Week 10: WALLACE COLLECTION

1. Labels

The labels within the Wallace Collection really stood out to me because they were engraved on the frames of the artwork. I thought this was a departure from most of the other museums we have visited, where labels were usually separate from the artwork. Comparing the two styles, I am less fond of the labels engraved on the frames. I thought this method was distracting, and especially for a museum like the Wallace Collection. Everything in the building had a classy, ornate feel to it, yet I felt the labels almost acted as graffiti on the artwork; therefore, I think separate labeling of the artwork would be more appropriate for this museum.

2. Object of Appreciation. 

My object of appreciation from the Wallace Collection is once again a historical painting (surprise!). A lot of the paintings in the collection sort of blended together for me, but The Divorce of the Emperor and Josephine by H.F. Schopis stood out to me because of the subject matter. Instead of another painting of fancy ladies having an opulent picnic in the park (which there were many paintings of), this piece depicted one of my favorite historical soap-opera moments, so I really enjoyed it. Clearly I like paintings of Napoleon, because this is the third one I've included in my blog.

3. Object of Excessive details/ornamentation

There were too many examples of excessively detailed and ornate artwork in the Wallace Collection, so I'm going to choose an entire room to answer this question. The room pictured below was the most gaudy room in the Wallace Collection, in my opinion, for multiple reasons. First, there is the wall color and pattern--neither of which is pleasing to my eye. I cannot imagine having a room like this in my home. Then there is the furniture: everything gold and black, with an unnecessary chandelier to top it off. Finally, the artwork. These pieces are the most gluttonous paintings I've ever seen--lobsters, dead rabbits, grapes, etc. Ridiculous.

4. Favorite Museum

Choosing a favorite museum from this course is difficult because I was able to find something I really enjoyed in each of the locations we visited. If I could only choose one to revisit, I would go the Victoria & Albert Museum. I loved this experience because there were so many different types of artwork to appreciate there. As someone coming from outside of the art world, this was a comfort to me because I felt less pressured into appreciating one type of art. For example, at the Saatchi Gallery, everything was startling and strange. There were such pieces at the V&A as well, but there were also galleries of Middle Eastern art, isotypes, ironwork, paintings, and fashion. I appreciated this variety, and I also loved the building and courtyard.

5. Museum Interest

 I absolutely have a greater interest in visiting museums after taking this course! Not only do I look forward to visiting museums in the U.S. and Europe, but I also am eager to apply the new skills I learned about critiquing museum design as well. Before this course, I never thought critically about the layout, labels, or graphics utilized by museum designers, but now I am really intrigued by it. In addition to learning more about museums and branding, this course opened me up to art more broadly, which I am so thankful for. I was absolutely intimidated by art before this course, and now I feel a bit more confident that I can have my own opinions about artwork, and I don't need to always appreciate something that others hail as a masterpiece. I am so happy to have had a lovely and encouraging professor to help me dive into the world of art :)

Week 10: DESIGN MUSEUM

Brit Insurance Design Awards: My Vote

Architecture: "Wall Piercing" by Ron Gilad and Flos. A striking piece of architectural art, these wall piercings serve dual functions as lighting fixtures which seamlessly blend into the physical structure of the building.

Furniture: "Air Multiplier Fan" by James Dyson. The air multiplier fan is a marked departure from the traditional oscillating fan. Rather than relying on unsightly and loud blades to propel air, this fan uses a quiet motor to suck in and propel the air surrounding the fan, providing an elegant, streamlined alternative to a household staple.

Transport: "Melonia shoe" by Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf. A nontraditional mode of transportation: the Melonia shoe--the first 3D printed haute couture shoes in the world, the result of a collaboration between a fashion designer and an industrial designer. They are the gateway to entirely specialized footwear based on scans and prints of individuals’ feet, providing totally unique style and comfort.

Graphics: "iPad" by Apple. Apple once again revolutionized the world of personal technology with the iPad, released in 2010. Designed in line with Apple’s classic streamlined, simplified, and functional products, the ipad revolutionized the tablet computer market by providing the same graphics, display, and vivid colors of Apple’s entire body of products in a handy, portable, and versatile tablet design.

Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey

The Wim Crouwel exhibit impressed me because of the volume of his work that was on display. Collectively then, I appreciated the exhibit because there was so much variation in his work. I do think that some of the collection was too minimal, especially the pieces that lacked any color. I had difficulties connecting with these pieces, especially those on the back wall of the exhibit. They were too futuristic and cold, with harsh lines and minimal color—I would have preferred something with more visual elements. That being said, I really enjoyed other parts of the collection that utilized color, especially the series of calendars Crouwel produced, which were my favorite pieces.

It is difficult for me to draw many connections between the work of Wim Crouwel and that of other artists I’m familiar with, because I think his artwork is not in the same vein as other contemporary artists. For example, the erraticism of Jackson Pollock I do not see reflected in Crouwel’s posters, which seem to be more measured. I could say that the colors of Mark Rothko are reflected in some of the posters, but that would be a stretch. Just because the two artists use the same shade of blue in their work, for example, doesn’t necessarily indicate to me that one influenced the other. Of the proposed artists, Donald Judd’s work seems to connect most to the Crouwel exhibit. Judd’s uniformed, clean, modern designs are indeed reminiscent of the work in the Crouwel exhibit.