Project #2: Art Gallery Visit #1

When visiting the Albright Knox gallery, it was very interesting to visit since I had not been there in a very long time (which is funny since I pass it every single day and live not 10 minutes away from it). When going through the gallery I found a lot of things were new, I searched for a few paintings in particular but was sad to find they weren’t there. Thankfully, I did find them on post cards in the gift shop, so a few of the paintings that I felt I was able to answer the following questions with are actually on display at the museum right now while some of them once were but no longer are.

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

1.      “Something about the Collapse of Art and Language” by Ryan Ginness, Acrylic on Canvas, 96 x 96 in., 2013

I really liked this painting a lot. It instantly stuck me, mostly because of the beautiful colors. Then, upon taking a closer look, I was really drawn in by the fact there were some symbols and images I recognized within the mass of shapes. It was definitely interesting me to see the combination of so many different images that had so many different meanings, all layering over each other. This painting is the one that stuck with me the most out of all the works on display currently in the museum.

2.      “Convergence” by Jackson Pollock, Oil on Canvas, 93.5 x 155 in., 1952

Now this is an older painting I remember seeing in my childhood. I remember seeing it with my family, and I remember it making such an impression on my sister that she bought a poster of it to hang in her home. It’s just so chaotic and messy and yet it seems to have order within it, somehow. This painting really made an impression on me as a child and has still stuck with me through the years.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

1.      “Symphony Orchestra” by Man Ray, oil on canvas, 52 x 36 in., 1916

When looking at the painting it took me a moment to really understand what I was looking at. But as I stared at it and read the title, I really began to enjoy it. Mostly because I was part of an orchestra for four years back when I was in high school. It made me nostalgic for a time several years past when I had so much fun and such a connection with music for such a long time. I enjoyed the memories the painting brought up for me.

2.      “Church at Old Lyme, Connecticut” by Frederick Childe Hassam, Oil on Canvas, 36.25 x 32.25 ins., 1905

I felt a connection with this work for the same reason as the above: it made me nostalgic and brought back wonderful memories. Going to church has always been a part of my life. After all the years of my life, I am the only on in my family who still goes to church with my mother every Sunday – though I do think without her I may never actually get up to go, and I know then I would miss the trip to church. On top of this, Autumn is my favorite season and the sight of beautiful autumn leaves always makes me nostalgic for a time in my life when my family was all together and not spread across the country and we would play in the autumn leaves and wander the park by our church. This painting, once again, really just brought up wonderful memories and staring at it just put such a smile on my face.  

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

1.      “Welsh Oaks #1” by Rodney Graham, Chromogenic print edition 1/2, 226.1 x 182.9 cm., 1998

This image alone was something I was drawn to because it with so interesting looking and also so tragically beautiful, in a way. When I read it was a print I was also instantly interested, since we had just read and talked about print making. I would be interesting to look up how this particular piece was made and for what reasons.

2.      “Music and Literature” by William Harnett, Oil on Canvas, 61 x 81.5 cm., 1878

This painting looks so comforting to me and for some reason makes me wonder about the circumstances in which it was made – I am not even sure why I wonder this as it is such a basic painting. But it’s just such a serene scene to me I’d love to learn more about it.