For anyone unfamiliar with the hit 80s film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there’s a scene in which the three truant students visit the Art Institute of Chicago. In one shot, each stands in front of a different Picasso painting, thoughtfully pondering their chosen piece of work. In another, one of them makes deep eye contact with a figure in George Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte in perhaps one of the most moving scenes in the film. All of this to say… go look at some art.
A year and a half ago, my friends graciously agreed to be in a group chat with me called “A Daily Dose of Art” in which I texted them random bits of trivia and pieces of work that I happened to come across in my new frenzied passion for art history. It was mostly Monet. They suggested I make the chat into an Instagram account instead and share it with more people on a more permanent platform. So I did. And on that account, I only followed artists and other art-documenting accounts such as museum profiles and art wikis. I love having a place where my entire feed is filled with art: modern and classic, paintings and photography, visual and performance. I’m not suggesting that everyone go make a separate Instagram solely for this, but I do suggest immersing yourself in some good old-fashioned art every once in a while. It’s good for the soul.
The Brooks Museum is a solid five minutes away: $3 entry for students, free on Wednesdays! Some other art spaces in Memphis can be found here.
Whether you’re an art historian or you couldn’t pick the Mona Lisa out of a line-up, taking some time to ponder a bit of art can do wonders. It’s a stressful time to be alive, and even more so to be college students. We deserve some luxuries, and if those luxuries are free (on Wednesdays), then all the better! However, you don’t have to leave your dorm to enjoy the benefits of art-gazing. Lots of accounts like the one I started for my friends exist to bring pieces straight to your social media of choice. Websites like ArtStory and WikiArt house multitudes of art and most museums have online inventories so you can browse their wares from the comfort of your bed or rug or common room.
On your phone or in a museum, there’s something to be said for interacting with ideas produced by people with wildly different lives from yours (or eerily similar!) and knowing that you are exactly what they’d hoped for. That you’re participating in someone’s legacy, just by turning in the direction of their work. And you benefit too! It’s incredibly inspiring to walk past beautiful seascapes, vibrant portraits, bustling city scenes. And all art counts! If Renaissance baby-Jesus paintings aren’t your thing, modern art is just as valid and inspirational. Or if you prefer a little more action with your stress relief, try performance art or indie films or any stop-motion video ever made. There’s something for everyone!
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”