In this episode of Oh Snap! Ethan and I drive up to the beautiful city of San Francisco to visit the quintessential SF MOMA! Since its opening in 1995, the Museum of Modern Art has acted as an epicenter for the development of art culture in the city and as an incredible platform for young artists. The museum boasts many varying exhibits that showcase painting, photography, sculpture, and audio visual art that each contribute to an atmosphere conducive to viewing incredible art. Sadly, at the beginning of our trip, our camera died! Because of this mishap, we really experimented with iPhone photography which was pretty challenging.
Both Ethan and I were amazed at the large array of sculptured that were scattered throughout the viewing rooms. The one pictured below was both of our personal favorites because of its perspective on different economic classes, very much prevalent in the urban area of the city.
This sculpture depicts a fighter plane used during World War II. the large cubic structure seen resting on the wings expresses the burden the war had on the shoulders of many soldiers.
The two pieces seen below really caught my eye; they greatly reminded me of the I Spy books I used to look at as a kid. The unconventional mix of materials come together to make very cohesive image.
In more recent years, artists have become much more innovative with themes and methods used to create subjective art. Masters like Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle have repurposed the use of unique collages and acrylic paints, collapsing the space between materials used in the early 1900’s and modern methods to create incredible pieces of art.
The Museum’s newest exhibition, Open-Ended, demonstrates the progress of abstract art throughout the 1900’s. Near its entrance, the museum showcases the cubism and surrealism present throughout the 1920’s and 30’s. This period of abstract art abandons the traditional values associated with art of the past, going down the path of geometric shapes, color gradients, and shading. This new stylistic trend focused more on how color and perception evoked emotion rather than detailed scenes and landscapes; the style preaches the idea that art is subjective to the viewer.
The exhibitions at SF MOMA challenge all art viewers to question their perceptions of art and what it really means to be creative.