Event 3 - MFA Exhibit

A description of the pieces exhibited

I visited the MFA exhibit on April 24th, 2015, and experienced many diverse exhibits. I was fascinated, confused, and intrigued by different ones, and I found that many challenged me to figure out what they were saying, and then make judgments based upon what the piece conveyed to me. There was not much explanation for any of the pieces, and with a wide variety of media, from paintings, to televisions, to balloons, to bathroom paper products, it was a perplexing experience. However, this exhibit interested me and made me think a lot of the themes and ideas that we have covered in our class, like the intersection between the human body, physics, and art.

The MFA Exhibit showcases the work of MFA students, and allows them to express themselves in a place without many limitations. There were televisions, easels, floating balloons, and a variety of other mediums, which created an atmosphere where almost anything felt possible. This was one of my first modern art exhibits, and without a lot explanation by signage or the artists themselves, I was left to my own interpretation, which is admittedly childish and relatively ignorant. One of the most interesting pieces of art shown was the large balloon flying around the exhibit freely.

Cataldi's Republic, 2015 

Michael Cataldi's Republic consists of three parts: a large white balloon filled with helium, a California Republic flag, and a lead weight attached to the bottom of the balloon. The result is a free-flying exhibit that literally floats all over the room. It actually took me a long time to find any of the information about Republic, because I encountered the balloon far from where it was described. The flag itself was manufactured by the California Prison Industry Authority, which adds an interesting element to the piece. The piece adds an interactive and dynamic element to the room, and even adds an element of insecurity, as some patrons were unexpectedly hit by the balloon as they admired other pieces.

To me it seems like a commentary on the tension between idealized freedom and actual freedom. The cultural rhetoric of the "California Republic" paints a surf-tinged American dream but has in many ways failed for all but a small population. Somehow, though, the rhetoric persists even in the circles it has failed. The California flag here is buoyed by a white balloon and moves freely in two dimensions, but at the same time the flag and the weight both restrain the balloon itself: the balloon floats, but it can't fly. 

I would recommend to my classmates who really want to think and are artistically inclined to come to this exhibit (although now the pieces have changed to new artists). It introduced me to new mediums of art and novel ideas, which I appreciated, and made me think about the State that I grew up in and the reality of its incarceration patterns. I wished that there had been more explanation and signage to explain the artist's intentions and history behind each piece, but the exhibit was still significant without.

Myself and my friend Justin at the exhibit

Event Link: http://www.art.ucla.edu/gallery/2014-15/MFA3.html

Video Link: https://vimeo.com/128603206