Modern Art
When I think of Europe and the art here, tradition is what comes to mind. The architecture is either classic or gothic. Every building feels authentic in its preservation of the great history of the country. In every museum the group has visited there has been a big emphasis on these photograph-like paintings. Although the talent within these pieces is unmatched to anything I have seen before, I could not connect to this art as much as I would have liked. Just like documenting photographs these were simply used to record the past. To me, art is more about the emotions it inspires or the questions it rouses.
Going to the Tate Brattain and the Tate modern gave me the first sense of this emotional art. I enjoyed the Tate modern so much that I went back twice. Within the Tate Britain, they showed the truly amazing work of William Turner. Although he was a painter back when it was all about the sense of realism in the art, his works were more abstract. This was truly inspiring. Although the art society called for something like a photograph, his landscapes used colors and brush strokes to arise emotion for the viewer. He was truly an innovator for that time.
Next we ventured to the Tate Modern. This was truly amazing for me. Although I do not agree with all modern art, there were some special pieces that I believed to be the epitome of great art. One piece by Miroslaw Balka was incredible. Although it was just a big black box, it physically brought the viewer into the art. The idea behind the piece was for a person to walk into a black abyss feeling unsure and trapped in the darkness. Rarely is the art the “experience”, usually its just an image to be seen. It showed who you were in times of uncertainty and made you question yourself. When you turned around to walk out you could see perfectly fine.
To see what this looked liked ….. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid42529797001?bctid=49550922001
There was also an exhibit on pop art, titled Poplife. We came back a second time just to view this exhibit. I absolutely love pop art, and like a lot of people love Andy Warhol. Getting to see all the original Warhol’s along with memorabilia and videos from his days was awesome. It also introduced me to many artists I never herd, such as Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami. We even saw a picture of David plastered all over the walls.
Looking at modern art showed me that art could be anything it wanted to be, whether it was a canvas painting or actions personified through other mediums; it was all about pushing forward to make new things possible and reveal ideas and emotions that otherwise were hidden.
-Sam Bloomfield
