The New Museum

While visiting the New Museum, I walked through the various galleries on each floor. It wasn't until after I came home was I informed by a friend that there was another free gallery at the back, I simply overlooked it and am pretty disappointed that I did. However from what I did see I took moderate interest in. To be honest, not much of what I saw grabbed my eye--which is why I wished I saw that first floor gallery. Overall I enjoyed the black Panther art, a lot of it looked the same to me, very illustrative posters, lithographic productions. I do enjoy very graphic works of art with solid flat planes of color, which much of this art displayed, but nothing in particular 'wowed' me. One of David Goldblatt's photographs that caught my attention was 'The Docrat's Lavatory'. It is a unique structure, that is obviously in ruin, but almost seemed like it could pass for some kind of modern building, had it been 'neater' I loved all of the angular shadows the structure cast, and the shadows in the bricks really highlighted the wall's texture. I also took a liking to his photograph 'Incomplete Houses' which was a display of many 'cookie cut' houses across the landscape--and by cookie cut i mean they were all the same. they were all the same even in their incompleteness, and the lightning in this particular image gave to contrasting dark and light sides to every house creating a nice pattern. The last aork which I took any interest in was David's 'Squatter Camp'. I love the grass in this, long blades of grass each flowing together in clumps creating what almost looked like waves. It very clearly shows the movement of the wind in this still image. I took little interest in the actual shacks, and overlooked them in favor of the trees along the horizon, which against the sky were very nice silhouettes.

A Bucket of Blood: Response

I have to say I was pretty disinterested with this movie when it first began, but I found myself more drawn in as it ran its course. It initially struck me as a boring story about a struggling wanna-be artist, that is until the cat incident. I have to say I wasn't really surprised at all when Walter accidentally killed the cat, and I'm somewhat ashamed to say I found that moment hilarious. When he decided to pawn it off as his own original art I had two thoughts, the first being "that's not art", then followed by "..well maybe it is?" I mean if a man can put his feces in a can and call it art, why not an animal? Of course there is something severely morally wrong with that concept and I by no means endorse or accept it as good or right, but it's just a movie so I'm not bothered by it in this instance. As Walter continues his method to art and fame, it reveals the true instability of his character and the lengths that he, and possibly what other actual people, will go to obtain acceptance and fame. I also got a little bit of a sense of the phrase "ignorance is bliss" from this movie. Those in the art world of this film did not know the true method to his art, and reveled in his "talent". Even Leonard, the owner of the art cafe, tried vigorously to deny the immorality of Walter's art in favor of profit, unknowingly driving Walter to become a criminal and commit more acts of murder for the sake of his art. In the end the truth behind Walter's art is revealed, and many are horrified; however I wonder if this had happened in real life, would Walter obtain immortal fame and go on to be known throughout history?