Understanding the Art Muesum Ch. 3 Questions

Artwork chosen from the Metrapolotan Muesum of Art. metmuseum.org

Note in Pink and Brown

Artist: James McNeill Whistler (American, Lowell, Massachusetts 1834–1903 London)

Date: ca. 1880

Medium: Charcoal and pastel on dark brown wove paper

Dimensions: 11 3/4 x 7 1/4 in. (29.8 x 18.4 cm)

Classification: Drawings

Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917

Accession Number: 17.97.5

[Foot]

Artist: Walker Evans (American, St. Louis, Missouri 1903–1975 New Haven, Connecticut)
Date: October 23, 1974
Medium: Instant color print
Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 cm (3 1/8 x 3 1/8 in.)

Classification: Photographs

Credit Line: Walker Evans Archive, 1994

Accession Number: D.1994.262.1011

Rights and Reproduction: © Walker Evans Archive, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Aquamanile in the Form of Aristotle and Phyllis

Date: late 14th or early 15th century
Culture: South Netherlandish
Medium: Bronze; Quaternary copper alloy (approx. 72% copper, approx. 17% zinc, approx. 6% lead, approx. 3% tin).
Dimensions: H. 32.5 cm, w. 17.9 cm, l. 39.3 cm, wt. 6062 g.
Classification: Metalwork-Bronze
Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number: 1975.1.1416

The MET provides the title, artist, date, culture, medium, dimensions, classification, credit line and accession numbers on the labels of artwork in their collection. Work with an unknown artist, such as the work titled Aquamnile in the Form of Aristotle and Phyllis are identified by culture and date rather than artist. If the artist is known, information about the artist is noted in parenthesis, such as birth and death, and location.

A gallery I have recently visited is the Northcutt Steele Gallery at MSU.  The gallery is currently displaying contemporary work produced by an array of faculty in an exhibition titled the MSUB Faculty Exhibition.  The work displayed encompasses sculpture, painting, ceramics, new media and collage.  The two dimensional work is displayed on the walls of the gallery, grouped primarily by series.  There is sculptural works spread throughout the floor of the gallery. The works are arranged in a way that promotes viewer interaction and engagement. The humidity and temperature of the gallery felt perfect, not too moist and not too dry. The temperature was in the mid to upper sixties and was not too warm and not to cold. It is clear that the gallery staff took the proper accommodations to assure the preservation of the work.

Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith's instillation Walking Puppet transforms the stairwell of the Pace Wildenstein Gallery into an exhibition space.  This work prevents anyone from entering the stairwell and uses the architecture of the building to its advantage.  The work itself is a large white puppet that appears to have been abandoned in the stairwell.  The work confronts the viewer and occupies the space in a way that is bold, transformative and beautiful.

Bill Viola

Bill Viola's video piece Inverted Birth engages physically with the space it occupies. The work was projected on a gigantic screen with a orchestra playing in the center of the stage of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The video showed a person be drenched in a dark liquid, which slowly became cleaner and cleaner, ultimately cleansing the person. This work was performative and engaged the viewer directly.

Jenny Holzer

Jenny Holzer's projection I Feel You interacts with the physical space. The work physically transforms this hillside located in San Diego.  It is no longer a meaningless piece of land, now it is a work of art that appears to reassure the viewer that they are felt.

2017 Faculty Exhibition at the Northcutt Steele Gallery

Functional Considerations:
While walking through the Northcutt Steele Gallery I found no problems with the traffic flow. I was able to safely maneuver around the gallery without breaking a single piece of art. Which is pretty good. I would say that the gallery staff organized the show very well, and thought long and hard about how to arrange the work in a way that would preserve it for future viewer consumption.

The materials used to create the work displayed in the gallery very greatly from one another. Some display fragile qualities, and other feature stability and balance. Materials used in the Faculty Exhibition include corn flour, acoustic ceiling tile, walnut cane webbing, paper, ceramics, oranges, sponges, epoxy resin, hand-cut Mylar, etc. Mark Earnhart's work Credenza is stable, and structurally sound, but may appear to not be. Some of the work by Mara Pierce seems very fragile and delicate, as well as Jodi Lightner's.

I found the height of the labels was adequate for anyone to read. I also found the work itself to be hung at a comfortable height.
I found the show to be safe, I was in no way, shape, or form injured while viewing work in the gallery. This space would be safe for any man, baby, or woman.

The typography is easy to ready and large enough to see clearly and legibly. I did notice however that on Mark's work Credenza it says the date 2015, but on his website it says 2013. This may be a typo.

Formal Considerations:
The typography used throughout the show is bold, simplistic, easy to read, and does not detract from the work itself.  The simplistic font choices and large text provide the viewer with all of the necessary information including artist, material, year of creation and price. One exhibition I can think of where the written materials where effective would be Mark Earnhart's exhibition in the same gallery titled Kayfabe. I found this show's written materials so effective because it was primarily kept in binders at the entrance of the Northcutt Steele Gallery.  The work did not have labels next to them and I liked that aspect.

The work within the gallery displays visual unity.  Everything in the gallery appears to flow well and has a clear beginning and end.
I would like to see more work by Ben Steele in the front space. It seems barren and empty.

The show does not seem to have a visual style. The work that are included is a mix of contemporary and abstract works and do not have one distinct visual style.

Conceptual Considerations:
The 2017 Faculty Exhibition displays artwork from current and past MSU professors.

The work is displayed in a way that creates a fluid sequence allowing the viewer to start at any point in the exhibition, without changing the overall concept of the exhibit. The  use of a fluid sequence is effective because it allows the viewer to wander throughout the gallery randomly

Visitor observations:
It would be hard for me to know for sure what the most popular or least popular aspect of this exhibit would be for a visitor under the age of 25. All I can say is that I personally did not find anything offensive or distasteful in the gallery. I am under the age of 25 and I think the work of Jodi Lightner and Mark Earnhart would be most popular amongst my age group. I don't think anything would be unpopular with the exhibition for a visitor under the age of 25.

I think people over 25 would find the work done by Ben Steele, John Pollock, and Neil Jussila to be most popular. I think these artists would be popular amongst an older crowed because they are past professors. I think people may find the oranges on the ground unpopular. They may find them to be hazardous.

The work in this exhibit allows people to share their experiences with one another.  I say this because some of the work is interactive and requires viewer interaction.  The work of J. J. Higgins and Mark Earnhart are interactive and can engage multiple viewers at once. I feel that people may not always take the opportunity to interact with art because they don't know they actually can.  People are taught to not touch or interact with artworks displayed in a gallery. I would make it very clear that the work is interactive and must be engaged by the viewer.

If I could change one thing I would provide more information about the exhibiting artists.