Trip to the BMA

During our trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art, my favorite piece was a contemporary Jack Whitten piece entitled, “9.11.01.” I liked this one not only because it was the most visually impressive but by his use of symbolism. The majority of the piece was an arrangement of different glass titles but there were also flat concrete shoe prints, iron fragments and different pieces of pipe that were taken from the site of the Twin Towers. The center of the work was a large black glass triangle that was slowly being destroyed from the bottom up. I took this to symbolize an attack on The United States as a whole because of the relation to the “Eye of Providence,” which is a common theme on American seals. Furthermore, I thought that the use of black tiles really made an impact as your eye was drawn directly to it. My second favorite piece was a 1907 Felix Vellottron portrait of Gloria Stein. I liked it because it was a simple portrait and highlighted all the important aspects of 2D design. Furthermore, it was the darkest painting in a room full of bright Degas landscapes. I think the painter was trying to portray her in a very dignified manner as she was not respected as a female novelist. My least favorite painting was a 1940 oil painting entitled “Rocks,” by Mattz. I think it lacked a clear message or feeling in comparison to the other painters of his genre like Motherwell. I found the painting lacked purpose and overall ingenuity. It very much reminded me of Johannes Vermeer being heavily influenced by Geard ter Borch and having little original thought.