Join me as I explore the Hirshhorn Museum and gather ideas for my curriculum project!
About the Hirshhorn Museum
The Hirshhorn Museum houses contemporary artworks and is located in the heart of Washington, DC. Admission is completely free for all exhibits, although the Yayoi Kusama exhibit on the bottom floor requires reserved time tickets. There are many other exhibitions that you can encounter, however, with the middle floor being contemporary photography and the upper level being contemporary mixed-media artworks. The great thing about this museum is that it is also kid-friendly with several free programs at certain times of the week for your little ones. Kids can have an immersive experience with the artwork, and engage with the museums' featured artworks in a way that's comprehensible for them. Check here to learn more about experiencing the museum with kids to foster future artists!
Exhibitions
The following exhibitions were some of the ones that stood out to me most on the 3rd floor:
Pickett's Charge
Nature and Abstraction
Shape Shifters
MARK BRADFORD: PICKETT’S CHARGE
NOV 08, 2017–ONGOING
As you ascend to the upper level, you will be greeted with artist Mark Bradford's monumental artwork that wraps around the entire floor. His theme includes narratives of American history, which he problem-solves by using illusion and abstraction to weave together the past and the present. He tackles political and cultural climate topics and responds to them by layering and "painting with paper." To achieve this, Bradford applied thick layers of colorful paper and rope to canvases, then placed large prints of a painting also called "Pickett's Charge," an important battle in the Civil War. Then, he tore layers of the paper to reveal hidden elements as if the layers were revealing years of history. It makes you think about how history is told, and all the complex narratives that are either remembered or forgotten. To learn more about his exhibition and process, watch this video.
NATURE AND ABSTRACTION
If you enter one of the rooms behind Pickett's Charge, you'll find yourself in a place full of paintings with abstract interpretations of nature. Featured artists include Alma Thomas and Helen Lundeberg. Alma Thomas problem-solves the theme of nature and abstraction through the usage of color as a fundamental element in her work. Her color choices and patterns elicit feelings of joy and peace as a response to nature's beauty. Helen Lundeberg, on the other hand, problem-solves this theme through complex investigations of the geometric form. She uses colors to create the illusion of depth, and her precise contour related to architectural and natural landscapes creates a mental state between reality and imagination to evoke different moods.
SHAPE SHIFTERS
Exiting the Nature and Abstraction exhibit and going into the next room, you will soon enter a place full of colorful representational figures. Featured artists include Christina Quarles, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Rachel Jones. Quarles's theme is the dynamic experience of living within a body. She problem-solves by creating large-scale paintings and manipulating her human objects' position so they overlap. Her play on juxtaposition as well as the exposed raw canvas conveys the paradox that we as humans are all bounded and boundless. Niki de Saint Phalle also plays with the idea of the human figure, with her theme being the portrayal of women's identities and bodies. Her mixed-media drawing of "Annette" problem-solves by upscaling the female body, thus empowering her. Niki's usage of colors, linework, and objects inside the body are representational of the woman in the portrait and communicates her identity with us. She is able to tell us more about her figures without explicitly saying who they are and adds complex, playful, and charismatic forms to these women. Lastly, Jones problem-solves her theme of identity by using "riotous abstraction" that holds a visual language through color and shape. By thinking about the meaning of the specific object in her works, people can respond to the message intended by the artist.
So, What Can We Teach in an Art Classroom?
Seeing all of the different artists in this museum inspired some ideas for topics and themes that I could cover in a future art classroom. Mark Bradford touches on historical and political themes in the form of a complex narrative. Older kids could think about a special event or time in their life that they would want to reveal to the world through layers, all while using collage elements and glue to tear the pieces up like Bradford. Other themes like abstract nature can be taught to younger students, for they can think about their favorite place outdoors, take some time to observe it, then translate their experience based on emotion with color and repetition. Lastly, the identity theme as portrayed through shape-shifting can be used as an opportunity for the students to share who they are in a non-explicit way. They can focus on representational objects, patterns, and feelings that make up their personalities and personas, then place them as a part of an expressive self-portrait that focuses on color and style to express themselves.
Sketchbook Reflection
Thought Process + Curriculum
I was inspired by Niki de Saint Phalle (left) and Alma Thomas (right). I loved Niki's idea of portraying the female body as empowering, therefore I drew myself in a similar fashion and style as "Annette" with a strong build. I also filled my outline with expressive doodles of how I would portray myself. The tangled and intertwined lines represent the complexity of my character, and how it may take a while to decipher who I am. The swirls depict the state of emotions I'm in at times, and how I struggle with stability. The "vines" along my arm and throat delve a bit deeper into how I hurt sometimes, especially dealing with stress and anxiety. I also left a hole near the center of my heart on purpose to show that I don't know the complete version of myself and that I'm still building my character. I also paid a bit of tribute to my culture and family by creating pink abstract patterns that resemble pattern-work on textiles, as well as my abstract family members and their personalities. These are all things that make up who I am, both the good and the bad. On the right, I decided to work on pattern-work as well and evoke the same feeling of joy and peace that Alma Thomas does in her paintings. My favorite interaction with nature is when I watch the sunset. I feel serene and at peace whenever I see the event unfold. I wanted to convey those same emotions with the fading effect caused by the separation of dots and lines, thus creating a dreamlike state with a vibrant color palette as well. These themes of identity and natural abstraction are what I want to focus on moving forward with curriculum making.
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