MOA Experience

MOA Experience
Going to the Museum of Art for class was a great experience. Last semester I walked through the exhibit “Types and Shadows: Imitations of Divinity” on my own and got a lot less out of the time I spent. The first time through, I walked by and stopped at different paintings. I completely bypassed Lee Bennion’s “Daily Bread” my first time through the exhibit. When we went as a class and had a guide, it was the first painting we stopped and discussed. We talked about her apron and the significance of the colors and design of it. We related it to the Atonement and the symbols of it in the painting.
The next painting we looked at was Franz M. Johansen’s “The Rod and the Veil”. We analyzed the position of the boy on the left and what it could possibly mean; whether he was letting go or jumping up to the rod. We also discussed the positions of both men in the picture, especially their feet positions. Also, the man on the right’s arms are outstretched as he reaches through a “veil” and we discussed possible meanings of these positions.
The next painting we looked at was “Exchange No. 8” by Ron Richmond. In it, there are four main areas – the chair, the cloths, the colors red and white. We named possible synonyms of the objects and could derive meanings from those. We also mentioned the “frame” surrounding the picture having pencil lines similar to daVinci’s famous drawing.
We also looked at “The Prodigal’s Return” by Edward John Poynter. We talked about the positioning of the father and son on the stairs and the contortions of the son’s body.
Possibly my favorite painting of the ones we looked at was Christopher Young’s “Man of Sorrows”. It appears to very realistic. The wood seems very varnished and yet very nicked up on the edges. The way Christ grips/holds the cross is an interesting position. Also, the way he is wearing the crown of thorns but is not bleeding and they way his body is, makes one question exactly WHEN this picture is depicting.
All in all, it was a marvelous experience to go to the BYU Museum of Art. It was great to go with a guide and be asked, and asked myself analytical questions to gain more insights and inspiration from the inspired works of art.