My Day in NYC: From M.A.D. to Newark
Modern and contemporary art effects us all in different ways. Sometimes it moves us, other times it can be too confusing to think that this could possibly be art. It’s not often that I find myself truly moved by contemporary art, but with a little explanation and some open-mindedness I found a new appreciation for the genre.
The Musuem of Arts and Design featured a bold political exhibit on the state of the US/Mexico border with, among other things, a wide array of jewelry. the exhibited, La Frontera, chose to be very frank in its detailing the tragedy of the plight of migrants. One such piece was a necklace created by Mexican artist Martha Vargas titled Sueno y Realidad and featured a facsimile of Mexico adorned with tiny silver butterflies and footprints. Our docent informed us that the butterflies were reminiscent of the Monarch butterfly migrations and seemed to suggest a solidarity with the human migrants following the same path. It was difficult to think of the hardships of any creature struggling so much just for the opportunity to keep going with their lives, and it seemed especially cruel to think of the world that produced this piece of art would so causally dismiss them like little trinkets.
The trip to the Newark Museum was much less emotionally taxing, but made me more attentive to the modern art pieces. The early 20th century works like Joseph Stella’s Voice of the City of New York Interpreted made me realize that this art too had a moment in time and place, and addressed the state of the world just as Vargas’ necklace had done.
While the latter didn’t move me as emotionally, the fact that museums choice to confront the public with art they might not like is a bold move. It’s a hard choice to think about what needs to be said and how it should be said in any day and age. Any museum can tell a story, but it takes conviction to present the public with pieces that dare to defy convention and have something to say that the people might refuse to be confronted with.
References
Martha Vargas. Sueno y Realidad.(2012) Sterling silver. Retrieved from http://madmuseum.org/exhibition/la-frontera
Joseph Stella. Voice of the City of New York Interrupted. 1920–22. Oil and Tempura. Retrieved from https://newarkmuseum.org/american-art
