ART MUSEUM CRITIQUE

Name: Nick Urban Class period/section: MWF 9:00am

1) Which museum did you visit? (check one) _X_ Univ. o Utah ___ !"U 2) #escri$e at least one o the permanent collection e%hi$its on a theme& period& 'eo'raphic re'ion& or topic) (ithin the museum. )ne o the permanent collections that cau'ht my eye (as the e%hi$its on mummies. *t cau'ht my eye $ecause * have never seen an +'yptian co in $e ore. * learned a lot rom the in ormation that (as provided. * learned a lot a$out the +'yptian culture and $elie s& rom readin' a$out the co in and the sym$olism $ehind it all. ,he co in itsel is a (ork o art& ull o sym$olism and $elie s o the culture. -iterally everythin' is sym$olic& even the colors that are used are used or a speci ic purpose. !lack represents the a ter.li e and yello( represents the sun& $ecause the +'yptian/s $elieved that the sun (as eternal and indestructi$le. ,here are hiero'lyphics on the co in that are $elieved to help protect the deceased person& and to help them in the a ter.li e. ,he $ody laid in the tom$ (as mummi ied& (hich (as the +'yptian/s (ay o preservin' it& they also put o$0ects and ood inside the tom$ (here the co in laid& $elievin' that they (ould help the deceased person in the a ter.li e. ,he e%hi$it (as a(esome and * learned a lot rom it& as (ell as en0oyin' mysel 3) 1ive a $rie & one para'raph description o a special& temporary e%hi$it ( or help& ask museum sta (hat these are2 they are usually in one o the irst rooms). ,he temporary e%hi$it that * thou'ht (as interestin' (as a pair o paintin's $y 3ara Walker. ,hey are titled& 4Cotton 5oards in 6outhern 6(amp7 and 4+%odus o Con ederate rom 8tlanta7. * chose these $ecause (e have $een talkin' in class a$out the civil ri'hts movement. * also thou'ht that the artist used shado(s in an interestin' (ay. ,hese paintin's are all in $lack and (hite& and in the ore'round o each paintin' there is a $lack

shado(. *n the irst paintin' there is a 'iant si9ed (oman standin' in the (ater& and it appears as i t(o o the people in the $oat are lookin' at her& as i she is a part o the place (here they are. *n the other paintin' the shado( in the ore'round isn/t $ein' looked at $y anyone in the paintin'& makin' it appear as i it is not in the scene. * think that is the case $ecause in the irst paintin' the t(o people in the $oat are slaves& so they are lookin' in the shado(s or someone to come and ree them& $ut the people in the other paintin' are already runnin' or their reedom& so there is no need to look or someone to save them $ecause they are tryin' to save themselves. 4) What do you think the museum administration and/or e%hi$it curators (ant you to learn or 'ain rom the e%hi$its you vie(ed? * think that or the most part the e%hi$its that * vie(ed (ere all historically $ased e%hi$its. 6o * think that the museum administration mi'ht (ant us to learn more a$out history and (hat types o art (ere common in (hat time periods. * also noticed that there (ere a lot o videos on display& (ith headphones so you can listen to the sound o the video. * think that the museum administration chose these displays $ecause it appeals to the youn'er 'eneration. * kno( that (hen * (ent throu'h the museum that these e%hi$its cau'ht my attention and * stopped and (atched them or a 'ood :; minutes& (hich (as the lon'est time that * spent on any one piece in the museum. )verall * think that they (anted us to appreciate art and to see that art can come in di erent orms& so that (e could 'ain more o an interest in art. 5) What kind o in ormation is provided a$out the (orks? Where mi'ht you look or urther in ormation i you (ere interested? (Name three possi$ilities) <ost o the in ormation that (as provided a$out the (orks o art (as (ho the artist (as& (here they (ere rom and (hen they made the piece. )ccasionally there (as more in ormation& sometimes a short interpretation o the piece (as provided. * * (ere to look or more in ormation on the (orks * (ould take the names o the pieces and

1oo'le search them& * (ould 'o to the museum/s (e$site& or * (ould contact one o the curators $y telephone and possi$ly set up a time to meet (ith them to discuss the pieces o art. 6) Choose several (orks that particularly appealed to you. +%plain (hy you (ere dra(n to these (orks. Comment on the su$0ect& style& medium& time period& etc. Who (ere the artists? What messa'e do you think the artists (ere tryin' to convey in the (orks you chose to discuss? ,his =uestion must $e ans(ered in its entirety. ,he (orks in the reli'ious section o the museum (ere appealin' to me. 8s * (as (alkin' throu'h that part o the museum * noticed somethin' di erent a$out each paintin' $ut (hat cau'ht my attention more (as one o the similarities that * picked up on. * noticed that in each artists paintin' that the (omen/s head (as al(ays tilted and lookin' do(n. * don/t really kno( (hat this means $ut i * (as to 'uess * think that the authors are tryin' to depict the (omen in a so t& 'entle and lovin' type o (ay. >or e%ample& in 4,he 8nnunciation7 a paintin' rom the early :?th century& the only skin o the @ir'in <ary that you see is her hands& her ace& and a little $it o her neck. With the artist paintin' the @ir'in <ary in this (ay& (e 'ain more respect or her $ecause she is dressed very modest. ,his paintin' (as an *talian paintin'& (hich * think has si'ni icance $ecause *taly in the :?th century (as very reli'ious& it is also (here the head=uarters o the Catholic Church is located. 6o a lot o the paintin's at this time in this re'ion (ere a$out the @ir'in <ary& and other reli'ious thin's. +ach artist has his o(n interpretation o (hat the @ir'in <ary looks like $ut or the most part they all paint her (ith her head acin' do(n and titled. 8lso in these paintin's& the artists painted the $a$ies either naked or (ith very little clothes on. * ind this very interestin' and * don/t kno( (hy the artists chose to do this. * * (ere to 'uess then * (ould say $ecause it sho(s the $a$ies/ innocence. !a$ies don/t kno( that they are naked& $ecause they don/t really kno( anythin'2 they are innocent and * think that is (hy the artists all depict

them this (ay. * think that the artists also (ant us to kno( that (hat they are paintin' is a $a$y and not a small child& so they put clothin' on small children $ut not on the $a$ies. ,he style and the medium o all o these (orks (ere the same& they (ere all 'othic style paintin's& and the time period in (hich each one (as painted is all around the same time period& the :Ath and :?th century. ,he artists o the paintin's that * looked at are: Ban Crovost& 8driaen *sen$randt& <aster o 8pollo and #aphne& <aster o the Campana ,ondo& 8ndrea @accaro& and >rancesco 6olimena. * think that each artist is tryin' to convey a reli'ious messa'e o li'ht versus darkness2 the li'ht representin' the 'ood and the dark representin' evil. ,he main characters in each paintin' are relatively $ri'ht& (earin' $ri'ht colors and havin' li'ht on them& and surroundin' them. ,he people in the $ack'round are darker. ,he artist provides 0ust enou'h li'ht or us to see the people& $ut not too much so that they stand out. ,hey o ten look like they are hidin' in the shado(s. >or e%ample in the paintin' titled& 4<artha re$ukin' <ary <a'dalen7& <ary and <artha are $oth in the li'ht& $ecause the author (ants us to see that they are 'ood people& ho(ever& <ary is $ein' re$uked or her indul'ence in (orldly thin's& so darkness is surroundin' them sho(in' that <ary has $een indul'in' in a dark (orld. * think that overall the artists are tryin' to convey that messa'e and as they do so& they are sho(in' that 'ood al(ays triumphs over evil. 7) How did the art(orks you looked at relate to material (e have discussed in class? (,hey do relate in many (ays& you 0ust need to look or those relationships). ,he art(ork that * looked at related to some o the reli'ious topics that (e talked a$out earlier in the semester& there (ere many di erent reli'ions that had pieces o art on display. * took a special interest in the pieces a$out !uddha $ecause in class (e (ere sho(n pictures o statues o !uddha& and they had similar statues on display at this museum. ,he museum seemed to have the art(ork divided up into di erent

cate'ories2 usually a di erent room (as a di erent cate'ory. * think that this is si'ni icant $ecause it sho(ed the di erences that every culture has (hen it comes to art2 (hether it is paintin's or sculptures each culture did it in a di erent (ay. * think that the sole purpose o our class is to pull us out o our o(n culture and to 'et us to see the many di erent cultures that e%ist in the (orld& (hich the museum did or me in a (ay. 8) What (as your personal reaction to this e%perience? Would you en0oy attendin' this type o event a'ain? Why or (hy not? 8 ter 'oin' to class and learnin' a$out the di erent cultures and reli'ions that are in the (orld * think that * en0oyed the museum a lot moreD */ve $een to museums $e ore and usually * 0ust (alk around& ind somethin' that looks cool& look at it or a minute and then move on to somethin' more interestin'& usually somethin' hands on. !ut no( that * have more o an appreciation or di erent cultures& * ound mysel stoppin' and readin' a$out thin's& (here they (ere rom and at (hat time they (ere created. * took my 'irl riend to the museum (ith me and * think that she thou'ht * (as a little (eird $ecause * (as 'ettin' e%cited and talkin' to her a$out certain pieces o art(ork $ecause * learned a$out it in class. !ut she 0ust thou'ht that * kne( random thin's a$out di erent reli'ions and cultures& and that * 'ot e%cited a$out it. 6o * thou'ht that (as kind o cool to see the chan'e in mysel and that * actually appreciate art or (here it came rom and thin's like that& instead o 0ust i it looks cool or not. * (as also a$le to have 'ood discussions (ith my 'irl riend a$out paintin's and (hat the artist (as tryin' to say& (hich * (ould have never done $e ore takin' this class& simply $ecause * (ouldn/t have cared. * en0oyed 'oin' to this museum and * think that * (ill do somethin' like this a'ain $ecause it (as a 'ood (ay to spend time (ith my 'irl riend and have intelli'ent conversations& (hich * en0oyed.