Ryan Yasgar

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2009-03-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
02/27/2009

New York, NY

I always find traveling into New York City exciting. Since I was a little kid I always have had a fascination with New York as I am sure most people do. Your heart races a little as you get closer, or it could just be the traffic, the noises, the constant screaming of sirens; whatever it may be makes your heart race, you just feel a little more alive and your senses are heightened. This Saturday found me and my fiancé waking up very early to get the road to New York. I did not take into account the fact that the traffic might have been a little lighter than a normal commute day so we arrived early before the Museum opened. We parked in the parking garage, and then proceeded to walk around to the front of the museum. What I found interesting is to see how many vendors were already set up and waiting and just the amount of people “hanging out” or waiting to get in. I had to remind myself that this is New York City, the City that never sleeps. Like I mentioned in my other papers I find myself trying to be one of the first to be inside a Museum when it opens. I am not sure why but it just seems much more peaceful almost as if the art work has “not woken up” and you get a peek of it while it doesn’t notice you looking. I was trying to think back and I don’t believe I had ever been to the Metropolitan Museum; I know I have been to the Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, the MOMA, but this was going to be my first visit to “the MET”, as my sister refers to the Museum.

The Museum finally opened and my fiancé and I made our way to admission and hung are coats up, then the obligatory trip to the restroom before we start our adventure. My fiancé had previously been to the Museum for this class when she took it at Albertus so I deferred to her previous experience with navigating the enormous Museum. She is the “rule follower” so I did not want to go against her. So we made our way through the first floor and I was just in awe of this Museum, I found it to be a bit intimidating and humbling at the same time. Walking through the Greek sculptures was just incredible! While I was enjoying the Greek sculptures I had to regroup and realize that I had to try to come up with a better plan as I was not really prepared for the multitude of exhibitions as well as art work in this Museum.

We made our way to the back of the Museum through the African Art and found the contemporary art work. In my previous papers I had indicated that I really didn’t have a good understanding of Pablo Picasso’s artwork so I found myself sitting in front of the following work of Picasso’s. While I was sitting there a guard was walking around and I asked her if she could tell me a little about Pablo Picasso and she said, “well I don’t know if I can just tell you a little bit” and we both laughed. I explained to her that I really am not sure if I understand or comprehend what Picasso’s wrok is all about. She then explained to me that I would have to look at Picasso in many different ways because in Picasso’s work he spanned many different movements in the Art world and because of the reason he is highly revered. At this point, is where I remember my conversation with my friend Dave when we were talking about music, and the fact that the bands that survive and are remembered are always changing with the times and evolving with the times. The same can be said for Picasso and many other artists. I thought to myself maybe this could be my misunderstanding of his artwork; the fact that I could not just place Picasso in one movement of art work or that I was looking for certain distinctive features of a particular work that would not fit within a certain time period. We spoke for quite a period of time and I thanked her for her teaching just a “little” about Picasso, she smiled and said, “You’re welcome”. Once again this certainly emphasizes the fact that these people are just not there to “guard” these items but they are truly love their work.

I am just going to share some of my images I took while making my way through the Museum:

However, the one piece which really caught my eye is a piece by Salvador Dali it is titled “Madonna”; oil on canvas 1958. According to Wikipedia, Salvador Dali was born Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech in 1904 in Spain and he passed away in 1989. Salvador Dali’s art work can be found in art movements know as cubism, Dada, Surrealism. I recognize most of Salvador Dali’s work related to surrealism. According to Wikipedia surrealism can be best described as works of art which have elements of surprise and unexpected juxtaposition. This movement was lead by Andre Breton, however Andre Breton was emphatic that this was not a movement but a revolution.

Other fields in which Salvador Dali contributed to the Art world are painting, drawing, photography, Sculpture and writing. This piece was approximately seven feet high and about six feet wide, it really stood out. What I found so amazing like Frans Hals from my paper of the Yale Art Gallery there is a lot of optical illusions in this art work. As you walk up to this painting it appears to be an ear then as you get closer you can see a mother figure with a baby, and then the ear turns into a womb. It is wild you can stare at this painting for hours and find something new every time. The pictures I took do not do it justice believe I recommend when you are at the Metropolitan Museum you should make it a point to visit this piece. The detail regarding the cherry suspended from a piece of paper is incredible use of lighting and shadows. The rendering of the Madonna with child is based upon Raphael’s Sistine Madonna according to the Metropolitan Museum’s website.

Overall, I would like to say this has been a positive experience in my life and my fiancé even wants to continue our Saturday trips to Museums which I am not adverse to. For a person to stop learning is like a shark that stops swimming it just isn’t life without learning and experiencing new adventures with the ones you love.

-Ryan

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

2009-02-22T06:18:00.001-08:00

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
February 21, 2009
Ridgefield, CT

I went to the Museum with my friend Dave on this Saturday as he was interested to see the Harry Shearer's exhibit "The Silent Echo Chamber". Additionally, I have never been to the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, nor was I aware of this Museum. I just keep pointing out how "uncultured" I really am, however it is a great was of getting a perspective on oneself. I must be honest we were driving and looking for it at the same time and we almost drove past the entrance. The sign was white and with all the snow on the ground and the white house that is behind the sign we almost missed it.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I thought to myself what a strange place to put a Museum due to the fact that right in front of the Museum is what appeared to me to be a cemetery, however, I was about to find out this was an exhibit and not a real cemetery.

We entered the Museum a few minutes after it had opened. This may sound weird but I like to be one of the first persons to walk into a museum on any given day. Is that strange? Also, I must be honest that I am not a fan of crowds especially when I am trying to concentrate and absorb everything in my surroundings. It was half price on this Saturday and I asked about the photography policy, and they said, "there is no photography of any of the exhibitions due to the fact that the Museum does not have the copyrights for any of the exhibitions." My friend Dave just looked at me, and asked me if this was a bust? I said no not at all I will just have to be more descriptive in my trip to the Aldrich. I did asked if could take pictures of the building as I could not believe how beautiful it was outside and inside. It was a little strange and a bit pleasing to find this modern architecture in this quintessential "New England" town.

The Aldrich is a beautiful Museum and it just the right size. It has beautiful grounds and sculptures in the back which are very large. On this cold day we did not venture out on the grounds and I am going to include a lot of pictures of the inside of the Museum to really give the "experience" of my trip. This photo to the right is looking back on the entrance of the Museum and to my left is Harry Shearer's exhibit. This exhibit consisted of 10 or so computer monitors on three different walls.

The images on these walls were of people such as Larry King, Sean Hannity, Chris Matthews, Brian Williams, Hilary Clinton, President Barack Obama, etc... The videos were of the "camera rolling" prior to these people going "live" on T.V. So for the video of President Barack Obama, it was prior to a t.v. interview, and he is reading a newspaper, who says "print" is dead.... This exhibit was incredible! Also the footage of Chris Matthews.... he looks like he is going to kill someone, and I remember that this footage is from the night of the democratic convention where he and Keith Olberman were at each others throats. So here they are between "live feeds", and Chris Matthews looks like he just wants to kill Keith Olberman. You can actually feel him biting his tongue.... This image was taken from the Museum's website: http://www.aldrichart.org/.

Now I know that our Professor Jerry Nevins left me a comment saying he is a member of this Museum so I definitely want to respect the "rules" of the Museum, however, here is an image of looking down the stairwell from the previous shot. As you can see at the bottom of the stairs is the exhibit of Harry Shearer's video footage.

Below is a picture of the grounds in the back of the Museum as well as to the right is the hallway which leads you to the artwork of Kwang-Young Chun (1944-): The Soul - Journey to America

This Museum is very tranquil and the floor plan is very pleasing also. while it is a Museum it also has the feeling of a "home" so to speak as each hallway leads you to a different room and a different artist. As you can see below I was able to find a picture from the Internet for Kwan-Young Chung. This artwork was massive, according to the pamphelet regarding this work it is made of Korean mulberry paper and stand over 7 feet high. This picture does not give a realistic scale. It is a must see. According to the pamphlet which the Museum provides to educate the viewer Kwang-young Chun currently resides in Korea. the name of this artwork is called Aggregation 08-AU022

On the Second floor of the Aldrich, there are many works of Art by local artists who reside in the Hamden and New Haven area. I thought this was incredible as this notable Museum gives art space to artists who may not be as know as more of the "commercial" artists so to speak. Below is a picture which i took through the second floor window of the outside. the reason I took this photo is because i could not get over how modern in design this museum was, but it is in stark contrast with the "New England" town that surrounds this Museum.

After taking this picture My friend Dave told me that the cemetery which is shown in this photo is actually an exhibit of an artist. The artist was Frank Poor and the title of the exhibit was Enon Cemetary. According to the pamphelet by the Museum is the artist interpretatio of a grave yard in woodstock, Georgia. It was only on the way out of the Museum I did tread over to the exhibit and read the pamphlet provided by the Museum. I am not one to enter graveyards unless I am visiting a relative to pay my respects. I still felt uncomfortable even though it was a representation as in this case. I guess

I am just superstitious......

Yale Center for British Art

2009-02-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

Yale Center for British Art
February 14, 2009
New Haven, CT

We decided to go to the Yale Center for British Art this Saturday morning. We did not know there were a great deal of activities for children on this day. When we walked in there were so many children and their parents. Apparently there was a sing along scheduled in the foyer as well as “story time” for the children. The mood was very festive, and it is amazing how watching children always brings a smile to anyone’s face. I am going to use this visit as one of my photographs with captions as during our trip filtering through all the floors were the lyrics of all the “sing along” songs, and the hustle and bustle of many parents with their children.

There were many incredible works of Art in this Museum and here are some that really caught my interest:

Richard Parkes Bonington 1802-1828 – Corso-Sant’Anastasia, Verona Italy - Oil on MillBoard
This piece is incredible from about 25 feet away the colors are so vibrant that the work of art just draws your attention. According to the description this work of art is from Verona Italy which is the notable place where William Shakespeare’s play Romeo & Juliet takes place. Additionally, the significance of the religious persons is to represent the interest people had with Catholicism at the time this work of art was created. I noticed that this artist had a very short life as I discovered that he succumbed to tuberculosis.

The second piece of artwork I found most interesting was John Constable, 1776-1837 - the Sketch of Hadleigh Castle, The Mouth of the Thames-Morning after a Stormy Night – Oil on Millboard and the actual work of art of Oil on canvas. This was extremely interesting because as you can see the artist sketched his idea on millboard which was approximately 8"x6" and then created a canvas that was over three feet high. I tried to take the picture to show the contrast in size.

As you will see the sketch is as detailed as the finished canvas on the right. I will let you pick out the differences.

Below is the final canvas.

The final artist i purely enjoyed was Joseph Wright of Derby 1734-1797 - The Blacksmith's Shop - Oil on Canvas. the use of light and shadows is incredible in this artwork as well as the detail from the child hiding his eyes to the sweat on the forehead of the blacksmith.

Yale Art Gallery, February 8, 2009

2009-02-16T07:26:00.001-08:00

February 7, 2009
Yale Art Gallery
New Haven, CT

Our trip to The Yale Art Gallery started off well. I didn’t have to use the GPS as I knew exactly where the Art Gallery was even though I have never been there. I am ashamed to confess this but that is where the “beer tent” was for many of the festivals on Chapel Street when I was much younger.

The Yale Art Gallery allows admission for free, however if you would like to make a donation the boxes are right at the door. Of course I always support and put money in. The staff was so nice answered all my questions regarding the photography restrictions and we proceeded to hang up our coats.

Okay can I just say that the lounge area in this museum is what I dream of for my own house! I love modern furniture like this and felt very “at home” that is why I had to take a picture. I am a real fan of the International Style movement.

I had no idea that the Yale Art Gallery was so large, the Gallery consists of four floors.

The Japanese tea collection was so peaceful and beautiful. Of course this was one of the exhibits I could not take pictures of so we walked through. All that kept coming to mind was the James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice”, I do not want to disrespect the exhibit, however my only reference point for Japanese culture are James Bond Movies. Yes I know this is a sad commentary on my life.

On the second floor was a collection of Japanese sculptures as well as art work. The following is a picture of a suit of armor which was tilted Orange-Laced Domaru Suit of Armor made from lacquered iron with silk lacing and deer hides from the “Edo Period” (1615-1868). According to the description plate from the Yale Art Gallery, the suit was on display as a complimentary exhibit to the Japanese Tea Culture exhibit on the first floor. This suit was used during warfare with enemies during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. My first thought when I viewed this exhibit is how heavy this must have been to wear with the iron plates. I couldn’t even imagine.

We made our way to the third floor which I knew we would enjoy which was the Contemporary Art floor. Again which struck me from a psychological standpoint is that no matter which way you turned your head there was a piece of artwork to look at. Again I ran into my “old Friends” and their art work such as Piet Mondrian, Salvatore Dali, Claude Monet, etc… As we were walking through we heard children giggling and laughing, these are sounds which you don’t expect to hear in a museum. As we turned the corner we saw a family and one of the guards standing in front of these two portraits of a gentleman and a woman. I couldn’t figure out why the kids were walking back and forth left to right and laughing, the guard said, “do you see her eyes following you: to the children. And they were laughing and giggling. So the guard explained to us and the family that this artist intent was to have this effect as well as the arms of the chair. This guard explained that through the straight lines behind her , and fifty different shades of black as well as perspective the woman’s eyes as well as the arms of the chair change as you walk left to right and back again. This was amazing! Like the children I kept doing it over and over again…. I posted these three images from left persepctive going right, however you reall do not get the affect in photography.

This work of Art is called Mevrouw Boldophe, this was the name of the woman. This artwork was commissioned in 1643 during the baroque period and the medium is oil on canvas and the artist was Frans Hals born around 1581/55-1661 and he was Dutch. I found it interesting that the guard was so knowledgeable about the artist, however, being there every day and I am sure he is asked a multitude of questions, his knowledge base is I am sure quite extensive. Frans Hals was mostly a portrait artist during this time period. Now I am really not familiar with this movement in Art, however some notable impressions I got from these portraits are, the colors used are very dark, the mood seems very somber, and the use of light and shadows is very present. I did a search on Frans Hals and visited the site About.com where I found a small piece of information from the author Shelley Esaak. Ms. Esaak points out that Frans Hals technique was different from the characteristics of the baroque movement. She indicates that the use of colors and the brushwork was most notable different from the time he created his artwork. She also indicates that Frans Hals brought emotions to his portraits. This is very evident in the two portraits on display at the Yale Art gallery. (Esaak)

I could not believe that this art work was over 450 years old. I was astounded. The two pictures hang on a wall next to each other and they are approximately 4’X3’. I asked the guard if he knew how much it could possibly weigh and he said to me that he was not sure but he estimated the framework at 30 to 40 pounds. Again the framework was very ornate and appeared to be painted in gold. The guard said to us, “not bad for the 1600’s.” we all laughed. He also explained that for the husband the effect isn’t as great as the cloak that the gentleman is wearing covers the arms of the chair and so this diminishes the effect a little, but his eyes still do follow you.
The final floor was the Picasso exhibit. The Museum would not let pictures to be taken in this exhibit. There were a lot of people in this exhibit. I have to admit that I don’t really have a grasp of Picasso’s art. His artwork is very different to me, it is not like many of the genres that I am familiar with, and while I can respect his artwork it does not have the meaning for me like many other artists. I am not sure why this is, however I still enjoyed the “electricity” in the room from all the other enthusiasts.

Looking back, I know that in my life there have been many stages of learning and development. Like for instance, I know now that I was too young to be a freshman in college at 17 in Boston, and that every person that I know seems to have a love affair with Led Zeppelin in their teen years, and everyone I know has stolen liquor from their parents liquor cabinet. These seem to me to be so called “rites of passage”, so it is not a surprise to me that I can’t yet understand Picasso’s work. I know someday I will, but until then I will just keep learning and progressing day by day. Sometimes I get frustrated, but like life if you just wait a minute something is inevitably going to happen…..

Work Cited:
Esaak, Shelley. "Artists in 60 seconds: Fran Hals." About.com: Art History. 2009. The New York Times Company. 11 Feb 2009 .

Wadsworth Museum

2009-02-05T11:18:00.001-08:00

January 31, 2009

Wadsworth Museum

Hartford, Connecticut

Saturday was a beautiful day. My day started off to be a little frustrating with wanting to kill "tom, tom" the GPS System. I thought I would use this to drive to the Wadsworth Museum since I have never been there in the past. I did not know that the capital area exit basically drops you right in back of the Wadsworth so "tom tom" was little help on this trip. I guess I am "old school" nothing like an Atlas.

I really never thought of Hartford as a real "cultural place" however, once again I have proven myself wrong. It was so windy in Hartford on Saturday. I was just glad to get inside the museum to stay warm. My fiancé, Christine, and I have never gone to a museum together so this was a first. I was really glad to have her with me because she is such a "rule follower" as she like to call it; meaning we had to check in with security, and get a map of the museum and see when the tour began and what tours were offered. Come to find out that the Wadsworth Museum on every last Saturday of a month is free admission from 10 a.m. - 1p.m. So if you enter within these hours it is free all day! Bonus!

I hope every experience I have this module is as different as these last two trips have been. While the Portland Museum of Art was more modern the Wadsworth was so ornate and traditional the two could not be more different. I had to remind myself that the Wadsworth had also been around a lot longer than the Portland Museum of Art. On a side note, I think I am really starting to get the hang of the "Museum Experience":

1. Find the coat check, this is a must in the winter, wearing a bulky coat is not conducive to enjoying the experience.

2. Location of the bathrooms, this is important for obvious reasons I do not have to mention.

3. Hydrate before going in as there is no food and drink allowed in the exhibit area or the museum. Yeah they have those "cafes" inside but have you seen the prices!

I am sure there are other guidelines, however I have not come across them, but I will mention them as I advance through my experiences.

The Wadsworth is an incredible place. From the moment you walk in you are bombarded with Art; whether it is paintings, sculptures, architecture, etc. It is almost sensory overload because as you are walking there is so much to see that it is overwhelming.

As we looked at the calendar for the museum I notice that there was a display of "abstract expressionism" so I was interested in seeing this display. So I was happy to see that there were some of my favorite artists on display in the abstract expressionism exhibit.

Renee Magritte,

Piet Mondrian,

Jackson Pollock,

Franz Kline

Now I am not going to get into very much depth with these photos as again I have discovered another artist that I was unaware of and was just so entrenched in his work.

The artist I was introduced to while at the Wadsworth was Julius L. Stewart. According to the Wadsworth Museum, Julius Stewart was an American artist who at a very young age moved to Paris France, and lived there the rest of his life. Julius Stewart was notably known for his portrait artistry. The piece that I could not get away from is titled On the Yacht "Namouna" Venice (1890).

This piece of artwork is very large, so large it took up a whole wall. I am so glad I was able to grab a bench and really study this photo. What really stood out to me was the use of light in an outdoor setting. See how the light breaks through the canopy which is protecting the people lounging on the yacht; The woman holding on to the rail really gives the viewer the "motion of the waves"; the reflections that can be found in the glass of the windows as well as the foghorn behind this woman. Now not having any previous knowledge of this work I was able to gather that these people in this photo were very rich, by the way these individuals were dressed as well as they was Stewart portrayed the individuals with healthy complexions. It appears to me that the couple in the foreground was engaged in flirting by the smile on the woman's face. Also the gentleman sitting on the right appears to be moving closer to the woman holding on to the railing. To me, it appears this couple is involved in what is known as the courting "chase".

I must say I was so relaxed looking at this photo it appears these people do not have a care in the world so to speak. They are not like most people in this timeframe that were struggling financially. Once I made the determination that these people were wealthy the distance of the seaman all the way in the front of the boat just emphasized the difference in the social classes.

To sit in front of this artwork with my fiancé and discuss what was happening in the artwork was incredible. OF course the conversation led into me telling my fiancé that when I was little I had a horrible experience of seasickness on the "Liberty Bell" in the New Haven Harbor. Yes I got sick on the Liberty Bell on a class trip in elementary school. I haven't been on a boat since. We laughed about it and traded stories of our experiences as children on school trips.

As we were leaving the Museum I asked my fiancé about the idea I brought up in my last paper about the feeling of being "cleansed" after a visit to a Museum. She explained to me it is like a "detox" for her from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. It is an escape to relax and wind down for her, to not have to think about paying bills or the daily laborious things we do as humans. I guess this is true. I know that I felt more connected to her spiritually after spending our first visit to a Museum together.

As I reflect back on this experience I feel more "enriched" so to speak, a little bit smarter maybe? To remember that our lives are only a blip on the map of this planet and for these artists to be remember hundreds and hopefully thousands of years after their death has such a great importance in the human condition. Maybe this idea is a little to profound? I am not sure, but it is what I thought of reflecting back on this experience.

-Ryan

Portland Museum of Art January 24, 2009

2009-01-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

Portland Museum of Art
January 24, 2009

As you know I was very excited to visit the Portland Museum of Art to view the Rock n Roll Photography exhibition. I was so surprised to see what an incredible experience I had right in the heart of Portland Maine. I have been traveling to Portland Maine for many years as I have friends that reside there and I must have walked by the Museum a thousand times without ever venturing inside. Well, now I am just sorry I did not go inside sooner. It was very cold on Saturday, and my friend Dave and I were waiting outside in the bitter cold. When the doors finally opened we walked into an incredible and vast foyer area, which went right through every floor of the Museum so you could see straight to the ceiling.

The first work of art which catches your eye as you walk in is an acrylic on panel, according to the description, by Frederick Lynch titled Buffalo Blues (1935). This was a work owned by the Museum so I was allowed to photograph this work. This work of Art was very large as it had an incredible job to try to fill the vastness of the back wall of the foyer and I felt it was striking enough to include in my paper.

The Photography exhibit was on the main floor starting in the foyer and extending to the right. After speaking with the cashier and a guard regarding the picture taking policy of the Museum we ventured into the exhibit. I can only describe this as a pilgrimage for my friend Dave and I. We were about to experience imagery and art concerning inspirers and visionaries of the music world. However, I was unable to photograph any of these images due to the photography policy of the Museum as they did not own any of these images. This dampened my excitement a little because I wanted to share with you some of the images I saw, however, I understand the copyright laws pertaining to music so I have the same respect for Art. The exhibit was incredible! I carried my iPod and would listen to the artist whose images I was looking at. What I found to be so incredible is that there were only two or three musicians that I didn’t have on my iPod. This felt like looking through a family album of memories of the past. The images just pull you right in and you feel like you know these artists as if they were your own family members. I just sat down in front of the Beatles portion of the exhibit and set my iPod to the album “Revolver”. If anyone has not listened to that album, it is a must. Some time had passed so I left this exhibit to explore more of the Museum.

What I found was an easy sweeping way through the Museum via stairs and corridors which led you to each floor, introducing the patron to a new exhibit and or period of artistry . The architecture of the building was very inviting and made it easy to feel at home. Light was present where it needed to be and the lighting was dampened around the exhibits and artwork for preservation reasons. In the middle of the stairs were seating areas where people can rest if need be or just enjoy the scenery outside.

This journey led me to an exhibit which was of an artist I was unfamiliar with. Her name was Lynne Drexler. According to the brief synopsis composed by the Portland Museum of Art, Lynne Drexler was born in 1928 and passed away in 1999. She received a great deal of her instruction in the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that she found a home in Maine with her husband. Her work was very interesting and brilliant with color. The following images are of her work. They had numerous works of art from Lynne Drexler, and I found this to be so incredible of the people of Maine to highlight the work of “one of their own” so to speak since Ms. Drexler made Maine her home since the 1960’s.

After enjoying Mrs. Drexler’s artwork the journey led me to the one piece of art work that I really concentrated my efforts upon, which was a work of art from Claude Monet titled “La Seine Vetheuil”. When I first approached this work of art it was almost calling me so to speak. This may sound a bit strange but artwork is a lot like people and exudes their own personality. This work of art obviously has a great personality so to speak as it kept drawing me in to look at it much closer.

According to the Metropolitan Museum’s website, Claude Monet was an integral contributor in the impressionist movement, which began in 1874. Impressionism is exactly what the word is derived from to give a person an impression. When this movement began many people thought of the work from this movement as different for its time; however other people enjoyed how this movement portrayed modern life of the times, which was a break from tradition. The impressionist period is identified by artists who utilized short broken strokes. Also the colors that were used by these artists were a departure from the norm as they were very brilliant and light. The artist also manipulated light and shadows in their work. (Samu)

This Monet work I discovered in Portland has all of these techniques and I believe that is what drew me to this work of art. Monet used Oil on canvas for the piece. The title "loosely translated" is the River Siene at Vetheuil which was a I guess you could call a "small town" on the banks of the river Siene. This work of art gives the viewer a beautiful view looking over the river. As the viewer can make out half the image is the reflection Monet saw in the water, which is quite amazing. To me it appears this work of art was created probably near the middle of the day as there are not many shadows and it appears the light source is coming from directly above. I believe this was a beautiful summer day, a lazy day enjoying the sun on the banks of the river. I believe the calming effect is what drew me to this work of art. I consider myself a fan of landscape art as opposed to portrait art. As I mentioned earlier this work of art certainly fits into the idea that the impressionist movement provided images of everyday life.

Here is where you can make out the short brush stroke which was one of the characteristics that defined the impressionist movement.

However what struck me even more was the ornate frame. The frame appears to me to be very heavy.

I must say reflecting back on this experience it was quite amazing. I realize that when you enter an institution such as a museum you leave the “outside” world outside. I realize now that from a psychological standpoint museums go to great strides to make it an oasis from the “outside” world. It is amazing there are no clocks no distractions of ringing phones, etc. Overall, I definitely will be going back to the Portland Museum of Art next time I am in Portland. There is a weird sense of being “cleansed” after visiting a museum. Hmmm... I will have to explore this thought more in future papers.

Work Cited:

Samu, Margaret. "Impressionism: Art and Modernity." Heilbrunn Timely of Art History. 2000-2009. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 28 Jan 2009 .

Made it to Portland Maine!

2009-01-23T19:09:00.001-08:00

So it is about 10 o’clock on Friday January 23, 2009 and I just got to Portland. Wow what a drive it was took about 4 hours, but I can’t wait until tomorrow; The Portland Museum of Art opens at 10 a.m. and I will be there along with my fellow musicians and friends to check out this exhibit on Rock n Roll Photography. I Probably won’t get to post again until sometime Sunday so I will talk to you all then….

-Ryan

A Little About Me

2009-01-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

I figured for my first post to my blog I would give more background as to why I chose to take this course. I come from a family that is very involved in the arts. My father was a music industry executive so my introduction to music was immediate and absorbed into my bloodstream so to speak. My brother is a graphic designer who works for a major advertising agency in New Haven, while my sister is involved in marketing and research. I realized at an early age I could not draw so I gravitated towards music. I was in a traveling rock band for 13 years played many states and saw a great deal of the country; this was an incredible life experience. I believe that with music comes art, they are hand in hand, instead of me expressing myself on canvas or in other mediums, I express myself through music. Some of my favorite artists are Kandinsky, Pollack, Kline, Monet, Manet. I enjoy viewing canvas a great deal but I would never limit myself to only this medium.

I look forward to meeting everyone and making new friends!