Five for Friday, written by a variety of MoMA staff members, is our attempt to spotlight some of the compelling, charming, and downright curious works in the Museum’s rich collection.
As any member of my (typically large) Irish American family would be more than happy to tell you (at length), the Irish are great storytellers. Luckily for you, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so I’ll spare you a long-winded introduction and simply say…
Happy (early) Saint Patrick’s Day!
Mark Manders. Fox/Mouse/Belt. 1992. Painted bronze, belt. The Museum of Modern Art. Gift of the artist
As a student of art history, one of my favorite parts of exams was the slide comparison, looking at two works of art in relation to each other. Yes, perhaps it is a bit nerdy of me to admit, but what I found fascinating about this exercise was that it opened up a range of possible connections between the works that I might not normally explore.
Richard Dupont. Phantom. 2007. Etching and aquatint. Publisher: Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art, New York. Printer: Gregory Burnet, New York. Edition: 12. The Museum of Modern Art
Sometimes I just wish I were a printmaker. While I’ve embraced being able to familiarize myself with our department’s collection, mostly through preparation for study center visitors, it’s hard to avoid envying the person who gets to work in the studio and master the technical elements of printmaking. A work recently acquired by MoMA, Richard Dupont’s etching Phantom (2007)—which was among the artist’s earliest print projects—reveals the kind of artistic processes I am especially drawn to.
Haegue Yang. Can Cosies. 2010. Multiple of five cans in knit covers. Publisher and fabricator: the artist, Berlin and Seoul. Edition: 5. The Museum of Modern Art
At first glance, Haegue Yang’s Can Cosies, a recent addition to MoMA’s collection, seem daintily delightful. They are soft (even squishy!) to the touch, colorful, and quirky, as seen in the knitted design of the sleeves. But pick one up and peek under the cover and you are instantly reminded of the mundane object in the work’s title—they’re really cans of tomatoes.
Five for Friday, written by a variety of MoMA staff members, is our attempt to spotlight some of the compelling, charming, and downright curious works in the Museum’s rich collection.
Don’t want to get squished in the crowds at MoMA while trying to sketch from your favorite work? Feeling like you need some inspiration to get you back into drawing? Then this Five for Friday is for you.
Alexander (Sándor) Bortnyik. Ma VII - IK (Grafikai) Kiállitása. 1919
While we always believe in the works we propose for addition to the MoMA collection, some works stand apart in extraordinarily strong ways. They speak to us because of their great historical significance, aesthetic power or, in my case with the above poster, because of true love.
How well do you know your MoMA? If you think you can identify the artist and title of each of these works—all currently on view in the Museum’s fifth-floor painting and sculpture galleries—please submit your answers by leaving a comment on this post. We’ll provide the answers—along with some information about each work—in two weeks (on Friday, August 27), along with the next Do You Know Your MoMA? challenge. You should be able to identify some of these old friends.
ANSWERS TO THE JULY 30 CHALLENGE:
Five for Friday, written by a variety of MoMA staff members, is our attempt to spotlight some of the compelling, charming, and downright curious works in the Museum’s rich collection.
Five Visceral Works in the Collection
I’ve always been something of a tomboy, so it’s not surprising that I’m drawn to beautifully visceral works of art. Readers beware: continue only if your stomach shares your boundless appreciation of modern art.
How well do you know your MoMA? It’s summer, so what better time to test your knowledge of collection works currently on view in the Sculpture Garden?
Giving a proper appreciation to MoMA’s collection—numbering some 150,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, media works, films, prints, photographs, and more—can be kind of like attempting a sip of water from Niagara Falls. There’s a lot to love, but there’s also just….a lot!
Five for Friday, written by a variety of MoMA staff members, is our attempt to break the Museum’s rich collection into easily manageable (and hopefully entertaining) chunks—and to spotlight some of the compelling, charming, and downright curious works in the MoMA treasury.
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