In a classroom surrounded by color, Art Club members meet up to discuss, create and observe all sorts of art. Everyone’s busy, moving around the room, talking with friends, drawing in sketchbooks. Their members consist of a diverse assortment of people, ranging from clothing and appearances, to their conceptions and preferences on art. The walls of Art Club absorb everyone’s creative concepts, forming an orchestra of eye-catching artworks plastered around the room.
Different generations have particular styles and emotions associated with their time period, so all generations have individual insights on art. The newest generation, composed primarily of student artists, incorporates a multitude of elements to create artworks from all genres. With such a variety in artistic tastes, Art Club members will have contrasting perspectives on modern art in particular.
When asked about “Battle of the Lights, Coney Island” by Joseph Stella, Art Club member Lorelei Vitale states that she “likes their use of contrast and colors; it sets a really solemn tone… we can tell that it’s probably not a joyful scene,” and further explains that she thinks it “is really interesting.” “I would definitely put it in my house if I ever wanted to purchase it,” she says.
When asked about “The Joy of Life” by Henri Matisse, Ms. Stock, an art teacher and the advisor of Art Club, notes that “the trees are painted with a similar kind of brushstroke as the people, so there’s sort of a one-ness with nature, people and environment.” “Based on the color and the brushstroke,” she says “It’s very loose and sketchy, and I really enjoy artwork like that, that is really open.” She provided commentary on not only the artwork, but on the artist himself, describing him as “the happy painter – he did very few artworks that were dark and brooding.”
Walking around the room can give one a good sense of what Art Club members create. Portraits, still life, abstract, landscape and several other paintings fill the walls with color. Students mingle with one another, starting conversations and sharing their thoughts. Little paintings and figures are displayed in glass cabinets.
“Impression, Sunrise” by Claude Monet was shown to Ms. Stock directly after “Battle of the Lights, Coney Island” by Joseph Stella to evoke a strong sense of contrast in the artworks. “The impression really has a lot to do with the atmospheric qualities in the sky – these smoke stacks were emitting steam or, perhaps, chemical pollution from the industry… this is kind of the beginning of industrialization,” she says. “He was responding to that, and just the atmospheric qualities, the way the light plays off this smoke and steam and the clouds.”
A considerably abstract painting, “Collection” by Robert Rauschenberg was shown to Lorelei. “It has a very contrasting color palette – some of the colors are very muted, like the browns, but I also like the brighter ones like the two brighter blues, they definitely contrast the rest of them,” she says.
Lastly, one of the more infamous artworks, an untitled piece depicting a banana taped to the wall by Maurizio Cattalan was Lorelei’s last work to comment on. “I personally don’t know what the artist was going for, but I find it very interesting,” she says. Ms. Stock, however, had a different take on this piece. “I think this is a found-object piece, and I’m guessing that this artist is working with the fourth dimension, which is time.” “It’s just duct-taped to the wall, which is really crude… it makes me think about global warming, climate change, and the end of the environment.”
Overall, Art Club members’ opinions on modern art are leaning towards the positive side. They provided insight on the colors and techniques used, as well as their personal feelings towards the piece. Although when asked about the last piece by Maurizio Cattelan, most felt indifferent about it, and said that they felt it was an interesting piece. Though each person provided varying opinions and responses, the general takeaway is that they welcome modern art with open arms.