Freshman Seminar Fall 17 CFB

Academic- MoMa

The MoMa trip to me personally wasn’t a significant help to my first semester at Baruch. But, I would say Student Life helped my much more in terms of social life. The MoMa trip was more of a bonding experience with my fellow peers, and I have been to the museum before. There were one or two exhibits added, however I don’t recall most of my first time being there. The MoMa had a perfect mix of contemporary art and art from the previous centuries. Honestly, I preferred the more dated art because some of the modern art can be too frivolous and the authentic expression of feelings is usually lost because of how inclusive and pretentious the art world is. An artist named Marcel Duchamp made a sculpture that was literally a toilet bowl put upside down, and was dubbed “Fountain.” Clearly this was a joke or him actually mocking what the art world became, yet people still debate whether or not the sculpture was art. This is concerning. On a more positive view of this, it could be him trying to send a message to everyone saying, “Hey anyone can make art, even you!” and be considered an artist no matter the skill level since sending an upside-down toilet bowl was enough to spark debate and make it an icon of art in the 20th century. As much as I hate to admit it, it is art. Not the classical perception that we have, but it is still art. Why do I consider his sculpture art like the classical paintings from Leonardo? Because times have changed. Our culture have changed from an agrarian one to an industrial based to a consuming present. If our culture can change, why can’t art? Isn’t art based on culture? If we still did paintings from the Renaissance, which you are free to do, it wouldn’t accurately describe our society today and the complex feelings that have surfaced from a more technological time. That’s why modern art is confusing and I will never fully appreciate it.      

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