MFA—A Feast For Your Eyes and A Brain Workout by Lisa Li

A gigantic beige building located just 10 minutes west of downtown Boston, the Boston Museum of Fine Art (MFA) is home to 5,600 works of art. It collects pieces in a variety of styles and cultures—from Ancient Egyptian Art, Chinese Art, Medieval European Art and American Art, all the way to contemporary art. Each style of arts is shown in different forms. The museum is organized by continent of where an art is from into different wings. Each wings contains 2 or 3 levels of exhibition galleries. In addition to these styles, there are always special exhibits displayed throughout the museum. You’ll be dazzled by the huge amount of art displayed. If you enjoy being artsy, the MFA is the place for you. It not only satisfies your craving to feast your eyes on brilliant artwork, but also enriches you with diverse cultures and encourages you to examine the artwork closely and think deeply about their true intentions and significance.

            A painting in the European Wing, Slave Ship, by J.M.W. Turner, especially caught my eyes and kept me awake at night thinking about it. When I first noticed the painting, standing far away from it, it looks like just a beautiful painting of sunset at the ocean. Indeed, a yellow sun and its orange rays are in the center of the painting. Along with the red evening cloud, the sun covers the majority of the canvas, and is the brightest object of the painting. This image of a beautiful sunset is the first thing that caught my eye because of its bright color and central location. This is only Turner’s trick, however. Painted in 1840, the painting portrays an image that is the opposite of beautiful. It is based on a true story in 1781, when a British slave ship, Zong, is caught in typhoon, the captain of the ship deliberately threw the slaves into the ocean to attain insurance money. In the painting, on the left of the beautiful sunset, a grey slave ship is overwhelmed in the rushing waves. Behind the ship is a dark cloud, sending forth white lights almost like lightening, indicating an approaching storm. A gust of whirlwind, painted in white, knocks the slave ship into the waves. In front of the ship are numerous pairs of hands, caught in shackles and buried in the green waves dyed brown by blood, shouting for help. On the left, a shackled leg is bleeding, becoming the dinner of thousands of carnivorous fish. Through these violent images, Turner conveys the extreme inhumanity of slavery, pushing people to feel the painful struggles of the slaves. He made the “beautiful” sunset more obvious than the drowning slaves to remind people that the struggle of the slaves was overlooked. He sets such big contrast between the beauty of sunset and the ugliness of slavery so that he could show that humanity of not perfect. He encourages people to recognize that slavery is a mistake and should be abolished. The bloody image of drowning slaves in Slave Ship will never leave my mind. The thought of humans being abused because of their social or racial status makes me cringe in my sleep. The painting reminds me of the flaws of humanity that are constantly being ignored because they are too ugly to look at.

            There are so many more fantastic pieces of artwork like Slave Ship throughout the MFA. If you are curious about what they are, come visit yourself! Whatever style, form, or culture of art you like, you will find in the MFA. I encourage you to bring a map, just in case you get lost in such a big museum. If you do not have much knowledge about art history, don’t worry. An audio guide is provided at the front desk, and there is an introduction posted next to almost every piece of art. No matter who you are, what you are, or how old you are, I encourage you to go to the MFA and have your favorite piece of work stuck in your head.

Proud to be an American? By Emily Pisacreta

           The Museum of Fine Arts has always been my favorite museum. My grandma brought me into Boston to see it as a little kid, and I fell in love with the light blue impressionist room and the dark red room with all the portraits. I am happy to say that my love for the MFA has not waivered in the many years since my first visit. The vast galleries filled with old and new art, never fail to keep me entertained. When I was allowed to wander around the museum I remembered why I love the MFA so much. It keeps all these amazing works of art, but also adds new and exciting exhibits that I have never seen before. One of these exhibits was National Pride (and Prejudice), a piece about what it means to be an American. In this exhibit, which will run until April 12^th, 2015, there is a sculpture by Dave Cole called Bullet Flag VI, which will take a high spot on the ever-growing list of art that I love at the MFA.

            Bullet Flag VI is exactly what it sounds like. Dave Cole took American used bullets to create a grainy, darker image of the American flag. At first I almost walked right by it because at first glimpse it does not look all that exciting. But, lucky for me, I was curious about why the flag looked so dark so I stopped to read the description and realized the deeper meanings and intentions behind this piece. Cole was very specific with his use of bullets and their source. All the bullets in the dark blue part of the flag come from bullets fired on American soil. However, all of the bullets that make up the red and white stripes of the flag were used in international warfare. This idea is very provocative, as it really highlights the darker parts of American history. All Americans feel a sense of pride when we look at the flag. However, this piece reminds us of the price we paid for the freedom and pride. It was certainly a different look at the American Flag, one that is never really seen. It tells us that we should not forget the violent past that shapes the history and present of the US. Even Dave Cole himself said that, “The power in the piece for me is in the contradictions.” On all my trips to the MFA with my grandma, she would always remind me that good art makes you think. That is definitely what Bullet Flag VI did for me. It made me think about American culture and violence both here and overseas, because no matter how you want to interpret that sculpture, there are a lot of bullets in it. A lot of bullets, all fired by Americans.

            Bullet Flag VI, along with the entire National Pride exhibit was a great addition to an already fantastic museum. It, along with its counterparts in the exhibit, was creative and thought-provoking, and they really added to overall excitement of the museum. It does not seem like anything extraordinary or even exciting at first, but upon closer examination it becomes quite an interesting piece to think about. I am glad I gave it the time of day because it started me thinking on topics that I don’t address on a regular basis.

Thanks to ever-changing, exciting exhibits like National Pride and old favorites like the impressionism room, the MFA never loses its charm. I would live in the MFA if I could, and I will tell everyone I know until the day I die to go visit. However, it is a huge museum that you could easily get bored in if art is not totally your thing. So, if spending sometime around some great art sounds appealing to you, I’d say go visit, because you will not regret it.

Monet More Like MonYeah by james Curley

            MFA should stand for Monet’s Fine Art because he definitely rocked the socks off of the viewers. The MFA is in Boston MA, and visited by the Critic Crew on March 12. It was a real treat, but the best part was gallery 255, specifically the Monet work.

            Monet was definitely one of the most influential artists during the late 1800s and during the 1900s. Although Monet has several exquisite pieces in the MFA one in particular that stood out was “Grand Canal, Venice” made in 1908. Monet’s ability to show individual brush strokes made the colors pop more and conveyed the mood of the painting Monet desired, a vibrant and happy city. Monet also had an abstract aspect in Grand Canal, Venice, by having the colors loose and of various different shades it kept your mind wondering what the main focus was. This Monet is a perfect example of the art in the MFA, whether it is a classical piece or a contemporary piece the MFA really makes you infer based on what is given and makes you think outside of your comfort zone. I would highly recommend this museum to any art lovers for it covers all aspects of art and has some of the best pieces of art in the world.

There are museums all throughout the world known for famous art, the MFA is no exception. Having art from modern to photography and to pencil and canvas there is something for everyone to enjoy. The MFA provides an atmosphere that is both professional and inspirational, and given the opportunity check this museum out, it is not one to pass up.

 

 

How to see infinity by Theresa Rauh

Mirror is one of the most interesting surfaces. Sometimes it can make you embarrassed when you have to face yourself in it, but besides that it can have so much more functions. You may find it at the dentist, (where the reflection of yourself may not be that pretty) but is totally necessary, at car lambs, where it suits your safety or even in art where it can create virtual spaces and even infinity. Creating infinity is what the mirror effect does to my favorite piece at the museum of fine art. It is some mirror effect art by the artist McElheny.

It is actually a 3m*3m*1.5m large box in which are five pots on each side in the upper side of the box. There are mirrors located in the box, in a way, so that the pots are reflected over and over again. This gives the viewer the impression that the box is infinite, because as you look through it you don’t see any ending of pots.

If you look it at from the outside, which is covered with mirror surface as well, you see the reflection of yourself and don’t concentrate on the reflection, which happens inside, but as you come you see the infinity within the box. This is the thing, which really made me thing about this piece of art. It can be interpreted in many different ways. Everybody can make up his own interpretation out of that. For me it is that nothing always seems like it looks from the outside. You cannot only see something in one way or another. Things have to be getting to know, otherwise something is missed this for humans as well as other things and live situations.

This is what I really like about this piece. I have never seen something like that before. It is nor a sculpture but also neither a picture or painting. It is something different, which seems to make infinity, we always have trouble imagining, visible.

 

 

 

You Gotta Regatta by Coby Goodrich

            A collection of dots formed into a masterpiece, leaving the viewer swimming in the painting’s ocean and sailing in the graceful boats. On another beautiful day on March 12, the group walked to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Although school groups are required to remain with the teacher, we were deemed old enough to handle ourselves and thus we ventured out into the world of art. During our travels, my group stumbled upon a small gallery of outstanding paintings. One such painting, titled The Regatta by Theodore Van Rysselberghe, particularly struck me in its color, picture, and technique. Theodore painted the Regatta during a cruise in the Mediterranean with another well-known painter named Paul Signac. The painting is done using oil paints and a technique known as pointillism.

            The pointillism technique used was easily one of the more defining features of the painting as it brought out the painting’s true color and beautiful lines. The technique also gave the painting two different looks, one from afar and one from viewed up close. From up close, the painting exhibits an array of colors all over the piece. There are red and orange dots in the ocean, and blue and white and orange dots in the grass. Of course these colors are mixed with the normal colors one would expect to find in these locations, such as blues in the ocean and greens in the grass, but up close it appears that the painting is made up of colors from all over the color wheel. The different colored dots bring out the lights and darks of the piece and blend together beautifully, especially when seen from afar. The sailboats seem to be gliding gracefully across the piece, while sun (not included in the painting) seems to be setting as it casts an orange hue over the cliffs and capped waves. The painting kept me captivated in its scene, making me feel as if I was standing on the elegant cliff watching the boats race the setting of the sun.

            The Regatta is a must see at the Museum of fine arts. It’s style and color gives immediate appeal, as well as the scene it portrays. It gives the viewer many aspects to observe and a picture to enjoy. I may have a bias as I enjoy anything to do with the ocean, however I still believe anyone would find The Regatta very appealing and enjoyable. It is a must sea.

           

Attention to Detail Pays Off by James Finneral

                Thursday the crew took a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. The museum contains various types of art such as American, European, Ancient and Contemporary. In Gallery 255 there are many landscape paintings mostly by Claude Monet, but one piece that really caught my attention was The Regatta by Theodore van Rysselberghe. It is oil painting on canvas that Rysselberghe made when he was on a Mediteranian cruise with Paul Signac. A regatta is a sporting eventing consisting of boats or yachts so Rysselberghe must have observed the regatta from up on a hill. The painting overlooks to ocean with many jagged rocks on the coast line. Above the jagged rocks is a nice slope with green/yellow looking grass. There are ripples in the painting where the waves are in the ocean and the horizon is set very high up on the canvas.

                I felt that this piece was carefully crafted and beautiful from both up close and far away. From a distance it looked like a beautiful scene of a bunch of sail boats in a blue ocean, jagged rocks and a green hill. When you observe the painting from up close you realize just how impressive the painting is. The style used in the painting is pointillism which is a technique of using small dots of color in patterns to form an image. Rysselberghe used an entire collection of colors to create the image. He incorporates blues, greens, pinks and purples into the ocean using the pointillistic style. In the hill there are greens, yellows and oranges. It is amazing that he was able to incorporate all these colors in his painting and style make it look beautiful. Rysselberghe’s attention to detail in The Regatta has opened my eyes to have difficult pointillism is. I would highly recommend stopping by the Museum of Fine Arts and you have to go to Gallery 255 to see The Regatta and many other great works. 

Museum of I’m Uncomfortable Arts by Jonathon Coombs

In the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, there are many contemporary and older paintings inside. After visiting the museum on the March 12, 2015, I decided that maybe contemporary art isn’t my thing. I am going to about this for the next few paragraphs, and the time you spend doing that will be time you won’t get back. You may as well just skip to the end, as everything I am about to say is nothing you haven’t heard before.

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Have they gone? I’m sorry for the ruse, but I know that I had to make the beginning look as much of an official review as possible so I could then talk about something completely different. If you are here, either its Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Mordeno reading this before posting it, or someone reading this on the website if for some reason they actually do post this. Anyway, this is really a review about modern culture and meaning in paintings. For those who weren’t there, I have recently said that I would rather not spend time analyzing a painting for its meaning. I stand by that, but to a certain extent. I never get to finish a thought when I am saying something to a group, so I may as well say everything I want to say right here.

I’ve come to understand that my statement on not wanting to look too deeply into the art for meaning may have been a rub in the wrong direction. I understand that winterim is a time to try new things and to be enriched in the culture. I do fully appreciate the artwork, as it is fantastic and beautiful. I believe that art is made to look beautiful. I also believe that art can have meaning behind it, that’s great. In a museum however, I want to look at the art and think of its beauty. This doesn’t mean I never want to find meaning in paintings and sculptors. There are paintings where I really want to know what it means, or why it was painted in the way it was. Those paintings are always the ones that I find extremely interesting or I greatly enjoy. For me, there is a loss of enjoyment in finding meaning in paintings I don’t have a major interest in. In those cases, looking for meaning in the paintings feels like work. That’s what deciphering a painting I have no real interest in is to me, work. All art is a form of entertainment, and if I find it work to be entertained, is it really entertainment?

So that is what I meant when I said I don’t want to spend time analyzing a painting. For me most paintings are well crafted and done, but I don’t feel connected enough to want to look for meaning. Those paintings are either paintings that have religious implications (oh, how tired I am of religious people trying to shove it down my throat. But that’s a topic for a different day) and in modern paintings. I will now discuss modern paintings, in two sections. One is of photography, one is of abstract paintings.

To discuss photography you have to be familiar with a certain work that I’ve seen recently. Well, seen is a strong word as I was looking at the floor most of the time due to discomfort. I am talking about photographs made by a guy I don’t remember the name of. The photographs were sequences of naked/almost naked people. I detest this in two different ways. One is because it made me uncomfortable, but that’s a personal thing and won’t bother you with. The second is a bit broad, so I’ll explain it before naming it. There has to be a consistency with the modern world. In a group discussion I brought up a point that having these pictures of skinny models was a way that art could give girls low self-esteem, as the way the models were portrayed. Either I did not explain that correctly or no one wanted to answer me directly, because I got the answer of “because it’s not on TV and there is nothing being sold it is ok.” So let me re-explain my point in case it wasn’t clear. Showing these extremely skinny models in a photograph is the exact same as seeing them in a magazine or on television. It is showing girls and women that to be attractive you have to be skinny. What is weird to me is that we tolerate it in a museum saying that its art, but don’t tolerate it in a magazine. I’m not saying that it’s ok in a magazine, and I’m not saying it shouldn’t be ok with the art. My problem with it is the lack of consistency in the modern world. There has to be a standard brought about through all sorts of media, being art or television or news. Make up your mind, which is it, because if it’s not tolerate in one place why is it tolerated in another. So I guess my issue is lack of clarity or continuation of expectations when it comes to media and being offensive. Anyway, with these thoughts running through my head there is no possible way I can find meaning behind it, as all I see are naked people making me uncomfortable.

Secondly, abstract paintings. To be a bit brief on an introduction, it’s not what it used to be. Picasso’s abstract drawings were abstract but had clear distinct meanings behind them. You could tell if he was melancholy or angry at a war. However, in today’s abstract drawings you get the simplest things that anyone could have drawn for any reason. My favorite one of these is a white canvas, about three feet wide, with green triangles drawn. The triangles start large on the sides of the canvas, and connect in the middle where they are much smaller. When I look at this, I know there is no possible way that I can understand any of it. Do the lines represent government and how the only time it agrees on something is when there is barely any government? Does it imply that a romantic relationship requires equal contributions from both sides? There could be any meaning behind it. That is when I give up and decide that there isn’t any meaning, because anyone who would put meaning behind a painting would paint something more than TWO TRIANGLES.

Anyway, to close. I believe that modern art is the worst it has ever been. That doesn’t mean zero effort goes into it, I just mean that it is uninspiring. My stance on this goes beyond visual art, but you get the idea. I’d rather spend time looking at Picasso’s and Venn Goh’s than some guy who drew two triangles on a canvas. I understand that there is little likelihood that this will be put onto the blog. There has to be some layer of censorship, right? I know this skews a little from where I set out, but it is a review of modern art using a few pieces we’ve seen as examples. If you do post this, then title it Rant on Modern Art. I titled it the way I did to sucker you in a bit. Anyway, I better finish up with a way I end my other reviews in case people just skipped to the end.

Yes, I guess go to the museum of fine arts. There is plenty to see there and it is worth time to see. If you bring kids, just make sure to keep them quiet.

Rating: 7 incredible hulks out of 10, because RRRRAAAAGGEEEEEE on. Also there are quite a few rooms painted green. Also because there is a lot of power in 7 hulks, just as there is quite a lot of power in some of the pieces, however not as powerful as 10 hulks because the museum did lack a few things I would have liked to see.

Provoking Photographs by Vanessa Hsiao

Oh my gosh! That was the thought I had when I saw Gordon Parks work in his exhibition, Back to Fort Scott. I paid my second visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on March 10, 2015.

Parks is an African American photographer who at that time, worked for Life magazine.  In 1950, Parks returned to his hometown Fort Scott, Kansas to take a series of photographs of his classmates to create “Back to Fort Scott”.

In one of his photographs, Parks photographed his friend Mazel Morgan and her husband Willie Hubbard in their hotel room in Chicago’s all black Bronzeville neighborhood. Morgan relaxed and slumped in a chair next to a window and looks out the window at a blank brick wall. Hubbard lying down on a bed next to Morgan’s chair and smoking a cigarette while staring at the ceiling. The photograph was definitely beautiful and told a story and all those components a skilled photographer knows but that wasn’t what caught my attention.

The description of this photograph talks about the journey of Morgan and Hubbard. The last sentence struck me. It explains that the couple wasn’t exactly financially stable. But then the description ends with “ When Parks prepared to depart, Willie pulled a loaded .45 on him and demanded all of his money, which he quickly handed over.” (Parks, Museum of Fine Arts)

Many of Parks’ work send the readers with either positive or negative messages. Whatever the message is, whether you take it from the photograph itself or the description, it is worth seeing, thinking, and discussing about.

 

MFA Boston, review by Catie Wildman

The Greeks: They're Watching You by Catie Wildman

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has many complete and immense collections that enable one to draw connections between exhibits and time periods. Alexander the Great of Greece invaded Egypt, and added Egypt to his expanding empire. Greek and Roman style had an influence and intertwined with Egyptian art and culture. “The Influence of the Classical World” is a portrait of a man that has been dated to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods between 332 B.C and 395 A.D. This painting can be found in the ancient Egyptian exhibit, placed next to mummies and masks for these mummies for their journey to their next life.  “Portrait of a young woman” is located in the ancient European art including Greek and Roman pieces. This painting has been dated back to the first or second century A.D, and is from Egypt. It is a young Egyptian woman that has been painted as a mask for a mummy. After the invasion of Egypt, the Romans and Greeks adopted Egyptian burial methods. The difference in time between the two portraits shows how Egyptian art was influenced and became comparable to Roman and Greek art.

There are numerous similarities between the two portraits regardless of the different origins. Both paintings have enlarged, doe-like brown eyes, elongated necks, and short brown hair. The eyebrows are dark, defined, and arched on both the male and female. The two portraits both include pouty lips. The two styles are also very alike, both being a realistic portrayal of the human form, with visible brush strokes. The sizes of the portraits are related, the canvas being long and thin, showing the head down to the chest, and excluding the shoulders. Despite the great number of similarities, there is one noticeable difference in the two works of art. The portrait of the woman has a dark, even toned background that creates contrast against her skin. However the portrait of the man has a similarly red colored background to his skin and clothing, which in turn did not create contrast and helps him to blend into the background. The Museum of Fine Arts has an expanse of art from varying time periods and places in the world, which helps to create links between the past and the present. 

MFA Boston, review by Erin Gifford

LED Bible

by Erin Gifford

Sitting in the Museum of Fine Arts’ café, eating an overpriced, poorly made, waxy brownie, you wouldn’t expect to be visually assaulted with a thought provoking LED sign.  In such a public setting, one would not expect their morals and existences to be questioned, yet Jenny Holzer’s “Selections from Truisms, Inflammatory Essays, The Living Series, The Survival Series, Under a Rock, Laments, and Child Text” does just that. In flashing neon green, red, and yellow, the sign brings one-line statements by the artist to life.

A very atypical piece, the sign hurts your eyes the first time you look at it due to its extreme brightness and text that flies by on the sign. All of the statements go by at a speed that fits what they say, depending on how much the author wants you to think about that particular phrase. Things such as “…the body is fragile”, “revolution is a childish concept”, “you were full of joy”, “she was a mistake”, and many other interesting sayings as the sign plays for 60 minutes then loops again.

Jenny Holzer conjured this collection of one-liners over a period of around 13 years, starting off by hand-printing sayings onto posters and then proceeding to paste them up on the streets. She later proceeded to make signs, t-shirts, and stickers. The MFA commissioned Holzer to create this LED sign for the museum in 1990, compiling many of her projects into one flashing masterpiece. This is a striking visual for any individual, leaving you questioning everything you have and haven’t ever really thought about.

20th Century Modern Genius by Tommy Petroskey

20^th Century Modern Genius by Tommy Petroskey

            At the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts the Linde Family wing of contemporary art has a fantastic collection.  However one piece stuck out the most.  Josiah McElheny is a contemporary artist who is most commonly known for his blown glass sculptures.  His piece titled Endlessly Repeating Twentieth Century Modernism was fantastically futuristic and mesmerizing to look at.  The piece uses chromed glass blown effigies displayed in a casing of one-way mirrors.  The mirrors, all facing toward each other, allows us not only to see into the casing at the captivating glass sculptures but also creates an infinitely receding reflecting of the piece.  This gives the art an appearance that no matter what angle you look at the glass sculptures will continue in a line forever in every direction. 

I found this specific piece fascinating because of the creativity and simplicity it expresses.  Most contemporary art is pushing for their own attempt to have a unique meaning and to be different from all the rest.  However what makes this piece different from all the others in the exhibit was its lack of meaning and complexity.  Don’t get me wrong this piece was noting short of extraordinary and it was nothing like I have ever seen before, but the depth in significance McElheny was portraying was practically non-existent. 

Finally I believe the staging of the actual work of art I believe was substantial in different ways.  The actual piece was displayed within a large reflective cube.  The contrast of the mirrors on the inside of the artwork to the mirrors on the outside display was interesting to me.  I think that McElheny chose to do this because it gave the affect of the art inside the case more of an important denotation.  I look forward to seeing more works of McElheny because this piece impresses me plenty.  The futuristic appearance certainly gave this piece a lot of style and I give McElheny a great deal of credit for the design.