ArtMuseumCritique

ByJustinStoddard

1.)Museumoffinearts(UniversityofUtahCampus)

2.)JohnBrett(English,18301902)
"Forestcove,MeridianBay"

TheexhibitshowsaregionoftheBritishlandscapelitteredwithlushgreeneryandlightglinting
oftheclearandcalmwatersthatclothethebeach.Thepainterlaysdetailintothemiraculous
blueskywithapassion.Asifhe'sseenthatverysameskyathousandtimes.Inthebackground
you'llfindcuriousadventurerswanderingthebluewavesandmovingupanddownthecoast.
Maybetodiscovernewanduntouchedlands,ortosimplyperhapscatchtheirnextmeal.The
paintingdepictstheuntouchedqualitiesthebayseemstohaveasifit'sbeautyhadneverbeen
seenbyanyman.Therocksaresharpandcolorfulwithalgaeandbarnacleslatchingontothem,
freetoexpresstheirBeautywithoutinterruptionnorcorruption.Thepaintinghasahaunting
beautytoit.Ittellsmanystoriesandshowstheuttergorgeousnessoftheuntouchedvirginearth.
Onesuchstorymaybethediscoveryofthenewworldorthetechnologicalevolutionofman.

3.)ClaudeMonet(French,18401926)
"CharmingCrossBridge"

Thisparticularpieceintriguedme,filledmewithaweandsentmyimaginationforwardtomaybe
seeoftheeyesofthemandepictedinthisslenderandominouspainting.Itdepictsmankind's
journeyintowhatseemstobetheindustrialrevolution.Thesmoggylandscapeandreddish
yellowhuesintheskytellastoryofhardworkandanewera.Fishermeninthewatersbelow
seemtohavetonavigatethroughthethicksmog,whileatraintocarscrossabridgeoverhead.
Allthewhilethemassivefactoriesworknonestoppushingashandindustrialbyproductintothe
air.

4.)ThemissionoftheAdministration

Iaskedoneoftheguysworkingthereaboutapaintingwithtwobluebirdsonit.Iwantedtoseeif
heknewhisstuffandmaybehadanythingtoaddtotheexperience.Iproceededtoaskthe
employee,Iforgethisname,aboutthesignificanceofthetwobirds.Hethencontinuedtoshow
methatthebirdsarecaughtbetweenloveandwar.Oneofthebirdshaditsheadpointeddown
andawayfromtheotherbird,thefemalebird,whiletheotherbird,male,lookedathispartnerin
wonderandinsorrow.Theemployeetoldmethatthispaintingwasoriginallytodescribea
humanstorybuttheartistprojectedthesituationtobeaconfrontationbetweentwobirds.Maybe

tohopefullyunderstandaperspectiveofromanceandorwhattheserieshimselfwasfeelingat
thetimeaboutalovedone.HonestlyhavingexperiencedwhatIdid,Ithinkthatthemenand
womenwhopridethemselvesonthemeaningofthisartworkwanttotoseeorhelpus
understandmanydifferentperspectivesofbeautyandstorytelling.

5.)AbouttheWorks

Informationabouteachpiece/workvariesuponhowoldtheartworkis,andwhetherornotan
artistcouldbefoundtoclaimthecreation.Butotherthenthatmostpiecesprovidethename,
race,birthdate,andpotentiallocationoftheartistaswellaswhatmaterialswereusedincrafting,
timeiswasdevelopedandthelocationofwhereitwasfoundorpainted/sculpted.Youcould
easilyfindinformationonthedifferentworksthroughWebsources,LiterarySources,aswellas
frompeoplewhomhavestudiedaparticularartist.

6.)WhatIFoundAttractive

Soessentiallywhatwefindattractiveissomethingwewillonlybeabletofullyunderstandonan
individuallevel.Thereforeyoumanyhaveadifferentopiniononwhythesepaintingswereor
werenotappealingtoyou.ManyofthepaintingIfoundtobeappealinghadavastsetting,often
withlargeobjectsinthebackgroundanddetailsstructuresoreventsintheforeground.Onesuch
paintwouldbeRansomGilletHoldredge'spainting"BrighamCanyon,WasatchMountains,
Utah(18361899)"depictstheWasatchmountainsonthebrinkoffall.Heseemedtohave
painteditfrominbetweenthemountainsgivingthestructuresmassivescaleandawesomeness.
AsfarasamessageisconcernedIwouldwithoutadoubtsayhewastryingtoinformthepeople
ofutah'sbeautyandmaybeaswellashowsmallwearecomparedtothisbigplanetofours.
AnotherfantasticpaintingthatcaughtmyeyewasonebyMaynardDixiontitled"RedCanyon
(19021992)"sameaslastthispaintingdepictedamassivescaleandagorgeousreddesert
landscapeinthebackgroundbutintheforegroundtherewasthisnaturallydesignedpillaror
mountainwithmanycurvesandshapestoletyourimaginationtackle.Ilovedthispainting
becauseIlikedtotryandimaginepeopleintherockalmostlikepeoplecarvedastoryintothe
massivestructure.ThisartistIbelievewasparticularintryingtogetpeopletobemore
imaginativeormaybeinspireotherstoseemaybethingsaren'tassimpleastheyseemorthere's
morethenonewaytodothings.Mynextselectionisasculptorsounfortunatelyitdoesn'thavea
specificsculptorassignedtoit.Thesculptureiscalled"ShivaNatajara"itwasfoundinIndiaand
wasbelievedtohavebeencreatedbetweenthe12thand16thcenturies.Thispiecereallyputmy
mindintoastateofmystery.Iwantedtoknowwhothewomanwasinthemiddleofthe
sculpture.Ialsowantedtoknowwhatallthemarkingandstrangedesignsmeant.IfIcouldguess
I'msurethesculptorwastryingtotellastoryordepicthisgoddessinabeautifulandtraditional
settingaccordingtotheacceptedcultureduringthetime.I'mhonestlynotsurebutI'dloveto

actuallyknow.OverallIfoundtheseworksverycompellingtolookatandjustsimplythink
about.

7.)Looksareonlyhalfthebeauty

They'verelatedtowhatwe'velearnedinclassinamultitudeofway.Biasissomethingweall
sufferfrominonewayoranother,unfortunately.Butthatcannotdescribethesimilarities
betweenthelessonswe'velearnedinclassandtheartworkI'veseen.WhileIwasthereIasked
theadministrationalotaboutthepaintingsIchosetodescribe.ItwasinterestingbecauseIgotto
seewhattheythoughtormaybeevenwhattheintendedpurposeofthepaintingwas.Fromthere
IgettoseehowImayhavejudgedthepaintinginawayduetomebelievesthentryto
understandthepainter'sperspective.Anotherwaywouldbetheculturalaspectofeachpiece.
Howtime,circumstance,andbeliefmotivatepainterstocreate.

8.)MyExperience

Thisparticulareventgavemeinsightintomyselfaswellintoothersaswell.Iwasabletoatleast
trytounderstandothersperspectivesandmaybechangemyownintheprocess.Iwasfortunate
enoughtosurroundmyselfinculturesIwasn'tawareofbeforeandnowIam.Theadministration
wassuperbandhelpful.Theworkswerevariousandverybeautifulbuttheridetherewasabit
tedious.IfeelliketheycouldhaveincludedmoresculpturesbutI'mnotcomplainingwiththe
collectiontheyalreadyhad.Iwoulddefinitelyattendanothereventsuchasthisexceptnexttime
Iwouldprobablybringafewfriends,insteadofgoingbymyself.