My grandparents, my parents, and I, is painting by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican, self-taught painter. Kahlo was a child of an interracial marriage; her mother being Mexican and her father Jewish-German. She was a painter who represented surrealism and magic realism. Kahlo was best known for her self-portraits and her unique style. Inspired by her Mexican heritage, she was very interested in race, gender and class in the Mexican community. Even though her work was usually overshadowed by her husband’s art, Andre Breton (who was at the time considered the founder of Surrealism), became really interested in her work and helped her open her first solo exhibition.

My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) was painted by Kahlo in 1936. It is an oil and tempera painting made on zinc since Kahlo was a collector of Mexican retablos. She created this painting as a response to the Nuremburg Laws that were against interracial marriages. Kahlo portrayed herself as the little girl in the bottom of the painting and also the fetus inside her mother’s womb. As the little girl, she is holding the red ribbon which represents the bloodline of her family tree. On the left side we can see her mother and her maternal grandparents standing on the top of the Mexican landscape, while on the right side we see her father and her paternal grandparents standing on top of the water. The water below the right corner represents her European heritage because her grandparents were Jewish-German. Below her parents, Kahlo is standing in Casa Azul, the house in which she was born.

This painting is part of Modernism, because it is an amazing representation of surrealism. Surrealism was developed by Andre Breton who was deeply interested in Kahlo’s art. Its views are mainly political, based strongly in the feelings of each and every artist. Surrealism explored in depth what was considered as illogical, raising questions about the concept of the word “real”. In Kahlo’s painting My Grandparents, My Parents, and I, we can clearly see and comprehend all her surreal details starting from her political inspiration to surreal photographic expression. Her painting is not only surreal, but it also leaves a taste of magic and surprise inside (both parts of surrealism).

I have been a huge fan of Kahlo’s work since I discovered her art in middle school. When I went to the museum, even though I took a close look to all the interesting paintings of Modernism, I knew exactly which one I wanted to photograph. Seeing the painting live for the first time, it gave me the feeling of family, unity and greatness. Knowing the story behind it, it was amazing to see how sharp and beautiful her family’s faces were. It made me understand better where she got her strong, amazing personality from.

There are a lot of questions that I would consider asking about the painting, but one stayed on my mind throughout the day. In the painting, Kahlo positioned herself right below her father, separating herself from her mother. Was that placement intentional? Did that mean that she was closer to her father?

          Surrealist, Rene Magritte was born in Belgium in 1898. Although he enjoyed creating art for most of his life, he did not reach fame until his 50’s. He attended the Academie des Beaux-Art and later dropped out because he thought that it was not benefitting him in any way. Magritte went on to acquire many small jobs, painting for a wallpaper company and working on art during his free time. One of his first paintings called The Menaced Assassin, was exhibited in his first gallery in 1927. However, his gallery did not do as well as he had hoped. Magritte became depressed because of negative reviews from critics, and he decided to move to Paris. Like many great artists, he did not let this stop him. Magritte used Freud as an inspiration for art and eventually started receiving the credit that he deserved.

The Menaced Assassin, one of Rene Magritte’s first paintings that was shown in his gallery in 1927, is displayed at the Museum ofModern Art. This piece is famous for its mysterious nature. According to the label information, Magritte was inspired by a pre-World War I crime fiction series. For example, the detectives standing on each side of the door frame, are inspired by Le Mort qui tue or The Murderous Corpse (1913), which was a film that was created based on the series. Magritte’s goal was to create a mysterious or fantastical painting that could be open to interpretation by the viewer.

Surrealists were determined to go beyond what they saw in the outside world. Artists like Magritte wanted to capture what was hidden in our minds. Neurologist Sigmund Freud had a huge impact on artists during this time. He is the founder of Psychoanalysis which is his theory of having a subconscious, as we discussed in class. Other examples of topics which Freud studied would be violence and sexuality which are both being portrayed in The Menaced Assassin. We see that the woman lying dead on the chair is bleeding from her mouth, a violent aspect. Her corpse is also unclothed, an aspect that expresses sexuality and nakedness.

One of the reasons I decided to further analyze this painting is because I knew it would tell a story. It had a theatrical feel to it that I was initially interested in learning more about.  It was also the first painting to capture my attention because of its large scale. The painting is much bigger than the other paintings in the room, which drew me into the painting, essentially feeling like I was a part of it. I think that The Menaced Assassin is a great example of Modernism because although the story behind the painting is unknown, the viewer is able to interpret it any way they’d like. Surrealism, along with other strands of Modernism is about expressing our thoughts and our imagination. This specific painting that I chose evokes a sense of horror and mystery. It makes the viewer question, what violent act occurred to result in the death of the woman? Who are the three men on the balcony? Or why isn’t the woman wearing clothes?

Sources: 

https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2013/11/21/magrittes-the-menaced-assassin-1927-treatment-and-research-2/

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm

https://www.renemagritte.org

https://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400

The Nymph Echo is an oil on canvas painted by Max Ernst, who was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist and poet. He was a a pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism. He invented surrealist art techniques such as frottage and grattage. He also had a fascination with birds and it shows a lot in his work. His alter ego named Loplop, was actually an extension from himself stemming from an early confusion of birds and humans.” He was arrested during World War 2 and managed to escape and fled to the United States in 1941. He lived in New York City and helped inspire the development for Abstract Expressionism. Ernst died at the age of 84 on April 1, 1976 in Paris.

Ernst painted The Nymph Echo in 1936 using oil paint as his medium. On the upper right if you look closely you can see a naked women. She is supposed to be Echo, a mountain nymph of Greek Mythology. The huge flower or plant represents Narcissus. Echo fell in love with Narcissus, but it is said that he fell in love with his own reflection and wasted away from unsatisfied desire and eventually turned into a flower. This painting is supposed to demonstrate that moment of metamorphosis. It’s a very bright painting consisting of greens, magentas, pinks and blues. If you really take time and concentrate on the painting you can actually see a large bird with human hands, which goes back to his fascination with birds and his alter ego Loplop.

This painting reflects modernism because it is a surrealist piece of art. The Surrealism Movement was found by poet Andre breton in 1924 and it sought unlock the power of the imagination. Surrealist painters created strange creatures out of everyday objects and created techniques that allowed the unconscious to express itself. These paintings are not supposed to make sense. They are made to allow you to explore your imagination and for everyone to have their own interpretation of it. In The Nymph Echo you can see that a creature was created out of flowers and leaves. There is a lot going on like the birds with human hands and the small naked female on the upper right side. When you first look at this painting a lot goes on in your mind and you start to create your own interpretation of what it could be or mean.

As soon as I walked into Max Ernst Gallery I was drawn to his colorful work. I love flowers and color so I was instantly drawn to this painting because of that. As I got closer I started to try and figure out what it was, it just looked really beautiful. It reminded me of a painting my grandma had in her house. After, I read the description next to it I became even more intrigued by it. I love Greek Mythology so to know that this painting had something to do with it made me like it even more.

One question that I still have about this painting is why add the bird with the human hands? I know it’s his alter ego but what does it have to do with this painting? Is there a deeper meaning to it being there ?

— What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?

–This story can be described as a kind of “initiation story” for the narrator.  How is he changed or transformed by the events of the narrative?

–A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator.  What does she mean?

–“Are we good people?” asks our narrator.  What is this exchange about? What do you think?

–Explain the significance of the story’s title, “This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen.”  What seems strange about it?

This is the first image of Rene Magritte four variations of The Lovers.  Rene Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist who painted this image in 1928. He was born in Hainaut, Belgium on November 21, 1898. Magritte was the oldest son of Leopold Magritte, a tailor and textile merchant and Regina. He began his drawing lessons in 1910, when he was only 12 years old. When he was 13, his mother committed suicide. Magritte started his paintings in 1915 and after that, he became known for challenging those who sees them and their view on reality. Rene Magritte died of Pancreatic cancer on August 15, 1967.

This image is about a man and a woman kissing, without seeing each other because they have cloths covering their faces. According to the description of the painting, “The device of using draped cloth or veil to conceal a figure’s identity corresponds to a larger Surrealist interest in masks, disguises, and what lies beyond or beneath visible surfaces.” In other words, this painting demonstrate that there is more than what you can see physically.

The Lovers reflects modernism because it is part of Surrealism. Surrealism is an artistic movement that was led by Andre Breton, a French Poet. Surrealism simply means the superior reality of subconscious. The Lovers represent surrealism because the image is left for others to interpret what is the actual meaning of this painting and not just what they can say about what they see in front of them. This image shows a blind kiss but it is more than just two people kissing while having their face covered. It is about finding the purpose of eliminating what the conscious mind can see and focusing on what the inside of these two individual is like without them using what they can physically see.

As I entered the room full of Surrealistic paintings, The Lovers caught my attention first because it gave me a better understanding of what surrealism is in the first place. I was able to understand that surrealism is finding the deeper meaning of something besides the obvious, which is what you’re seeing. The deeper meaning of this painting is two people kissing without caring about their physical features, instead, they are attracted to each other because of how they feel, and what is inside their persona. The obvious of this image is just two people kissing while being blinded. I personally love this painting because so many people interpret it in many different ways but for me, it means true love. The kind of love that does not care about the outside and only cares about what’s inside and how they feel.

Fernand Léger lived from Feb 4,1881 to Aug 17, 1955. Léger was born in Normandy into a poor family. By 1900, he traveled to Paris to work as an architectural draftsman. In Paris, he rented a small studio with various other artists. During this time, his artwork was heavily influenced by Cubism and through this, he created his own form of art, “machine art”. This was an art form used geometric shapes to express figures. When World War I started, he served as a military engineer. During his service, he was concerned with making art available for the working class.

I chose Three Women which is an oil artwork on canvas. In this artwork, there are three females that are drawn in a geometric way. He uses minimal curves, which eliminates the feel of the women being real. Another interesting aspect to the painting is that the females portrayed in the painting are dismembered. The two grey colored women look discombobulated. The black cat in the back is the only realistic figure that closely resembles real life in the painting. The colors that he uses are also nude except for the yellow cushion, red table and green floor. In the background, it looks like the women are inside but it’s unclear as to what the different objects in the back are.

This canvas reflects several characteristics on Modernism. First, the women are dismembered, which added an abstract feature to the painting. This evokes an uncomfortable feeling in the audience. Léger was heavily influenced by Cubism and we can tell from the painting. The females are not drawn with realistic curvy lines but in strong, solid geometric shapes. An example would be the necks of the females. The necks are drawn in a cylinder form. The knee cap of the tan colored female in a circle. Another aspect of Modernism is being abstract. In a sense, the background of the painting is abstract. It looks like the artist put different rectangular sizes together.

When I entered this specific room, I saw two of Picasso’s work, Three Musicians and Three Women at the Spring. But what made Léger’s work stand out was the use of geometric shapes. Léger’s work is next to Picasso’s, but the difference is that I find Léger’s work more interesting to look at. Both artists were exploring the topic of nudity. However, the way Léger portrayed it left more room for audience interpretation. I think a huge part of art is being able to interpret what you see. When you visit an art gallery with a friend, your different opinions are going to spark a conversation and for me, listening to other people’s interpretations adds more value to the art.

Water Lilies (1914-1926) is work by Claude Monet (1840-1926.) Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France. His mother was a singer and his father led the family’s business of selling ship equipment. His father wanted Monet to continue the family business of sales when he grew up. However, Monet always had a passion for art and when he matured to an adult, he continued to pursue it at an art school with the support of his mother. Since then, Monet became widely known for his impressionistic artwork and oil paintings about nature.

Water Lilies is actually a series of oil paintings. Inspired by Monet’s interest in the countryside and his water-lily pond at Giverny, Water Lilies reflects one of the many aspects of nature one might experience or see at the countryside. This huge artwork is shown through three walls to create an aquarium-like feeling for the viewer. The colors are all blended with one another in a dream-like look to capture the constantly changing quality one would see in a pond (such as when the sun is glistening against the water.)

This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with Modernism, more specifically, Impressionism because it gives off a calm and peaceful energy to the viewer. The size of the painting absorbs and dives the viewer into a remote and huge pond. The colors illicit a dream-like effect as they are light and almost even seem like smudges. As Monet intended to make the colors a reflection of how the pond interacts with outside forces such as the sun, it makes the viewer feel almost lighter as if the sun was beaming against them as well.

At first, I was drawn to this piece at the Museum of Modern Art because of its size. While walking around the gallery, I noticed this one artwork took up three walls and had even three seats lined up in front of it. While inspecting it I realized I felt more calm and serene. I found myself standing in the middle of the art for five minutes before realizing I was so absorbed into the painting. The colors of the painting definitely made me more drawn because it felt almost as if  was looking through very fogged lens. One question I’ve wondered while looking at this work was out of all things in the countryside, why Monet decided to create a large project based on the pond.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) is a cubism and modern abstraction painting by Pablo Picasso. Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest and famous artists in the 19th and 20th century who painted about the rapid changing of the world. Born in Spain in 1881 he created many works and paintings in different forms.
This painting depicts 5 nude women made up of flat geometric shapes in a room. Their faces look like mask worn by African tribes in rituals. The image looks very jagged and broken. The colors don’t tend to blend but they add to the atmosphere of the jagged room. The colors, just like the lines, have a weird asymmetry about them that fits the painting. It has a very dull tone to it even with the mix of the cool blue and the warm red.
The first thing that really draws me in is the faces. The shape and abnormal design paired with some of them looking straight at you pulls the eyes to the details and shapes. After examining the faces, I’m draw to the rest of their bodies. Just like everything in the painting they have an abnormal design, but they are also depicted as nude. Also, I was so curious to know about what was the main reason or message behind posting a painting of naked women in a public place where adult and children can visit together. This is a three-dimensional representation of women shapes very realistic about women bodies and doers in this modern life we are living now.
This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with Modernism because the jagged image doesn’t show them as fully nude, but it gives the illusion. The use of lines shows off the curves and minor details, like a bust line, without pushing it too far. It seems like the lines exaggerate the female body without much details being given away. This is also shown with the fruit and how they are exaggerated, especially the watermelon.
My question is: why Picasso decided to draw a nude women bodies to express the change of the world when we all know that this change is not only at the level of women?

Three Musicians (1921) is a work by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in October of 1881 as the first child in his family. He studied with his father, who was an artist and attended the Academy of Arts for a short period of time before moving to Paris in 1901 to practice new and different art forms.

This artwork is an oil canvas painting called Three Musicians; it shows what Picasso depicts as three musicians each playing a different instrument. The interesting thing about the musicians is that they each seem to be portrayed by a bunch of geometric shapes combined. They each seem to have some type of beard or mustache which tells me that they must be men. The one on the left seems to be playing a flute while wearing white, black, and blue colors. The one in the middle is playing a guitar and is different from the other two because he is wearing a bright orange and beige color suit. The one of the right is playing what seems to be an accordion with music notes on it while wearing mostly black.

This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with modernism because it shows an ordinary activity depicted as something more complex. The geometric shapes and slanted lines embrace artifice and reject narrative. The shape of the instruments also fit into the modernism period because they are distorted in a way that makes you look twice at them before knowing which instruments they are. I think that Picasso painted this to show that not everything is the way that it seems. If there was just a painting of three normally proportioned musicians with instruments there wouldn’t be any mystery or questions brought up if an audience were to look at it. The colors and the slanted lines and shapes really fit into the category of modernism since the painting flaunts difficulty and makes you want to take a closer look.

I was drawn to this piece while walking through the MOMA because from far away I saw that there were people in the painting playing instruments and having a background in violin and piano myself, I was interested in taking a closer look at it. I feel as if I can understand the painting on a musical level as well, since playing an instrument is much more different than just watching someone play an instrument. The one thing I am wondering about this painting is why Picasso decided to emphasize the musician in the middle with bright colors and different shapes than the two other musicians on the side. I want to know what made him choose those specific colors and shapes in order to make the one in the middle stand out.

During my visit to the Museum of Modern Art, there were plenty of images and sculptures that I found interesting but the piece that struck me the most was Joan Miró’s, The Birth of the World from 1925.

Joan Miró was a Spanish painter and printmaker born in Barcelona in 1893. He had a love for drawing at an early age which prompted him to pursue art-making and and study landscape and decorative art at the School of Industrial and Fine Arts in Barcelona. Miró was exposed to modern art movements in 1912 with his entry into an art academy in Barcelona.

Like many modernist, Miró rejected the restricted traditional painting and instead favored the Surrealist as well as the style of Automatism. Surrealism is a 20^th century movement in art and literature that south to release the creative potential of the unconscious mine. Automatism is a method of random drawing that attempted to express the inner workings of human psyche. By looking at his work, it becomes evident that Miró engaged in both of these artist methods.

In the painting, The Birth of the World, it appears as if the artist took a paintbrush and painted with his eyes closed. There’s a balloon, the only object that is of a bright color. The geometric shapes, particularly the red circle and black triangle appear to be floating. The painting seems irrational which can relate to the unconscious mind and surrealism as well as automatism. Miró most likely painted from his unconscious mind which is why its hard to decipher the meaning behind it. It appears to be his stream of consciousness in the form of art, though it is not clear what the meaning is.

According to the Museum of Modern Art, Miró described his method for this painting as, “Rather than setting out of paint something I began painting and as I paint the picture begins to assert itself, or suggest itself under my brush… the first stage is free, unconscious.” This reveals the crude approach to Miró’s art.

The reason this piece struck me was because to me it appeared eerie and childlike in its composition. The overall painting lacks complexity yet its interesting to think of what the meaning is behind it. The juxtaposition of images doesn’t explicitly make sense, however, it follows modernist techniques. When I first encountered the painting, I was curious to know the deeper meaning is. As a person with meager artistic knowledge, it seemed different and that’s why I thought it was interesting.

Miró’s The Birth of the World is evidently a modernist piece, specifically a Surrealist piece, because of its peculiar form and the fact that it doesn’t pertain to traditional art such as a realist piece. One glance at it can keep an observer perplexed because it doesn’t immediately make sense.

Despite looking at this painting multiple times, I am still very curious to know what the meaning behind it is. To me, it appears to be very elementary yet sophisticated enough to be showcased at a museum.