The Harn
- AlexanderRoman
- Sep 30, 2018
- 7 min read
From Contemporary to Modern. From Places to The World to Come. Harn Art Museum has many exhibits open to the public, open for interpretation (becoming) and many there to tell a simple story (being).
My visit to the Harn Museum of Art was a loud event, not by the volume of people in the museum that day but by the outspoken art that decorated the walls of all the exhibits. The artwork explored different aspects of humanity such as the environmental impact that humans have on mother nature, the extinction of certain life, World War I and its effect on society and foreign states, miniature art, Asian history, and more. Art is subjective, but the beauty the art conveyed is not. From entrance to exit, a full circle, the museum has a lot of different tangible materials that invoke intangible emotions. It allows for the tangible and intangible to be one and the same, whether the art is a physical piece such as sculpture or two-dimensional painting or video paired with a particular sound that holds certain meaning.
Deluge, the Latin word diluvium meaning flood. The English verb, however, means inundate with water. This artwork located in the "World to Come" exhibit is by artist Subhankar Banerjee, titled "Caribou Migration" is the interpretation of Deluge; a photograph of caribou migrating in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Perhaps the most in touch with Vic Munoz's advice of stepping back and forth to really study the art, the "Caribou Migration" at first glance appears to be a painting of a blue and white background with a stream-like pattern of dots scattered downward in the painting. After walking closer and scrutinizing the image more one may think the dots are ants, but upon further scrutiny it is revealed to be caribou conducting their annual migration (as seen in the second picture).
This photograph is a sort of jab to humanity. It is a way to show them the impact climate change has on wildlife in cold regions in the world we don't see often. The caribou are a species that are threatened by global climate change and rising sea levels as well as melting ice. This causes home relocation, disrupted cycles of living, and food shortage. The artists in this exhibit convey their worry for wildlife and climate change through their artwork, putting on display the danger humans are forcing on animals in nature. Showing that we are the cause for their destruction and disorientation.
The way the caribou are aligned allows for easy movement and perfect flow for the eyes of the viewer. There is a certain emphasis as well, not only to the meaning behind the art but to the dot-like caribou. Their movement is emphasized and really focused on. Its overall aesthetic of serenity and peace as well as emptiness and lack of wildlife helps establish the message behind the photograph. This may be one of my favorite works because of the heart-breaking emotion this piece evokes with its emptiness but also as a way of silent judgment to humanity and a cry for help to stop with actions that lead to climate change.
This photograph is located in the "Portraits of Places from the Harn Collection". Another piece of photographic art that capture my attention because of its aesthetically pleasing landscape, use of dark hues, use of chiaroscuro, and infrastructure (my major is Architecture so anything that deals with infrastructure is amazing to me and catches my attention). The photograph contains unity, balance, emphasis, evokes movement and a certain emotion to the viewer such as myself.
Above is a closer view of the artwork. When taking Munoz's advice once more, it is easy to see the clear detail of the image. It is much easier to comprehend the artists take and his interpretation of the work. Their is clear separation and contrast between the left side of the photograph and the right side. The left side is full of homes; it is n inhabited area with individuals living just meters away from a factory that seems to work late at night. The division is the river, the common ground of both habitats. It isn't an easy thing to completely see because of the natural colors provided by the image and landscape of China. The unity of colors and blend of darkness is a way of saying that the left and right side have become one and the same. Life in China has become blind to distinction between life and work; the river is the common shared piece of nature and the bridge in the background is the connecting factor between both worlds.
From the Contemporary Collection, this mammoth of a sculpture has rich and deeper meaning; there is more than meets the eye when looking and discussing this artwork. I believe it closely resembles Munoz's garbage artwork because of its physical composition and material. The sculpture is composed of aluminum bottle tops from brand-name liquor bottles. They are flattened out and joined together by copper wire. One mans trash is another mans artwork. This cloth closely resembles kente cloth, a royal and ceremonial cloth woven together by the people of Ghana and Tongo. The cloth is also a resemblance of the colonization of Ghana and the waste produced by the country. The way the bottle caps and flattened tops are positioned create an asymmetrical imbalance that ironically allows for a satisfying movement of waves across and throughout the sculpture.
As you can see, the tops are either flattened or kept in its circular form which are then woven together by copper wire to imitate yarn or some sort of thread connecting all the metal pieces. The imperfections each of the caps contain, or the gaps between the metal pieces show the history of the country and its rich colonists. Again, as stated before, going up close to the sculpture shows beauty in the careful attention to detail and metaphor, but retreating to see the huge-ass (the only correct word to describe just how big the sculpture is) cloth shares a wonderful story.
This Manhattan skyline painting shares a spot in the Modern Collection exhibit. The oil on board painting is a sign of hope and vitality. The German painter George Grosz moved to New York in the 30's to avoid Nazi occupied Germany. His painting of New York's skyline, which includes the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building, holds deep meaning in salvation. Escaping as an immigrant to the Big Apple, to the place where all immigrants were known to arrive in seek of refuge from terrorized states. The use of dark colors in the bottom of the city and very light blues and subtle light colors represent the "heavenly" aspect of the city. The city is an asylum, a new home of security and comfort as well as opportunity. Its high buildings and light colors point towards the sky, paralleling the city to heaven and a sort of utopia.
The artwork definitely has a sense of claustrophobia. The way Grosz aligns the buildings closely packed together, almost squeezing within the constraints of the frame, leaving no room to breathe. However, despite the painting being closely packed like a can of sardines, it does create movement towards the sky. The vertical lines work in unison to make you look from bottom to top and vice versa in a straight line. When you get close to the oil painting, it appears very brail-like; the oil is literally raised in some areas creating a texture that adds to the value of the painting. The different hues work together to capture the foggy, musk New York emits due to the growing city of industrialization and aiding to the idea of New York being a safe haven for all. Once you escape the tightly packed buildings in the bottom, and reach the top where the blues are, you are given space to breathe and take in the fresh air. You are deliberately made to go up and gasp for air in order to really capture and see the beauty of the Big Apple and its luxurious skyscrapers.
From the "Remembering WWI" Collection, this French artwork (that has the longest name possible) is a very religious and political painting done in 1916 amidst the First World War. This was a propaganda made in the times of war in the European front of the War. The purpose of the propaganda was to induce patriotism in French citizens and persuade them to loan money for the war.
The propaganda shows the Arc de Triomphe in the background, a strong symbolic landmark in France. French soldiers marching towards battle, all scattered around the Arc and furiously marching towards a common ground/goal.
In the sky, between the arc of the great structure, Napoleons Grand Army is seen descending from heaven with Lady Liberty leading the men to battle while singing the French national anthem La Marseillaise. This art is not only beautiful in its composition and storytelling but the message it holds, the message of France uniting against a "common enemy". The long deceased Grand Army of Napoleon is seen descending from heaven, insinuating a heavenly arm. A sort of angelic form of help; any and all help will come to France if its citizens help pay for the War. The men are slowly and gradually transitioned in the background to blend in with the French army to show "back up" and a sense of togetherness.
Similarly, the Goddess of Liberty is commanding the men towards battle. She is the personification of liberty and the representation of liberty, guiding France towards truth, justice, and of course liberty for all. Her contrapposto stance delegates fight and points toward a way that will lead to victory. The way the propaganda guides the viewers eyes in its flowing movement upwards and down the path of soldiers allows for an understanding of the reason behind the propaganda. An excellent form of artwork meant to persuade French citizens to give monetary supplies to the army.
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