Hirshhorn+Museum+-+Elana+Solomon

Elana Solomon

After making several pieces of art, specifically sculptures, I look at art differently and have a more intense appreciation for sculptures. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C. was eye opening to me because it was the first time I had really gone to an art museum relating to my prior experience with art. I not only viewed it differently, but I had a better understanding of such simple concepts that took place when displaying, creating, and giving color to an art piece. For example, the first sculpture that really caught my attention was the small window with iron bars in it. There was a slight light peeking through the small square window. It was obvious to me that Robert Gober, artist of this “Untitled” art piece, took time and thought into the installation of his sculpture. The small square took up the whole wall on which it was displayed. It was set high on the wall and was the first thing that was noticed when walking into the room. The installation of this gave the piece an isolated, cold, prison-like feeling room. It left the viewer feeling like they were trapped from the outside world where there was a pretty colored light coming through the high, unreachable window with the rest of the blank wall surrounding you. If the art piece weren’t placed like this, the feeling would not have been the same. It would have given off a different vibe, which is something that I noted after having to deal with the installation of a previous sculpture. Many other sculptures caught my eye but another one that made me realize how I now view art differently is understanding the materials and mathematics that will go into actually installing and creating a piece. For example, the large sculpture with hanging glob-like structures was evidently installed and created by mathematically figuring out how much weight would be needed to keep the sculpture hanging without tying it to the ceiling. I could easily relate to this by experiencing not only my sculpture, but also my classmates’ process in creating their sculpture. I would have never thought twice about the installation intensity that goes into a sculpture. I would have been more struck by the aesthetic appeal that the sculpture presented. I truly enjoyed this experience and it helped me to understand how far I have come in understanding art, and better yet, my own art.