You are on page 1of 4

Mauro Bazan

ART-1010-001-F14
Vickie Morgan
09/10/14
Museum Reflective Writing
I visited the tah Museu! o" Fine Arts# I I did not had an o$$ortunit% to s$eak direct&% to
artists or to a s$okes$erson o" the artists# I gathered in"or!ation a'out the $ieces o" art '% reading "ro!
the in"or!ation 'o(es &ocated near '% the $ieces o" art# I )as interested in seeing scu&$ture and cra"ts
"ro! di""erent cu&tures# The $ieces o" art that got !% attention )ere the ones created '% di""erent artists*
These artists are +au& Manshi$* ,ohn -ivingston* .tan&e% /&i""ord 0unt and Frederic Re!ington# The%
are a&& great artists )ith the%1re o)n uni2ue st%&es#
The "irst $iece o" art)ork is a scu&$ture !ade '% $ro"essiona& scu&$tor +au& Manshi$# +au&
Manshi$ +au& Manshi$ is 'est kno)n "or creating scu&$tures that co!'ine art-deco and c&assica&
!%tho&og%# A&so 0e is )e&& kno)n 'ecause o" his giant scu&$ture +ro!etheus* &ocated in Rocke"e&&er
/enter* 3e) 4ork# The one scu&$ture that I got to see is na!ed The Moods of Time: Morning. This
scu&$ture is the "irst o" a series o" scu&$tures that re$resent "our di""erent ti!es o" a da%# This $iece o"
art "eatures s%!'o&ic "igures* that are )e&& kno)n )ith the )ord 5!orning6* or re$resent a ne) da%# In
the scu&$ture* the "igures are 'eing trans$orted in a c&oud* in the "ront there is a tru!$eter $&a%ing the
tru!$et* his "acia& e($ression indicates that the sound he is !aking is rea&&% &oud7 In the !idd&e* a giant
hu!an "igure thro)ing aside a vei&* )hich re$resents night7 and on the end* a cro)ing rooster#
I )as i!$ressed '% The Moods of Time: Morning. I en8o%ed to see the scu&$ture* it &ooked rea&
and s$ook%# It "e&t as i" the giant on the scu&$ture )as a&ive and )as a'out to gra' !e '% !% neck# I did
not understood the !ain !eaning o" the scu&$ture unti& I read the in"or!ation 'o( c&ose '% the
scu&$ture# The "irst connection that I had )ith the art)ork )as to kind o" "ee& the e""ort that the artist
+au& Manshi$ !ust had )hen 0e created this scu&$ture# I have so!e e($erience in !aking scu&$tures*
!ost&% "ro! !% 9($&oring Art c&ass* and I kno) that is high&% di""icu&t to !ake a scu&$ture* even !ore
di""icu&t to !ake a hu!an "igure that &ooks rea&# I "e&t the need to res$ect +au& Manshi$* not on&% 0e did
one great scu&$ture* 'ut 0e a&so did other three scu&$tures that )orked $er"ect&% as a series# :hen
&ooking at the rooster in the scu&$ture* it !ade !e re!e!'er one o" the tri$s that I took as a kid* I )ent
to !% grand!a1s house* &ocated in a di""erent state "ro! )here I )as &iving# .he &ived in a "ar!* and I
re!e!'er hearing her rooster cro) ever% !orning#
The second $iece o" art)ork is cere!onia& !ask !ade '% ,ohn -ivingston# The !ask itse&" does
not has a na!e* its on&% kno) as the Sisiutl Transformation Mask. The !ask is !ade o" )ood and
$ainted in $ig!ents o" red and '&ack# The !ask is !eant to re$resent a t)o-headed ser$ent &ike
creature* 'e&ieved to e(ist '% the $eo$&e o" ;)akiut&# The% 'e&ieved that .isiut& $rovided $rotection
"ro! evi& s$irits i" $ainted in their canoes or in their door)a%s# .isiut& is a creature that has the a'i&it%
to sha$e shi"t* trans"or!ing "ro! his ser$ent "or! into a hu!an# The !ask re$resents this idea# The
artist created a 'ig !ask o" a snake*inside the !outh o" this !ask there is a !ask o" a hu!an# :hen its
!outh its c&osed* the vie)er on&% sees the creature* and )hen it o$ens its !outh* the vie)er sees the
other !ask* this action c&ear&% re$resents the creature a'i&it% to trans"or!#
I )as ca$tivated '% the design o" the !ask# I &iked the co&ors o" the !ask* and ho) those co&ors
kind o" hide the !ask that )as inside the !outh o" the ser$ent# This !ask !ade !e re!e!'er a'out
the di""erent cu&tura& events that I attended as a kid# More then an%thing it !ade !e re!e!'er ho) in
so!e o" the events* there )ou&d 'e $eo$&e dancing* )earing )eird cere!onia& !asks that &ooked rea&&%
coo&# Another thing that !ade !e re!e!'er )as a !ovie ca&&ed The Mask* I re!e!'er this a"ter
reading the descri$tion o" the .isiut& !ask# In the !ovie* the !ain character )ou&d use the !ask to
trans"or! into a !agica& and co!ica& version o" hi!se&"* 'oth !asks use the idea o" trans"or!ation# I
&iked ho) this !ask )as in such a $er"ect state that it &ooked usa'&e# I "e&t &ike I )anted to tr% on the
!ask "or 0a&&o)een#
The third $iece o" art)ork is a cere!onia& !ask !ade '% .tan&e% /&i""ord 0unt# This !ask is
kno)n as the Hawk Hawk Mask or Hooq Hooq Mask. This !ask is !ade o" )ood* ra""ia* "eathers
and acr%&ic $aint# This !ask is used in a traditiona& 0a!atsa dance* $er"or!ed '% the ;)akiut& during
their )inter cere!on% kno)n as Tse%ka# This !ask re$resents a !an-eating 'ird kno)n as the
0okhokno)# In the dance* the user o" the !ask $&a%s the $art o" this evi& creature that attacks $eo$&e*
0e is ca$ture and tortured '% ;)akiut& )arriors7 and eventua&&% 0e is ta!ed '% his ca$tors# The Mask
is $ainted in )ith co&or"u& $aint# The "ace o" the 'ird is $ainted in a gra%-ish green* re$resenting the
skin o" a dark creature# A %e&&o) !outh that !akes the !ask "ee& a&ive# A&so the %e&&o) "eathers add
rea&is! to the !ask# The design o" the e%es trans!it a "ee&ing o" "ear to the vie)er#
.i!i&ar to the Sisiutl Transformation Mask* I )as ca$tivated '% the design o" the Hawk
Hawk Mask. I &iked the "eathers in the !ask* it !ade it "ee& &ike the !ask )as the head o" a &iving 'ird#
It a&so added variet% in the !ask '% having a di""erent kind o" te(ture in the !ask# I &iked that variet%#
It re!inded !e to di""erent ancient civi&izations* &ike the 'ird Aztec he&!ets and the 9g%$tian god
0orus# It !ade !e )onder a'out ho) ancient $eo$&e though o" 'irds as a s%!'o& o" $o)er* "ear and
"reedo!# It a&so !ade !e re!e!'er a'out 8ust di""erent video ga!es )here 'irds )ou&d 'e the
ins$iration "or the 'ad gu%s# I &iked the !ask and I )ant to have !% o)n 'ird-sha$e !ask to have "or
decoration o" !% roo!#
The &ast $iece o" art)ork that I got to see is a Mosaic pavement panel# It has no s$ecia& na!e
and the artist is unkno)n# The $iece o" )ork did not $rovided an% in"or!ation o" the $ur$ose o" its
creation# The on&% detai&s a'out this !osaic is that it !a% 'e originated "ro! .%ria or Ro!e# This
Mosaic pavement panel is !ade o" tesserae and concrete# The co&ors used in this !osaic are )hite*
red* '&ue and so!e sort o" &ight gra%# This co&ors )ork rea&&% )e&& )hen the% are together# <n&% the reds
in the !osaic are that are dra)ing the vie)er1s attention* there is no con"&ict or chaos# The design is
!eant to 'e s%!!etrica&* 'ut the sha$es in the design are not identica&# .o!e areas in the !osaic &ook
&ike had 'een erased '% corrosion#
This $iece o" art)ork is the one that I "e&t connected the !ost# I kno) that in contrast to the
$revious = other art)orks* this one does not &ook the !ost creative* or the !ost co!$&e(* 'ut it is its
si!$&icit% that !ade !e )ant to &ook at this !osaic# In a education &eve&* it !ade !e re!e!'er that I
a! as good as the artist that !ade this !osaic* )hen it co!es to achieving a good &eve& o" s%!!etr%# It
!ade !e re!e!'er a&& the design assign!ents that I had* )here I had to create designs '% on&% using
'asic sha$es# :here I "e&t connected the !ost )as in a e!otiona& &eve&# The house )here I used to &ived
'ack in +eru )as "u&& o" !osaics !ade '% a $revious occu$ant o" the house# The artist o" those !osaics
)as !% dad1s unc&e* )ho )as dead '% the ti!e I )as 'orn# 0e had great 'ig 'eauti"u& !osaics in the
house# As I re!e!'er these !e!ories* I re!e!'er his studio in that house* it )as on the roo" o" the
house* a 2uiet $&ace )here there )as to )a&&s around hi!* 8ust the '&ue sk% that !ust he&$ !% dad1s
unc&e to "ee& ins$ired to do this art)orks#
I have a $ositive e($erience o" vie)ing art at the Museu!# I think is 'etter to vie) art)ork
direct&%* as o$$osed to through the internet* te(t'ooks or te&evision# The !ost signi"icant di""erence* in
!% e($erience* is that I "e&t &ike the ti!e I s$end vie)ing art)ork )as !ore signi"icant* &ike I )as
vie)ing a $h%sica& inter$retation o" hard )ork# I kne) the art)ork rea&&% e(isted 'ecause I had it in
"ront o" !% e%es# In $aintings I cou&d see a&& the strokes that the artists did* I cou&d see so!e o" the
!istakes that he tried to "i(# 9ver% ti!e I vie) a $iece o" )ork "ro! a di""erent cu&ture* I "e&t &ike I )as
seeing their histor%* I did not needed to read a'out those cu&tures* I cou&d see their kno)&edge and
trans"or!ation throughout ti!e* and this I did not "e&t 'e"ore )hen e($eriencing art through an
inter!ediar%# I high&% reco!!end $eo$&e to go to a !useu! and e($erience art this )a%* not on&% is
di""erent* 'ut its "un#

You might also like