On Sunday, September 7th, I was able to finally escape Staten Island for a couple hours with a group of friends to see the amazing art at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Although I did have to miss the U.S Open men’s final AND the Polish national soccer team’s match against Finland, I was not disappointed with my experience at the museum!
Surprisingly, the commute to the Whitney from the Staten Island Ferry was quick, as both the ferry and the 1 train took us to the museum in approximately an hour. This was my first time at an art museum, so I did not know what to truly expect. When we entered the lobby, my unknowledgeable and unartistic self was surprised to find that it was just a big empty space with lots of glass walls and a gift shop. It didn’t really introduce me to an expectation of the art I would see.
However, when the elevator doors released us to the top floor, I realized that it was going to be such a fun but also enlightening experience. The top floor featured an exhibition titled “Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night.” At first, I was confused on what the exhibit was portraying, as the walls were decorated with music notes while there were a variety of art pieces, like sculptures and drawings, mainly composed of words. However, it wasn’t until videos showed Kim using sign language that I realized it was a portrayal of sound art by a deaf artist. It was also very serene and quiet in the exhibition, which allowed the art to communicate much better to the viewer, which was the whole purpose behind the art. Kim communicates her experience as a deaf artist in many ways, as she communicates rage and misunderstanding through word art and sculptures.
After we viewed Christine Sun Kim’s exhibition, we went down to the seventh floor. I like to believe that we all separated to view the art works, but I think I actually got lost. However, I did wander around and manage to find a new piece of artwork that would become one of my favorites. The seventh floor of “the Whitney” portrayed two exhibitions — one named “Claes Oldenburg: Drawn from Life,” and a second being “Untitled” (America). The first exhibition , “Claes Oldenburg: Drawn from Life,” was not particularly of my favorite ones, however it was very cool to see some very fun drawings that had lots of simple inspirations behind them. Oldenburg reimagined objects of daily life and drew them into fun and child-like drawings. My favorite was the one of Mickey Mouse.
Study for Announcement for One-Man Show at Dwan Gallery—Mickey Mouse with Red Heart, 1963
On the contrary, the second exhibition, “Untitled” (America), was one of the best things I have laid my eyes on. There were so many cool paintings in this collection, which had so many different artists and so many different styles. Some of the paintings were more dramatic and depressing, and some were more fun and interesting in a playful way. What I found to be really cool was the portrait of the founder of the Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, which was made by realist painter Robert Henri. I honestly thought that the person in the portrait was Napoleon Bonaparte, so I was surprised to learn it the was the founder of the Whitney museum.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1916
However, my favorite piece of artwork was one by Mark Rothko, entitled Four Darks in Red. At first glance, it didn’t really speak to me. However, I read the description and did what Rothko intended the viewer to do, which was to immerse themselves into the world that is created by looking at the painting up close and disregard everything around the canvas. The shades descend from darkest to lightest, representing a heavy weight to a lighter weight as a way to portray emotions and the effects it has on the mind and heart. As Rothko described it, it summons “the basic human emotions – tragedy, ecstasy, doom.” It really is a piece of contemplation, and I believe it became an instant favorite due to my connection with it, especially the feelings of an never ending impending doom and the feelings of tragedies and trauma playing in everyday life.
Four Darks in Red, 1958
Lastly, the group and I made our way down to the sixth floor, which showcased “Shifting Landscapes.” This was a very interesting exhibition, as each piece interprets a “shifting landscape” in many different ways, especially politically and socially. This exhibition had to be one of my favorites of the three, as there were so many different pieces that showcased a shifting landscape, especially with geopolitical issues and ecological issues. I really appreciated how this exhibition was much more history-centered but also had a great emotional value to it. I didn’t have a specific favorite, as each piece was so unique and different than the other.
Just before the group and I ended our trek around the Whitney, we wanted to have a little memory of one of our first memories after beginning college and being with each other outside of school… so we used up our quarters and bought these very fun picture cards from a vending machine. Somehow, I was the chosen one and got both of the secret pictures!!
I had such an amazing time at the Whitney Museum of AmericanArt. A part from the fact I was able to spend time with friends outside of school, the variety of artwork actually made amazing impressions on me, and had made me want to explore more art around New York and maybe even around the world! I would say it was worth missing out on watching the U.S Open final and the soccer match, but that’s just me 🤷♂️.
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