Module 10 Museum Visit

The Exhibit: “We the People” The Albright Knox

Exhibition theme: The theme is best described by the AK website as, ”We the People: New Art from the Collection are interested in how we define identity, form communities, and confront the various forces that shape our lives.”

The Gallery: The space is very brightly lit with led lights in the ceiling. Some of the works of art also emit their own light. The walls are painted white. The floor of the gallery is a tan/red marble. The ceilings are lofty and high. The gallery is divided up into many rooms of differing size, separated by doorways with no doors on the hinges. The viewer has a lot of space to move around and view the exhibit in really any number of orders depending on which room you go in first.

The Artwork: The artwork is spaced out so that each piece stands out on it’s own, yet the open concept allows the viewer to take in many pieces at once if they stand back from the walls.The artworks are all contemporary pieces dealing with the concept of human connection and civilization, particularly in the USA. Each artist has clearly depicted an individual style and stance on this concept in their work. Each piece is framed (or not framed) in a way that is cohesive to the nature of the medium in which the piece is made. The sculptural pieces have markings on the floor so that viewers are warned not to touch them, while the two dimensional pieces all seem to have been framed in a unique way, possibly by the artist who made the piece. The artworks are identified by rectangular labels roughly 1-2 feet to the right of or below the piece.  The pieces are all roughly 5-10 feet apart from one another depending on their size.

I enjoyed the gallery visit and it was interesting to think of how the space a piece is in and the pieces it is paired with could effect how a work of art is interpreted.

Hank Willis Thomas (American, born 1976). We The People, 2015. Decommissioned prison uniforms mounted on Sintra, 74 x 90 inches

• This piece has a strong use of line and color, taking advantage of the simplistic colors of the prison uniforms and the existing lines to create an interesting text that spells out “We the People” The use of this particular phrase is contradictory to the subject of American prisons, where there are many controversial concerns over the stability of a Citizen’s national rights when incarcerated.

Kevin Beasley (American, born 1985). Untitled (hollow), 2016. Resin, housedresses, and kaftans, 80 x 73 x 36 inches

• This sculpture uses premade garments in an interesting way, using a clear resin to mold the dresses into a ghostlike shape. This gives the impression of an unseen wearer within the garment. The drapery of the fabric also suggests a very fluid sense of motion. This sort of gentle, human motion within the piece is calming to the viewer in that the theme of the house dress is familiar. On the contrary, the piece is haunting in the sense that there is no physically viewable wearer of the garment, suggesting the absence of life, and brings into question the location of the many wearers.

Robak (American, born 1986). Free-to-Play lite, 2014. Four-channel HD video with custom software, AP 1 from an edition of 3 and 2 APs; 120 x 50 3/8 inches

• This piece is displayed on a digital screen. The little motifs symbolize many emojis on smartphones. The motion of the animation if similar to digital games such as candy crush or tetris. The piece has a hypnotizing rythmic feel. Nothing much changes as the piece morphs through colors and motifs, however the viewer is drawn into the familiar patterns and movements. This may be intended to make a commentary on people’s attraction to technology, particularly smart-phones.