Kahelelani Moli

HUMA 1100

Diana Wilson

Cultural Event: Museum Visit

I visited the University of Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA). I went to the museum

alone, and at first I was wanting company, but then I was able to invest so much time in just

reading. Now that I have gone, I believe that if I had gone with someone else I wouldn’t have

been able to get the most out of my visit. With that being said, the museum was small but full of

arts and information, and I got to dig deep into most of it.

A permanent gallery at the UMFA was the Modern and Contemporary Gallery. One of

the pieces in there that really stood out to me was the Infinity Nets by Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese

contemporary artist. It was a black canvas with bold, gold (acrylic) painted dots all around it. In

my own interpretation I would say it was like looking at endless stars in the night sky. This

masterpiece also gave me a Van Gogh vibe, I think this is because the individual short strokes

ultimately created waves and movement in the picture at large. It’s easy to say, “I could totally

do this myself”, because in reality I think if I tried I could, but the deeper message of this

painting is surely what makes it what it is… a masterpiece. Yayoi Kusama created the Infinity

Nets when she was 80 years old. She is now 89 years old. She has suffered from hallucinations

ever since she was a young child, her art has been entitled a depiction of life in detail, at large.
Her art is focused around the having no center, but rather letting gravity defy itself. Coming to

learn this about Yayoi only adds the the uniqueness and meaning to her art, which even if I

could replicate, could not hold even close the same standards.

A temporary gallery at the UMFA is the Chiura Obata Collection. Chiura Obata was an

artist in Utah who painted many of Utah’s landscapes during the time of World War 11. His art

compiled during his time in the Japanese internment camp, well-known as Topaz. He

originated from Okayama, Japan, and migrated to California, and eventually to Utah. His skills

developed at a young age with interest in watercolors. He combined his watercolor passion with

the many landscapes that surrounded him, and from that he produced a career. He became a

major influential leader in Japanese Rights, because of the attention his art pieces for from

everyone. I personally loved his art pieces, one of my personal favorites was the “American

Modern”. It was a very simple, yet detailed watercolor perspective of rock formations. While I

was there I took fancy in the simplicity of his work. It was simple, yet when seen at large very

quiet, but bold. My evaluation of his art intrigues me considering the role he played in society

that time in history.

I think the museum administration and exhibit curators wanted me, and other visitors

to get a sense of art and culture. As I walked around the UMFA it intrigued me to see the many

different exhibits. I felt that there was a strong sense of individuality that also was meant to

take place. I believe the museum administration wants it’s visitors to feel that individuality, to

make those connections with the not only the art, but the artists. I also believe the museum
administration wanted to spark curiosity, and wonder, through the wide variety of pieces it

withholds. Being able to see things that are odd, and different, encompassed in a environment

that allows for observation, and in-depth thought are what leads me to believe that the Museum

values these indifferences, and seeks to share them with it’s visitors.

Some information that is given at the museum can be found on the information plaques

near each artifact. These plaques usually give the title of the piece, it’s creator, the time period it

was created in, and it’s origin. Most often the plaque will include a little bit of insight about the

creator, or the reason it was created, to allow for understanding of the artifacts. To find out

more information about a specific artifact or it’s creator, you can ask a member of the museum,

look up the artifact and, or creator online, or seek further knowledge from brochures upon

entrance or exit.

From the many artifacts at the museum I have chosen a few that were stood out to me to

further evaluate. The first one I want to talk about is from the Ancient Mediterranean Gallery.

This artifact is entitled “Anthropoid Coffin”. It is an Egyptian artifact that dates back to 664-525

B.C.E. This coffin is empty, however it withheld the mummified body of and Egyptian man who

went by the name of Padiusir. It was interesting to learn that Egyptians believed in caring for an

individual’s spiritual twin, that is why there was a major practice in mummification, it was

crucial for life after death. I think a message that could be portrayed from this work is that

Egyptians not only believed in life after death, they valued it. They valued it so much that they
took intense measures to exemplify beauty, and caution in the process of executing their

beliefs.

From the European Gallery I found the “Dance Around the Maypole” painting very

interesting. It was created by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, from 1625-1630. This painting

interested me because of the noise it produced. Everyone was doing something, it seemed like

war, but more of a personal war, that wasn’t personal at all. Drinking, skinny-dipping,

urinating...no control. The painting was in inspiration from May Day the celebration of the first

day of spring, and in no way was this what was portrayed. I believe the creator of this artifact

may have wanted to portray the contrast between what is really valued in this society at that

time. Although this was a May Day celebration, drinking, and mischief were valued higher than

planting flowers, and thanking God for a blooming season.

The last artifact I want to talk highlight is the “Mask”, which can be found in the Pacific

Gallery. It was created by an individual who Identified with the Asmat people from Papua,

Indonesia around the 20th century. I personally didn’t like these masks (there were two), just

because I got a bad vibe around them. I don’t think I’m making sense, but there was just a

feeling when I came across them that I didn’t enjoy. I was creeped out. When learning more

about them, I found out that these masks were used in rituals to call back the dead spirits from

the community to celebrate. They come to eat and dance, and when the feast comes to an end,

and the mask is taken off the spirits depart, and move to their ancestors realm. It was like the

Day of the Dead for Latin Americans, but it’s more of a promotion, where the spirits are moving
to a higher spiritual realm. These piece’s really stood out to me because I didn’t like them,

however the ritual behind them probably brought great peace and joy to those who used it in

practicing their beliefs. I believe the message behind these masks are told through the people

whose face was placed behind them. I’d be interested to do more research on the Asmat people,

and their believes.

The artworks I looked at while attending the museum related to our class material in the

sense of diversity, and philosophy. While walking around the museum I found it intriguing to

feel like I was walking into another world, and time period. Although I was grateful to go to the

museum by myself, I would have liked to question a friend on how they felt while walking

through the different exhibits. Going back to the discussion of diversity and philosophy it is

quite reasonable to see. The diversity aspects would come into play with the varying of

exhibits/galleries. There were ten different exhibits each including different art, from different

artist, who believed and executed their beliefs through art in all different ways (the creator

esteems the aspect of philosophy). There were spiritual, social, and environmental aspects

amongst all the artifacts, only adding to the intense truth of individual philosophy.

My overall reaction to this experience I had at the museum was very interesting. This is

the first time I have went to the museum by myself. I recently went to the Natural History

Museum on a date, and not even my date interested me as much as the artifacts at the UMFA

did. With seats right in front of many of the large masterpieces, I couldn’t help but sit and

observe. To ponder these artifacts was definitely a soul gain. My journey through the UMFA
really made me question my place in society, and the art of my time, it even made me question

my own art. It was amazing to look at something and just wonder. Who’s hands made this?

What were they thinking? Why these colors? Why this style? You really are looking at a piece of

time, and of all things that is what amazed me the most. I am the layer of time in the now, and

it interest me to know what someone else will be thinking many, many, many years from now

looking at our modern art, and the social structures that have influenced all of it.