Reflection 2 — Grounds of Sculpture
Earlier this month, I had the chance to revisit one of the first tourist spots that I’ve been to ever since I’ve arrived in New Jersey a little more than six years ago — the Grounds of Sculpture. The Grounds of Sculpture is essentially an open-air sculpture museum, where different artist display their works in an open environment that seamlessly merges with the surrounding greenery. In September, I decided to organize an outing in October for our fellowship. Initially, I suggested someone more active, such as ziplining or hiking, however, our members seemed quite disinterested in activities that “make you sweat too much” (truth be told, I felt the same way). Our discussion ultimately boiled down to two options: the Grounds of Sculpture, or the Turtle Back Zoo. To my surprise, our members seemed more interested in the former, which ultimately led to our decision.
One of the most interesting things that I’ve observed during my trip there is how different my experience was during this second trip. During my initial trip, I went to the Grounds of Sculpture with my parents. I vaguely remember not enjoying the trip at all — the drive was long, I walked around for no reason, I was forced to take pictures next to statues that my mother was evidently more interested in than I was. This time, I went with my peers, and this made me enjoy the trip a lot more. I was able to enjoy the sculptures with a more analytical view and profound admiration. This made me reflect on how the context (such as the people around you, the time of day, the weather, etc) influences our subjective experience and memory. This led me to think about the interviews that I have conducted with my friends. Looking back at my interview notes, I definitely see that some of my peers’ responses might not have been the most subjective or authentic. I might have also provided subconscious cues that influenced them to remember their past behaviors differently.
Another observation that I found particularly interesting is how harmonious the different styles of sculptures work with one another and the environment. In the Grounds of Sculpture, you could see abstract sculptures that coil yards of metallic wires into the shape of a fetus, while a few steps over in a secluded area where the sculptor brought Monet’s “The Luncheon on the Grass” to life (as shown in the picture above). Despite the seeming disconnect between these two artworks, there seems to be an unexplained harmony between them that leaves distinctly different impressions (pun intended) on the viewers. I believe that this sort of harmony takes a high level of skill to carefully manage and manipulate, and did not simply arise from chaos or entropy. This also makes me reflect on how our team operates as well. As our project progresses, I’m starting to see how different each of our members’ perspectives are due to our different areas of expertise and cultural experiences. In order to hold on to our harmony, we need to allow for creative discourse, but carefully manage this entropy to resolve into a harmonious end product that each of us is satisfied with.
I believe, thinking back on my trip, I was more impressed by the abstract thoughts that the sculptures evoked within me and the concrete artwork themselves. I’m also interested in seeing how my perspectives would change if I were to return in another five or six years, or maybe with a different type of family member, and revisit the thoughts and reflections that I came to today.
