INTRODUCTION:

     It was a bright, but soon to be long day on my journey to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Throughout my childhood, I’ve never really had the opportunity to visit art museums due to my lack of interest in art during that time. As a result, I was very excited to visit the MOMA, as it’ll mark my first ever art museum visit in my life. After getting off of 7th Avenue station, I took a 20 minute walk straight towards the outside of the MOMA. Immediately when reaching there, I was impressed by the smooth entrance I was able to get into the museum. It was a rapid process that involved going through security, double checking that everything is in my bag, getting my CUNY ticket, and walking towards my first ever art exhibit.

SECTION 1 (FREDERICK DOUGLASS ART SECTION):

“Lessons of the Hour” by Sir Issac Julien

 

“Lecture on Pictures” by Frederick Douglass.jpg

     After walking around the 1st floor for a bit, I noticed a huge crowd of people walking towards a room that seemed to show some sort of movie in there. Upon walking towards the crowd, I was amazed to witness the popularity and works of Frederick Douglass. It was a name I hadn’t seen since reading his book titled  “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” in middle school. Even though I had a small glimpse of who Frederick Douglass was, reading his written documents on display gave me a refresher on his life under enslavement and his contribution to the abolitionist movement. It was also interesting to find a movie that was crafted in his honor, and was thus impressed by the clear historical events that Julien depicts in his Douglass’s narrative.

SECTION 2 (HISTORICAL ART SECTION):

“Flag” by Jasper John

“The Charnel House” by Pablo Picasso

 

“Campbell’s Soup Cans” by Andy Warhol

     It was also very fascinating to see the works that were drawn within the 19th-20th century because they depicted the situations that were arising at that moment. Jasper Johns’s ”Flag”, for example, allowed me to see notable differences between our current flag and the flag before the United States acquired both Hawaii and Alaska as official states. Upon searching the modern-day American flag, I was able to see the pattern of rows to be strikingly different and the brightness of the color that was painted in contrast to the computer-generated image of the modern-day flag. Looking through Pablo Picasso’s “The Charnel House” I was fascinated by the message he wanted to convey of the horrors of World War 2. Picasso, at first, was never one bit interested in painting anything that pertains to the theme of war, however the spread of Nazism and dictatorship in some parts of the world strongly persuaded him to illustrate to his audience the negativity those ideals played in the 1940s. Upon my journey on these historical paintings, I’ve realized that many of them were referred to as “Documents” in my history classes, as they were used mostly to support our historical claims. An example of this can be “Campbell’s Soup Cans” painting, which highlighted the typical, universal diet of many American workers during the 20th century. I remember in my U.S. history class, I had to use this painting as evidence to describe the toughness the American soldiers had to fight in the Cuban wars, mainly through eating soup meals day after day.

SECTION 3 (MATERIALISTIC ART):

“House of Hope” by Montien Boonma

“Dial-a-poem” by John Giorno

     It was also refreshing to see other pieces of art that were used to depict art other than paintings. Coming from a Chinese family that follows certain Buddhist traditions, Montien Boonma’s “House of Hope” reminded me of the very first temple I went to in China. The beads that were used for decoration reminded me of the relics the monks would put on when giving a lecture to an audience, alongside the red staircase illustrating to me happiness and prosperity just as the Chinese cultures would define the color. At the “Dial-a-poem” exhibit by John Giorno, I was able to explore auditory art by someone who gave it away to the public for free. By dialing the number the instructions asked me to, I was quick to pick up the stunning poem John Giorno had crafted within minutes about his opposition to the Vietnam War. It made me a little bit upset, especially hearing an artist reflecting upon the tragic loss of lives that were occurring from the war.

SECTION 4 (ABSTRACT ART SECTION):

“Exhibition C” by Piet Mondrian

“One: Number 31, 1950” by Jackson Pollock

     The abstract art exhibit reminds me of the type of art that I’ve seen in my elementary school art room. The most notable painting my art teacher would clearly show on her wall was the “Exhibition C” painting by Piet Mondrian. To my four-year-old self at that time, nothing in the painting really stuck to me as art rather just a bunch of shapes jumbled up together. I feel like this perception was developed by seeing much more complicated portrait and landscape drawings in social media. It wasn’t until I discovered Jackson Pollock’s abstract paintings that I truly discovered the uniqueness of the drawings I would see in my elementary school art room. It was meant as a way to express one’s free mind when drawing, and how art especially is meant to communicate to the audience and doesn’t have to include any complicated details.

CONCLUSION:

     Overall, my childhood perception of trips to art museums being boring was quickly proven wrong when I visited the MOMA and discovered many hidden treasures, resulting in my perception of art to change. I saw artwork that ranged from cultural paintings, historical pieces of art, and abstract art paintings, which altogether sparked my interest in researching more about international works of art that I hadn’t learned about in school. To my surprise, I discovered that many famous paintings convey deep messages, and thus I strongly encourage whoever is reading this to venture out to the MOMA and explore other paintings rather than just paying a visit just to see the “Starry Night”.

Purely for the convenience of transit and the fact that both my mom and sister also had free access to the museum, I chose to visit the MoMA. Unfortunately, I did have an appointment to get two of my wisdom teeth removed that morning, but this would not stop me from completing my mission (I did not have time to go any other day 😔).

Nevertheless, my mom, sister, and I made it to West 53rd Street and by sheer coincidence caught my high school marching band performing in the Labor Day Parade.

Leading up to this trip I was a bit skeptical about bringing my mom with me since she has never really expressed her interest in art, yet I found that she had the most insightful commentary to offer on certain pieces. Most notably, she was enthralled by the displays of kitchenware in the 5th floor gallery. “I like it; it’s beautiful because it’s practical.”

“I want to have these in my kitchen” she said about a set of forks and spoons that I believe look utterly unergonomic, but I guess that shows a difference in our perspectives. Her argument in support of the sideways-bowled spoons is that you hold the spoon parallel to your mouth when you eat, thereby making them easier to use. While I strongly disagree with my mom’s love for these pieces of silverware, I realize that it reveals a little about her relationship with art as someone who never really interacted with art during her education and had instead prioritized learning English and making a living. My mom cares for practicality and that made the MoMA’s architecture and design exhibits really speak to her. 

Personally I enjoyed Monet’s water lilies the most, primarily due to the way each painting portrays a different time of day and lighting through subtle differences in color. Sadly, the photos do not accurately represent these colors and it was very difficult to take photos in such a crowded room.

My mom, on the other hand, called Monet’s paintings a “mess.” We soon realized that this was because she forgot to wear her glasses and could not actually tell that there were water lilies depicted in the paintings.

The asymmetrical face of this portrait really spoke to me and my own lopsided, swollen face in the moment.

Before we left, my sister stopped at the gift shop to buy a couple postcards that depicted artworks that she thought “matched the vibe” of each of the friends she intends to send them to. In this way she transformed the meaning of the original artworks.

 

 

     My trip to the Rubin Museum of Art was overall very peaceful and unique. I have never been to a museum unveiling the diversity of Asian art, and I enjoyed the atmosphere and unifying displays centered around this theme. As for my personal connection with the art,  initially, and with full honesty, a lot of the art did not necessarily speak to me and I struggled to find direct “communication”. Each piece felt more like a history lesson as opposed to communicating a deeper meaning. Maybe this was because of the repetitive nature of the pieces, or because of my preexisting bias of NYC art museums. However, as I gave the museum a chance, some pieces did insight thought and particularly grasped my attention. Through trial and error with different artwork, I was reminded how eye opening it is to feel a connection to cultures outside of your own. Below I have listed a few works held in the museum most memorable to my experience!     

1) LUKHANG TEMPLE MURALS
      By far, my favorite piece from the Rubin trip were the Lukhang Temple Murals. From a distance, especially if you have bad vision like me, it seemed like there was a lot going on the canvas, a scattered array of people and objects. However, as you got closer, the detail put into these works could really be appreciated. For example, my favorite snippet of the vast figures was of the cycle of life, displaying the inevitable experience of birth and death. What I enjoyed most about this was that it was evident that the artist was trying to convey the cycle of life, despite using a random assortment of symbols. I did not have to stand anxiously pondering about the meaning, and it was rather clear and easy to appreciate. More specifically, the lovers in bed represent the conception of life, the organs being the development of a fetus, and the children being the end result. Additionally, overarching these images, is a rather gory cluster of detached body parts, most likely portraying death. Thus, this whole section particularly spoke to me, as I love seeing how the simple theme of life is perceived and expressed by artists in endless ways.

 

 

 

 

 

2) MALE GUARDIAN DOG and FEMALE GUARDIAN DOG by SHUSHANK SHRESTHA
     This display is by far the best representation of a “history lesson” I took part in during my visit. Upon initial glance at these statues, I remember finding them to be silly-looking and I got a good chuckle from their exotic body structure. After reading the description, it turns out that these dogs are a small part of Nepal’s culture which I was, evidently, rather unaccustomed to. The dogs are actually replicas of lions, which are deemed to represent protection and power. The artist combined this symbol from Kathmandu, his homeland, and used his own two pet dogs as the foundation of the sculpture to embody this time enduring symbol. I am still left a little confused, though, how such a meaningful, powerful entity was created into such an unserious cartoon dog. As for the art style, despite being made only last year, it was consistent with the South Asian art style and culture depicted across the museum.

 

 

 

 

3) COMPASSION by JASMINE RAJBHANDARI
     Finally, for the last painting of the few that have resonated with me most of my visit, is the work titled Compassion, which my feelings upon it adapted as I took in the entirety of the piece. At first glance, it was uneasy to look at, at least in my opinion, due to the dominant use of primary colors and the alignment of 2D shapes on a flat, bright yellow background. But contrastingly, staring through this discomfort, the painting was quite alluring in the aspect that it shows the themes of health and healing, something I am interested in. Also, even though I do not necessarily relate to the religious intentions of the painting (the Buddhist gods shown), I was still able to admire its connections to human tragedies in war. The philosophy of how humans are entirely capable of both destruction and mending has always been a fascination of mine.

     

Nonetheless, my visit to the Rubin was a fun trip and it introduced me to a new culture of art. Through experimentation with the many art pieces that were displayed, I was able to learn more about myself and the way I individually decipher what makes something art. I also enjoyed the hands-on interactivity in the museum. My favorite of the few experiences was when I was offered to color a tapestry to be hung outside the museum for its closure next month. I guess now I can forever brag that my art (whether or not it being art can maybe be debated in class) was (sort of) hung up at a museum!

The Rubin Museum of Art is a vertically structured museum that displays Tibetan art, which comes from several regions in Eurasia. Overall, all of the art visually did seem really detailed and cool, but it was difficult to find a message in each one. Here are some interesting pieces that I found:

1. “Muted Expressions” – 2022

When I looked at this piece of art, I thought of chaos. There were so many hands and legs all scrambled together, and too much to look at all at once. Then this lady who worked at the museum came up to my friends and I, and told us about the context of this piece, as well as tiny details about it. She said that the artist created this piece in response to the devastating earthquakes that took place in Nepal in 2015, and pointed out the “peace” and “rock on” signs gestured by some of the hands, as well as the shadow above. The hand gestures give you that feeling that people similar to you were unfortunately affected by this disaster, and the shadow gives that feeling that the hands of the people were trapped within the earthquake and couldn’t escape.

2. The Gong Exhibit

I have been playing instruments for a really long time, so an exhibit that involves making and listening to a sound caught my attention. There were 8 gongs, 4 on each side, hanging above water, with a stick corresponding to each one. The exhibits told you first to imagine your anger, then gently strike the gong, raise the handle that was located to the left of it to slowly drop it into the water, and then listen to the sound of your anger transform. I wasn’t in the mood to imagine my anger, so I just listened to the sound they made. I feel like most of the gongs were disappointing as they were too quiet when gently striking it and I usually would think that anger would sound loud. However, the gong in the picture above was strikingly loud compared to the other ones, and when sinking it into the water, I was able to hear the sound waves frequency change and pitch drop. I think it was the best example out of all the gongs to show water absorbing the anger created by the strike. 

 

3. The Smell Exhibit

I didn’t take any pictures of this exhibit, but basically it was 6 stations that each had a touchscreen and a red button. Pressing the red button would dispense the scent corresponding to it, and the screen would prompt you to respond with an emotion you felt after smelling it. I found it very difficult to recall an emotional response to them, but there was one smell that I was curious about. It was the smell of rice fields according to the author, but for me it reminded me of a grandparents house. I thought this was a great example that people can retrieve different responses to art unintended by the artist.

4. “Field of Wishes” – 2023, by Sonam Dolma Brauen

This piece contains a bunch of clay molds called tsatsas surrounding a larger structure. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, people mixed the ashes of the deceased with clay molds and created figurines using it. They would then place these figurines in sacred places. When I first saw this art piece, I didn’t know what was trying to be conveyed, but it did seem like each tsatsa contained different meanings because of the large repetition of them. There was a video near it that showed how this specific installation in this museum was created. The shape was acquired by the tsatsa mold the artist’s family brought with them when escaping Tibet. She also hosted a workshop and invited people to create the tsatsas, as well as inserting a piece of paper into them that says their wish. The text associated with this art piece says the artist’s intent is to convey “peace, togetherness, and connection to one another.”

5. “The Protectors” – 2024, Jupiter Pradhan

I wouldn’t have written about this art piece if it wasn’t for the same lady I mentioned when I wrote about the “Muted Expressions” art piece. When I first took a glimpse of it, I thought the large sculpture represented evil, since that’s how we perceive the color red as in today’s world. However, the lady told us that this sculpture is supposed to be a hero, and the figurines around it are being protected by it. The sculpture represents “Mahakala”, the god of time, creation, destruction, and power. I went back to see the artpiece and saw that the soldier toys seemed to be comfortable and were helping the larger sculpture.

6. “The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room”

This was the largest exhibition in The Rubin. It displayed what a private household shrine looked like, where people would practice religion. In this room I noticed some similarities to the Catholic Church I attend every Sunday. The chalice in the middle looked similar to the one used at the Church I attend, and there were prayer beads on the side of the wall that anyone was able to grab, which people also use in Catholicism. This conveyed to me that no matter how different we seem to be, we are connected in some sort of way.

7. “Uber Rat” – 2023, Shushank Shrestha

What instantly caught my attention when seeing this art was the airpod pros. Airpod pros were released in 2019 and are a big part of New York culture, which instantly made me realize that the sculpture was recently made and related to people like me. The artist mixed New York culture with a divine being, and I like the “hidden easter eggs” on it, like how the car brand was called “mouscedes”.

 

Although I was able to receive a meaning from several different art pieces at this museum, most of them seemed like they required context to understand. On top of that, most of the art pieces I did get a meaning from also required context. That said, I did enjoy the time I spent there with my friends, but I probably wouldn’t go there again, since I am not really interested in Tibetan art.

On Saturday afternoon, I endured the unfortunately inconvenient commute from Staten Island to Manhattan to visit the Museum of Modern Art. Despite the travel, I was intrigued and curious as to what kind of art displays I would find, and which ones, if any, would speak or connect to me in an interesting way. As I explored the premises, I saw many paintings, sculptures, etc. that I found to be visually appealing, but I also came across pieces that initially confused me.

1: In Advance of the Broken Arm by Marcel Duchamp

When I first approached this piece, I was puzzled because from my perspective, it was just an ordinary snow shovel suspended from the ceiling. I questioned its presence in a museum of art. Upon further investigation, I found that provoking this reaction may have been a goal of Duchamp’s when deeming this piece worthy of being hung in his studio. The way I perceive it is as a direct contrast to preexisting ideas about what can truly be considered art. By giving the shovel a name that coincides with the object’s general use, without simply calling it something adjacent to “snow shovel”, this may signify that the notion of “art” is imbedded in the meaning of it rather than solely visual appeal.

2: Agapanthus by Claude Monet

While I was at the museum, this piece of art stood out to me because it looked somewhat familiar. I could not figure out where I had seen something similar before at the time. However, at home, I discovered that the paintings hanging in my house’s family room are replicas of other Claude Monet art pieces. It was particularly interesting to me that I was able to unknowingly recognize an art style that has always been present in my everyday life (they have been on our wall since before I was born) even though I do not recall ever truly taking time to study the replicas. I feel that this is significant because it shows how some notable artists have signature art styles that allow them to be identified. It was also interesting because I feel that I took more time to look at this painting than I ever have at the replicas in my home, which may just be a human tendency to observe something more closely when it is particularly put on display, or when we are told and convinced that something is important enough to be shown in a place like a museum.

3: Gold Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol

I found this piece interesting because I know that I have seen this image many times before. It was surprising to me that the image of Monroe herself takes up such a small amount of space on the canvas. When seeing this image replicated and shown elsewhere, especially digitally, it is easy to assume that the painted section of the piece is larger. This provoked me to think about how technology has altered society’s perception of art. Innovation such as social media has allowed art to become more accessible, which is beneficial to people who would not be able to experience certain aspects of art otherwise, but it may also be detrimental to the human experience of seeing art in person, as people may have prior expectations to seeing particularly famous art pieces that are not met when they finally physically come across them.

To my surprise, I found that my experience visiting the Museum of Modern Art did not only outlast the time that I was physically there, but was also enriched by further research and making connections between the displayed art, and aspects of my daily life and society’s preconceived ideas regarding art as a whole.

My trip to the Rubin first started with the dreaded commute, although the commute is not liked by many, I happen to enjoy it. I loved how on the way experiencing performers who have all different ways of representing their cultures, or showcasing their special talents. When I got off of the Ferry the first thing I saw was a large crowd rounded around performers who seemed to be mere super humans, doing flips over 5 people, jumping so high it looked like they were flying. I went to the Rubin by myself with my headphones in, I had very minimal distractions and was able to enjoy the art.

The first piece that stood out to me was the statues of the male and female Guardian Dogs, specifically the male dog stood out to me. The dog is portrayed with armor, which alludes to the fact that it is a protector, but the dog manages to look welcoming and a bit goofy. The dog has its tongue out which looks similar to my dog after she plays. The dog actually reminded me a lot of my dog which is why I took to this piece. Besides the three eyes, the bright smile and tongue out is an image that I see often when my dog wants food. However, the statue was much larger, even in a standing position the dog was about 4 feet sitting down, while my dog is about a foot tall while sitting. The dogs were used as protectors, usually at the entrance of a temple, to cast out evil spirits. I feel like these dogs do not appear as protectors, as they look like a friendly dog out of a cartoon, however this cartoon look does make sense because it is believed these dogs have “mythical powers.”

The second piece that stood out to me was the painting of the goddess of energy, Tara. The first thing that stood out was the vibrant, tropical, colors. Originally, I thought Tara was killing the man, due to standing over him, scissors and a sword in hand, and what looks like blood on her mouth, but after some reading it is said Tara is helping cure the man after he drank poison. She is appearing as a mother figure, protecting the lord as he is in such a vulnerable state. And weather the art is interpreted as I did, or by the true meaning, the piece still shows what looks like a society where women are protectors of men, as she portrays prowess while standing over the lord. Her sword, the skulls on her hair and her wings spread wide show her strength and bravery, and create an intimidating effect.
This third piece looked like it was a devil like creature named Ratka who was the supreme ruler, and the figures around the devil were subordinates, maybe his workers, or deity figures who were below him due to his great power. There is a shrine around him, as well as a crown on his head. In addition, the smaller figures around him are worshipping him which confirms that he is above them. The 3 figures on the bottom do not look like they worship him, and they have people worshipping them while Ratka had what looked like deity worshipping him. These 3 figures are still illustrated under Ratka, showing his superiority, which they probably do not like. Maybe the 3 of could combine to be equal to Ratka.

The art at the Ruben had such great magical colors, which gave the effect that almost every piece in the museum was that of a mythical decent, whether they were gods, goddesses, deity, or even a dog, they all looked other worldly powerful. I am not an art enthusiast, and I do not think I will ever be as in touch with art as many artists and art experts are, I do still enjoy the art especially the art of this museum as it was not boring to me.

INTRODUCTION:
To begin, my friends and I traveled to a magical art museum called the Rubin. I was excited to see what awaited me and what surprises I might find, because it was my first time going to an art museum in my entire life. All I could think of was six floors of wonders, waiting to be discovered.

EXHIBIT #1:

I genuinely enjoyed this piece of art. The colors are so vibrant and the style is familiar. The piece shown above was titled “Kamala”, a part of a collection called “Dus Mahavidyas” (Great Goddesses of Wisdom) by artist Shraddha Shrestha. What I really liked about this piece, was that it instantly reminded me of this cartoon I used to watch as a kid called “The Powerpuff Girls”. This specific piece made me think of Buttercup. It invoked nostalgic feelings inside me, which is a feeling I appreciate deeply. To be honest, I was not really that surprised to find out that the artist was inspired by Powerpuff Girls and other cartoons, because they look almost identical in style. 

 

EXHIBIT #2:

This piece of art shown above was by far one of the worst pieces of art that I have ever seen. The piece was titled “Divine Generation”. It was quite literally a rock dated from last year. One positive thing I could say about the rock is that the museum allowed us to touch it. It didn’t seem like it carried much meaning and it didn’t have any redeeming qualities.

 

EXHIBIT #3:

This exhibit shown above was titled “Asha Kama Wangdi, Vast Bhutan” or “The Windhorse (Lungta)” and it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in person. It consisted of discarded prayer flags made of polyester and the artist turned it into a really nice collage with elegant designs. My favorite part of the prayer flag display was the horses that popped out. I was very fascinated with this art piece and the way it extended from the first floor all the way to the sixth floor. Every time that I made my way up the stairs, I would continue to look at the prayer flag structure, strictly because I was getting a unique perspective every step of the way.

CONCLUSION:

To summarize, I enjoyed the trip to the Rubin. I appreciated most of the art, especially the detailed arts on textiles. I thought deeply about the hard work that went to the textile arts, as well as the many sculptures that I thought were really cool.

At first, the gongs were irritating. Periodic thunderous blasts from the third floor of a museum can disturb one’s focus on an art display if one is simply trying to establish their footing. However, as I plunged deep into the content of the Rubin, I noticed that these gongs worked in concert with the art to transport me into a meditative realm. I stood before every painting for minutes, not only observing its details but participating in a conversation with the artist. Rather than being unshackled from my own experiences and values, I brought all of myself to this dialogue in order to meaningfully interact with and extract as much possible value from the pieces of art on display. For the first time in my life in an art museum, I took the time not merely to gallop from piece to piece like I was in some kind of buffet, but to absorb the meaning of the paintings, let such thoughts ruminate and reflect.  

The Rubin does a remarkable job of assembling a collection of pieces which encompasses those which are a millenia old to those which were literally made in the last few years.      

One of the contemporary pieces which resonated with me was that of New World by Roshan Pradhan (2021). I am as much of a fan of technological progress as anyone. I don’t fear the gears or the robot bees depicted in this painting and I think the background of large columns suspended in the sky conveys that any kind of future society that employs robotic technology will be high-achieving and heavenly in its standards of living. However, this painting evokes my dread of the robotic era because it emasculates me, the male viewer. The robot in this painting assumes a dominant sexual position and provides the ultimate erotic satisfaction to the woman whose legs are wrapped around him. He also produces offspring which swim through the body of water below him. It is one thing for humans to use increasingly advanced robots or even to be replaced entirely by robots in the far future. However, this painting presents me with the terrifying prospect of competing directly with robots-which means inevitable failure and subjugation. I face no chance of success in the sexual marketplace against a machine designed for stimulation. Nevertheless, the robot of New World has not only bested me in pleasing a beautiful woman but while shoving this in my face, he parades around his robotic bloodline of superior humanoids. Thus, the robot has not only defeated me but his children will one day rule over my children in the same fashion. 

In this painting, there is a glimpse of the robot’s threat to take away what gives men like me meaning, which is to be a magnetic figure who attracts and inspires. The kind of force of personality required to seduce and satisfy is something one would never think to ascribe to a robot, which our culture views as stiff and emotionless. Nevertheless, New World imagines that we have entered a phase of progress where robots thrive in the sexual sphere. This means they have acquired a liveliness that is all-too-human and which threatens the sexual monopoly which human men currently enjoy with women. However, even beyond romantic partners, the robots threaten to outperform men in the masculine charm which is used to attract them. The loss of exclusive control over such an aura-the product of self-assertiveness and heroism-means the loss of animating energy for many men. This new world is petrifying because the human man is absent from the picture, just as he is nowhere to be found in this painting. Men are not present in this concocted dystopia because they have been surpassed by a race of charismatic robots.

A second work of contemporary art which I connected with at the Rubin is A Crime with Mother by Tenzin Gyurmey Dorjee (2022).  The subject of this painting wears a sweatshirt with an American rock song. Half of his head has been transformed into a skull because he feels he has committed a great moral evil by consuming meat. I do not know what it’s like to treat vegetarianism as a religious or legal obligation as opposed to a personal commitment. However, I do feel connected to a universal theme that this painting touches on, which is managing the guilt and social consequences of assimilation. If this painting had replaced the cow with a pig, I would have believed you if you had told me that it was created by a Jewish artist. That is because there was somewhere in my own familial line where someone had to contend with whether or not they would consume a non-kosher diet in America. I don’t feel like I am worthy of death when I consume pork, but in my community certain lifestyle choices that depart from the Jewish tradition feel unethical. For instance, I would feel a moral blight if I married outside of my faith. 

The blackness of the dead cow and its face’s fearful expression are chilling. These sights make the viewer feel the moral cost that is weighing on the painting’s subjects. The cow’s fright is burned into the minds of those who consumed him. I wouldn’t know how to artistically render-in as poignant a manner as this startled cow-the blameworthiness I’d feel at ending my long-line of Jewish ancestry. That may be because it is not as easy to pinpoint the victims of Jewish intermarriage as those of meat-eating, since the injured party is not right on your plate. 

The young man and his mother also wear handcuffs because eating meat is illegal. This artistic choice alludes to the maltreatment imposed by a community upon a “sinner.” In the case of intermarriage, many families and synagogues will engage in social ostracization and treat the intermarried person as an outcast. These externally imposed costs would probably be more painful for me than any moral qualm I had with my behavior because of how critical these social bonds are to the quality of my life. 

The photo of Gandhi hanging on the wall, staring at the mother and son with a judgmental expression, is reminiscent of the photos of rabbis which are on the walls of Jewish households like my own. The rabbi serves as a symbol of one’s spiritual and communal identity. Gandhi’s affect here implies that the picture’s orientation changes based on the household’s loyalty to religious doctrine. If the subjects of the painting had sacrificed their own pleasure and not consumed meat, Gandhi would’ve been a source of pride and smiled lovingly at them. However, to see Gandhi in the midst of their sin only compounds the feeling that they have betrayed their moral compass and he glares at them like an ashamed father. 

I was perplexed by the mother’s buffalo head. Although in one sense, she may be hiding behind a disguise, the mask itself is unsettling. It looks like a murderer’s attire-the kind that one would only expect to see in a horror movie. One way to interpret this costume is that just as the son in the painting has a partly skeletal face because he believes his actions have made him akin to Death himself, the mother feels she resembles a killer so senseless that they would wear their victim’s body parts on themselves. The painting is not realistic, but seeks to portray how the mother and son genuinely feel about their actions.

The Rubin Museum also provides a wealth of art depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses which I was able to explore on a whole new level. One such piece of art is the Two-Sided Festival Banner of Varunani and Varahi from 17th/18th century Nepal. 

I have very little experience with Hinduism. Their Gods are completely foreign to my own religion of Judaism, which is a transcendent monotheism that views depictions of God as a grave affront. On their face, the Hindu Gods resemble refined and powerful animals to whom one prays for protection. This image could confirm that presumption. However, I sought to discover the message communicated by this work of art using its elements alone without any prior knowledge of Hindu teachings. 

The Hindu Gods appear to be worldly, which is usually a pejorative characterization in a religious context, but I mean worldliness to be a positive attribute in that the Gods symbolize and inspire material success. Varahi’s attire is elegant, including her robes, foot jewelry, crown, earrings and bracelets. Rather than merely being described as immensely powerful, she is shown to be, as she has many arms and holds a scepter in one of them. Her multiple arms demonstrate that she has the ability to accomplish many things simultaneously and her scepter reveals that she wields earthly authority. 

I had the most difficulty understanding how such a glamorous goddess could be a red boar. The answer I take from this painting is that there is a kind of ruthlessness, which is animalistic and evoked by the bloody tint of red, that may be at times required for worldly success. In a dog-eat-dog world, self-preservation involves getting one’s hands dirty. When I think of a boar I think of a creature that will do anything to get its food and that is why this goddess is not any old goddess. She is a beautiful boar goddess. 

As a person who would like to succeed in the rat race, Varahi provides me with inspiration. To worship her means to worship the ideals she embodies, which include the acquisition of power and wealth. A goddess like this is a breath of fresh air from the other-worldliness of my own religion and Christian culture which says that moral goodness necessitates withdrawal from the world. Varahi uses her wealth and power not merely for her own glory but also to protect her worshippers. She teaches us the priceless lesson that whether we are trying to improve the quality of life for ourselves or others, we need to act within the real world and the system we exist under in order to make tangible improvements.

Another set of works at the Rubin which shed light on Hinduism and its departure from Judeo-Christian culture were sculptures like the one above, Chakrasamvara In Union With Consort Vajravarahi from 14th century Tibet. The sculpture depicts a god and goddess in loving embrace and trampling upon another supernatural duo. I was flabbergasted when I saw these figures because my experience with religion has been that intimacy and dominion over others are things which should not be glorified. To exert domineering power over others in western culture is a mark of cruelty and exploitation. Additionally, intimate sexual acts are meant to be private. Even if these things are not viewed negatively, they are not meant to be idolized. I see great bravado in the artist’s choice of subject. Not only are these gods crowned with Jewels and carrying the symbols of power but they are displaying their power to all. I feel exhilarated as I look at this sculpture and am met with a romance. This sculpture does not facilitate a one sided interaction between the female subject and the male spectator. There is complete sexual participation by each party, which makes the work feel even more invigorating. I see in this divine pair a vibrant relationship and a true power couple: a paragon of love and success. With fire blazing in the background, I am electrified by the thought of dancing away the night with the love of my life as my competitors falter beneath me.

I would like to compare what I came to see in the Rubin as the traditional Hindu depiction of the Gods and one of the contemporary works which missed the mark. One of the pieces that I adored was Durga Killing The Buffalo Demon from 13th Century Nepal and one which I did not care for was Compassion by Jasmine Rajbhandari (2023). I loved the sculpture of Durga, like many of the other Hindu pieces, because of her vitality. She has triumphed in battle; she is elegant and wealthy; she has a multitude of limbs-some of which carry weapons-conveying her versatility. Durga is the ultimate expression of the worldly glory that human beings can aspire to, which is found in her military victory, material gains and her success in multiple areas of life. 

On the other hand, Compassion portrays the Gods as healers or providers to victims of warfare. I absolutely believe in emulating the selflessness of the Gods. However, this feels like an inversion of what individuals ought to take from Them. People should not be dependent on deities. The consequence of that mindset will be feebleness and ineptitude. War is an exception in that people cannot provide for themselves. However, the greatness of the Gods, which is supposed to inspire people to action, is displayed as assisting the weak. This creates a subliminal lack of agency on the part of the viewer. The viewer will feel justified in awaiting the aid of the Gods, as opposed to their acting as role models for human achievement. 

One of the striking ways in which the divergence between strength and weakness is illustrated by the visual differences in the paintings is the gendered characteristics of the Gods. Durga is sculpted as a powerful woman with accentuated female features. The protagonists in Compassion are enlivened, androgynous statues. The result is that one of these artworks feels more human. It is difficult for me to feel a connection to alien-like floating beings. However, sex is a defining human characteristic and plays a vital role in establishing human identity. What Hindu Gods can do well is capture the greatest hopes and dreams of every young person. However, even if such a person’s dream was to be the greatest caregiver there ever was, there is little to latch onto in Compassion. The viewer is an outsider observing a foreign species helping those who cannot help themselves. With Durga’s statue, even a young male is rejuvenated with energy seeing a female goddess place all of her effort into becoming the top dog. 

There were two pieces from the Rubin to which I would apply the colloquial use of the term “modern art.” Goddess of Tangerine by Kunsang Gyatso (2023) appealed to me while The Womb & The Diamond by Charwei Tsai (2021) felt ineffective. One of the reasons these works are “modern art” is that in both one has to learn from elsewhere the context and story behind the pieces in order to appreciate them. 

Goddess of Tangerine imagines a reality where the tangerine is worshiped because the fruit is on the verge of extinction. It is outlandish and at first I was going to write it off as absurd. However, while one has to do mental legwork to gain some profound meaning from the work-also conventional wisdom about modern art-there were insights that the piece brought forth and made clearer to me. One is the idea that everything will decay and die, or impermanence. This was signified by the physical tangerines which are displayed at different stages of their life cycle. I meditated on the idea that I, like a tangerine’s bright orange, am now youthful and strong but I will gradually lose my vigor and robust frame until I turn into nothingness. This sentiment empowers my ego and drive. If tomorrow is not guaranteed, then I must strive for greatness today. Additionally, the work invites the viewer to question why certain things are worshiped. I found myself asking, why do we worship things which are rare? Aren’t the most beautiful things, like love and God, those things which are universally accessible? Something can be precious and worth appreciating without it being rare. However, people often worship those things which are rare and assign them a high monetary value even though they may not be of any intrinsic worth. In the case of the tangerine, it is being worshiped because it is on the brink of extinction and contributes essential value to the ecosystem. There is a dialogue and a story to interact with in Goddess of Tangerine, even if one has to read them on the plaque first. 

In the case of The Womb & The Diamond, I felt no connection to the ideas that the artist intended to represent. As I learned from the plaque, there was a lot of blowing and recitations which went into making all of the glass bubbles and tiles. The shapes look alike and so they’re supposed to represent interconnectedness and the universal potential of every human being to achieve nirvana. My feeling is that this is a completely one sided art endeavor. There was a lot of intentionality which went into the work but none of that is known to the audience. In addition, I feel as though interconnectedness should be based on something more substantive. Shouldn’t such a profound idea be inferred from something other than a bunch of identical shapes? If I were to make many different glass squares or paper triangles which all looked the same, would that also represent interconnectedness? 

In summation, the substance of Goddess of Tangerine had to be given to the audience but felt meaningfully connected to the artwork. In contrast, The Womb & The Diamond not only required a background, but its message lacked a concrete connection to the work itself.

To conclude, I had a phenomenal trip to the Rubin. I traveled with another student and ended up staying from eleven to four (the museum’s hours are eleven to five). My peer explored the whole museum, went out to eat and to the park and all the while I was still in the museum basking in the art. It was an unbelievable opportunity to explore non-Western art and dive deep into other religions and cultures. For the first time, I acquired my own sense of what Hinduism is about. I was also able to connect with universal themes like coping with assimilation and recognize trends in artistic style-like “modern art”-in works which come from an entirely different area of the world. I realized that no matter the country in question, the most fundamental human ideals lie at the heart of artistic expression.

My visit to The Rubin started off with something I was surprised with- there was actually a line of people waiting to go into the museum. I was surprised since the museum only contained nonwestern art and there were no events going on at that day. There were six floors in The Rubin, and my group decided to start on the top floor and work our way towards the bottom.

(1- The stairs of the Rubin, 2- The Rubin banners)

The sixth floor contained mostly Himalayan and Tibetan art. All the art on this floor was very recent and made within the last five years. This floor was by far my favorite due to the level of most of the art displayed. The first painting I saw was an oil painting. It was created by a female painter looking to connect her heritage with her current city of London. I found it interesting how a lot of the paintings on this floor dealt with the heritage of the artist.

(1- Love for the London Pigeon Deity, 2- Chants of a Monkey Mind, 3- The Protectors)

My favorite paintings, mostly due to the level of artistic talent required to make them, were Whispering Whistle and A Crime with Mother. I specifically like the style of Whispering Whistle, and how the artist attempted to convey the working class as not only respectable, but desirable. I enjoyed A Crime with Mother due to its hilarious social commentary as well as the little easter eggs the artist included in the painting to make it feel more personal.

(1- Whispering Whistle, 2- A Crime with Mother)

My least favorite exhibits are pictured below. The first one is a digital rendering of deities. I felt that it seemed less like art and more like photographs of video game characters. The scond exhibit was diamonds arranged on glass. It was very cool to read about the process of how the artist made the exhibit, but the exhibit itself is nothing I would call art.

(1- Binary Wheel, 2- Glass Blown Sculpture)

The fifth and fourth floor had plenty of sculptures, and even a shrine that I could walk into. There were also a lot of figures, with some being centuries old. I found them pretty cool to look at and enjoyed those floors as well.

(1- Shrine)

The third and second floor had a notable decrease in quality. It included an “interactive” exhibit where you would hit a gong and lower it into water to view the movement of the waves. I would hardly call this art though, as it seemed more like an elementary school science project rather than any form of art.

(1- One of my friends at the gong exhibit)

The second floor included a really useful guide to viewing Himalayan art, though I feel it would have been better placed at the entrance of the museum.

The first floor had very few exhibits and was mostly used for dining and a gift shop. It did have a really cool exhibit though, which depicted a modernized version of Ganesha’s mouse. I think it was a perfect example of modern art being influenced by ancient tradition.

(1- Ganesha sculpture, 2- Ganesha’s Mouse)

Overall, my trip to the Rubin was more fun than I expected. That being said, I probably would not have gone on my own as I tend to enjoy art that solely utilizes skill, rather than the viewer trying to find some deeper meaning. This notion had me feeling bored at the majority of the exhibits, as they required the viewer to have some outside knowledge to understand the paintings. I believe art is at its best when any viewer can find meaning without having to read paragraph long blurbs next to each exhibit.