De Kooning's Untitled

Dutch American Abstract Expressionist painter, Willem de Kooning expresses himself through the colorful mix of brush strokes that depict vague images of shapes. Currently, this painting in the possession of Robert Mnuchin, an art dealer from L&M Arts. This work was able to attract attention for its background and was able to sell for a huge amount of dollars.

Untitled XVI (1975)
Source: artcritical.com

For De Kooning's work, the Untitled XVI (1975) he was able to create a world filled with cool color surrounding two unseemly shapes that resemble that of humans. This wonderful world he was able to create consist of cool hues of blue, purple and pink set among warm and earthy shades of orange, yellow, brown and green which creates an exquisite mixture of two contrasting concepts. The hurried brush strokes are evident and the spaces in which it has traveled can be traced throughout the painting as well as the texture that comes alive with movement.

Since it was made during the later period of his life, his style had changed from grotesque depiction of human figures to work which showed a mixture of different colors of pastel brushstrokes that come up with indistinguishable objects. During this time, his works all bore the same theme and effect.

De Kooning in Studio
Source: moma.org

The transformation of his work into a more abstract form opens viewers to more interpretation about his work. This makes it relatable universally since they can all vary from one another.

Source:
Horseley, Carter. Contemporary Art Sotheby's. thecityreview.com. 2006 May 10. Web. 2014 July 9.

Celebrating IMD

In celebration of the International Museum Day, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) organized a forum with the theme: Museums (memory + creativity) = social change. During the whole day event, there were different talks from different professionals in the field and afterwards, a World Cafe Activity which became an opportunity for interaction among the participants.

Forum Poster
Source: ICOM

Present in the event were members of ICOM, representatives of different museums in the country and students of Benilde. This was a chance for different museums to be able to gather ideas from one another which can help improve their own organizations. During the World Cafe Activity, the questions about the importance and value of collections were discussed. Discussions about media, art education, connectivity and curatorial work surfaced among conversations.

Media is a very important means of marketing museums since people rely on social networks in this age of technology. This means of spreading information is one way of showing that museums aren't defunct and outdated. This brings in Art Education which furthers research about collections that can also explain to people about its relevance to society as well as the importance of museums in preserving cultures. Museums are venues of discourse between the past and the present since it offers a timeline of past to present events that can bridge the gap between generations. Constant care for these collections is a must since they are also treasures of the past that encase thousands of stories and memories.

Being a part of the event was a good experience because of the interaction with professionals that made it very educational. The program was well executed except for some unexpected occurrences. Ambiance was one of the key elements which overall, made an impact to it since the comfort of venue as well as the food and drink were able to accommodate everyone.