Untitled #4

I have been thinking a lot about contemporary art lately and most importantly why I love it so much when others have such great disdain for it. We went to the High Museum of Art two weekends ago (along with the rest of Atlanta and the surrounding areas apparently) to see the exhibit: The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army. I have been interested in seeing the Terracotta Army since studying it in 9th Grade World History. I think it's absolutely fascinating and an amazing artistic and historical discovery. Once upon a time I even dreamed of taking a trip to China to see them and the excavation site. So, when the High announced it was going to bring part of the exhibit here I was elated! Of course I would still love to visit China one day, but if it by chance doesn't work out I still got to see the army. The High did a superb job of curating the exhibit. Much better than any I have seen there in the last 3 years (the Impressionist exhibit was installed terribly despite some of the fine pieces as were most segments of the Louvre Atlanta exhibit.) The trip was worth the annoying throng of army-viewers that exploded from OTP like cockroaches running for cover when the lights are turned on. My husband conducted a random sampling while we were waiting and concluded that 75% of the visitors that day were obese. This did not assist in our efforts to view and appreciate the ancient artifacts. They also hovered within the museum etiquettely-correct 18 inches of a piece. It was quite infuriating. Thankfully it did not detract from the exquisite pieces themselves. This is not to say that I did not unwillingly shove my purse into the protruding bellies of several visitors attempting to suffocate me. Oops.

Upon completing our journey through The First Emperor, we decided to see the last Louvre Atlanta exhibit. It was massively disappointing, but at least there were no crowds. We then went to the main building of the High where the permanent collection is held. I was pleased to see the new acquisitions of modern and contemporary pieces. Despite my great appreciation for the classic painters, there is something about the contemporaries especially that I love. The more it looks like a pre-schooler had a tantrum and threw his fingerpaints against the wall, the better I say. I wish I could afford to buy real pieces of art and not the sad poster depictions of them, but unfortunately real art is not a luxury that is in my current budget. Maybe one day...

I was viewing the newly acquired pieces and was on cloud nine. There's nothing like beautiful art to put me in a good mood, although it caused me to think about why so many people not only do not appreciate modern and contemporary art, but actually hate it. The beauty I see in the "randomness" that I know is not random at all completely escapes those who say "Well, I could do that."Maybe you could, but you don't. That is the difference. Maybe we all could be contemporary artists in our own way, but most of us are not. We don't even try.

Now, I don't view myself to be an artist, merely an appreciator of art. I'm honestly not as well versed in art history as I would like, but I try to improve. So, I do not want to paint a giant canvass blue and call it "untitled abyss #7." I certainly appreciate the person who thought that was worthwhile though. And if art is truly a reflection of our age (in the generational/era sense, not actual years), then contemporary art is more telling than most of our mediums accurately reflect. Contemporary art embraces what we are and shows it to us. Maybe we are just blue paint on a square canvas, but what shade of blue? Why has the need to accurately portray people vanished? Are we so similar - or complimentary to one another - that our pixels merely combine to form a solid page? Perhaps. Or perhaps not - which is why the nature of the pieces vary. Or do we simply need a return to the basics to understand who we are and what life is truly about? I think the latter is why it speaks to me on such a profound level.

I'm in the initial planning stages of a possible summer vacation that has anywhere from 2-4 art museum visits scheduled. I can't wait.