Wadsworth Atheneum

Early last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum for the first time. Since I had always considered myself somewhat of an art “aficionado” (I've probably been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art about twelve times in the past six years), I couldn't believe that I had never even heard of this magnificent museum before. Towering over the streets of Hartford like an ancient castle, the Wadsworth Atheneum was built in 1842 by Daniel Wadsworth. It is supposedly the oldest public museum in America. (wadsworthatheneum.org) Upon seeing the exterior of the museum, I was expecting the interior to appear dated, if not ancient. I was shocked when I was instead greeted with an extremely modern entrance, complete with an amazing wall mural and a wonderful research library. I was amazed with the sheer size of the library, which claims over 40,000 volumes from around the world. (wadsworthatheneum.org)

Unfortunately, when I went to the security kiosk to get my photo pass, I was told by the guard that my palm pilot was an unacceptable means of taking photos in the museum. While I don't understand why that is the case, I respected the wishes of the security staff and refused to let this little mix up ruin my visit to this wonderful museum.

Upon entering the actual museum itself, I was impressed with the design of the museum interior. The walls were painted in light pastels, which in addition to giving the museum a warm and welcoming feeling, encouraged the visitors' eyes towards the paintings and exhibits themselves, rather than the walls. This is a trait that I wish the Yale Art Gallery would adopt, as some of its rooms are painted in bright burgundy, which seems harsh and distracts from the paintings themselves.

After a leisurely tour of the museum, it was hard to decide onto which painting I would focus. Both Monet's “Water Lillies,” and Dali's “Apparition of a Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach,” were close finalists, but after a long deliberation, I decided to study Jackson Pollock's “Number 9” in closer detail.

Jackson Pollock is an interesting artist to examine in detail. Lauded by many art historians and artists for his abstract expressionism, or “action painting,” (Pollock 1) he is extremely underrated by the community at large. While I stood, examining “Number 9,” I heard one patron scoffing to another that he had seen better paintings from a three year old. This seems to be a common perception from those that are either uneducated in art, or simply haven't examined Pollock's work closely enough. Pollock was simply a master of color, and “Number 9” is no exception. By using complimentary pairs or colors, such as yellow and blue, and contrasting colors, like yellow and black, Pollock is successfully able to force the viewers eyes towards certain areas of the canvas. While the painting may appear completely random to the casual observer, Pollock knew where he wanted each line and drip. By his careful use of color choice, Pollock was able to successfully pull the observers eyes into the painting.

Born in 1912 and painting throughout much of his life, it wasn't until 1947 that Jackson Pollock began
using the process of “action painting” by pouring and dripping paint over a canvas laid on the floor. Usually working in stages, Pollock would sometimes deliberate over a painting for weeks before adding another line of color to the canvas. (Pollock 1) Believing that true art was derived from the unconscious, Pollock believed that he was simply a vessel through which his art could be created, a truly romantic ideal. (Pollock 1)

While Pollock is somewhat of a controversial artist, it is impossible to argue that his paintings have had a dramatic effect on in artistic movements in the past fifty years. Though many believe that his paintings are simply a random smattering of lines and drips, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Pollock was a genius at successfully using color scheme to pull the viewer's eyes into the painting. To those who may claim that his paintings could be easily replicated by a child with a paintbrush, I pose a question to them: if Pollock's paintings are so easy to replicate, why have so few been successful at it since his death?

Works Cited

www.wadsworthatheneum.org

"Pollock, Jackson." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007.