A Visual Essay: UK Art Museum

Light and color are interesting concepts that are incorporated in our everyday lives. I went to the Art Museum at The University of Kentucky to see how these concepts are interpreted into art. The artworks had their own unique style and personality which was very intreginig. Below each picture and to the right is the accompanying text.

This statue represents an African slave that has her arms roped behind her while she stares hopelessly. The light emphasizes her beauty but it also brings out the tortured emotions within her. Black is used on this sculpture to represent the dull, mute, and brutal life of the slaves. The color can also represent the ethnic background of this woman.

Here we see another minority but looked at in a different view. This artist added color and life to this piece. It was inspired by the people in the South Bronx. The light brings out the facial expressions of this egar to learn school boy. I think it is important to show both the slave side and the free side of this culture which is why I chose these first two pieces.

It is obvious that color is a huge factor in this work of art. The idea of this is a representation of the low income citizens of Jamaica that usually go unnoticed and because of this the people struggle with their place in society. The contrasting colors and designs on the coffins represent each unique quality in every person because no-one is exactly like another. "You may not have noticed me when I was alive, but you will damn well see me as I leave."

I chose this particular piece because of the way the light brings out each color. The words that come to mind when I look at it are vibrant, radiant, and creative. My interpretation of the artwork is a child's imagination free flowing.

The bottom column stump is a neutral and boring grey color because it emphasizes the chaotic life of central London. The top base is an exact replica of the bottom except flipped overs and it is special because it uses a crystal, translucent color. As the light shines down into the piece it glows and has ice cube like qualities. The artist wanted to create Central London (bottom) but wanted to create art that is worth while which is why the top half is there. 

The chair above is my favorite work in the museum. What the artist did was take psychological attributes of the brain and turn them into art. The various colors on the right side of the chair represent our vibrant creativity as humans (right side of the brain). The left side represents the other side of our brain that we associate with logic, numbers, and science. There is also a scary side to this chair that the colors represent. The various rainbow colors show the fun loving side of a psychedelic experience but as we go to the other side it show the dark and ominous places in our minds. Is the artist using colors to express a split personally?

 

In his picture we see the past and present come to life to form one. The black and white images are from the past and represent the creation of the roadway. The background image is colorful and represent the current era of that picture and the use of the road way that was being built in the first two images I talked about.

I chose the painting about because it emphasizes both light and color in nature. The sun is rising over this valley and we can see the shadows disappearing as the sun illuminates the valley.





The museum its self was a work of art in itself. It was split up into exhibits that had their own meaning as seen in the photos below. I liked the use of neutral colors in the brown flooring and white walls. It gave the art work more of an emphasis. The lights hung in a way so that almost each of work art had its own spot light which illuminated them.

                                                       

The photo above shows a panorama of the second floor and part of the first. It will give you a better feel for how the space was constructed and how the designer brought this structure to life. Of course the real life of the museum comes from the artwork inside.