last apah paper.docx

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Nishant Grover

04/12/2012

AP Art History

Taking AP Art History had broadened my horizons and shown me new ways and

avenues to appreciate art by taking into account the principles and elements of art as well

as the historical context and artistic styles of various works. The knowledge I have acquired

will be tested by the AP Art History exam in early May. Most students panic over the

amount of material to cover and the time for studying. My teacher, however, the ravishing

Mrs. Kimberly Reese, has planned an annual APAH class trip to Washington D.C. since she

began teaching at Radford High so that the students can engage in a hands-on experience

with much of the artwork taught and have a visceral review session given to them. Our trip

this year is from April 27-29 and we will be covering the following Smithsonian

institutions: the National Gallery of Art and Sculpture Garden, the Freer & Sackler Galleries,

the Hirshorn Museum, the African Art Museum and the Natural History Museum. While I

would like to view every piece at these locations, I know that it is not feasible to do so.

Instead, I have a list of artwork, exhibits and events during our trip that would be the most

special for me to visit.

At the National Gallery of Art, the one painting that I really want to see is Breezing

Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer. The reason being is that I really enjoy all of Homers

work because it reminds me of the Northeast United States and its strong sailing culture.

The way the leisure of the activity is shown amongst the Atlantic waves and beautiful skies

always makes me wish I could be on a boat as well. An exhibit that I want to see at the

Gallery is Picassos Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition because I want to have an

in-depth exploration of Picasso that goes beyond what was covered in class. Another


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exhibit I want to see at this museum isA New Look: Samuel F. B. Morse's Gallery of the

Louvre because of the little known fact that Morse started out as a painter before venturing

into electromagnetics. Also, during Spring Break, I was able to visit the South Carolina

Governors Mansion and in its formal dining room was a Morse portrait of Governor Robert

Young Hayne. After learning about Morses past from the tour guide, Ive been intrigued by

him and this exhibit will be a way for me to learn more about Morse.

The next stop on the D.C. trip is the National Gallery Sculpture Garden. The first

work I would like to see here is Moondog by Tony Smith because of its simplified geometric

forms and representation of a dog. The next sculpture I would like to see is Cheval Rouge by

Alexander Calder since this is completely different from mobiles, Calders medium of

choice, and I would like to see how the artist executed in a more unknown field of art. The

final piece I would like to see is House Iby Roy Lichtenstein because this is not cartoon-

based pop art, what Lichtenstein usually creates, but rather a cartoonish frame that

espouses three-dimensional effects.

After the Sculpture Garden we will be going to the Freer and Sackler Galleries, which

focuses on Asian art but has works from many other regions as well. A work that I would

like to see here is Breakfast in the Loggia by John Singer Sargent. This piece appeals to me

because of the Victorian architectural style used for the loggia that was very prominent in

both England and the South during the 1800s and can still be seen today. Furthermore, the

idea of a quaint breakfast between two intimate individuals, regardless of location or

ethnicity, in which emotions are shared and feelings are expressed truly draws in the

viewer to the work. Also, the feelings that I have when seeing this piece remind me of many

works of literature and film because of the similar layout and aesthetic style. An exhibit


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that appeals to me at this museum is Moving Perspectives: Kyungwon Moon because the

artist is attempting to capture fleeting moments in time by using a camera and the many

snapshots of life it can take.

The next museum will be the Hirshorn Museum, which deals mainly with modern

art. The work I would like to see here is People of Chilmarkby Thomas Hart Benton because

it captures a different mood of Benton than what I am used to from class. In the class text,

Bentons work showed the happy and upbeat side of life in the Midwest with a motley crew

of characters interacting and trying to reach the American Dream with many scuffles and

situations along the way. Chilmark, however, shows a darker side of America with people

trying to live from day to day. Perhaps Benton was trying to show the effects of

industrialization or the cottage industry of laborers in Chilmark, Mass. or maybe he was

trying to show the general human condition; no matter what the theme, viewing this piece

in person would truly have on impact on my perception of the work as well as my views on

society. An exhibit at Hirshorn that I would like to see is Black Box: Ali Kazma which

consists of photographs that Kazma has taken that capture the human action of work and

its many repeated actions and tasks. Once again, my appreciation for fleeting moments of

time comes into play again along with the intrigue that common life and daily activities has

upon me and how those elements of life can become aesthetic and poignant in artistic

terms.

While there arent any specific pieces at the National Museum of African Art that I

want to see, the National Museum of Natural History has a very interesting exhibit which is

called The Beautiful Time: Photography by Sammy Baloji. This exhibit is a series of

photographs by a Congolese artist that showcases the vibrant copper mining industry of


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the Democratic Republic of the Congo before war, famine, disease and poverty completely

tore it apart. Baloji avoids the standard angle of a photo series on Africa by showing a more

unknown aspect of the problem rather than what the general public is already aware about.

There are many works, exhibits and events that I wish to view, see and attend

during my time in our nations capital. While I may not be able to do it all, having a

comprehensive list and doing enough background research helps because I have

rudimentary knowledge on each piece and I can use leftover research for another trip to

the Smithsonian museums with friends or family. Regardless of the outcome of this trip, I

will still have learned a lot and gained a review unlike any other for my AP exam in May.


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Works Cited

1. http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg68/gg68-30228.html2. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/morseinfo.shtm3. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/morseinfo.shtm4. http://www.asia.si.edu/events/allevents.asp?trumbaEmbed=date%3D20120427#/

?i=1

5. http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/visit/collection_object.asp?key=30&subkey=39376. http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/view.asp?key=19&subkey=5627. http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/the-beautiful-time/index.cfm

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last apah paper.docx