Modern Art Museum

The Modern Art Museum in Prague is free on the first Wednesday of the month between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and so this Wednesday we went. My main motivation for going was to see the work of Gustav Klimt, which I really like. I did indeed get to see “The Virgin” –beautiful-- but unfortunately that was his only piece in the museum. I continued to browse the floors since I was there, but I really didn’t like much of anything else.

Modern art confuses me. Some of the pieces showed technical skill and talent, and some were very symbolic, but some of them didn’t look very original to me, as if anyone could have done it. In particular, I remember a 3D piece that was a broom, dustpan and various cleaning utensils in a shadow box. REALLY? Sure, the person has an eye for layout and design, but why the heck is it in a museum? What makes it original or special?

There were other pieces that were just one color on a canvas. REALLY? Or a solid color with two parallel lines coming from either side of the canvas. WHY? Another set looked like bumpy pieces of plastic with lots of paint splattered on them. One was titled “Extasy” and the other “Ambition” or something. Now I could see how this type of art would be fun to create, and how it might be cool to display if a friend made it or something, but why is it in a museum?

I’ll freely admit that I don’t understand this type of art. I don’t get it. Maybe I’m missing something really big, but as I walked through the museum, I failed to see how this art could really compare to other styles, or how it could communicate the sacred. It didn’t seem to fit with what we’ve discussed in class. It certainly didn’t present anything to me, was this art even representing anything?

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