Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

American Art



















Our last excursion before leaving Chattanooga was to visit the Hunter Museum of American art. It is dedicated to American Artists from the early 1700’s until the present. The museum takes its name from the gentleman who donated his riverfront mansion to create the museum. Since those beginnings, it has grown to include a modernistic building surrounding the mansion. When you tour the museum you will find yourself seamlessly entering the mansion on the second floor.

We enjoy all types of art exhibits, wherever we find them. I have to admit that modern abstract art is not among my favorites. This museum has a number of pieces that fall into this category. My personal problem is that I find it hard to think of some of this stuff as art. In this museum there is a classic example of my problem. It is a painting of painted stripes of canvas. Even I could do this. To add insult to injury, the plaque notes that this particular piece was purchased with federal funding. Why does that not surprise me!

The vast majority of the pieces depict life in the USA during various periods of our history. This includes Native American life, immigrants and the simple life of most Americans along with some of the more noteworthy in our history.

One painting from the late 1800’s I found particularly interesting. It depicts horse shoe falls at Niagara Falls. It has a structure in the river above the falls that looks a little like a lighthouse base and a plank walkway from the shore to the edge of the falls. How would you like to walk that plank?

It is well worth a visit.

15 comments:

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

Paul doesn't like visiting art museum but I love them. I think when I was in grade school I did an excellent job with modern abstract art. I just couldn't find any one to buy it. Great museum. Thanks for sharing.

Paul and Marti Dahl said...

I'm with ya' on that modern "art" stuff. Seen better products done by pre-school kids.

Your tax dollars at work... :c(

Donna K said...

I kicked over a bucket of paint once that looked pretty good. Unfortunately I have NO experience at writing grant request so I had to clean it up and throw it away!

Some of those paintings are really nice. That's the kind of art I can appreciate.

Sherry said...

Me too about the modern art. Federal dollars usually means they were given to the museum and whoever is authorized decided.

I don't mind my tax dollars being spent to procure art but seems like someone should oversee how much we are spending on stripes.

Luci & Loree said...

Got to go to the Getty Museum in LA. it was the 1st time i had seen really old paintings, 1600-1800's they were wonderful.

Sue and Doug said...

art is a personal choice that is for sure!!..not too sure about the striped one..kind of looks like a paint test to me!!

Karen and Al said...

I agree on modern art. I don't see any talent there...but what do I know?

Kevin Read said...

Totally agree with you on your opinion of art. Some is very good and requires lots of talent and some anyone could do. Canada bought a piece of art back in 1989 for $1.8 million dollars. It was just three stripes, 2 blue and one red. Google "Voice of Fire". There was a huge uproar about it. Sometimes you just have to shake your head.

Kevin and Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

Laura said...

I hear you about the modern art - our Canadian government once purchased "Voice of Fire" - by an American artist and I think they paid $1.8 million! It wasn't even by a Canadian - how that for spending taxpayers money!

Mike and Terri said...

I'm not a fan of modern art either. If it looks like something I could do, it's hard for me to call it art.

Gail Houle said...

I'll make it unanimous! Modern art is mostly perplexing to me.
If we commenters are any indication, it would seem that no one likes it :)

Donna K said...

Note to comment left on my blog - nope, can't reply to your comments :((

Sweet Meanderings said...

I really don't understand some of what passes for "art" these days. However, I loved the other pieces. I particularly love the little "Woody" on your header though.
Candy

Nan said...

I enjoy art in any form but some more than others. The stripes were interesting. Can look at that one and see different ideas. It is one that I would not purchase but it was fun to study the uses of color organization.

Erin said...

Totally agree with you on abstract art ... I just don't get it. Give me something I can recognize and interpret for my own and I'm happy. You'll have to stop by my main travel blog to check out my post from the art museum we visited in Ankara last week. With only two days left in Turkey, and going back to work as soon as we get back to the US, I won't get to that post for a week or two, but drop by and check it out.