♥Introduction♥

I had the pleasure of attending Macaulay Honors College’s annual Night at the Museum event at the Brooklyn Museum. As a class, we focused on floors 3 and 5, which showcased Ancient Egyptian art, Native American art, and African American art. I am both Egyptian and Black, so finding artifacts I can relate to allowed me to learn things about myself and my culture that I did not know before.

♥Hair is Art♥

It is important to note that art is a conversation. You are having your very own discussions that are influenced by the art you see and how you react to it. For me, these exhibits involving hair spoke to me. Growing up, I was always ashamed of my kinky, frizzy, curly hair. I desperately wanted to have straight hair like my friends because their hair seemed “prettier” to everybody else and I did not know how to style my hair. Today, I am not ashamed to go to college with my hair in a protective style, and I am not ashamed to go to events with my curly hair out. Seeing these exhibitions spoke to me because hair that looks like mine is displayed as art in a museum. My hair is art. After feeling like I had ugly hair for so long, I can finally see myself in art as early as 2000 B.C.E.

Counting (Laura Simpson, 1991)

To me, this piece showed the beauty of counting. The beauty in aging. The beauty in a house after it’s built. The beauty in braiding hair. But this beauty comes with time, precision, and effort. While my hair takes more time to do than straight hair, the time and effort it takes tells a story about how I care for my hair, which makes it art.

Bound (Kehinde Wiley, 2014)

This statue was created to show that Black women are bound to their hair. Hair harbors connections to history, people, and family. The way we do our hair tells a story about the purpose we do it for. Braids, in this case, are a protective style. Yes, it protects our hair and scalp, but it protects us too. Rice and seeds used to be hidden in African braids to survive the Middle Passage. Braids are also used to identify which tribe or country you are from. These are some perfect examples to show why Black women are bound with hair.

Hairdressing Scene (c. 2008-1957 B.C.E.)

This scene shows me that not only was the presentation of hair important since the beginning of time, but Egyptians used to embrace curly and braided hair. Today, Egypt has become very Eurocentric in terms of beauty standards, so curly hair is straightened, protein and keratin treatments are on the rise, and being curly isn’t considered presentable. My vacation in Egypt was the start of my insecurity with my hair, and I straightened it every day. Representation influences how people view themselves, and it is important to include everybody for this reason. Prior to this museum trip, I did not realize that curly hair was embraced in Ancient Egypt, and it only makes me prouder to wear mine.

♥Conclusion♥

Representation influences how people view themselves, and it is important to include everybody so people are uplifted, knowledgeable, and comforted. In this museum, I felt very included and I walked out of it feeling happy that I could finally look at art and see myself in it. The conversations I’ve had with these exhibits about my hair have healed the part of me that was too worried I’d never find something to relate to, and I now understand the difference between looking at art and seeing it.

INTRODUCTION: 

       After finishing all my Tuesday classes on October 15th, I was filled with excitement in having the rare opportunity to meet up with all four hundred of the Macaulay students. And so, I took the long fifty-minute drive to Prospect Park in preparation for this event. When I arrived, security greeted me and as usual checked my bag. I was able to easily locate all my Macaulay CSI friends, as they were all walking toward the auditorium on the third floor. Following multiple speeches made by the directors and deans of Macaulay, everyone parted ways throughout the museum, and off I went to my next art museum journey.

 

SECTION 1 (EARLY DYNASTY PERIOD CIVILIZATIONS):

“Cosmetic Palette” and “Cosmetic Dish in the Form of a Fish” Artifact

“Third Display” Artifacts

       For more than thousands of years, the Brooklyn Museum has given me the invaluable opportunity to learn that art had always existed in early human civilization. As represented in the “Cosmetic Palette” artifact, both men and women had commonly used palettes like those in creating color paints when grinding certain materials. With sharp materials that were disposed of by these ancient humans, I’ve learned that they also find enjoyment in creatively carving stones to certain recognizable shapes around them, such as fish as shown in “Cosmetic Dish in the Form of a Fish.” The second display with the beaded necklaces fascinated me the most within this particular section of the museum because of its patterns being used in cultures that exist in the modern day. In many documentaries shown in school, I recall seeing indigenous groups and even modern-day tribesmen in Africa crafting beans out of wood and using stones to form lines of patterns on string, which created this sense of historical recognition when I first saw the third exhibit. 

 

SECTION 2 (ANCIENT EGYPT):

“The New Kingdom Pair Statue” Artifact

“Relief of Amun, Ahmose-Negertari, and King Amunhotep I” Artifact

       Ancient Egyptian cultures have fascinated me the most, as it has been widely documented and universalized in news articles and even pictures of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Upon looking at some artifacts, I’ve seen that many of them were made out of clay and were used highly to symbolize their rulers and certain animals that were common in Egypt. For example, I’ve learned that many Egyptian sculptures express bonds through sculpting two individuals like the “The New Kingdom Pair Statue”, which represents the connection of a scribe to a singer who appeared to look like one of the Egyptian goddesses. For some of these Egyptian artifacts, like in “Relief of Amun, Ahmose-Negertari, and King Amunhotep I”, I originally thought that the symbols around it were made for decorative purposes. After a quick Google search, I made on my phone, however, I learned later that the symbols were actually early Egyptian hieroglyphs that were used as their primary writing language. This made the art much more interesting to me, as many of the artifacts had embedded words that the artists wanted to openly express to their audience. Another interesting thing I’ve found that I forgot to take a photo of was the authentic mummies that were on display. It felt eerie when I looked inside an opened coffin with its interior contents on display. It raised a lot of questions to me of the sort of tasks archaeologists had to go through when uncovering a coffin in a crowded and unsanitary pyramid.

 

SECTION 3 (WESTWARD EXPANSION)/CONCLUSION:

“Man’s Shirt Cut” Artifact

“Painting #2” Artifact

       The brand new fifth floor was an experience I was grateful for, being one of the very first few people to enter it before it was opened to the general public. Upon entry, I noticed that many of the works of art were dedicated to showing indigenous culture. The “Man’s Shirt Cut”, for example, gave me a look at the typical style of clothing many Native Americans were wearing before the early European colonization. Many of the pictures, like “Painting #2”, gave me a saddened emotion when seeing the early American settings during that time, especially the advanced machinery that farmers were using to display Native American land. These works of art have connected well to the feeling I’ll always get when entering my high school U.S. history class, having seen many of them on my teacher’s walls as well. After exploring the fifth floor, I was quick to examine other floors and see other cultures’ historical artifacts, but found out that I had run out of time. Despite this, I left the museum with a smile having seen artifacts and paintings that altogether told a story of how early civilizations had developed into the modern society that I live in today.

Going into the night at the museum I was physically exhausted from playing basketball for 3 hours. On the bus ride I took a short nap, however it was cut short, so I was not in the mood at all to visit a museum honestly. So, my opinion on the museum will probably be heavily influenced by how I felt going into it. The museum had a great entrance, and I think it certainly left an impression. Looking at the architecture I can already tell it had a lot of history behind it, and I was amazed by the design. However, that view was short lived as we entered, got welcome, and entered into the auditorium to hear the prepared presentation.

I don’t really remember much of the presentation because I was so tired and the man sitting next to me was a tank so I was distracted, but I did find the philosophical questions and the idea of “seeing” interesting. Oftentimes we hear a term so much we forget to think about what it means. A question like “what is a museum” made me think about what we were really visiting in the first place. I also remember the notion of “seeing” and really viewing the art piece before doing any research. It is easy to just quickly search up what an art piece means and move on, but frequently art is ambiguous so just trying to find one “correct solution” is incorrect when it comes to art.

I Know’d it Was Ripe by Thomas Hovenden

This was the piece of artwork that caught most of my attention at the museum. For whatever reason I thought this painting was done recently. The realism caught my attention; it was almost like a photograph taken just yesterday of someone enjoying a watermelon. But, what changed the entire meaning of the painting for me was just the time period alone. This work by Thomas Hovenden was done in 1885, and if you know that time period you know the horrible atrocities being committed to African-Americans then. The boy’s happiness in the picture was a shock considering the history of the time. 1885 was post reconstruction America which is often called the Gilded age. In this period the Southern slave states returned to local control and we saw the rise of segregation policies in the form of Jim Crow laws. So, I thought his happiness may be a facade forced upon by the artist to capture an enthusiastic picture of the young black boy. However, I researched the painting and apparently the artist is actually in fact a black sympathizer since he was married to Helen Corson, who was a Quaker abolitionist. I am glad that his smile isn’t forced, but this painting may have had an unintended effect of showcasing that African-Americans were alright after the reconstruction era and simplified their suffering. Although I am sure the artist had no intention of doing so it may have had that effect during that time meaning that now when I look at the “happy painting” I almost feel sad because of the effects and time period it may have been taken in.

Overall although I was very tired, I enjoyed my trip to the museum and it was a lot of fun. I will say the art from this museum seemed more relevant to the time than the other museum visits we did so I was able to connect with the art more here. The artwork here, although sometimes simple in appearance, I think had a lot of meaning behind them and it was very enjoyable to try to find their meanings.

Going into the experience I was a little bummed that we had to go because it was late and in the middle of the week going into Brooklyn. However, I was surprised at the abundance of interesting and unique art that was shown in the museum. It was cool to see a lot of different pieces of art somehow work together.

Something that really struck me was the exhibit with all the chairs and interior design. It was odd because in the museums I have went to recently I haven’t really seen any objects shown in that manner.

One piece of art that I found to be interesting was The Great Deep by Frederick J. Waugh. Although it was a simple piece to intially look at it, it was captivating to see the depth in the painting. I found myself looking for a deeper meaning in the work of art. It is important to note the color choice in the painting as it uses deep blues and greens to establish a sense of the vastness of the world and its wonders. The stark contrast of the sky and water promotes the idea of admiration and fear all at once. This reveals an element of a persons vulnerability in the world as well as facing nature’s power. It pushes the viewer to understand that the ocean is full of secrets hence the areas of dark waters. It plays on the idea of the unknown and what it may suggest for people in their own lives. This work of art can represent so many things to different people such as the comfort or fear of the unknown, admiration of nature, or even appreciation for the opportunities yet to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another art piece that I found intriguing was “Mrs Alexander Cumming” by John Singleton Copley. This art was similar to those we have analyzed in class so I think that played a major role in why I thought it was interesting. It says a lot about the way that art used to be portrayed and the audience that it was created for. I connected this work to John Berger’s book and how art was made for people of class and those who determined their worth based on art. It allows for the ideas of feminity and identity to be shown as the painter created the subject in a certain way, tailored to please the observer. However, if you look beyond that you can observe her demeanor and the way she carries herself even from a static image.

Overall, I had a pleasant experience because all macaulay students were together so we got to connect with the art together. This made the museum definitely less boring than my typical museum trips.

I had never visited the Brooklyn Museum before this trip so I had only a vague idea of what it might be like. I was also a bit confused as to why we were supposed to be there in the first place, but I was content knowing that I wouldn’t have to commute there myself. 

The contemporary art on the 5th floor turned out to be much more interesting than I had anticipated. The gallery had a mix of all sorts of different styles and mediums; it was influenced by dozens of different cultures. My initial thought was that the mix of all of these different styles was disorganized and visually overwhelming, but I came to realize that the gallery itself is a reflection of the melting pot of cultures in NYC. One piece in particular that stood out to my group was The Arm Wrestle of Chip & Spike; aka: Star-Makers by Oscar Yi Hou.

This abstract artwork created with vibrant oil pastels greatly contrasted the traditional earthy-toned oil paintings surrounding it. The piece also stood out in its lack of a physical frame compared to its neighbors. Instead its frame is part of the painting. The greater realism and detail in the faces of the two subjects draws the viewer’s attention to their somewhat worn expressions, while the background is much more vibrant and surreal.

Aside from the artwork, I’m glad I got to catch up with some of my friends from high school who are in Macaulay at Brooklyn College. Also, my group accidentally ran into the videographer about 7 times that night, and he kept following us around to shoot b-roll 😭😭 

Nevertheless, being able to visit a museum with my classmates is an opportunity that I rarely get and I’m glad that I got to be there to experience it. However, I was less glad to be waking up for my 8 AM class the next day…

For this independent trip, I decided to go to the Banksy Museum mainly because I was not familiar with who Banksy is or his artwork. From the discussions in class, I sensed that he is an anonymous artist who does graffiti on the walls of popular cities. I was interested in checking it out and when I left the museum, I was more appalled than satisfied by what I saw.

Upon entering the museum, I saw one of Banksy’s works that seemed to have some contradicting elements. The work is titled “The Mild Mild West” and it was one of Banksy’s first murals. The title is a play on the words “the wild wild west”, which I picked up on quickly, but I was distracted by the teddy bear holding a Molotov cocktail. It was aiming to throw at the approaching riot police officers dressed in black. How could a sweet, innocent children’s toy be turned into such a violent person with no expression to its actions? To say that this is the mild west is an understatement. Banksy used irony to portray the theme of non-conformity, which is a concept society is familiar with, but the approach taken was not for me.

I continued following the blue arrows directing me where to look next, and at every turn, I saw another piece of “artwork” that exaggerated its message. For example, the piece titled “Toxic Mary” angered me because the point Banksy was attempting to convey was not the common consensus. In the piece, the Virgin Mary is holding a baby and is feeding it a bottle of poison rather than milk. Banksy wanted to show how the influence of caregivers can be toxic and that a child has no control over how their life will turn out. I strongly disagreed with Banksy’s view because the role of caregivers and parents is to protect, guide, and love the child. No one is out to harm the child, and while they may have no control in the early stages of development, it is not accurate to say that they are on a fixed path they cannot get off of.

Within this small museum, I would say there was a handful of hypocritical artwork that stood out to me. One of those was titled “Snorting Copper”, highlighting how even law enforcement breaks the rules they are suppose to enforce. The cop’s eyes reflect his guilty conscience and fear of being caught. Another one was titled “Grannies”, emphasizing how compassionate the older generation is towards youth’s rebellious ideas. Typically, the older someone gets, the more conservative they are in their actions, but these grannies seem to be still living out their good old days.

I cannot say that I was displeased with the experience entirely. There were some funny works of art, such as “Aachoo! (Old Woman Sneezing)” and “Hula-Hoop Girl”, but that did not hide what Banksy’s true mission is with his art. Most of the art had a very judgemental perspective, whether it be portraying the weaknesses of government officials as apes or adding in a weapon/firearm to an innocent children like drawing. Would I call Banksy’s work art? No. There was not a lot that I agreed with and the more I saw, the quicker I wanted to leave the museum. Personally, I do not understand the fascination with someone who promotes false beliefs or propaganda, but to each their one.

Initially, my trip to the Banksy Museum was not the most enjoyable. The weather was terrible; it was raining, windy, and cold. The bus to the city took very long with traffic, but nevertheless, I arrived and purchased my ticket. Walking into the museum, I felt surprised, as the setting was very dark and unlike any other museum I have ever been to. As I have previously mentioned, I am not a huge fan of art, however the simplicity and supposed mystery underlying Banksy’s works is a factor I definitely found enticing when walking around the building.

For one, I noticed that a majority of the pieces contained rats as the objects of focus. Accounting for Banksy’s protesting nature, I learned that the purpose behind depicting these figures is to symbolize the rebels of society, which feel neglected by the general public, therefore creating political commentaries on life. According to a comment on the regarded work, Banksy’s art critiques consumerism, political authority, terrorism, and the status of art and its display. From the pieces I viewed, I can confirm that these messages are certainly depicted within the displayed artwork.

“The Rolling Stone May Gather No Moss, But it Can Start an Avalanche” (2005)

It is said that to create the presented piece, Banksy collaborated with Simon Munnery, an English comedian, who provided the titular phrase. This piece can certainly be interpreted through a variety of different perspectives, however to me, it meant that although a goal may often take long to reach, the end result is always worth the struggle and effort. To elaborate, I believe Banksy attempts to communicate that although certain actions may not elicit immediately obvious results, their long-term impacts can still be prevalent, therefore even if a rolling stone does not have the immediate power to gather moss, resembling growth, improvement, and success, it still has the capability to leave lasting implications by initiating an ultimate avalanche, represented by long-term success and accomplishment. This also coincides with the idea of a chain reaction (domino effect), as every action in life leads to an essential ending.

Grannies (2006), Los Angeles

One thing I appreciated within the Banksy Museum is that all of the art was relatable and simple to understand, as opposed to overrated works that often communicate no message and seem soulless. Every framed composition was able to connect with me in some sort of way, for it was easy to detect the context behind each developed scene. In the painting depicting two grandmas knitting in chairs across from each other, the phrases on the clothing items reflect the passing of time, which is a common enemy to all humans alike. The elderly ladies reflect on their rebellious youth and reminisce over their childhoods, sharing a bittersweet moment that I can also relate to at an age where I am experiencing numerous transitional moments in life, leaving my own youth behind as I enter the world of adulthood.

Game Changer (2020), Southampton

Due to the relatively recent essence of this artwork, it can feel substantially touching, as it reflects the relatable COVID pandemic, which internationally impacted humanity to a certain extent. After learning that this piece was donated by Banksy to the Southampton General Hospital, I felt a deeper respect for this artist because this small act reveals the truth and kindness behind Banksy’s motivations, which unlike numerous artists, are not driven by superficial monetary values. Alongside of this contribution, Banksy wrote a note thanking the health professionals and hoping that this gift brightens the medical space. In this piece, the child chooses to play with a nurse rather than the stereotypically chosen superhero dolls, depicting the nurse in a cape, thus conveying the message that “not all superheroes wear capes” and in a critical time like this deadly wave, medical workers are the true heroes, saving the world through their dedicated efforts, which must be acknowledged and appreciated.

Overall, this museum was definitely a very unique encounter and I definitely enjoyed it more than the formerly visited MoMA, although I was left pondering many questions, predominantly remaining skeptical of how Banksy could possibly be identified as an anonymous figure when he/she spent so much time creating art in public areas and was even noted to partner with other individuals. Nonetheless, my favorite aspect of this museum was the integrating experience it provided, immersing the audience within a completely divergent world, specific to Banksy’s universe. Each creation was unique with its own offering of talent, beauty, hidden significance, and occasional humor. Towards the end of my journey, I came across a quote stating, “Copyright is for losers”. This was able to summarize Banksy’s mission within one statement because it portrays his/her desire to spread the accessibility of art to all demographics alike, protesting against capitalism in this exact manner. Therefore, the public is morally and legally free to reproduce and access any works that they wish to.

I started my experience at Snug Harbor by waiting for some friends to get there. After we grouped up, we entered the building and decided that we wanted to paint. We chose to do oil painting mostly because we learned about it earlier in class. We had a teacher that taught us the basics of oil painting, and she even told us how she started her journey into painting. She showed us some of her works, and we realized that she was very skilled in her work. After she showed us some examples, she set up some tables with different items we could draw. Niko and I decided to choose some tomatoes that were outside of a box. Being that this was my first time drawing, I have to say I was not very good at it, but with the help of our teacher, I managed to successfully paint my first artwork. 

As you can see, this is not the most perfect piece, but it’s not the worst considering it is my first time painting. What I learned from my experience is that painting is fun with a group. I also learned that when you finish a painting, you feel a sense of accomplishment, even though the work does not have to be that good.

In conclusion, my experience at the Art Lab was good, and I would prefer drawing over looking at art in museums because I like actually painting myself rather than looking at someone else’s art.