LC 14

I have to admit, I’m not really a fan of museums…I have been to the Museum of Natural History a couple of times due to past trips, it’s always so quiet and all. But, the Rubin of Museum of Art actually surprised me. First, I expected no music when I went two days ago. There was a small duet of violins on the first floor of the museum! I loved violins even though I can’t play one~ Second, museums are usually very bland in color, like whites and greys and light colors. Once again, this museum proved me wrong. I guess you could say I’m impressed by the Rubin Museum ^^

The one piece of art that really captured my attention was a ice sculpture piece by Atta Kim. It was part of  “The Monologue of Ice Series.” Unfortunately I was unable to take a picture of it, but it was so pretty~ There were so many shades of blue and whites, and even a few reds. The message that Atta Kim was trying to make with this melting ice sculpture was that material form never lasts forever, but the thoughts and essence would remain. Ice “disappears” and creates water vapor and liquid water, which is the essence of life. Atta Kim, with this picture, gives a challenge to immortality. Is immortality really something a person should desire?

There was also a little sculpture involving two deers and a wheel. It is called the “Wheel of Dharma and Deer.” Apparently, it is the symbol of the Buddha’s teachings. After Buddha achieved enlightenment, he began to teach his first lessons, which are collectively called the Wheel of Dharma. The deer represent the Buddha’s peaceful presence that made the animals come and listen to his first teaching.

Finally, this museum really made me think about AP World History…I had it during sophmore year in high school. The terms that were present on the descriptions of many pieces of art made me remember some of the history there. Shiva, Bodhisattva, and Vishnu were just a few of those that I saw. It was very nice to see that those history notes that I took had an impact on what I saw that day. I didn’t think I would see so much art on Hinduism here!

Although I am an atheist, I am very impressed at how elaborate and intricate the details are to many religions. Religions have played a very important role in many lives over the years; the people have honored their gods with so much respect! It kind of makes me wonder what has happened to today’s religion… I mean, why are there so many people trying to convert others to join their religious beliefs? Isn’t your faith in your god(s) good enough?

Oh, I managed to get a little picture of the “Wheel of Dharma and Deer” here:

I went to the rubin museum yesterday. I did not know that the art would all be based on the ancient himalayas. I didn’t know that it was also a comparison of two cultures.  At first I was not really impressed. I thought it was rather repetitve even though each floor had a different theme. Some of the art I didn’t understand or agree with in terms of religion. However, I’m not going to knock someone else’s culture. It wasn’t really my taste in art but I appreciated the concepts alltogether. I think it’s good that Baruch really pushes this type of stuff because you get to understand other cultures and you become a well-rounded individual. And that’s what I would like to be.