Students from both art and French classes visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City to explore and be inspired on October 16th.
The Museum of Modern Art is well known for varied contemporary pieces of art, including famous and recognizable masterpieces such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies”, and Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory”. Students including those enrolled in Dominick Kosciuk’s IB 2 French class, Francis Musto’s AP Art class, and Marie Adamo’s IB Art class, viewed these compositions in order to learn more about the artists and to get inspiration for their own pieces.
“[…] With my AP class, while [they are] looking at the art, [they] want to try and find an artist that inspires [them] based on your inquiry question […] We want to go and look and see how we could use it and reimagine the world around us,” said Musto.
For some, it’s easy to be inspired by the diverse and unique pieces displayed in MoMA. For others, the plethora of interpretations and concepts behind some of the compositions can be confusing, oftentimes giving modern art a bad reputation. Frequently heard criticism on modern art pieces could include “anyone could make that” or, “it’s not real art.” These misconceptions are commonly rooted in the lack of a defined subject in many works of modern art, its deviation from the typical structure seen in artistic creations, and its simplicity compared to more detailed works.
“There’s all kinds of modern art […] part of the issue is that when a lot of people think of modern art, they don’t think of, let’s say, surrealism […] People think of modern art as abstract where they don’t see a subject […] Overall, people are misguided when they see modern art,” said Musto.
Seeing the assortment of modern creations in MoMA during this trip could help to broaden the mindsets of students who might have disliked modern art before. The museum doesn’t just have surrealism and abstract art; it has cubism, sculpture, photography, and impressionism. The range of styles and techniques in MoMA means there’s something that can pique the interest of anyone who enjoys art, and it can also aid in exposing people to new things they weren’t familiar with.
“I had not been to the museum before and I expected more modern looking and basic art but my expectations were highly exceeded and everything was so interesting,” said junior Delia D., via text.
Being able to experience the variety of styles on display can assist students’ growth as artists and can provide them with an opportunity to expand their attitude towards modern art. As Musto shared, for the AP and IB art students, this opportunity can influence the art the students create themselves, and for the French students, the tour gives them exposure to French artists.
“I really liked that we were able to see different art pieces from different generations and how art has evolved over time, ” said junior Alexa R.
From Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo to Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, all of the artists present in MoMA have stories behind their works of art. Students who visited had the ability to have any interpretation they deem fitting for the pieces they saw during this beautiful and powerful way to help creativity bloom. ◼️
