Medium of the Art: When first looking at this piece of clothing, I honestly didn't see much. It's always been hard for me to see art in something so mundane as clothing so I didn't feel much interest in it until I read its description. This outfit is actually a woman's wedding ensemble from the Siwa Oasis in Egypt and was made by the Amazigh People which amazed me. A woman wore an outfit like this on what was presumably a huge day in her life that really defined her. As a woman who would like to get married someday, it amazed me that a piece of clothing that seemed so different than anything in my life, was actually a part of a tradition I would like to take part in in my future. That's when I realized just how beautiful and meaningful this piece really was. I wouldn't have felt that connection without being there in its presence and appreciating how similar something so culturally different looking was to my own culture.
Design of the Museum: The Asian Art section of this museum, which is partially shown in this photo, was particularly impactful somewhat because of its separation from the exhibits near it. It was one of the largest sections of the museum and had many different eye catching features, from cases full of different artifacts to a beautiful garden on full view from anywhere in the room. It made me feel as if I were stepping into another place and leaving the Harn. The sections around it had common designs with regular white walls whereas the Asian Art section had a deep red wood floor, pillars and ceiling. All the cases were full of small artifacts of many different colors and design. Medium sized artifacts were on pedestals all around the room such as a Buddha statue. Along we these artifacts were two large pieces, one in partially shown in this photo, that seemed to take up half the room. This arrangement of art, warm colored room, and beautiful garden all together made me feel transported and allowed the Asian Art section to really sink in as I walked through it.
Art and Core Values: This piece, called "Frida with Granizo" by Nickolas Murray, particularly struck me because animals are a large part of my life. I've thought about becoming a vet and interacting with them for the rest of my life and so the interaction between this woman and the fawn really struck me. Many could go past this piece and not see anything particular but I see the gap between man and other animals being closed. It reminds me of the passion I feel towards the better appreciation of other species and towards their wellbeing.
Art and the Good Life: I really enjoyed this piece called "Retablo" because it seemed to go back to the basics of embodying the good life. It's a simple piece, small in size, with no known author and who's name translates unsurprisingly to "Adam and Eve" yet it holds a lot of good messages. Adam and Eve were a couple completely content with their love and the world around them even without all the advances we have today in things like technology. Seeing this piece reminded me that we should appreciate the little things that are right in front of us, like the earth and our families, that may seem so normal. No matter how hard life gets, we are in a world full of amazing things that we pass by on a daily basis, sometimes we need to look up from our phones and materials and appreciate it.