Artists know where to draw the line.: August 2014

Museum Visit Four: Chrysler Museum of Art

Chrysler Museum Entrance by Jordan Hubbert

The best part about having another art major as one of your best friends is that they will not only allow you to drag them to the museum, they will enjoy it and help you remember random art history facts as you explore. A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of accompanying Chloé Kent to the Chrysler Museum and as we explored there were quite a few works that caught my eye. They caught my eye so much I have decided to share them with you.
The first and by far my favorite work in the museum (that became my favorite for a kind of cheap shot reason) is Bust of America by Hiram Powers. Why is this my favorite? Because the second I saw it I automatically thought it looked like it could be a bust of Wonder Woman and thought it was beautiful. I also loved Hiram Power's other busts, especially the one titled Hope.
The second artwork that caught my attention at the Chrysler Museum was Soundsuit by Nick Cave. This sculpture not only drew my eyes because of the amazing composition and layering of countless objects but because there was another suit by Cave in the Indianapolis Museum of Art that I had fallen in love with months before. Cave's works are truly inspiring with the amount of work they must require and I am glad I got to see not one but two of his works over the summer.
Other artworks that I lingered on, although there are way too many to list, were In the Hills by Leon Kroll which stole my attention because it reminded me of my little sister and I, CB w/ L, T and Pickles by John Miller, a huge glass cheeseburger with glass fries and a coke that I thought was one of the coolest things I had seen in the glass sculpture world, Reclining Drapery Impression by Karen LaMonte and The Family by Mary Cassatt.
There was a lot to see at the Chrysler Museum and I had a lot of fun playing trivia with Chloé and pretending to know about every piece of art there. There was a lot of inspiration in some of the works that I saw and I hope to go back again someday.

Bust of America by Hiram Powers

Hope by Hiram Powers

Soundsuit by Nick Cave

In the Hills by Leon Kroll

CB w/ L, T and Pickles by John Miller

Reclining Drapery Impression by Karen LaMonte

The Family by Mary Cassatt

Museum Visit Three: National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art

This summer I visited the National Gallery of Art for the millionth time. As always I enjoyed running around the museum seeing, in person, many of the pieces and artists I have studied in class. When you stare at a picture of a work of art over and over, trying to memorize every small detail about it, there is something unexplainable about the moment you finally get to see it in person. You remember everything you know about the work while simultaneously decided whether or not you actually like it.

I saw a lot of interesting and historically popular works at the museum so I have only picked a few of my favorites to share on the blog but I do encourage you to visit someday. With art from all over the world and in every medium and style you can think of, the National Gallery will definitely have something to meet your fancy.

One of the first works that caught my eye at the museum was Amor by Robert Indiana. This work was a very exciting find because I had just seen the famous "Love" sculpture by the same artists at the Indianapolis Museum of Art a month or so prior. It amazes me how successful artists can become and how far their works can travel.

During my visit to the gallery I was highly impressed and excited about their exhibition feature works by Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. Considering Mary Cassatt was one of my fifty artists and such an inspiration to me of a successful and talented female artists, this was very exciting to me. My favorite work from this exhibition was At the Theater by Mary Cassatt.

There were many works by many artists I enjoyed at the museum ranging from Self-Portrait by Van Gogh to Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci and I know I will be returning as soon as possible.

Amor by Robert Indiana

At the Theater by Mary Cassatt

Self-Portrait by Van Gogh

Ginevra de'Benci by Leonardo da Vinci

A Girl Reading by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Symphony in White, No. 1 - The White Girl by James McNeill Whistler

Museum Visit Two: Art Bank

Art Bank Entrance

While visiting Indiana I had the opportunity to visit the Art Bank gallery on Mass Ave. Art Bank showcases over 30 artists and is a popular gallery in Indianapolis due to the fact that the building in which it is located is an historical former bank. The second floor of the gallery is reserved for college students to display their artwork and inside the vault, or the "Book Nook", locally published books are sold. I enjoyed my visit to the Art Bank as it allowed me to see a large variety of modern artworks ranging from wooden sculptures, Japanese inspired prints, black-light paintings and all other types of paintings in one location. There were so many different styles and mediums of artwork, I am pretty sure anyone could find something they would enjoy.

I came across many interesting works at the gallery but I think my favorite artists were Andrew Severns (http://andrewseverns.com/), who did a lot of works using patterns and geometry, Joy Hernandez (www.joyhernandez.com) who does a lot of very vibrant paintings and Katelin Kinney (www.katelinkinney.com) who does a lot of surrealist photography and painting.

There was a lot to see at the Art Bank and I am glad that I took the time to go in and explore such an interesting gallery!