My Experience: The Art Institute of Chicago
June 4, 2016During a visit to Chicago in late May, I had the pleasure of visiting the iconic city of Chicago, which included a day trip to the AIC. Although the trip itself would obviously excite me as an aspiring and practicing image-maker/ student, prior to the visit I had booked a study room visit with Heather Roach, the Photography Collection Manager.
After spending a few hours visiting exhibitions such as The New Contemporary which showcased works by the likes of Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and Barbara Kruger (see images below), I finally got to view three works by John Baldessari.
I was lead to the Mary L. and Leigh B Block Photography Study Room, which is accessible by appointment Tuesday-Thursday from 1:30-4:30pm. Heather explained to me that Baldessari’s works had been quite popular that week, as they had never been out of storage from the archival system. She also shared that one of IMA’s own graduate students from the Photography and Film Collections Management program had interned this previous summer in their department. Ryerson has many professors and alumni who have in some way or another gained experience in the industry from their time spent at the AIC. The three specific works I had the pleasure of seeing by Baldessari were: Five Pickles (with Fingerprints) in The Shape of a Hand, Spaces Between (One Risky), and Yellow (with Onlookers).
Due to no other appointments being made on the day of my visit, I got to spend a very substantial amount of time examining and writing about each work. The first two works (multimedia pieces) both seem to derive from certain aesthetic choices such as the use of monochromatic imagery, with an added layer of paint on top which has been said to create a disconnect between the viewer and the subject, which is interesting in comparison to the monumental physical scale of these two works. The work consisting of Five Pickles (with Fingerprints) I thought was a clever and satirical approach to the classic still life; as well as a clever deconstruction of the human anatomy; as critics sometimes say that Baldessari himself has a very satirical approach to the standard rules of subject matter, composition and presentation, as well as the meaning of each of his own works.
Although I could spend a lengthy amount of time discussing each work in depth, I wanted to simply showcase what a wonderful experience I had at the AIC. I encourage anyone with the opportunity to view an artist’s work whom they derive inspiration from to view and get as close to any work they may have access to. It definitely has helped me concentrate my own art-making and the experience will continue to help me grow as an artist.
