Open My Eyes- My Contemporary Art Epiphany
Contemporary art lives under the very broad umbrella of any ‘art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II.’ I’ve never really been a follower of contemporary artists because, honestly and as you may agree from its definition, they confused me. I had a hard time grasping the message and point of view. My appreciation though has grown ten-fold over the last year and, as expected, even more since my first visit to MoMA’s Contemporary Art Center in Queens, PS1. On a recent visit, I wandered through the exhibitions gazing quite dreamily at all of the different ideas and perceptions people have of the world and their experiences in it. I used to think that good art had boundaries and should be properly expressed within them. But I was utterly wrong. Unique expression is art. Everyone has a different take on an event or a thing or a person. Experiencing that new type of creativity and forward-thinking infinitely changed my creative approach—and I hope, will continue to do so.
With that being said, PS1 was incredible. The energy alone made the trip worth it. Every piece had this innovative, cool vibe; well-curated diversity. One room was filled with destructed press releases pasted around the walls, with string art throughout, and paint, and pictures—the intersection of reality and dreamworld perhaps. My favorite was a smaller piece, a woman’s pocketbook that she deconstructed with a robotic arm, never touching the bag herself. The end result: an intimate look into someone else’s personal life complimented with the strategy and effort behind its creation. These were contained within the ‘Greater New York’ exhibition, so the New York thread of constant moving and action was apparent throughout.
Basquiat
While on the beat, I’m compelled to mention two documentaries–amazing documentaries– that have gotten some well-deserved attention in the last few months. Banksy’s “Exit Through The Gift Shop” and Tamra Davis’ “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.” The Banksy film was an interesting sort of behind-the-scenes take on graffiti. A bit of a mind-fuck though as I left the theater contemplating if this Mr. Brainwash character was simply another hoax of the infamous graffiti artist or he actually exists. After countless hours of clicking around, I am still at a loss (though leaning toward…yes?). ‘Radiant Child was a bittersweet look at one of the most influential art figures of our time. Basquiat took style to another level and seeing the footage of him creating, of his process was inspiration, sad, telling, I could go on.
Okay, i’m off to create some….ART. -CC
