MoMA

Considering the Museum of Natural History was the first museum I have been to outside of Fernbank, I was blown away by the art museum today. I had never seen an original Van Gogh, or an Andy Warhol, or Picasso. Henri Matisse is one of my favorite artists. Seeing his work close up was more effective than I imagined it would be. The work is striking from a few feet away, but even more interesting with your nose right up on the work-I thought master artists would be focused on perfection; but it seemed to be more about the intention and effects of each brushstroke. Online or in a textbook Matisse is interesting, but the depth brought to a painting or sculpture in real life is beyond what you can interpret from a photograph. 

    I learned that art is not black or white, from the chair display on shelves to the shattering plates and glasses composing a chandelier, everything has its own place in a museum like MoMA. Floors and floors of artists who've pursued their dreams makes for an interesting day. It was also new for me to see all the different mediums artists work with. I saw Matisse sculpture, paintings, and drawings. The skill level is so high, and all of the creativity it takes to produce all of his artwork is beyond me. There were so many artists outside of Matisse that I really enjoyed today. I have always enjoyed Piet Mondrian, Rene Magritte, and today I added new favorites like contemporary artist Carol Bove. Seeing all of this art as it stands in real-time was very worthwhile.