I took advantage of an opportunity to visit Chicago this weekend. While my husband sat indoors at the WindyCityRails conference, I spent the day absorbing the arts and culture of Chicago.
The walk through Millennium Park was the beginning to my first stop—The Chicago Art Institute. I felt in awe at not only the inspiring architecture of the area, but the beauty of so many people from different walks of life enjoying the outdoors. The Chicago Art Institute seemed so vast when I entered that I had a “not-really-sure-where-to-begin” moment.
Emotions of Art
Sky Above Clouds IV by Georgia O’keefe lured me in. I stood at the stairs for quite some time, imagining my self in the clouds. I was reminded of all the travels I’ve done over the course of my life and how that view was always the beginning (sometimes the ending) to most of my adventures across this world. As an artist, I saw how I can use simple moments in my life to build my art and design from and to not degrade little experiences into nothing.
The Basket of Apples by Paul Cézanne sent me back to 8th grade painting class to one of the first paintings that I studied. I remember the day we had to make our own basket of apples still life. The values of color and contrast was a learning curve for me at that time. Still Life seems to be one of the simplest forms of artwork, but yet it demands so much from me as an artist because I control the manner to which all that detail is expressed.
But the Robert Gober collection, especially the September 12 piece, brought tears to my eyes. It was ironic that I was viewing this on September 12. It was a sober moment for me as I reflected on the individuals that loss their lives because of 9/11. After reflecting and absorbing the beauty from the Impressionists artists, the intense emotions from Jackson Pollack piece, The Key and It’s a New Age by Sue Williams, was so overwhelming that my heart wept.
I loved this experience of being so consumed by other artists’ work that my own feelings became intertwined with their work. I feel that is the greatest accomplishment any artist can make. Where an emotion is so strong that a tear falls, a gasp sounds, feet jump, and laughter sounds out-loud because of the emotions evoked at that moment.
It was a great day in Chicago.
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