Field Trip Assignment

I: During my visit to the Smithsonian American Arts Museum, there were three portraits that caught my eye.  Christina and Gram on Thanksgiving in New Hampshire represented a woman taking care of her mother while she is ill and possibly dying.  The Easter dress by Margaret Strickland showed viewers what it was like for a young woman in the suburbs who struggled to live up to the academic expectations of her successful family.  “Dad on Bed” displays an aged man and executive who has recently been laid off from his job.  He decides to just sit on his parent’s bed and kind of think and reflect on old times.     

            II: Christina and Gram on Thanksgiving in New Hampshire makes the best point, because I feel that all children should take care of their parents when they’ve reached a certain age where they’re unable to take care of themselves.  It takes an entire village to raise a child and that has been proven to not be an easy task.  Most parents dream of their children having a better child and adulthood than they had.  They chose to supply us with an unconditional love that we couldn’t possibly buy with all of the money in the world.  No matter how many times we choose to disappoint them, they still found ways to support us.  Our parents stayed up late nights when we were sick as children.  They lost and sacrificed their sleep for our well being.  Why shouldn’t we return the favor for all that they have done for us? 

            Christmas and Gram on Thanksgiving in New Hampshire kind of reminded of a scene in the film “Brothers” where DL Hugley decides to move his mother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s into his so that they could take care of her himself.  His wife didn’t completely agree with that idea, but he had to do what he felt was best for both him and his mother.   The portrait “Easter Dress” reminds me of the “The Cosby Show” where the Huxtable children find it hard to live up to the success of both their mother and father who happen to be a lawyer and doctor.  Their children are often scrutinized and made front of at school by their friends and fellow classmates, because their parents are perceived as being “rich.”

            I don’t feel that their portraits allowed me to think differently, but they did remind me of what life is like for a human being.  It’s obviously not easy.  When I think of art, I think of creativity and normality.  I say that because when we create art, we’re just reminding people what else is occurring on a daily basis in society today.  I don’t think that too many people would go to a museum to view portraits of “Spiderman” or “Transformers.”  We want to see the truth, and the truth makes an appearance in our lives every single day.

            III: When I visited the bookstore, there were books on the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Benjamin Franklin etc.  Visitors also had the opportunity of purchasing chess boards, Elvis Bobble heads, hand bags, T-shirts etc.  There was pretty much everything, but food in there.  I felt that there should have been more games in the bookstore.  There shouldn’t be a limit on board games when there is an exhibit titled “Close to Home: Photographers and Their Families.”  These are activities that families should participate in when then they are bored or willing to have fun with their loved ones.  I feel that when they choose to include these type of items in the gift store, they’re more interested in educating children and adults on their history.  It’s probably very important for individuals to be aware of the history of the United States as well as Americans as a whole.  We’ve accomplished too much in society for our history to not be recognized or remembered.  Life isn’t perfect, and I’m pretty sure that it would be rather boring if didn’t have problems or challenges that we encountered on the way to success or happiness.  Sometimes our issues make us stronger as people, and it would be nice that to be shown in a portrait and included in the exhibit.

            I wish there were more happy and celebratory pictures included in the exhibit,  I chose to mention that because there were a number of pictures that I found to be kind of depressing.  I do realize that life is not all about smiles and happy faces, but I would fine it nice to view a painting or portrait of a family that actually having fun.  Even in hard times, we discover ways to smile and feel better about ourselves and situations. 

            Reproductions of artworks are worth less than the original, because any flat artwork has the potential to be reprinted.  Reproductions are usually worthless, because the originals were actually hand made or designed by just that one specific artist.  Originals are usually limited editions that carry the edition number which proves when the artwork was created.  Pretty much any work can be duplicated, but the originals are the one’s that are going share a more special significance or meaning to either the buyer or museum.