Author Archives: RICHARD

The painting I chose is “A Girl before a Mirror” by Pablo Picasso. Picasso is one of the most famous artists of all time, as many people feel like he revolutionized the art industry during the 20th century. He is most recognized for helping invent Cubism and Collage. He pioneered the concept of constructed sculpture, while bringing new techniques of his work to the art world. Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, and died on April 8, 1973, at the age of 91. Not only was he a artist, he was also a sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and theatre designer in France, where he spent majority of his livelihood.

A Girl before a Mirror is a oil painting made by Pablo Picasso in 1932. It is a image of a young woman and her mirror reflection in vibrant colors and cubed-like shapes on the outside. It is one of the last paintings Picasso did in a major series of art during 1931 and 1932. Picasso preferred this painting as opposed to any others he did during this timeframe, which shows how unique this painting is and how much it means to him. The girl in this painting is reaching out to embrace the mirror that is in front of her. The picture that is in the mirror curves the girl’s head and body symmetrically, showing the unique style of Picasso and why people gravitate towards him. The shapes along with the loud vibrant colors, it is not a surprise to me why his would be his favorite from the multiple different art pieces Picasso made in a two year span.

This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with Modernism because of the eye popping color choices as well as the shapes throughout this painting, with its second to none pattern. On one side of the painting, more neutral tone colors are shown, as it is more calm on this side. On the other side, the colors chosen are much more vibrant , and even show a face as well. A person can interpret this in different ways, it can be an example of light vs darkness, yin vs yang, or the angel vs devil. The “good” side is usually always mentioned first, which is why it is shown first, and the “bad” is on the other side, showing a alter ago. I think these are very modernistic approaches, as many people deal with temptations on a daily basis for various different decisions, and I think Picasso is showing how the same person can have a different side to them.

What struck my attention to this art piece was how vibrant it was. As soon as I turned the corner, my friend pointed out this art piece, and I instantly knew this was the one I was going to write about. At first, I had no idea what I was looking at aside from loud colors, but that’s what struck me to it. The more I stared at it, the more it made sense to me, to a point where I was comfortable making this the art piece for this assignment. I still looked around for any other backup plan, but deep down I had already found what I was looking for. It felt good using my own critical thinking skills in trying to figure out what I was looking at, and after doing some research on itm my initial interpretation of this artwork wasn’t all the way wrong, which made me realize I understood what I was talking about enough to write about it.

• MoMA, Floor 5, 517The Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Gallerieshttps://www.moma.org/collection/works/78311

Hello, my name is Richard, but you can just call me Rich. This is my 2nd year attending Baruch College, and I am majoring in Psychology. Originally, I planned to major in Business Administration, but quickly realized that area wasn’t something I felt comfortable, in since I am horrendous in math. When I thought of any other major that may interest me, I gravitated towards Psychology because the study of humans has always fascinated me. I feel like that is a topic that I can use in my daily life and be interested in, rather than something that I am doing just because.

Outside of school, some of the things that interest me are music and fashion. I feel like these two things coincide with each other greatly, as they draw inspiration from each other. Many of the artists I listen to frequently shoutout some of their favorite brands in their songs, and the owners of these brands have the artists walk the runway when they release a new season of clothes. I find a interest in these two things because I feel like it is a way to express myself without ever saying a word. You can learn a lot about a person by what type of music they listen to. The same goes for clothes, as you can see how somebody felt today when they woke up from bed, and decided to wear what they wanted. The clothes you wear daily and the music you listen to are all chosen for a reason, whether a person chooses to acknowledge it or not.

Besides those two things, I also like sports and video games, as these have been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember. The sports that gravitate towards me the most are basketball, baseball, and football. The video games I play are majority sports related, with the occasional other genre of video games that peak my interest. Video games and sports are a way to unwind from your day or cure your boredom, which is why they have been interesting to me for a multitude of years.

Thank you for reading and have a great day!