someone of high stature, given the amount of work put into it.

My friends and I went to the Brooklyn Museum after school on a Tuesday afternoon.  The weather wasn’t particularly pretty that day, but it wasn’t too much of a hindrance.  We came into the museum and we were lucky enough to have a tour guide help us with our quandaries.  Our tour guide was a short, elderly woman who seemed genuinely interested in what she did, and that was to guide us through the various arts and crafts in the African section of the museum.  She started off by talking to us about an elephant made out of earthly materials, and talked about its influence as a power figure.  We continued along as she pointed out other things that she found most interesting, and that included chairs, masks, statues and staves.  She seemed very well practiced in her expertise with African history, and by the end of the tour, I was pleased with the amount of knowledge I gained about Africa.  Despite the vast distance between our generation and that of ancient African culture, there were a bunch of similar themes in things like power figures and spirituality.  Any tourist should definitely check out the Brooklyn Museum when he or she has the chance!

Dona Maria, the girl in this painting is actually only two years old. It is difficult to even tell since she is dressed up like an adult. Everything from her dress to her facial expressions scream maturity. At first glance  I thought she was just a midget. She also looks extremely unhappy in the painting, which could be because she would rather be playing with toys than all dolled up.

This painting features three young boys playing soldier, as the title suggests. It is interesting that children are the focus of the painting especially since the subject matter, war, is a harsh one. Looking at the painting it seems as though the middle child, presumably the oldest, is actually staring at you with a warning in his eyes. This painting was created right after the Civil War so war was on everyones minds. The children’s outfits are each in either red whit or blue, representing the colors of the American flag and the Union victory.