“The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world's largest and finest art museums. Its collections include more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Nearly five million people visit the Museum each year.” So it says on the website. What a daunting but exciting thought that I would soon be visiting this museum. So- I was going to be counted as the five million and one visitor to the Museum. Upon entering the Museum through the majestic Great Hall I was overwhelmed. Which way did I go? Where do you start? I thought as I was handed a map.
My friend, Sheryl, who came along with me asked what do you want to see first? We looked at the map and were totally helpless and just started walking. So we started at the 300’s, 500’s, 700’s, back through more of the 500’s to see Medieval Art, Greek and Roman Art, European Sculpture, Arms and Armor, the American Wing and tried to make our way to the Modern and Contemporary Art section that was in the 900’s. One very helpful guard told us to throw away the map because you will never get where you wanted to go if you follow it. So that is what we did and just asked along the way. With the distraction of the map we made our way. As we passed an elevator we saw a sign to the roof top Garden and caught the next ride up. It was a gorgeous day in New York especially on the rooftop where we enjoyed the view and sculptures. I loved especially “Blazon”. It’s strong red color and form stretching to the sky was an amazing site to see. Out of all the sculptures on the roof that was the one I was drawn to as I walked the rooftop. It evoked a sense of strength and freedom- that there is no limit to what you can do or how far you can reach. The color of red stood out against the greying white of the concrete roof top against a blue sky and the outline of the city in the background.
So my plan was to view all these magnificent masterpiece paintings and write about one of them. I had so many favorites that I viewed that day as we journeyed through the rest of the Museum. From Degas “Dancer” which I had a copy of as a little girl, to a special exhibit off the courtyard of Roman Statues of Cezanne’s Card Players, to the spooky, ethereal qualities of Edvard Munch who I wanted to see up close and personal. I had thought to write about him at first especially after viewing his Cypress in Moonlight and Night in Saint Cloud. But that sculpture called to me again.
I found a second heaven when I actually saw Rothko, Newman, Kelly and Noland, all abstract, minimalist, expressionists in one place and to finally see these American Contemporary paintings that I had been learning about in my color class. Pictures and the web just don’t do any of them justice. In person the meaning and use of texture, form and color to evoke emotion and movement in a painting made more sense. I always thought I was a master’s type of girl. Even more exciting was to view Hoffmann, Scully and Klee. You will see my own attempt to master the art of color in my pictures. I could have written about one of them as well. But “Blazon” called to me still.
Anthony Caro (born 1924) is considered one of the most influential 20th century sculptors and a key figure in the development of modernist sculpture. We got to see in this exhibit a highlight of sculpture in steel, painted and unpainted. They represented the relationship of form, color, sculpture, and architecture in the abstract to engage and embrace form and landscape.
Anthony Caro studied engineering at Cambridge University and sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London. In his first visit to the US in 1959 he became acquainted with the work of painter Kenneth Noland and sculptor David Smith. No wonder I liked his sculptures so much. Noland’s use of form and color were like sculptures themselves on canvas.
Caro works in steel, bronze, silver, lead, stoneware, wood, and paper. Through Caro's innovative work he came to public attention in 1963 when he exhibited large, abstract, steel sculptures brightly painted and standing directly on the ground at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. This was so that viewers could approach and interact with the works from all sides which was a radical departure from the way sculpture had been presented in the past. This was Caro’s attempt as an artist "to make sculpture more real." And so he did for me that day on the rooftop.
By Kim Zarra
Pictures Link: http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4180101015/a=141417625_141417625/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
References:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
http://www.anthonycaro.org/default.htm
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