Mod 11 Art Gallery Visit #2 - 4/21/19-

Step 1: The Exhibition

For my Art Gallery Visit #2, I visited the Museo de Arte in San Juan, Puerto Rico while I was down there on spring break in March. The museum featured a large collection of some of the most treasured art pieces created from local artists in Puerto Rico. 

Questions about the exhibit: 
1. What is the title of the exhibit? Mundillo nuestro: Antonio Martorell y sus amigos
2. What is the theme of the exhibition? The theme was a spotlight on native Puerto Rican artist, Antonio Martorell along with other local PR artists on display. 

Step 2: The Gallery

Questions about the physical space:1. What type of lighting is used? The is a lot of natural lighting due to the giant windows in the central section of the museum, and each side room was painted a bold color and had dimmed recessed lighting in the room.
2. What colors are used on the walls? Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space? Marble, concrete, wood
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space? The movement of the place in general was controlled and guided very well. 

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:1. How are the artworks organized? Each room had a slightly different theme to it, whether it be entire rooms dedicated to a single Puerto Rican artist, or a room dedicated to certain style of art (i.e. a Victorian Era paintings room)
2. How are the artrworks similar? There were some similarities among all of the art. A lot had very bright colors used, a good portion of them had some sort of religious (Catholic) symbolism in it.
3. How are the artworks different? Some paintings looked very traditional but some looked almost like pop art and a little cartoony. Some were of landscapes and some were of facial expressions. There was a good variety of artwork presented.
4. How are the artworks framed? A lot of them were framed in nice wooden frames and some were placed behind plastic coverings to prevent damage. 
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled? There was a piece of paper on the wall next to each piece giving the name and date of the art, with a short description given in both English and Spanish.
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other? There was a good amount of space in between each piece, there were maybe 12-14 pieces of art in each room and there were maybe 20-25 rooms total that I got a chance to look through. 

Photos of the Museum and Physical Space:

3 Works of Art Critiqued:

  Description – It is a very large piece with elements of collage. There are 4 distinct sections and there is a lot going on throughout the entirety of the work.

 Formal analysis – The artist used balance and space (or lack of) to create this artpiece. There is also a lot of texture and color used in it as well.

 Bracketing - All of the figures are cartoony looking and some of the figures on the right in particular look like lego people almost.

 Interpretation - I think the artist was trying to convey a tone of anxiety, and was trying to make a comment about how overly complicated our lives get because of our anxieties and insecurities.  

             

  Description – There is a man with a stern face and a striped shirt. He has a mustache and the colors throughout the painting are variations of brown and tan. 

 Formal analysis – Lines. The way the straight lines on the shirt contrast with the wavy lines above his head. The lighting/shadowing on the face is an important part. 

 Bracketing - There isn't anything that sticks out as iconic or symbolic, though the style of lines used in the background reminds me of a van Goh painting. 

 Interpretation - I think the message behind this piece of art is supposed to be that of a feeling of struggle and wisdom. There is a slightly sad vibe to it. 

  Description – There is a woman in a white dress lounging on a chair or sofa. There are several colors that pop out to you. 

 Formal analysis – The artist used perspective and space in the room along with color and shape, particularly on the body of the woman.

 Bracketing - The wedding dress is symbolic. The furniture, simply by the way it looks is meant to display wealth. 

 Interpretation - I think that the artist was trying to convey a message along the lines of wealth does not equal happiness, because we all have a deep void inside of us that leaves us feeling empty (at least at times)