(introduction photo credit: Marina Bolser)
Medium of the Art / Technique of the Artist
a book of textiles
Louise Bourgeois is a feminist artist who experimented with the medium of textiles. She created stitched pieces and bound them together to create textile books. The Harn had one of her works, "Ode â l'oubli", on display, deconstructed chronologically to present each of the pages as their own works, while also preserving the integrity of the piece's original book format. I loved that Bourgeois' choice of medium was reflective of her feminist principles. She refashioned the practicality of sewing, a craft traditionally regarded as "women's work", and reclaimed it to make a statement on feminism and artistry. The artwork felt innovative and bold, for Bourgeois used art to heal herself by telling her life story. Seeing Bourgeois' artwork in person allowed for me to fully understand her vision and appreciate the details of each textile, as well as the piece as a whole.
Design of the Museum
While exploring the Asian Art Exhibit, I noticed how nice the lighting in the room was which led me to the wall of windows overlooking a small garden. I realized that museum-goers had access to the garden, so I decided to go outside and take in the beauty of the garden. Inside, there were benches with books of poetry written by poets-in-residence that could be enjoyed while over looking the tranquil scenery. This garden brought an element of peacefulness to the entire wing which was memorable to my experience.
Art and Core Values
Though Kusama's painting may appear to be nothing more than a cluster of red dots and swirls, she actually has used circular and repetitive patterns to suggest dualities and cyclical rhythms in all dimensions of time and space. One of my core values is listening. There is so much to be learned and one can only expand their horizons by listening to the stories of people with different experiences. When I first looked at this painting, I will admit that I saw nothing exceptional, however after taking the time to understand the artist's intent and vision, I was able to view this piece in an entirely new way. This piece showed me that an open mind has the power to transform the perceived nature of something.
Art and the Good Life
The Guerrilla Girls are a group of anonymous women artists who fought for the Good Life, by speaking out on the injustices of sexism and racism in the art world. Art is a language that allows us to understand our world, however, when the perspective of artists is exclusively limited to white men, the narratives of women and people of color are left untold. The Guerrilla Girls have been outspoken about lack of representation and are an excellent example of what it means to fight for the Good Life.
