Menil Collection Visit Due 4/23

Picture taken by Julian Diaz.

Menil Collection building Basic info:

Artist’s Name (if available): Renzo Piano

Date: 1982

There is a very modern feel to the building. It's painted a greenish gray with light teal colored windows that contrast against the green and plentiful landscape. The residential neighborhood surrounding the building almost makes the museum seem as if it is a college. I believe that Renzo Piano designed the Menil building to be attractive on the outside, modern contemporary on the inside and blend in with its surroundings. To me the building felt like an art gallery but with an airy urban feel. The deep dark wood floors I found very pleasing to the eye and it made me feel as if I was in an expensive loft in a high rise. Another thing I really found beautiful were the garden areas that could be seen through windows of the gallery. I remember reading in the description of the Menil building's history that De Menil wanted her collection to be displayed in the light. The large windows overlooking the garden and outside greatly produced enough light to highlight the african art in one room.

Work of Art 

Artist’s Name (if available): Richard Sierra

Title: Abstract Slavery 

Date: 1974

Materials: Paint stick on Belgian Linen

Size:114 x 212 inches

 The first thing you notice besides the painting being completely black is it's massive size. I believe the artist chose to make this painting large to help you capture the large time period in which slavery occurred. You stare at the painting, notice the title, and you can instantly begin to piece together it's meaning. When I look at "Abstract Slavery", I associate black with not only the dark history that surrounds slavery as a whole but the dark skin of my people, who were once field slaves, forced to work under the blazing sun picking cotton or be beaten. Among other colors, black is such a sorrowful color (used in funerals and other mediums to signify death or sadness) and the vibe of this painting says to me that in order to tell about slavery visually, the easiest way to capture the gruesome and inhumane treatment of blacks during that time period was to paint an entire canvas black (to show darkness). To me black stands for all the tears, pain, anger, frustration and meaness that went on during slavery.