Field Trip #1

 Going to MoMA for the first time really made me see art from a different perspective. From observing art through the computer, it's not the same as being right in front of it. In person you can see the texture of the artwork and the thoughts put into it. It's as if you are having a conversation with the artist him or her self through their artwork. We were given the task to find three pieces of artwork that fit into the categories of personal, cultural, and historical. 

The first artwork I chose was Max Ernst's painting named, Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale. I chose this painting as personal because there is a reason why this artist made this artwork. In the painting I noticed a landscape with a guy standing on a roof trying to grab a knob closed by the old fashioned frame and a girl running with a knife. As I read the description in MoMA, I found out Ernst gave two autobiographical references for the Nightingale. Which is, that his sister passed away in 1897 and his experiences on hallucinations. He brought his very own personal experiences and tried to show them through his artwork.

An artwork I chose to represent cultural, is a photograph by Phillp-Lorca diCorcia named Roy: "In his twenties." This photograph has a young man posing with his shirt off. He shows his muscular body and this reminds me of todays cultural in the United States. When I first saw the picture it reminded me of a Hollister model, modeling for the clothing line outside of the store in SoHo. The nationality and ethnicity of this man is a caucasian American. People today see an average american model with a tall and fit structure. 

The last artwork I chose was a photograph by Walker Evans that represented historical terms. The photograph is in black and white and shows a resturaunt or diner. Compared to the modern day today, the setting and style of clothing was very different. In the description it stated that Evans captured the image during a decade in which experienced transformation. Which means that it was during a time where the culture it self was changing in American culture. 

In conclusion, I believe every artist has a mind set in what category they want to achieve when creating their artwork. Either it's something personal, culture, or historical. This 3 categories make a big impact on the final piece of artwork because it gives it more meaning. 

Work Cited:

Max Ernst 

"Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale"

Oil on wood with painted wood elements and frame 

1924

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Roy;"in his twenties"; Los Angeles, California

Chromogenic color print 

1990-92

Walker Evans 

American Photographs

1938