MUSEUM KNOW-HOW: When You Have To Make Small-Talk About Art

Irina — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:02:16 +0000

Living in New York City, we’ve all had to perfect our small-talk auto-pilot. After the initial five minutes discussing careers, playing the name game only goes so far. Chats often morph into a competition of recommending favorite museums and exhibitions (this throw-down is also applicable to train routes, East 7th Street restaurants, and Tupac v. Biggie). It’s good to have a few go-to’s in your pocket when your art cred is being challenged, and dropping some colorful vocabulary just adds to the charm. Since it’s my job to share my knowledge, here is a slice of artistic Big Apple real-estate that you can claim to know next time you find yourself at a loss for words or opinion.

The Museum of Modern Art
MoMA’s permanent collection boasts incredible modern and contemporary pieces but perhaps none cause as many yelps of glee as Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. The museum is currently open seven days a week, and late on Thurs – Sat until September 3 so there is no excuse not to get acquainted.

photo credit: www.moma.org

Why You Should Care
Fun Fact: Van Gogh created this painting while at an asylum in the south of France. It’s good to know that even before Charlie and Lindsay, the world always had talented wack-o’s.

Scholarly Snippit: The Starry Night combines real natural elements as well as creations driven by Van Gogh’s emotions and incorporates highly charged brushwork.

Vocab: Post-Impressionism describes changes to the accepted methods of painting landscapes and scenes of everyday life in the late 1800s, incorporating added focus on elements such as light, color, and brushwork.

photo credit: moma.org

photo credit: www.metmuseum.org

photo credit: www.whitney.org

photo credit: www.guggenheim.org

Max Azria Channels Van Gogh

Rebecca Alexander — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:21:00 +0000

According to style.com, designer Lubov Azria drew inspiration for the 2009 Max Azria Resort Collection from her recent honeymoon to a remote island paradise. But, upon closer inspection, the gauzy abstract dresses look less like a deserted island and more like timless Van Gogh paintings.