The exhibit is located in a long corridor on the south side of the museum. You have to go down a few steps to enter the ehibit, and the dim lighting coming from either side of the ceiling gives the impression of being underground, a fitting reference perhaps given that this kind of abstracted and surreal work was not considered the mainstream when it was being produced. The walls were painted an off white with a black base trim; the only deviation from this were a couple of the recessed viewing areas ( behind the Classical Sculpture when you first walk in, for example ) and one wall in the middle of the exhibit painted gray. I found it interesting that there was an introduction of the exhibit seemingly painted on the wall as you entered, and throughout the exhibit there were either biographies or quotes of the artists placed on the walls in the same fashion. The biographies were especially informative, yet each piece was also provided a plastic plaque giving the usual title, date, and medium, and included a short explanation or meaning of the work. There was an orderly arrangement to the work, as each wall contained similar sized paintings hung mostly in a vertical manner with roughly a painting-size space between each one. The sculptures presented were either in the middle of each corridor or seemingly placed to alternate from either side at various points. The work was also organized by artist, and this orderly and planned arrangement also seemed to include the various quotations from the artists, which seemed to become noticeable after already viewing a portion of the work, and which served to either enlighten or strengthen the viewers interpretation of the work.
View from entering the exhibit
View from middle section turning to other corridor
View taken from the opposite end of the exhibit looking back
" The forms arrive pleasant, or strange, hostile, inexplicable, mute, or drowsy. They are born from themselves. It seems to me as if all I do is move my hands." - Jean ( Hans ) Arp
The first piece I critiqued was Jean Arp's L'Etoile ( Star ), a polished bronze sculpture completed in 1956. I recalled seeing this image I believe in the Buffalo News as the associative image of the exhibit. Viewing it again in person, the form reminded me of a dancer with it's delicate balance and fluidity. The main form stands vertically from one side of a cylindrical base, delicately balanced as if standing on one leg. The form projects up from the base, seemingly converging at various blunted points - like that of a star -as it begins to move horizontally across space. The large , circular negative form in the middle serves to lighten the mass while also guiding our eye around the piece. The mass is further reduced by the softness of the form and the flawlessly polished and highly reflective surface. As you circle the piece, you notice that each blunted point gestures off into a different plane in space, creating a subtle sense of movement, or the potential for movement, from this otherwise fairly stoic form which appears to be captured in a certain pose. The meticulous attention to the surface of the piece reminded me of the work of Brancusi, and, not surprisingly, other pieces did as well...
I immediately associated Jean Arp's Somersault, another polished bronze piece completed in 1947, with the work of Brancusi, who intended the bases of his pieces to be part of the whole sculpture. I felt this was the case with Somersault, as the form was resting on a Brancusi-like base of stone and wood in simple geometric and stacked shapes. The base in this case serves to contrast the fluidity and surface of the form it is supporting, yet unlike Brancusi, this base was actually never intended by the artist to be part of the work, and is actually an entirely different sculpture called Socle-Colonne ( 1964, wood and marble ). It was actually the donor who paired these two pieces together, although it seems like a perfect fit. The term somersault is an accurate depiction of the main bronze form - a highly abstract figurative representation that gestures out into two different planes along the base with a torso- like vertical gesture from the middle. The form ends in a rounded, bulbous shape on top which is also leaning slightly forward. The forward gesture gives the feeling of movement, as if the form is either about to somersault or has just came out of one. The highly polished and reflective surface, and the soft curvature of the planes gives the form that same fluid-like quality and lightness that is constant in Arp's other works as well. The base adds an interesting contrast in the form of solid, geometric shapes, while also introducing different texture and color to the piece.
"I consider surrealism an extremely interesting intellectual phenomenon, a positive thing, but I don't want to subject myself to its severe discipline." - Joan Miro
Joan Miro also delved into the realm of abstract art, and seemed especially influenced by the visual interpretation of the subconscious. His painting Le Carnaval d' Arlequin is a surreal representation of the harlequin figure which was portrayed in Italian theatre as being foolish. The painting is a chaotic, seemingly playful scene of various figures and objects interacting with one another in a room setting which is completely flat, adding to the imaginary feel of the painting. The surreal imagery, and especially the white, drooping drapery on the right, reminded me of Salvador Dali and his melted clocks. There is a strong sense of symbolism to Miro's painting, as the scene may also allude to the festive atmosphere beginning before the fasting of Lent. This festivity is shown through the playful interaction of the figures, the use of vivid color, the depiction of the harlequin figure, and even the references to musical notes in the upper middle section of the painting. The use of swirling forms, curving lines, vertical and horizontal shapes, and repetitive forms highlight an improbable balance of the composition amidst such seemingly childish chaos.
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