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| New York Metropolitan Museum of Art |
On a recent bus trip to New York City, we fit so much into one day that I have been busy dividing it up into small segments. In recent weeks, you've already seen my photos of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park. From there, we headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art - trying to see it all. Of course you can't see it all, there is just too much, but we did fit in an awful lot. So, I'm dividing my museum photos into three posts. Today's post is the first of the three.
Outside the museum are four sculptures commissioned specifically to fill the four niches on the front facade. Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu sculpted four figures titled The Seated I, II, III, and IV for her series, The New Ones will free Us. Her idea was to draw on ancient representations of caryatids, sculpted females used as structural or metaphorical supports (women carrying the load), while incorporating inspiration from high-ranking African women. The coils of the women's dress, while reminiscent of the ancient Greek style of deeply folded yet thin cloth (revealing the figure's body), are based on the circular necklaces layered around the necks of some African tribes women. In this case, the thick coils provide more modesty, feel more organic than their ethereal ancient Greek counter parts, and particularly in the case of the vertical coils, seem to connect the figure to the Earth as though they have grown up out of the ground with deep roots to the ancient past.
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| The Seated I, Wangechi Mutu, Bronze |
The mirror like discs, located in different positions on each figure, are based on the lip-plates worn by some African tribes women. Combined with their futuristic humanoid figures, these bright shiny disks, along with the series name, suggest that these women are a new variety of woman, and we must take notice. They are strong, commanding presences with new ideas, new perspectives, and have an expectation of respect for their views and their person-hood.
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| The Seated III, Wangechi Mutu, Bronze (disc is located on back of head) |
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| The Seated IV, Wangechi Mutu, Bronze |
Inside, we began wandering through the Greek and Roman Art galleries. The ancient Greeks made many types and styles of vases. Exquisitely decorated vases owned by the elite, beautified homes and may have been used for storage, carrying, mixing, serving, and drinking.
Red figures on a black background came into practice around the 5th century B.C and continued to the 3rd century B.C.
Also in the Greek and Roman galleries were many examples of both relief and 3D sculptures. What is a relief sculpture? Well, take a look at the loose change in your pocket. Those slightly raised faces on flat backgrounds are low-relief sculptures. They are low-relief, because the figures just barely rise from the surface. The examples below were carved from marble.
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| Greek sculptures are often noted for nude or thinly clothed idealized bodies, usually in a calm, peaceful pose |
Below are some examples of high-relief sculpture.
We learned a Greek Sphinx is slightly different from an Egyptian sphinx.
And, we saw some Roman mosaics which show an interest in other cultures.
Next, it was on to the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. I couldn't help but think of the influence of the African culture on those wonderful sculptures by Wangechi Mutu on the front facade of the museum.
I found the Meso-American art to be delightfully creative with a unique modern-abstract style almost ahead of its time (having just visited the ancient Greek and Roman galleries).
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| Ear flares from the Hohokam tribe of the Arizona region |
My favorite is this "host figure," with a removable chest plate, which reveals the spiritual nature of the Guatemalan people of the 5th through 7th centuries. Inside, more figures are revealed. Who are these figures? They could be the gods that live within us, or ancient ancestors guiding us.
What do you see in this Mayan column? Do you see a leader wearing a large headdress, or is it a ruler emerging from the mouth of a monster? Be sure to check the link for photos of the dwarf on the side of the column (reminiscent of the African pygmies in the Roman mosaic?)
In two weeks, we'll visit the Egyptian, Islamic, and American Art exhibits!
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