Essay #3 - My Trip to the Noguchi Museum

My trip to the Noguchi Museum brought back a lot of memories for me. Back in highschool, I had the opportunity to participate in their "Learning 2 Look" program, twice. We had classes and workshops back and forth between my school and the museum. At the end of the program, we got to present some finished art pieces to the public in a small gallery for a day. I took notice of the things that changed, and the things that did not. For example, during that time, it was unheard of for the Noguchi Museum to feature any artist's works other than Noguchi's. Now, though, the museum is featuring Tom Sachs' work. So needless to say, it was certainly an interesting experience for me coming back here.
Speaking of Tom Sachs; while roaming the multiple rooms of the museum, I came across this interesting piece:

This piece is called "Bonsai", and it was made by Tom Sachs in 2016. It was made by wielding together over 3,600 individual bronze casts, which I found to be pretty amazing. What I found even more amazing though was the items that were used for the casts... Those being common bathroom items. Q-tips, toilet paper rolls, toothbrushes, pipes, and even pregnancy tests!

I found it quite intriguing that the artist chose to use bathroom items for something such as a bonsai tree; in Japan, they're seen as things of beauty, worthy to display in the house for valued guests. Many even consider growing bonsai to be an art form. So to see this all come together into something that's still really beautiful, albeit in a different way, is really cool.

This sculpture is representational, as we can clearly see that it is a bonsai tree. However, all shapes (except for the square base) are organic. There are also a lot of lines, mostly made with the q-tips and rolls so as to represent the trunk and branches. Value can also be seen by the shadow the sculpture casts down onto the floor; in my opinion, it gives the sculpture a really neat look, as it gives the illusion that there is more positive space despite it actually being negative and just a shadow. It adds a lot of dimension to the piece.

The next piece that really caught my attention was actually this Barbie made by Tom Sachs, made in 2013: 

It's Untitled, but in parenthesis it says, "I loved my sister's barbie so very much. My parents, afraid that I'd turn out gay, encouraged carpentry. In secrecy I made my own. It wasn't love, only lust." I was really taken aback by that , and it really made me appreciate this piece all the more. I can actually really relate to that because, as a child, I was really interested in (stereo-typically) "male" hobbies, such as sports, comics and games. I wanted nothing to do with traditional girly or feminine things, such as dress up, pink, or boys. My parents heavily disapproved of that and tried to shove the latter down my throat, even as a kid, so I had to find means of doing what I liked in secret, and it felt really terrible. I can really understand how much sentimental value and meaning this barbie holds to the artist, and that's so powerful. I was really happy that I caught it.

This representational sculpture is made with plywood, hardwood, and vectran. There are a lot of lines seen in the wood, and also in her hair. The shapes are all organic. We can see a mix of cool and warm colors, as her body and lips are warm tones (brown, red) while her hair and eyes are cool (white, blue). While I didn't want to touch her with my hands so as to not damage her, I can definitely assume that the texture of this sculpture would feel more rough than smooth, perhaps with the exception of her hair. 

I think when it comes to comparing and contrasting these two sculptures, my first thought is that they're definitely more different than they are similar. Bonsai was made with a LOT of bronze casts, while the barbie was made with a few carved wooden pieces and fiber, and they're both vastly different in regards to subject matter. However, they actually have more in common than I initially thought. Both were assembled, as the Bonsai and barbie both had pieces that had to be put together, so that's something that they share. Additionally, they're both representational works. They're also both using materials that are not typically used to make what it is they're representing; Bonsai is representing a tree, but is using bathroom products to do so, and the barbie is representing a barbie, but is made with wood and not plastic. So they're meant to be representative of conventional images, but are made with unconventional material and means.

Tom Sachs actually really interests me as an artist. As a DIY lover myself who enjoys crafting and tinkering with things to see what I can make with them, I really appreciate Tom's DIY approach to his art work, such as with the barbie, or the lobster above (which I had a mini freak-out over because I thought it was the coolest thing ever). I think it's also really awesome that he uses a lot of re-purposed material and has this sort of anti-materialism message going on. The environment is something I'm really passionate about, so it's always awesome to see this sort of thing, especially in art. Also, he really loves outer space, and I thought all his work concerning it was really awesome too. I always love all things concerning the cosmos.

I think his work heavily contrasts Noguchi's in that a lot of Noguchi's work was more concerned with minimalism, and it seemed a lot more earthy. There's also more mystery with Noguchi's art, I think; you don't entirely know the meaning behind some of his work upon looking at it, while Tom's seemed a little more straightforward. I also felt a lot more calm around Noguchi's pieces, though I'm not really sure why. I think his pieces were just kind of "easier" to look at in that there weren't many shapes, lines, or details to take in. 

I honestly wish the museum was bigger so I could see more. I definitely plan on returning as not only was the art incredibly interesting, but the atmosphere of the museum itself was wonderful. I didn't feel overwhelmed by security, or worried that I was getting too close to a piece, or if it was getting a little too crowded; it felt so serene and it was truly a lovely viewing experience. The garden in particular was quite relaxing. I'm really glad I went!