MFA Opening Show Review

I really enjoyed the MFA show, each time I turned a corner to enter a room I was greeted with something different. I thought the fashion photographs that were on showing were extremely interesting and well shot.It seems that the photographer spent a great deal of time doing the make-up and creating makeshift clothing out of old cigarettes, pulled cassette tape film, and other throw away items. I do with that they were arranged in a different way and at least framed. I don't think a photograph should be placed on a wall without some sort of framing or encasing (e.g. behind plexi-glass or within a picture frame).

The FEEL THE WALL piece by Erik Schoonebeck really tickled my fancy as well. He broke down the limitations of painting only on the canvas by expanding his painting onto the surface of the gallery wall. I think the colors worked well with one another. They weren't overpowering or creating a tension of any sort. I wasn't sure if the small installation on the corner of the floor was a part of his work, but I would assume it was.

Guerra's work seemed like it needed a much larger space. It might have been intentional it might not, but one of his hanging sculptures intersected with the walk way. Also, the EXIT sign that hung above the double doors became a part of his piece along with the windows; whether or not it was wanted, I can't say. It might have been smarter to move his work into the main room and put paintings and/or photographs in the space where he was. I felt like the work was suffocated, and started spilling into spaces not designated to hold art.

The large scale canvas pieces in the front right room were amazing. All I could think about was where else could these colossal be shown. The New Museum would be perfect. The pieces belittles and humbles the viewer looking at them. I liked how in order to really understand the pieces, I needed to come up really close to see the small details, and back up really far to see the grand picture.

All in all it was a good show. There could have been small changes with the arrangement as Meghan pointed out in class. I felt it was a stronger show than the last one the gallery had up.