Ava Moorhem

Professor Zugnoni

English 105-7

November 6, 2023

Block Museum Reaction

French artist Edgar Degas once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you

make others see.” After finishing our class trip to the Block Museum, I feel as though

this quote perfectly encapsulates my main takeaways from the day. Throughout the

duration of our time at the Block, our class was encouraged to break down and analyze

what it was that we were seeing, what the artist's intentions were, and how it made us

feel. Each piece raised a different question in regards to intersectionality, and while my

classmates and I may have each had differing viewpoints, we were all seeing the work

through the lens of our own experiences.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the field trip to the Block Museum. This was my first

time visiting the Block since I arrived on campus, and I had actually not had any idea

where it was. I feel as though each piece the curator, Essi, picked out for us to observe

perfectly fits in with the discussions of intersectionality and varying identities that we

have been having in class. The first photograph, Perennial Blossom, was the most overt

example of intersectionality. The work highlighted the unique aspects of each person’s

identity, as well as how they would like to be seen in the world in relation to their identity.

This piece truly felt like a celebration of culture, of people, of difference, and of life. The
next piece, Pocahontas, had an interesting relationship with intersectionality. The piece

itself depicted the forced assimilation of Pocahontas in European culture, and how she

was stripped of her identity and forced into another. The work is interesting, however,

because of how the artist integrates her identity and ties in her personal experiences by

possibly modeling Pocahontas after herself. The third work, Sharok & Arthur, focused

on denying societal expectations and stereotypes and embracing identity in the face of

adversity. Finally, 6329 S Paulina & 6330 N Paulina, attempted to highlight the systemic

oppression communities that hold marginalized identities are forced to face.

After much reflection on each piece that we observed and discussed, I believe

my favorite piece was 6329 S Paulina & 6330 N Paulina, from the series Folded Map

Project, created by Tonika Lewis Johnson. After being presented with the three works of

art that we would split into groups and discuss, this was the piece that immediately

caught my attention, for a variety of reasons. The first was because of its photographic

medium, which is a medium that I enjoy working in. The second was because of the fact

that it was two photographs, presented as one work of art. I have always been drawn to

works of art that encourage you to compare and contrast or think of a piece in relation to

another, and these photographs were no exception. Lastly, this piece stood out to me

because it very distinctly reminded me of home. St. Louis is one of the most racially and

socio-economically segregated cities in the country, and the racist failures of our past

continue to bleed into the present day. My initial reaction to seeing the piece was that

this very well could be a set of images taken on the Delmar Divide, a stretch of road that

splits the wealthiest county in the metropolitan area and one of the poorest. Following

the conclusion of the class, this piece continued to stick with me, and I ended up having
a discussion about it with a classmate in our free time. It was interesting to hear their

perspective on the images, especially since they were not familiar with all of the history

behind them. It is disheartening that this issue remains a widespread issue years after it

began, but it is work like this that will begin to bring to conversation, and eventually

change.

While I enjoyed the care and time that was obviously put into the presentation,

there was one aspect that I did not particularly enjoy. When the class broke off into

small groups, my group almost immediately jumped into a very thoughtful and natural

discussion of our piece, Pocahontas by Marisol Escobar. We began debating the writing

that was present at the bottom of the work, who was being depicted in the work,

whether or not they had masculine or feminine features, what the meaning of the work

was, and so on. In the middle of our conversation, the curator, Essi, came over and

encouraged our group to follow the guidelines presented in the looking guide. We took

her advice and attempted to discuss the piece in reaction to the looking guide, however,

our conversation quickly fell flat. I can understand, and I even appreciate the exercise

Essi wanted us to do, however, I felt as though it was limiting. The viewing guide is

something I feel as though I would follow if I did not know where to begin when

observing a new work of art for the first time. For example, Perennial Blossom by

Leonard Suryajaya was a piece that felt very overwhelming, and I had difficulty

understanding the artist's vision until we began to break down and discuss each small

element present in the photograph. The piece in my small group, in contrast,

immediately sparked conversation and trying to break down each individual aspect

made me lose sight of the piece as a whole.

 Experiencing the Block Museum with the class is an experience that I am

extremely grateful for. When I eventually go back and visit the museum, I feel prepared

to effectively analyze and appreciate the work displayed. Additionally, this experience

also allowed me to practice many of the critical thinking skills in relation to

intersectionality that we have been learning over the past few weeks. I feel confident in

my understanding of intersectionality and the importance of recognizing identity, and

also engaging in work or discussions where intersectionality is playing a covert, but no

less important, role.