This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I remember going to museums during school field trips in elementary and middle school, but I never took much away from these trips. I would look at the exhibits, but museums never caught my attention. Sure, some images were stunning, and yes, the art and belongings in these museums are important in history, but I never understood the importance of art. In elementary and middle school, art museums were the place to run around and laugh with my friends. Let’s just say that my experience was vastly different this week compared to when I was in primary school. The art I saw resonated with me more than art has ever. I was not running all over the building laughing with friends. Instead, I was walking around with my best friends discussing art, how it made us feel, and most of all, detaching from all of life’s stress. I was able to take deep breaths. I was able to interpret the art the way I wanted to, not the way a teacher wanted me to. I was able to feel the art the way I wanted to, instead of being told how the art should make me feel.
I’m Drawn to Art
I am the type of person to hermit in my room and avoid trying new things. Since I have already established a great schedule, there is no need to mess it up. Well, that changed over spring break when my friends and I were roasting marshmallows for our smores outside by the fire and my friends came up with the proposition for their birthdays. They asked me if I would want to visit the Philadelphia Art Museum. At first I wanted to say no. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to take in art and culture in a way I haven’t done before. I wanted to see my friends and finally go somewhere I haven’t been before, so I said yes and my friends and I went the following week.
I was so excited to visit this museum as it is only 45 minutes away from West Chester University. I was giddy to visit this one exhibit titled In the Right Place: Photographs by Barbara Crane, Melissa Shook, and Carol Taback, which was a collection of photographs from the 1970s capturing the fashion, political climate, and much more from that time. I walked around these photographs with my mind filled with imagining what life was like back then. There were photographs of the nude body, of individuals smoking, of people walking in New York City, and so much more. I finally understood the art of photography. It is not just a candid shot, but it is perfectly edited, timed, and positioned to capture the emotions of the people or objects in the image. One photo particularly stood out to me. This photo was found in a collection of photographs of people walking in and out of a door in New York City. The image is Untitled by Barbara Crane. This particular photo captured a man and a woman with his arm over her shoulders and her arm around his waist. They have on matching outfits which consist of flair printed pants and a jacket. The reason I think that this photo stood out to me was the story I created in my mind. I stood at this image wondering where specifically these people were, what was their story, and how they ended up being photographed. I wondered how they met, if they were lovers, friends, related? My imagination tried to fill in the blanks and my mind created the most beautiful explanation to the beautiful image my eyes indulged in.
Brushing Up on My Skills
This experience is vastly different from when I was in primary school. Instead of forcing myself to view each piece of artwork available in the museum and interpreting them the way I thought my teachers would prefer, I was able to walk around freely and gravitate towards artwork that I wanted to see. If I was really interested I would take a picture. If I was extremely interested, I would read that little information card next to what I was viewing.
Although I was not able to get through the whole museum during my visit, I was able to truly understand and appreciate art. I did not feel pressured to interpret the art the way others did. I didn’t have to look at everything that my friends wanted to look at. I was able to feel emotions that I wanted to feel after viewing images. Throughout my time there, I felt loneliness, happiness, grief, abandonment, scared, excited, loved, and that is just to name a few. Somehow, I felt included. Instead of not understanding or feeling alone, I was able to find comfort within myself. Art is meant to be interpreted in many ways. There is no one way to look at art. Sure, there could be one overall theme for a piece of art, but that doesn’t and shouldn’t dictate the way you view it and feel it.
No Paint, No Gain
This trip was much more than just a visit to an art museum. It was a moment to reevaluate what I want to get out of life. Some people just go through the motions and try to get each day over quickly. Then there are people who live life to the fullest, take in the moments, and feel grateful for what the day has offered them. I want to be the person who self reflects and takes in the moment. If I can take in the beauty of images from everyday life, why can’t I do that with my own life. I want to live like the images I viewed. I want people to see pictures of me and imagine how I ended up there and what I was thinking. I am art.