Art on the Mezzanine: My Visit to the Blanton Museum of Art (Photo Post)
Over this past week, my friends and I took a little road trip to Austin from Houston as part of a birthday celebration. The trip was a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me. I've never taken a road trip without my family before, so this was new, but every bit of it was exciting. One of the activities we planned for our daily outings was visiting the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas. The experience was incredible, with exhibitions that seemed larger than life itself. I couldn't help but feel small, and emotional looking at all the art, especially in today's political climate. I brought my digital camera, yet I felt like I couldn't do the art any justice with my grainy, blurry pictures.
Snøhetta. Petals. Austin, Texas.
When we first arrived at the entrance of the museum, we were welcomed by these immense, petal-like sculptures. The perforated, towering structures provided a beautiful contrast to the shining sun and bright blue sky. I had to stop and stare at this expansive, geometric courtyard- even if it meant bracing the mid-day sun.
Snøhetta. Petals. Austin, Texas.
As I entered the museum, my eyes were drawn to the striking blue and white wave-like walls. The gradient of the stacked marble-like walls leads your eyes up to a great hanging sculpture suspended over the mezzanine.
Teresita Fernández. Stacked Waters. 2009
Teresita Fernández. Stacked Waters. 2009
Thomas Glassford. Siphonophora. 2016
Thomas Glassford. Siphonophora. 2016
Siphonophora, inspired by giant interdependent sea creatures. Truly lives up to it's name. The ocean theme of both Stacked Waters and Siphonophora work in harmony to create a chilling sensation in the viewer, a large-scale reminder of art and the earth.
One of the main exhibitions I was excited to see was "In Creative Harmony", an exhibition of artistic partnership, a beautiful display of how artists work together, either as family or friends, or how art can be rousing even a century apart.
All works are displayed, in harmony.
With Isamu Noguchi's physical abstract sculptures.
My friends in front of Arshile Gorky's Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia c. 1931–1932.
The first display was of Arshile Gorky and Isamu Noguchi: Outside In. Both artists utilized abstract, organic shapes and forms to create an emotional reaction within the viewer. The exhibition was heavy, art that had gone through wars, love, heartbreak, cancer and death. It was hard not to feel the artist's pain through the display.
Artemio RodrÃguez. Noche infinita (Infinite Night). 2004.
Closeup, Artemio RodrÃguez. Noche infinita. 2004.
The next exhibition I saw was José Guadalupe Posada and Artemio RodrÃguez: Calaveras y Corazones. As someone who absolutely loves printmaking, and Latin art I was floored by the amount of talent in this room. This featured José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913) who is considered the father of modern Mexican printmaking, along with the modern touch of Artemio RodrÃguez's work.
José Guadalupe Posada's use of political satire.
Artemio Rodriguez. Bajo el Mismo Sol (Under the Same Sun). 2004.
Both printmaker's works were displayed side-by-side.
NEXT, we saw Nora Naranjo Morse and Eliza Naranjo Morse: Lifelong . A mother-daughter collaboration duo. It was insanely beautiful to see how both of their art expanded, yet blended together. The modern contemporary style mixed with their Indigenous creativity was breathtaking.
With the large scale humanoid structures, and the bright lively paintings. It was hard to leave this room.
Large sculptures made from local clay, recycled and found material.
Another lounging sculpture made from materials like burlap, clay, fencing wire, and formed around plastic bags.
Nora Naranjo Morse. Healers from Some Other Place. 2020–2024. Burlap, paint, reclaimed materials and clay.
Another one of the highlights was the remarkable collection of art from the Spanish Americas, the paintings were beautiful with strong Catholic imagery. The sculptures in this collection stood out to me most, seeing such beautiful physical art was extremely captivating.
Each sculpture and painting told me a story, like I was time-traveling back into the Americas under Spanish rule, just to glimpse the talent and beliefs of the cultures that created them.
Unknown Artist. Inmaculada Concepción. circa 1780.
I'm having a hard time finding more of these titles and artists from the BMA website to be honest. So, I'm just going to put more pictures now. :').
Cildo Meireles. Missão/Missões (How to Build Cathedrals). 1987
Cildo Meireles. Missão/Missões (How to Build Cathedrals). 1987
Seeing this piece, and actually being able to walk underneath the black veil was such a surreal feeling. I stood under 2,000 bones as the copper coins reflected the warm lighting back onto the top of the display. One can only think about life and death underneath this piece, the symbolism of the cattle bones makes it feel larger than life.
Far left: Antonio Llorens. Sin tÃtulo. 1954.
Front center: Antonio Llorens. Sin tÃtulo. 1960.
Right: Enio Iommi. LÃnea continua. circa 1950.
Julio Le Parc. Continuel Mobile. 1966.
John Wesley. Annunciations. 1967
Terry Adkins. Single Bound. 2000.
Visiting the Blanton Museum of Art was an inspiring trip that only helped deepen my appreciation for Latin and Spanish art, and the rich cultural narratives. The ideation on display, particularly in the mythological yet religious sculptures resonated deeply with me as a young artist. Each piece was not just a work of art, but a glimpse into the soul and history of the artists that came before us. This experience reminded me of the power of the arts, and its ability to connect us across time, I felt my own passion igniting in every out of focus picture I took. I left the museum feeling heavier than I did when I went in, I was afraid that no one else could feel what I was feeling. In a way, this is true because, of course, no one will be able to have the same feelings I do. I felt inspired, and happy that I could see everything I did that day, yet the taste of melancholy lingered like a sour candy in my mouth as we walked back through the parking garage, headed home in the Austin traffic.
Thanks for looking.