Elles: SAM

Dear Friend,

Yesterday we visited the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) for an unofficial, off-book field trip for English. We all met for dinner at House of Kong, and then went to the museum at around 8:00. Unfortunately the museum closes at 9:00, so we didn't get to spend as much time there as we would have liked, but we definitely enjoyed what we saw. The current exhibition is called "Elles", and is a selection of art from female artists only. Elles: Pompidou is comprised of over 130 works made by 75 female artists, form the years 1907-2007. The exhibition was first organized in Paris. The art spans mediums, including paintings, videos, and audio.

Although ever piece in the exhibitionism is amazing, three stood out to us:

Semiotics of the Kitchen: by Martha Rosler
Les Pensionnaires: by Annette Messager
Inflammatory Essays: by Jenny Holzer

Art really intrigues us. Art is abstract, because no two pieces are identical. Art does not come solely form nature, or from mathematical concepts, or anything else. Art is a combination of life experiences, thoughts, feelings, fears, messages, anger, and so much more. A painting of a vineyard can hold as much emotion as a long divorce. A simple how-to video can describe the angst of the feminism movement. Simple representations of raw emotion can speak to so many people. Art is timeless. The Mona Lisa's smile does not loose it's charm in the 21st century, nor do Jackson Pollock's seemingly random brush strokes.

A question that percolates with us often is "What is art?" To be honest, we don't have an answer to this question. What makes a Pollock or Picaso painting any more legit than an enduring 4 year old's finger painting? Is art in the eye of the beholder? Another reason why we love art so much is that it causes us to ask these unanswerable questions. Art conveys so much depth and meaning, that some pieces are so frustratingly unexplainable, and that's where the beauty steps in. Some people claim that they "just don't get art", but we think that anyone can understand art. Part of understanding is uncovering the paradox that perhaps by not understanding, we learn to understand. Understanding involves patience, and the ability to not have all of the answers and to be okay with that.

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." -Thomas Merton

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine