Who, When, Where and Why– What Makes Art.

Today we explored the Tate Museum of modern and contemporary art. I really enjoyed this museum. The interior of the building was striking with expansive hallways and high ceilings that boasted of it’s potential for grandness. I noticed that this museum is free and open to all, and I really appreciated that about it; I think it’s important to allow all classes and people from different walks of life to experience art in the same way. Art wasn’t created for just the elite, in fact it is often made in honor of the oppressed – especially in this museum, that seemed to be a consistent focus.

Because this is a modern museum the first thing, I noticed was the unique use of vibrant color. It was because of this that the artists who chose to make pieces playing with lack of color were that much more noticeable and thought-provoking. Such as this black and white display of the flags below. This work is by Fred Wilson, and it is composed of 27 flags of African and African Diaspora nations. The artist is reflecting on countries that formed because of independence movements and freedom from colonial rule. The description reads: “The flags have ben stripped of their identifying colors. By doing so, Wilson questions the capacity of the flags to represent the complex history of these nations. As he explains; ‘The colors can represent tribal, cultural, religious, and political identities as well as national ones, sometimes simultaneously. Conversely, the missing colors also speak to the fluid and in flux nature of Africa and its national identities.”

I’ve never thought about the ways color represents a country before, and the symbolism behind it. I think this is a very noticeable statement that made me look at these flags from a different perspective.

Seeing things from a different perspective is what art is all about. While we were on our way here, I overheard some discussion on the validity of modern art. You hear the common remark of “oh I could do that!” but that is simply never true. The artist that created the piece came from an inner place of deep feeling, strongly rooted backstory, and a vision of the world around them. The colors they chose, what they created and the way they framed it to tell a story will always be unique. No two people are the same, and therefore art can never be exactly replicated by two different people. Sure, copies or replicas can be made—but the individual experience that the creator has while making the piece will always translate to how the viewer is experiencing the piece. Art is putting a tangible and visual quality to humanity, the things we all experience and feel. However, art is also an expression of individuality and inner essence. It is a way to immortalize and share just one of the infinitely different perspectives that the universe can be experienced from.

Therefore, I really enjoyed Painting by Albert Gleizes. I think the artist speaks on this subject a bit, and the name of the artwork speaks for itself. The description told me that Gleize often keeps strong links with the subject matter that inspired them to make the art. This one is thought to be a female head, possibly his wife’s. The artist was deeply affected by his experience being conscripted into the French army during World War One. He became gravely concerned with the future of society and thought that ‘artists could help create a better world, not just by making beautiful things but by offering new ways of looking.’ This really spoke to me, and what I think art is all about. Giving someone a unique perspective of the world will change the way they see it. It is an essential part of our growth and change, and it is a perfect exercise in empathy and understanding; something we could all practice diligently right now.

My favorite part of the museum was Cildo Meireles’ Babel (2001). It was a giant sculpture that stretched to the ceiling of the dark, blue lit room. It was completely made from tv’s and radios and projectors – a conglomeration of media. But this exhibit was unique because it wasn’t just visual—the radios were all playing and making sound, but not in sync. They were all playing different stations, songs, and voices. I walked into the room, and it demanded my undivided attention. Before I entered this room, my mind was overwhelmed and scattered, but there was too much sound and chaos going on once I entered that I couldn’t focus on a single thing happening outside of this art piece. It forcefully shuts out anything else going on. This piece of art forces us to connect and pay attention; to look deeper than just the surface level, past all the noise to tune into our own feelings and influence that the piece has on us. Being in this room was incredibly comforting to me. It felt like a representation of the inside of my mind, and I felt understood. It quieted me, calmed me, and brought me inward. It allowed me to focus, even amidst all the different things happening. When I could pick out and selectively listen to one thing, it was extremely satisfying. I heard Dancing Queen by Abba come on one of the radios and I immediately felt so excited and lifted. It was familiar, focused and unquieted by all the other noise. It felt like finally being able to get back on track. Just like any art piece, the different people in the room were hearing and experiencing different things from me. They were tuning in differently. What makes us tune into one thing over the other? What makes one thing easier to listen to and digest than others? I stood in this room for quite a while and thought about this as I observed people’s reactions to this art piece.

There were lots of themes of freedom, or lack thereof in this museum. Such as my favorite painting that I found, Stern by Marlene Dumas. As soon as I saw it, I was very emotionally struck by it. I had to sit down in front of it and watch its unmoving influence unfold upon me. It made me incredibly introspective. Especially after going to The Great Gatsby immersive experience last night and having very personal interactions and conversations with a character (Myrtle) who was fighting for her freedom after a lifetime of sacrificing for what she thought was love. She became a hostage to what she thought she wanted, and there were striking lines about freedom, only living once, and sacrifice. This painting really reminded me of her, and how she made me feel. I thought about my own personal freedom, and the ways in which I sacrifice it for a false sense of security and happiness, just like Myrtle. At the end of Gatsby, Myrtle dies chasing down the freedom she has realized that she truly desires. She never achieves it. This painting depicts a woman lying face up with her eyes closed and her eyes open. There was an aura of green color breaking up the darkness around her. It was heart wrenching. It made me think of womanhood, of love and loss, and of imprisonment; either literally or metaphorically. It made me think that I didn’t want my story to end like hers, Myrtle’s or the woman in the painting. Then I read the description and I was shocked to find that my interpretation of the painting had not been very far from the artist’s intent. “This shows Ulrike Meinhof, a member of the West German far left militant organization Red Army Faction. Found dead in her prison cell in May 1976, she appeared to have taken her own life, although some claim she was murdered.” I thought the mention that it might’ve been suicide was interesting, to be so drained of your personal sense of humanity that you feel the need to escape in any way possible. I can only hope that death granted this woman a sense of freedom. Whether or not her life was taken from her or willingly given up, it drew a striking comparison to Myrtle who would give herself away for love, or money – when all she ever wanted was to be free, as we all do.