Event 3

The Getty Museum

Today I went to the Getty for the first time in my 3 years at UCLA and I was astonished by the size, architecture, and art. The architecture is like nothing I have seen before, and it makes the artwork that much more presentable. It also helps that the Museum sits above all of LA and has a 360 degree view.  I visited 3 exhibits, including two photography exhibits capturing animal wildlife in the late 1800's and early 1900's and more modern black and white photography in a city setting. The third exhibit was easily my favorite, which was impressionist artwork of the 1800's. I have always been fond of the impressionist era and it was very cool for me to see work from Monet, Van Gogh, Sisley, Munch, and Khnopff.

This is one of my favorite pieces by Monet I saw today, Sunrise, depicts the French harbor of Le Havre. Critics at the time believed it was unfinished impressionism, rather than a finished composition. It definitely captures Monet's paintbrush through the morning light, fog, and reflecting water.

Another piece I enjoyed was a portrait of Jeanne Kefer by Fernand Khnopff that portrait a young girl standing up against a larger door. She portrayed the young Jeanne Kefer as a elegant young girl who, looking little next to the door while the floor tilts to the right, provokes the view of the world through a child's perspective.

Lastly, Edward Munch's Starry Night is a representation of the lake where Munch spent many of his summer evenings. With the many layers of color on top of the textured canvas, the viewer can't help but notice his style. I like the simplicity of the piece, as rounded shoreline goes rhythmically with the rounded hill.








Thank you Kate for the quarter, have a great summer!
-James

Event 2

The Fowler Museum

Today, I went to the "Making Strange" exhibit in the Fowler Museum on UCLA campus. I had never been in the Fowler Museum before and I really enjoyed it. The nice space made me feel as though I was no longer on the UCLA campus and I could really lose myself in the exhibit. It is definitely one of the many hidden gems of UCLA.

The "Making Strange" exhibit was a collection of the twenty-seven wearable dresses that artist Vivan Sundaram who from Delhi, India and a founding member of Sahmat, a foundation focused on collecting "important visual, literary, theatrical, and musical works in the name of artistic freedom and egalitarian values." (Fowler Museum). "Making Strange" consists of mainly dresses and other "outfits" that are made out mostly recycled materials and medical supplies. The dresses serve to play fun at the outfits that models wear on the runway while using unorthodox materials. I personally got a sinister vibe from the exhibit, though I'm not sure if that was the goal. The room was lowly lit and the pieces did not bring enthusiasm out of me. I could appreciate the work but I wasn't fond of many of the pieces. Some of the pieces were meant to represent illness, using doctor's face mask and rubber gloves to create dresses. I could see the theme Sundaram was going for as there was a clear tension between life and death. This piece, using doctors hats, scrubs, and other doctor's apparel, Sundaram constructed a crazy outfit that represents sickness and illness.

Two pieces I particularly liked were made out of sponges. I thought they looked funny and unique, as the large side made them even more presentable. It is hard to picture someone actually wearing one, but Sundaram claims they are wearable. I thought the exhibit did a good job of presenting the two sides of the "Making Strange" predicament.