Review: High Museum of Art Atlanta

High Museum is one of the best ways to explore 19^th - 20^th century arts, American art, European art, Folk art, modern and contemporary art, and the African art. Observing each painting, decorative arts and sculptures were unique, few artists such as Antoine, Harriet and Chuck have overwhelmed me with their unique work. I have not been to the High Museum for quite some time, and I was looking forward to getting there again. The building itself is a work of art; designed by architect Richard Meier in 1983, the American Institute of Architects called Meier's design one of the ten best works of American architecture of the 1980's. Because of the High's growing popularity, another expansion was planned in the 1990's. Three new buildings designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano were opened in November 2005. An interesting feature of Piano's design is the roof system with 1,000 light scoops that filters the natural light into the skyway galleries (High).

To begin with, Louvre and the Masterpiece area was the preeminent that I like the most. However, Louvre collection carries various pieces. Among all, the famous sculpture from Paris, Lion Crushing a Serpent by Antoine-Louis Barye, is the notable piece of art that touch my heart. Artist works and his techniques cannot be articulated by the words, but I have not even imagined that I would be able to scrutinize the Barye's piece of art through High Museum. The piece is amazing because the way artist has made the sculpture it made me felt the same atmosphere of the animal life in which the lion is really roaring and crushing a serpent. It seems like that the battle is between good and evil. The carvings of the sculpture articulate every expression of the lion which is unique to observe.

Entering into a main building, Harriet's "The sleeping Faun" is the finest sculptural work that is first to observe. Being a female artist, Harriet tells us many things though her art work which is influences by her life. However, the sculpture demonstrates a little mischievous satyr is tying end of the lion skin cloth with tree, capturing a beautiful sleeping young man. Then again, a few things in the sculpture illustrate artist's love for nature because lizard is shown at the bottom. Harriet's artistry works are so unique that anyone, who observes her works, can fall in love with it. However, I liked the biblical epic of sacrificing which is painted by the Baciccio (Giovanni Battista Gaulli). Romans have believed in gods, so their art works are most probably are painted of god portrait or have biblical theme. Baciccio's Abraham's Sacrifice of Issac painting is exploring the biblical theme of sacrifice where Abraham has to sacrifice his only son. One can see the paintings that Angel is sent by the god. Baciccio has captures the event in his paintings which is indescribable. However, artist another work The Thanksgiving of Noah is also tremendous. Artist has painted the specific event which reminds us the event is happening in the present.

After taking a couple of minutes to admire the building and the grounds, I made my way to the Monet exhibit. Since Monet has always been one of my favorite painters, I was very excited about getting the opportunity to view these works of art again. I loved all the works by Monet, especially the "Water Lillies," but I really enjoyed the triptych, "Reflections of Clouds on the Water Lily Pond." Monet's vision was to install these paintings to encircle an oval room surrounding the viewer. His aim was to create "the illusion of an endless whole, of water without horizon or bank." I also enjoyed the pictures of his home and garden where he worked and tried to imagine where his inspiration came from. It is amazing to me, that despite his failing eyesight, he was still able to create such beautiful works of art. After satisfying my fix of Monet, I went off to explore the rest of the exhibits. I wandered through the Folk art exhibit which to my surprise, I enjoyed. I loved looking at the paintings by Nellie Mae Rowe. Her paintings were all rich in color and imagination. I loved walking through this exhibit and looking at all the colorful pieces and how different each artists's styles are. They only artist I did not really care for was Howard Finster. For some reason, his art seemed like ramblings of an old man. I am not sure if it was all the writing or his use of discarded items, but this was my least favorite of the Folk art collections.

Furthermore, the portrait from the American painter Chuck Close "self portrait" made me confused at the very first sight. The piece itself is confusing when one looks at the painting. When I visualize the painting, the very first time I could not recognize his face. After observing with closer glance at high museum, it made my confusion patent. And I saw the painting technique that used in the modern world which is incredible. However, Close's work on self-portrait was astonishing because he pictures himself in a big portrait with minimalism and conceptual art. I liked the painting because the character of the painting is abstracted and portrait cannot be compared with others. On to the Modern and Contemporary art collection. There were quite a few interesting pieces in this collection. I was interested in "11 Panes" by Gerhard Richter. I could not decide if I saw this as a piece of art or not, but I did like it. There were some pieces, the felt on the wall and the colored shapes, that when I looked at them, I thought about what Andy Warhol said about art being "anything you can get away with." After viewing Monet's works, I did not find this exhibit to hold my interest. I wandered some more, through the architecture exhibit and the furniture. I though the piece by Frank Lloyd Wright was interesting, but I felt the rest of the exhibit was like a walk through Ikea.

Through the museum, one can discover the artistry world. Barye's Lion Crushing a Serpent and Harriet's "The Sleeping Faun" has impressed me with first glance. Some artist has revealed an immense works, on the other hand, some does not have amazed me like Antoine and Harriet did. On the other hand, a few Baciccio paintings from 1700s have also captured my attention. However, I also had some perplexity regarding the artist works, which has been cleared after visiting the museum. It really is the best tour to gain artistic skill.

Next, I entered into a room filled with Folk art. Mattie O'Kelly is the most organized painter I have ever seen on canvas. The paintings of farms are amazing to me as I have been told I am a bit of a neat freak and anal to boot. Detailed lines throughout the painting of buildings, hill tops, people and animals, all are in their place. They are very busy paintings with several scenes active in each. Next, I see a relief work made with a metal material, painted and leaving much to the imagination. Also displayed are old pieces of the past that are painted depicting some scenes of country life or old products not on the market today. These Folk art pieces all seem to have a story to tell. These pieces represent different cultures and traditions of things in our past from around the U.S.

Moving on and soon standing in front of a painting by Joseph Lie that looks like a view of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The river is busy with cargo vessels pumping out dismal smoke, polluting the air around and over the city landscape. The artist seems to be disappointed with the commercial growth and what it is doing to the environment. Then, a painting, "The Card Show with the Ace of Clubs," by Georges de La Tour, gives me a laugh. It is of two women in a bar being cheated by a young hustler pulling cards from behind his back. Each person in the painting has a different expression on their face as their eyes of their emotions at that particular moment. Next, I see a stunning painting titled, "Pandemonium." I like a little imagination in some works. Here Satan is standing at the gates of hell, calling to his fallen angels. There is fire and massive fortress with demons being summoned to battle. Sounds like the makings of a great movie.

I ended our tour in the Photography exhibit and next to Monet, this was my favorite part of the museum. "Picturing the South" by Alex Soth brought pictures of the Deep South to life. It is hard to believe that some people live like this, and that these shots were taken right in Atlanta's backyard. Richard Misrach's "On the Beach" photos were outstanding. I have always liked looking at pictures, whether in a museum or in someone's family album, but some of these shots took my breath away. I really loved how he placed the subjects of his photos in such a way that they looked like they were in the middle of the ocean or purposely placed on spots on the beach. I found myself walking through this exhibit two or three more times before we headed out. Misrach is a brilliant photographer and artist, and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

One other piece of art I would like to point out is the "Chandelier Mori," by Fred Wilson. The glass chandelier hanging in one of the hallways is made up of black Murano glass and is truly a work of art. The High Museum is a great part of Atlanta, and I am going to make it a point to visit it more often. I am looking forward to taking the family to see the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit coming next month. The museum was filled with many different types of art. My favorite are the paintings, because I am so impressed that such imagination and vision can be put on canvas in so many different variations. I have always enjoyed natural abilities in individuals. I am impressed when I see a skilled laborer or athlete do to the things they do. Learning to admire the abilities of the masters of painting and other arts is something I hope I will do for years to come.

Works Cited

High Museum of Atlanta. Web. 30 Aug, 2009..