I tried out something new while I was processing and interpreting each piece. I tried to pay attention to the way my entire body responded to the piece. I noticed that sometimes my heart would begin to beat faster and my breath would become more rapid. Or I noticed that I could feel different areas of my body respond to a piece...maybe in my mind, my throat, my shoulders, or the pit of my stomach. It was a really interesting way to view art, and it was something I've never tried before.
There were several hands-on and manipulative installations as well. I found these to be very stimulating. I used the softest touch with the tips of my fingers to explore these installations in order to awaken my nerves. I focused so that I couldn't hear anything but my own footsteps and couldn't see in my peripheral. After doing this I found myself in an ethereal, tangible place that was conducive to connecting with my core.
There were two specific works that affected me strongly. This was the first piece I encountered at the museum:
Pincushion to Serve as Fetish by Dorothea Tanning (Not my own picture, BTW. I got in trouble for trying to take one.)
Now, I don't claim by any means to be an expert on art. All I can report is how art affects me. When I first saw this piece, I wasn't that interested. But then I began to look at it closer and try to interpret what I saw and how I saw it. I thought of this piece the whole way through the museum. It's not static to me. For me it represents the way ideas and thoughts can morph, shift, and change. It represents how my subconscious mind is affecting my outward actions and reactions.
This next piece affected me very deeply:
Portrait and a Dream by Jackson Pollock
This one hit me someplace deep inside. I must have sat and looked at this painting for at least 15 minutes. I see myself in it. I see examination, reflection, beauty amid chaos. I felt this painting deep in my core. I felt my heart begin to beat hard and fast. At first glance the figure on the right seems to be blocked from seeing the image on the left. However, I think the figure is examining things through a lens. Getting really close to it, understanding it, deconstructing it. For me this piece represents triumph over chaos.
I think we all respond to art in a very specific way that is almost like a snapshot of that day and time. My response to a piece could be different today than it is tomorrow. It's so important to recognize and listen to what the body says...it's often very right. I know I left the museum feeling much lighter, much clearer, much more grounded. And I think that viewing art in a way that acknowledges the body helps to get past all the cognitive stuff and get right down to the core.
