Art Visit...

Dingo by Micheal Stevens

*So the pictures of my friend and I in front of the museum turned out HORRIBLE there was a huge glare that covered our face anyway, but I did include a picture of us in the “mirrored house” or better entitled by the artist Public Eye-Private Me created by Mildred Howard. Horrible but so funny, we sat in there making faces at one another ( I am the really sun-burnt one in blue holding the camera LOL)!!! Also I am including other paintings that caught my attention…


On this past Saturday the 20th of June, I went to the Crocker Art Museum; I have to say that I wasn’t expecting it to be such a great experience. I took my friend Kim with me, thank goodness, because I was stuck in traffic and totally got lost downtown!!!! When we first entered the museum we thought that it was going to be small with a few exhibitions but WOW was I pleasantly surprised. The architecture found at the Crocker Art Museum was so amazing I couldn’t help but take it all in and stand at certain entrances enjoying the works from afar.

First thing you see on the 2nd Floor, the Sculpture is Nydia, Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii. This shows the architecture.

I was able to see ‘The Language of the Nude’ on exhibit, I tried to take picture but the low light found in the hallways and back rooms made them really hard to see. I can honestly say that being in the front of these paintings all I wanted to do was touch the canvas if I could, even though I know it is against the rules! I stood back and was good not to touch or break anything, but I think I was just in AWE of the way the pieces look in person compared to something you see in a book or online. This exhibit was so exciting to see, it gave me a great understanding of the way art changes from I think 3 or 4 centuries. Each work was so magnificent in their own regard, each signifying a certain aspect of the world or belief at that time. I enjoyed being able to look at a painting for instance and find the focal point and analyze what the artist was trying to express. It is still shocking to be able to see every stroke of the paintbrush or pencil in these works of art. I was even able to use artistic terminology when I was trying to explain to my friend certain aspects of paintings. I think whenever I see a work of art I want to be able to see it in person and then analyze its meaning and the way I feel about it in person.
When entering the 2nd floor and going through the maze of all the art work, I noticed one piece of work that seemed so distinct from afar, but when I started walking up to it, you realize that the artist had sort of eluded you into thinking it was a simple painting. I am sure if you went to the museum you would have seen the piece of George W. Bush’s face! The work of art was done by Richard Notkin who was born in 1945, and it was entitled All Nations Have Their Moments of Foolishness. This absolutely had me stunned; I sat there for about 20 minutes the longest I took looking at any painting, going over the thought and time it took the artist to make this public statement. When reading the brief summary next to the work, it says that each tile was hand sculpted by the artist himself in order to fit into what he wanted to express about the way Bush ran the country without blatantly doing so. I mean there were tiles of ears, sperm, skulls, and hands/feet all representing lives that have been affected by the presidents or those ruling our country. Those who have the power to do what they wish and what they think is the best to keep us “free”. I myself have never been any part of politics until this past election, I am young and still trying to understand the world in many aspects. But since entering college I have realized that you have to obtain your own opinion of everything. I felt connected to the artist with this artwork. I felt like he understood what I couldn’t express or say, and he was able to lay it out in a way that I was able to appreciate. That made the 3 hours of traffic worth every moment.

Shepherdess by Edward Ritchie Butler

If I had to say anything about having to go to an art museum for this class, I probably would have said, DANG they are so boring. But to my surprises being on my own without a class, without anyone there to push me forward, I really enjoyed myself. I had the chance to find a few pieces of work that truly inspired me and that was worth the visit and worth so much then I think I even realized. I had so much fun at the Crocker Art Musuem. I felt like I was too quick to jump to conclusions about what it was going to be like due to past experiences. But this was worth every second.

Laughing Woman by Rufino Tamayo