Scott Nelson

Humanities 1100
Dr. Moffett
2 PM TR

Museum VisitCultural Activity #2

UMFAUtah Museum of Fine Arts
Describe at least one of the permanent collection exhibits on a theme, period, geographic
region, or topic) within the museum. {150 words}
Res Mortis: Matters of Death is a fascinating permanent collection at this museum. I most
enjoyed the room specific to Egyptian burial practices. The bulk of the room is dominated by a
beautiful, yet morbid, ancient sarcophagus. Looking closely at it, you can see amazing artistic
detail: Egyptian characters, gold plating, a detailed face drawn onvirtually every centimeter of
the sarcophagus is decorated. In one of the corners of the small room there is a display of the
different tools Egyptians used to embalm a corpse. There were jars into which internal organs
were placed, there was a bottle containing palm winea sweet smelling substance they would
rub all over the corpse. There was a container of natron salt that was used to dry the body to
prevent rotting. There was also a swatch of fine linen that would have been used to wrap the
bodyfinishing the embalming process. In another corner of the room was a model
sarcophagus. It was only about a foot long and 4 or 5 inches tall. It was really cool because the
sarcophagus was open. The lid was some how suspended just over the base of the sarcophagus
as if they were about to be closed. You could see the embalmed body, waiting to be shut in its
coffin for, well, for eternity.
Give a brief, one paragraph description of a special, temporary exhibit (for help, ask
museum staff what these are; they are usually in one of the first rooms). {100 words}
The current temporary exhibit is Our AmericaThe Latino Presence in American Art. This
was a very large collection, borrowed exclusively from the Smithsonian. Something very unique
happened while I was there. I heard a loud BANG and two ladys scream. I looked over to see
museum workers rushing to the scene. There were two wooden palates in the middle of the room
(they were each painted a nice blue color). One of the old ladies had accidentally knocked over
one of the palates that was actually standing on its side before. The lady was very apologetic
and began to bend down to pick it pick up. OH no no no no! One of the workers frantically
started. You arent allowed to touch it. Actually none of us are, we are going to have the
manager go call the Smithsonian. That was a rare experience for me! You dont usually see old
ladies causing havoc in a museum
The exhibit was very interesting. There were two themes that I noticed. Every piece of art was
either about something very ordinary, or it was about suffering.
Some of the art depicting suffering were Political Prisoner (a close up painting of a frightened
Cuban American with a gag tied over her mouth), El Patio de mi Casa (a model of a small,
deserted kitchen with broken plates, windows and tree branches growing through the floor), and
No Parking here any time (a very graphic cartoon painting of violence against Latin Americans).

Some art about everyday (and probably sentimental to Latin Americans) was a giant picture
(probably 6 ft X 4 ft) of a messy kitchen table after breakfast with half eaten breakfast burritos
and beer cans. Another was a painting of a Bodega or a corner store, and then there were the
palates (probably symbolizing the large amounts of manual labor required of Latin Americans)
which got knocked over by the old ladies.
Much of the artwork in this exhibit was done with bright colors, red and yellow specifically.
What do you think the museum administration and/or exhibit curators want you to learn
or gain from the exhibits you viewed? {100 word minimum}
I think the goal of those involved with displaying the art in this museum want people to be
entertained in a culturally educational way. It can be very boring to learn about other cultures by
just reading textbooks about them (and when something is boring it makes it harder to stick in
your head). Although some of the art was created to be merely sensational (see Tony Fehers art
in the great hall later discussed), most of it was created by an artist who wanted to teach others
something. Visual aids, especially when they are impressive, burn an unforgettable image in
your head that is tied to a deeper meaning.
What kind of information is provided about the works? Where might you look for further
information if you were interested? (Name three possibilities)
Generally, there is a plaque close be the work of art that explains: who the artist was, when it was
created, by what materials it was created, and how it got to the exhibit (was it donated? If so by
whom? Was it purchased? If so by what funds?). However, these plaques almost never attempt
to explain exactly what the art means. Often, they will tell you a bit about the authors life or
about the circumstances during that time period. These things give you some insight and context
and then you have to draw your own conclusions.
To learn more you could ask a museum worker. You could also do your own research about the
type of art you are looking at, this would give you even more context. If you were very anxious
to know more, you might try contacting the artist (if they are still alive).
Choose several works that particularly appealed to you. Explain why you were drawn to
these works. Comment on the subject, style, medium, time period, etc. Who were the
artists? What message do you think the artists were trying to convey in the works you
chose to discuss? This question must be answered in its entirety. {This should be at least 500
words}
1. Sunset on Platte RiverAlfred Lambourne. Oil on academy board. Growing up in Utah, I
have learned much about the Mormon Pioneers, mostly about the hardships they faced.
Lambourne was a pioneer himself. This painting is beautiful. It is dominated by a beautiful, big
sunset in the sky, by a broad river bend, and by impressive cliffs. In-between the base of the
cliffs and the river is a band of pioneers. Their covered wagons and oxen are very small in
comparison to the land formations around them. I think what Lambourne was trying to show is
the beauty the pioneers saw while trecking across the country. They saw things that many people
had never seen before. This painting stands in contrast to all the suffering we learn about the
pioneers in school.

2. Return of Marcus SextusPierre-Narcisse Gurin. 1802. Oil on canvas. A roman hero

returns to his home after a period of banishment by dictator Sulla. His wife has died and is lying
in a bed. The artist really nailed the emotion the one might face as result of the death of a
spouse. Marcus is sitting on the bed, with his back to his wife. His daughter is sobbing, laying
on the floor, clenching her fathers leg and looking up toward him. His gaze, however, is
forward, off in the distance. He doesnt even notice his daughter. He has a look of disbelief, of
shock. It looks like the pain is so great, he has become numb. Amazing how an artist can paint
that kind of emotion.
3. Ethnic ManViola Frey. Glazed Ceramic. This was a twelve foot tall statue of a man in a
suit. The plaque mentions how the size of the sculpture forces you to look up, a reminder of our
childhood relations with adults. I remember quite distinctly how big and powerful grown ups
looked to me when I was in kindergarten. They were all giants! I just really liked this statue
brought me right back to the good old days.
4. Tony Fehers art in the GW Anderson Family Great Hall was my favorite work of art. This
hall is huge. It is at least 50 feet wide, 100 feet long, and 100 feet tall. Probably around 200
strips of pink flagging tape were attached to the ceiling. They hang, perfectly spaced about 90
feetjust a few feet above your head. Feher used blue painters tape to make a mosaic looking
thing out of a row of glass doors on one side of the hall. The light that shines through them from
the outside makes the blue tape glow in contrast to the electric pink strips hanging from the
ceiling. By double and triple stacking the blue tape he was able to darken some spots of the glass
while leaving other parts lighter (every inch of the glass was covered with tape. I mentioned
earlier how some of the art doesnt really have a deeper meaning, that it is just sensational. I
believe this is one of those. Feher was just showing off how he can utilize a great empty space to
create something awesome!
How did the artworks you looked at relate to material we have discussed in class? (They do
relate in many ways, you just need to look for those relationships). {Minimum of 150
words}
Weve talked a lot about the heroic death in class. Man on Fire in the Latin America exhibit
reminds me of idea. When first looking at the 8 foot tall fiberglass statue, it looks kind of like a
super hero. There is a buff, dark skinned man in a power stance (you know, feet slightly
staggered, shoulders pulled back, head held high etc.)and he has flames all over his body. As I
approached the statue and read the plaque, I learned that it was a reference to Cuauhtehoc, an
Aztec ruler who tortured by fire during the Spanish conquest. Burning to death is arguably the
worst way to die. This statue shows how stoic this man on fire is. It reminds me of Thich Quang
Duc, the Buddhist monk who burned himself to death protesting the Vietnam war.
What was your personal reaction to this experience? Would you enjoy attending this type
of event again? Why or why not? {Minimum 100 words}
I quite enjoyed my experience at the museum. This semester I really feel like I learned how to
analyze art. This was not my first trip to a museum. In previous trips I would kind of look at the
art in a superficial way. While taking this humanities course, I learned a lot about how to look at
meanings, themes, how to compare and contrast two works of art on the same subject etc. Dr
Moffett is very good at pulling things apart. This time, as I attended the museum I was able to
use those skills I had acquired. This lead to a more enjoyable and enlightening experience.