www.popcitymedia.com: When Tina Kukielski and her two Carnegie International co-curators were planning the Carnegie Museum of Art's signature, twice-a-decade event, which opens October 4, the first thing they did was discuss the art they were most curious to discover themselves. From here to the Middle East, artists who had piqued their interest, and art scenes they had never visited, became the first targets of their exploration together.
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This exhibition was total modern-art fest, if you ask me. Although some of the paintings were beautiful, overall I was very confused. I felt like I was walking through a comedic film; some of the things they called "art" seemed very silly, like "Blue Box Against Wall". Surprisingly, it was a blue box against a wall. Maybe I'm not artistic enough to appreciate it fully, but that seemed silly. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who thought that either. It seemed, based on where the crowds were and where people lingered the longest, exhibits that involved movement and technology, and ones you could become a part of all were much popular than the blank canvas with a purple border called "Untitled". The robotic musical instruments were my favorite, because I love the association of sound and the physical world.
I went to see the exhibits this afternoon. I don't know if I was changed by anything I saw, but I did see interesting things. Unlike Ruben, I liked the "Blue Box Against Wall," which I think was actually titled "Untitled," and I also liked the white canvas "Untitled" as well. What is so fascinating about "Untitled" pieces is that they are free to interpretation. There are over 7 billion people on the planet, and there are over 7 billion interpretations to these pieces, simply because the audience is not told what to think. I saw my reflection in the Blue Box, so I immediately became a part of the art work. If someone else were to see their own reflection in the work, then the whole piece would be different. The White canvas is a blank slate. If you stare at it long enough, your eye begins to create its own masterpiece on the canvas. Again, the illusions will be different for everyone. I found Joseph Yoakum's work very humble and sincere. It was so nice to see someone not trying to understand the world or someone not trying to create something new. I think spending an entire life trying to understand the world is impossible and fruitless, and no matter how hard we try to create something new, we are always ignorant to realize that most of what we create has been done before. Yoakum was the only self-taught artist in this exhibit. He did not try to tell the audience something, he just created art for art's sake. I think most artists envy this. For that matter, I wasn't surprised at most of the work I saw today. Because so many artists are trying to teach the audience about the world, I'm already expecting the art to have some deep, unknown meaning. It seems like we think our ideas make us unique, that our message to the world is new and innovative. But I've seen these messages before. Sometimes, art should just be created for art's sake. Rarely anyone does that anymore.
I have never been much of a museum person. Art galleries were just never that interesting to me. I have a lot of respect for the people who can do that kind of stuff but it doesn't really speak to me. When I went to go see the Carnegie International, that was mostly how I felt. There was a lot of cool art to look at but if I tried to spend any more than a couple minutes in front of any one thing I would probably get fidgety. The only thing I really enjoyed was the tea tent. You walk in and sit down and they give you a menu. You can have any tea on the menu, and I love tea. I sat there for 15 minutes and tried almost all of them. It was very relaxing and slightly meditative. The atmosphere inside the tent is very calm and the noise from outside kind of fades away.
What I enjoyed most about the International were the extremely varied forms that the pieces in the exhibition took. From a crudely animated cartoon involving hedonistic teenagers to simply painting the walls of the Hall of Architecture purple, I enjoyed the sense of discovery around every corner. There were very few pieces that I could really connect to, and stand in front of for more than a minute or so. Sometimes I found myself searching for meaning in something and coming up blank, or I would look at a piece and immediately come to an idea about what it was trying to say. All the while my parents, whom I was with, were commenting "so this is what they call art now?"
I have seen the opening night events going on in front of the museum last Friday as I walked to my apartment and I could see how many people were thrilled for this event. Although I haven't had a chance to go see it yet, I am planning to go watch this installation tomorrow and now reading this information definitely helps me understanding some of their aims for this exhibition. I really love its decision of including international art from the past to "look back at the history of the museum and of the Carnegie International." I am really excited to see the variance of the artworks from various countries. Also, I am really glad to have a chance to see an international contemporary art exhibition at Pittsburgh. I think this is a great way to bring the world together and to see different artistic concept each artist has.
I went to the exhibition this week, honestly only because it was required for class, I am usually not a fan of this sort of new-age modern art. As was the case when I went, quite a number of the pieces I just did not even want to look at because they creeped me out or had way too much nudity for me to feel comfortable. I really tried to go with an open mind as far as interpretation of the pieces but a lot of it I just really did not see the point of. One of my favorite pieces however, was the robotic instruments. I was standing in the middle of them when they started playing a song and it was one of the neatest artistic experiences. I kept whipping around to try and follow where the sound was coming from but it was everywhere and entirely fun and captivating all at once.
I'm about to head to the museum right now, and I'm really glad I read this article beforehand. I didn't realize there was such history to the Carnegie International, so I will make sure to take a look at some of the Internationals' past works. It's also cool to know why there's a giant worm tube outside. I watched it go up this spring and summer and was a little bit confused, but it makes lots more sense now.
I fully agree with Lindsey that there are times when art should be created for arts sakes. That doesn't mean that I think all art is good though. I think the piece that I was the most annoyed and disappointed with was Zoe Strauss's portraits of people from homestead. We've been talking about it in my photography class and how it was influential and was going to have a positive affect on the area because it gave an underrepresented group of people a chance to be seen. When I saw the portraits, it just gave me the feeling of a bad family portrait studio. Rather then understanding who they were and where they were from I got the feeling that they were just a group that was awkwardly placed in front of a school photo background.
I'm usually a big fan of modern art, which is why I want to go back to the museum and further explore the exhibits. Pieces like the blue box were a little lack luster but other pieces like the structure built outside the museum made up for it. The piece outside the museum is one of my favorite pieces. It's so magical and I can't help wondering what creatures would take up residence with in the confines of that fortress.
It's fine that not everyone likes modern art, but an exhibit like that is really worth visiting. You never know what will inspire you.
I have been to the museum a couple of times since the International has opened and am really impressed and excited by the artwork that the Carnegie Museum has brought to Pittsburgh. I think the International is a great event that is unique among other cities. In Pittsburgh's quest to become a city centered on art and culture, the International certainly provides a perfect backdrop for cultural revitalization. Having seen some images and videos of past internationals, I think this years event is not as striking as past years have seemed, but the idea and love of art is still at the center of each installation and piece of art that has gone up for the event. I also love how the international has gotten children and young artists involved. The Carnegie Museums project such a family friendly air and the international further exemplifies that family friendly quality.
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