Art and Identity: The Museum of Modern Art

     Art is something that no matter what type of person you are you can relate to it in some type of way. People can relate to art with having a individual type of identity, a cultural identity or a historical identity. When I took the trip to visit the Museum of Modern Art for the first time last week the artists Martin Wong, Martin Kippenberg and Keith Haring showed art work embodying historical, cultural and individual identity that I will discuss with you.
     The first piece of art work I will discuss is the art work of Martin Wong "Stanton Near Forsyth Street" (1983). Martin Wong created many pieces of art describing the Lower East Side. This painting I feel like shows a historical type of identity showing his version of Lower East Side. It shows the brown bricked buildings that look almost abandoned with two people standing in the corner, as if it's a place where not many people go to. I also feel like it's a cultural identity painting because it shows how Wong viewed the Lower East Side during the 1980's.
     The second piece of art work is the work of Martin Kippenberg "Martin, Into the Corner, You Should be Ashamed of Yourself" (1992). Even though this isn't you typical painting on paper it still art. This piece of work shows a man facing the corner wearing a white shirt with the world's globe printed on it. I feel like this piece of work embodies the cultural identity because of the maps on his shirt. It shows Martin standing in the corner as if he is a naughty school boy. I feel like the globe printed on his shirt may symbolize where Martin may be from or where he might be going.
     And the last piece of art work I will discuss is a piece from Keith Haring "Untitled" (1982). I feel like  Haring's painting shows more individual identity because it shows he's own style of art. It shows abstract shapes that can form into something else. His form of art work is unique displacing different shapes, sizes, cartoons and people. The way he displaces his art is definitely something that has individual identity, where you can stop his art anywhere.
     All of the art works that I spoke about can show more than just what I thought I saw in them. Everyone views art in a different type of way. Something that I saw as cultural identity can be seen as individual identity to someone else. All forms art work doesn't have a definite answer on what is being shown. That's the beauty of art.

Martin Wong

"Stanton Near Fosyth Street"

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

1983

 Martin Kippenberg

"Martin, Into the Corner, You Should be Ashamed of Yourself"

Cast aluminum, clothing and iron plate

1992

Keith Haring

"Untitled"

Ink on two sheets of paper

1982

Narrative Digital Collage

This narrative digital collage I have created just shows a bunch of my friends and family being taken away by my favorite evil alien friend Henry. We all have different styles in clothing and music which is why I placed a drawing of Lady Gaga in my collage because we all agree that she represents diversity. And we can all relate to her in some type of way. We are all her little Monster or in this case one of us is her little Alien.

Good Art VS. Bad Art

Good art to me is something that people can relate too. Something that can catch the viewers eye to the point where their mind can explore a piece of art to a never ending destination of emotions inside themselves. For example, Van Gogh's painting the Starry Night is one painting that has always and will always create this spark that forms inside of me whenever I see it. Whenever I see this painting it takes me to such an enchanted place that sometimes words cannot describe I feel about it. Something so classic and beautiful like that is my definition of good art. 


With the good always comes with the bad. Something that I might find as "bad" art maybe something absolutely beautiful to someone else. To me bad art is art that I cannot relate to at all or art that is so dull 
and boring that I wonder why people actually call it art. For example, the painting call Black Circle by Kazimir Malevich, the painting is simply a black circle with a white background. How am I suppose to relate or gather some 
type of emotion by a boring black circle. I am sure there is a meaning behind the painting that I will NEVER understand but if I cannot relate to the painting to me it is just bad art. 

Good Art
VS.
Bad Art