Senior Project: Part 1 - From my Unpublished Book

Senior Project 

04/5/11

Blog

As I walked through the halls of the Museum of Modern Art, pondering the project I needed to finish in the next few weeks, I realized the work here did not inspire me. It did not relate to my project, not as much as the work I had viewed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum had. I had happened upon them by accident while wandering the halls trying to see as much of the museum as I could before it closed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sculpture, I could hear her familiar voice calling to me. I knew I needed to explore that wing because I would find what I needed there.  

I tried not to run; I felt this impulse to get to there as quickly as I could, briskly walking even though my feet were blistered beyond repair. The minor pain was worth getting to what I would find. The sculpture that drew me to this wing was Adolph Weinman’s Descending Night, a piece I once wrote a paper on for American Art History. After finishing that paper I purchased a miniature which I have displayed in my room. She towered over me, bronze wings spread as she lands on her perch, her brother Raising Sun ready to fly away across the hall. Seeing the two of statues in person was brilliant. As I peered into the rooms in this section of the gallery I realized that I was in a collection of work from the Gilded Age. I had always had a love for late 19th century art from sculptures, fashion, decor, paintings to literature. One of my favorite authors is H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds being one of my favorite novels, along with the Time Machine. If I could travel through time I would visit the Victorian Era, not just for the literature but for the art.

The Smithsonian’s Portrait Museum was not the only time I was called to by a work of art on this trip. While touring the national gallery before they were closing, I left the group. The Art Club was all gathered in a room but I noticed Symphony in White Number 1. Without a moments thought I was off, away from the crowd but I feel as if I had not taken that moment run off on my own I would not have had the chance to gaze at Symphony in White and Mother of Pearl and Silver. I would not have had the time to realize the true beauty of those two works by Whistler. 

Tori’s Tavern, the steam punk themed restaurant I’m working on for my project, relates to the works I viewed at the Smithsonian and National gallery because of their elegant beauty. In the illustrations I used for the menu and poster I hoped to achieve an elegant 19th century appearance in the character and the feel of the posters that would have been used at that time. Although the influence was more from Mucha than of the american impressionist’s like Thomas Wilmer Dewing or Childe Hassam who I admired in the Gilded Age gallery, the use of color and candid gesture of the figure’s inspired me. One of Dewing’s painting which is on the inside of a piano in part inspired the idea of making the menu a part of the table inside of an another display.  I find that I have always had a passion for the work from the late 19th century ad this passion is sure to be an influence in this project along with all my future work.