ARTAPRE1

I had this class in college called ARTAPRE1 or in lay, Art Appreciation.  Our teacher was old but I think he successfully opened our eyes at seeing art for what it is, what it could possibly be and even the aesthetic of some artforms like that of the Filipino jeepney.  I remember my favorite era being the Impressionism.  I loved the brush strokes and play of colors and Van Gogh easily captivated my eye.  How I wished to try painting back then.  Having artists for friends and my sister, a Fine Arts graduate,  I was exposed to different artists.  To me, art was simple.  As long as it was something I was willing to look at and not mind having it on my wall, it was good art.

Yesterday, my sister and brother-in-law brought me to SAM or the Seattle Art Museum.  I haven't been to a museum in quite a while and it was a nice way to spend a Friday afternoon.  SAM has an interesting collection:  a mix of modern, contemporary and historical art.

This visit to the museum gave me a new perspective of what I liked about art.

I still don't care to surmise about the "questions or emotions" artworks should evoke the viewer.  It still sounds like over-thinking the artwork to me as with the caption next to Edward Hopper's Automat painting which says:  What is she doing all alone in this Automat?  Is she waiting for someone?  Is it just a stopover as she's heading to her real destination?  Or Andy Warhol's Double Elvis which had dramatic thoughts on the silver and the fading and duality of Elvis. 

Today I realized, I like art mostly for its relevance to the times.

In the case of Hopper, he was a keen observant of the times, short of being a voyeur.  He even admitted to shamelessly watching and even staring at people in their unguarded moments. And from this he observed a changing times:  when women started joining the workforce and leaving the home.  It used to be that women won't be found eating alone outside of the home.  She would most likely be accompanied by her consort.  Hence the Automat really depicted the changing times which had opened a gateway to a lifestyle as  we know it today:  women independently going out into the world and enjoying it even when they're alone.

I also like pieces of art that told rich stories like the European chinoiserie tapestries that tells the story of a vogage of a Prince and the different magnificent encounters he had along the way.  I also like art that are part of history like the Egyptian pieces and the Italian Room.  And well, one always has an appreciation for art that imitates life as with the French sculptures.
I haven't been to a museum in quite a while.  It's really surprising how enriching the experience can be.