Event 1: Hammer Museum

Vincent Van Gogh - The Sower Outskirts of Arles in the Background

For my first event, I visited the Hammer Museum in Westwood, and I got the chance to explore various different art forms featuring historic arts from Vincent Van Gogh to some contemporary art forms. Through these unique paintings, media, and sculptures, I was able to narrow the connection between arts and sciences to them as one entity. Going through the Armand Hammer Collection, it was very interesting to see some of the old paintings which were showing impressionism and postimpressionism through the works of painters such as Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas; however, the artist that really stood out to me was Vincent Van Gogh. Throughout his life, he lived virtually as a poor man, following the stereotype of how scientists are rich and artists are poor. At this point in time, art and science were almost as two separate cultures, and through prevalent stereotypes the distinction was quite clear. While viewing his paintings, I was able to feel the emotion and elegance through its vibrance of abstract color, and I was able to imagine what life of the artist was like.

 

 

As I moved more through the gallery, I was able to discover some more contemporary art forms, such as the picture of the clay face being squashed in a wooden structure shown above. Also, I noticed a layout of a glowing city with various colors and chemical characteristics. With my interpretation, I saw these two art forms relating to the Industrial Revolution, and how the world was starting to evolve through its new innovative uses of sciences. From all of these scientific advancements and accumulating insights to new art techniques, it ultimately gave way to a new dimension of society, bringing art and science together.

Picture of me and an employee at the Hammer Museum

My explorations at the Hammer Museum definitely gave me insight on my proposal for my midterm, on how I saw art and science combined as one. I would highly recommend this museum to my fellow classmate because it shows a wide variety of different art, and is quite different from other museums I went to in the past in its abstractness and vibrance of color.