My Museum Experience

Today, I went to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth with my friend Preston.  He lives in Fort Worth and has been to the museum many times, so he decided to come along with me and show me around.  When we first got out of the car, we stopped by this large vortex outside.  When we said anything to each other while inside of it, it would echo loudly.  It was architecturally astounding to look at, and it was overpoweringly large.  

We then walked into the museum, starting on the first floor and then moving on to the second floor.  Upon entering, I was immediately surprised by a small room with a layer of wrapped green candies on the floor.  They were arranged in a shape that appeared to me like a river of candy.  We joked together that we wished the rest of the museum was like this so we could feel like we were at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  I stood there and wondered how long it would have taken them to make something like that or to even think of the idea.  Most of the paintings I saw gave me a similar feeling.  There were all types of paintings, but I particularly liked Jackson Pollock’s work.  His paintings were raised, textured, and very unique.

There was a book with wings that was made out of lead.  Lead cannot fly, so it was ironic that wings were made out of it.  In that same area, we saw a large canvas with earth, clay, ash, and mud dried onto it.  A dried sunflower lay above the soil, and it made me depressed to look it.  After I read the plaque, the purpose of the art made more sense.  The sunflower represented growth after the Holocaust.  I enjoyed this piece in particular because it had a special meaning to the artist and was about a subject I have learned a lot about.

There were a couple pieces by Andy Warhol that were intriguing to me right away.  I walked over to them because they were so vibrant and colorful.  There was a self-portrait of him and a painting with many different portrayals of Marilyn Monroe.  In some, she would have red lips and in others, they would be primarily black.  Each picture was unique, even though it was the same exact photograph.

We walked outside to look at a sculpture we spotted when we looked out the window.  The only way to describe it is two large, metallic trees that are connected by their branches.  It was amazing to see up close, and it made me want to see how these sculptures are made.

The main exhibit that was showcased was one by Robert Lazzarini, who seemed to have specialized in art with illusionistic art.  All of his sculptures were distorted from their usual appearances and shapes.  He made guns out of walnut and steel, brass knuckles, and a safe.  Each sculpture was uniquely shaped and molded into something that was amazing to look at.

I’m glad that I went because it was fun to look at all the different types of art and sculpture.  Most of the art confused me and made me rethink my entire definition of what art is.  Similar to our discussion on the first day of class about what literature is, I had a discussion with my friend about the question, “what is art?”  If a florescent light mounted diagonally on the wall is considered art, then what are the boundaries and guidelines of art?  I can see how many of the artists pushed the boundaries of what I once considered art, which consisted of realist paintings.  I now have a new idea of what modernism means, and I was able to learn through my visual experiences.