Pat Lodge Professor Julie Hicks LBST 1105-H72 November 6, 2012 Mint Response

There was so much to be seen at the Mint Museum Uptown. The size of some of the galleries felt almost daunting at times as I made my way through the various exhibits. Multiple different exhibits were waiting to be discovered including Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design; Vantage Point X/Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters, and The Weir Family 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of Modern Art. The layout of the galleries with large open areas and the use of altering light and floor material provided smooth transitions to and from each of the varied displays. I significantly liked how the initial landing of each floor looked over the vast open area found on the entrance level. This space offers so much opportunity for large, structural pieces and I am interested in what will come of this area in the near future. Although many of the of the works in the Craft and Design and Contemporary galleries I found to be appealing, I connected specifically with the compositions of The Weir Family exhibit. The first being the work of the father, Robert Walter Weir, named Picnic Along the Hudson. Robert repeatedly portrayed views of the Hudson due to his experience as a professor of drawing at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. This painting in particular was finished five years after his retirement. R. Weir once spoke of these times and stated, "at West Point the beautiful scenery of the Hudson gave me full opportunity to indulge in my love of landscape." In the foreground of the painting a couple is seated on a hill just of the shore of the

Hudson. The surrounding the couple there were many dark shades of green from the shadows of the trees. Off on the far side of the river were soft, rolling mountaintops that run right into the shore. The texture of the light orangish brown paint seemed to even move with the curves of the horizon. The orange being reflected off the water from the magnificent sunset in the distance. I think that this paining illustrates both Robert and the current societies settling in the gorgeous Hudson River Valley. When I first entered the room in which the painting resided I was immediately enticed. I could feel that he was incorporating images of the West Point area, since I was there just this summer to drop my little brother, Bryan, off at school. It was a very difficult path for Bryan to get accepted at West Point. He was born with a cataract in one if his eyes that was surgically removed when we were younger. Initially he failed the eye examination due the fact that his vision was perfected corrected. Along with the help of an alumni from the area that quickly took a liking to him, Bryan was able to obtain a waver and ultimately a nomination to the United States Military Academy. I could not be any more proud of my little brother and this painting reminded me of the day I watched him march onto the Plain, West Point parade grounds, to be sworn in as a New Cadet. I could not help but pick another painting from the Weir Family exhibition; all of the images were so alluring and captivating. The next painting I chose was of the Robert's son Julian Alden Weir. He created this piece from a view at his farm in Windham, CT that he ultimately inherited by marriage to Ella Baker, his late wife's sister. A stream winded from the base of the frame all the way up and outer of view. To the right of the stream was a dark, rocky hill that slopes down into the stream. On the other side is a large open field of luscious grass created by short, thick strokes characteristic of Impressionism. When first introduced to Impressionism Julian was disgusted by the appearance of the images. As time progressed he

learned to use Impressionist styles within his pieces, such as this Landscape. The use of light pastel colors in conjunction with the Impressionist style showed a new love for the smaller things in live. He spoke of the charm that he found in that small Connecticut village. For me this image brought back memories of a small creek that ran through the neighborhood, just around the block from my house. The layout of the frame with the field to the left of the stream is almost identical to the view of the creek from the bridge leading to my cul-de-sac. As a little kid, my brothers, friends, and I would to try to catch almost everything that moved in the stream. I even remember on winter when the ice was frozen thick enough that we could walk on it. This painting brought back many fond memories of us running and biking around the neighborhood, by the creek, or in the woods. There were some very striking and different pieces of art at the Mint museum, but for some reason I was still attracted to the simple paintings of landscapes. I am perplexed by how I am always connected to these type of images. I feel as though it is sometimes harder for me to see other artistic expressions as relatable in comparison to a painting or simply a drawing. It may take a bit of time to try to understand why this is a common reoccurrence.