Good Life Tour of the Harn By Emily Smith
Medium of the Art/ Technique of the Artist: This piece, titled "Zandvoort" by Frank Stella, is created from mixed media on etched magnesium. I found this piece to be very interesting, specifically because it was created with such a unique media. The piece is 3-dimensional, and thus gives viewers a different experience than when they are viewing a painting or photograph. This artwork made me feel joy, as it portrayed whimsical and cheerful emotions. I believe that viewing this work in real life as opposed to seeing it online or in a book allows one to truly be immersed in the emotions that the piece conveys. You can look at the art from all edges and examine the whole entity from all different angles. Overall, the medium of this artwork makes it unique and distinctive from all of the other pieces in the museum, and the joyous, lively atmosphere it creates is what made the piece so striking to me.
Design of the Museum: This wing of the museum was particularly striking to me because of the spatial design of the pieces. There was only four works in this area, which allowed an emphasis to be placed on each individual piece. The lighting also creates a spotlight effect for each artwork, which allows viewers to experience them in a bright and pleasant atmosphere. This environment elicits a feeling of sophistication because of the emphasis placed on each piece of art. Overall, the spatial design of this wing is what made it my favorite in the museum, as each piece had its own space which allowed me to really take in the art.
Art and the Good Life: This piece displays the typical outfit for "Fancy Dress Masquerades in Ghana." This portrays the good life theme of "celebrating the good life." It evokes the theme of celebration as it depicts a traditional outfit used in festivals in Ghana. The bright colors evoke feelings of happiness and joy that are associated with celebrations in all types of communities. This adds to my appreciation of the theme as it allows me to be immersed in another culture's way of celebration. This pieces allows me to recognize how each community celebrates differently, and thus helps me understand the variety of ways that people celebrate the good life.
Art and Core Values: One of my major core values is spending time with and making my family proud. This photograph , titled "Russkie" by Anastasia Khoroshilova, depicts 4 generations of women in a Russian family. This photo illustrates a cohesive family unit, which I can relate to. It reminds me of the close bond my mother, sisters and I share. The proximity of the women in this photo evokes emotions of closeness and depicts a strong bond between the family members. This represents my family well, as we are all very close. I found this photograph so beautiful because I can relate to it on a personal level.