Introduction: Art is one of the most powerful ways to form connections between vast groups of people. As an art minor, I was very excited to visited The Harn. I was excited to not only view all the different pieces of art, but I also also interested to see the ways in which all the students viewed the pieces differently. I think that art can be one of the solutions to close the wide gap between cultures, by forming similar values amongst groups of people in hopes of reaching the good life.
Medium of the Art / Technique of the Artist: In my opinion, art is more than simply drawing and painting. Art, to me, involves a multitude of different techniques, forms, and mediums which are all used to convey messages and emotions. In the museum, I was pleasantly surprised to see the array of different mediums that were used amongst the different art works, ranging from sculptures, textural paintings, printmaking, and many more. One piece that stuck out to me relating to medium in art was the sculpture photographed above named Infinite Pillars. This porcelain, stone and steal sculpture used a unique medium to create a simplistic/modern piece of art that can be interpreted differently by each viewer.
Design of the Museum: One of the reasons that the experience of visiting this art museum was so enjoyable for me was because of the design of the museum. From the moment I stepped into the entrance I felt a sense of ease as I was surrounded by such variety of art. Everything was set up so simple and modern, drawing all attention to the artwork alone. Curtain exhibitions had variation in wall color and lighting and I enjoyed this change as it made the experience more interesting. My favorite design and section of the museum, however, was the outside garden. The sound of the flowing water and the vibrant color of the flowers made me feel very comforted. The garden itself seemed like art on its own as everything was laid out so beautifully. I liked the contrast of the artwork with the organic setting of the garden.
Art and Core Values: The thing that I love about art is the way a single piece of art can be interpreted in so many different ways and by so many different people. It is easy for me to point out values in artwork and relate them to my daily life. I think this is because I am an art minor and have been surrounded by art for nearly my whole life. This one piece that I noticed at the museum relates to my core value of friendship. When I saw this piece it looked very light hearted and I got the sense of friendship because of the bright and vibrant colors. They are all playing a musical instrument which shows the common interest and values between them.
Art and The Good Life: The good life to me is when one reaches a point in life in which they feel fully content and happy with all the major aspects of their life. To me, a life with a stable family, job, and home, is a life that is good. As I was walking throughout the museum I came across this one very simple yet intriguing painting. It was simply a painting of a single house on a grass plane. The house was filled with various colors and the structure was interesting yet simple. To me this painting seemed to possibly be a family home, belonging to being that are happy and financially stable. The happy colors and straight lines helped me get this message from the piece. I am curtain that most people would not thing of what I saw when they initially look at the piece, but I think that is the beauty of art and how one piece can portray so many different ideas. People can relate to one another and form discussion about art which brings us all closer to the Good Life.
Credits:
Created with images by OltreCreativeAgency - "color blue painting"