Albright Knox Visit

A.)  Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

One work of art I saw at the Albright Knox art museum that made an impression on me was Mississippi Gottdam by Mark Bradford. (102 x 144 inches, mixed media collage on canvas, 2007) This artwork left an impression on me because of the beautiful and interesting story behind it. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans in 2005, Mark Bradford was upset by slowness and lack of cleanup and renovation in the city. In 2006, Bradford collected debris still left from Hurricane Katrina and used it to create Mississippi Gottdam. The completed work has deep indents of waves throughout the canvas, sanded down in certain places to show off the colorful debris from New Orleans. When looking at Mississippi Gottdam, you can see the giant tidal waves crashing over the canvas and the destruction they create, symbolized by the debris. I really loved the story and how he used his platform to bring awareness to rebuilding areas that were still being affected by Katrina.  

Another work of art that left an impact on me was La Source De La Loue (The Source of The Loue) by Gustave Courbet (1864, Oil on canvas, 42 1/4 x 54 1/8 inches) I wasn’t quite sure at first why this painting made such a deep impression on me at first. In fact, I walked away several times but kept wandering back to where it was to look at it. But I believe it left an impression on me because it was dark. All the paintings around it had colors and bright parts but this painting had a lot of black and neutral colors to it. Most of the other paintings that I have liked in the past have been colorful and vivid but not this one. I liked how the artist was able to create something so beautiful from a dark cave. I also loved the movement created by the flowing water and how the rocks disrupt and scatter the flow of the water. I sincerely felt that this painting was really beautiful and loved it a lot.

B.)  Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

I felt a connection with Étude Pour "Le Chahut" by Georges Seurat. (oil on canvas, 26 5/8 x 23 x 1 inches, 1889) I felt a connection with this piece because I used to dance professionally and completely for years. I also am very involved in music and performance, so this piece brought back all my happy memories from when I was still involved and passionate about dancing, performing and music. I really felt connected to the dancers and musicians because I’ve been in their shoes, and have danced on stage and played instruments in a pit band. I loved the detail of the piece as well, its composed of tiny dots of color that make the eye think the coloring is solid from a distance but in reality it is not. The detail and art was stunning and really helped me connect with it emotionally be remembering my old passions.

I also felt a connection with the sculpture Under a Cloud by Jeanne Silverthorne (2003, Rubber, synthetic hair, Aqua-Resin, and Styrofoam, dimensions of figure: 4 x 1 ¾ x 3 inches; cloud: 12 x 15 x 10 inches) I felt connected with this piece because the artist created this to represent her mother’s struggle with depression. As someone who has a history and family members who also struggle with depression I felt the cloud was a nice metaphor for the depression. I identified with the figure because I knew how she must feel because I had been in her shoes before.

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

One painting I would like to know more about is The Marvelous Sauce by Jehan Georges Vibert. (Oil on wood panel, 25 x 32 inches, 1890.) I liked this painting because of the different textures in the tiles, aprons and stove as well as all the different colors. What I would like to know is who the people in the picture are. Did the scene mean something specific to the artist or was it just for fun? While investigating some of these questions I found that Vibert might have been making a political statement about the cardinal in red and his time spent away from the church, I would like to know if there is truth behind that or if he disliked the way the catholic church was run at the time.

Another painting I would like to know more about is the sculpture Telephone Time by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller (2004, sound installation on 2-minute loop, dvd, dvd player, telephone, desk, chair and lamp, dimensions variable). This piece was made up of a life sized desk, chair and telephone. At first I didn’t know why this desk setup was in the middle of the museum until a security guard must have noticed my confusion and told me that it was interactive. Unlike most art and sculptures that are meant to be seen and not touched, Telephone Time encourages the viewer to sit down, relax and pick up the phone. The phone has a sound recording in it that the viewer can listen to as well. The conversation is between the artist and a mathematician/monk who discusses the nature of time and space. I would like to know what inspired the artist to create an interactive work of art, and why it is a desk and chair. I would also like to know why the topic they discuss is the nature of time and space and not any other subject, like religion or math or even their favorite foods. I’d like to know the meaning of the piece as a whole and why they created the concept of this piece in the first place.