My name is Nathalie Morlote and I attend Florida International University. Currently, she is working toward her Bachelors in Biological Sciences and hopes to one day become a doctor. Her hobbies include reading and traveling.
Art Encounter as a Text
“What art do I like?” by Nathalie Morlote of Florida International University, January 18, 2024
Photograph taken by Nathalie Morlote // CC by 4.0
Both of my parents were born outside of the country, coming here in their early twenties in search of a new life filled with new opportunities. When my brother and I were born, my parents consistently sought to provide us with the best education and resources they could. My mother would drive hours throughout the day, ensuring my brother and I went to school and learned everything we needed to have a better future and more opportunities than they had. I’ve lived my whole life in Miami, and thanks to them, I was able to learn about a lot of different topics surrounding different subject. One thing, however, that I have very limited knowledge on is art.
I have always admired art from afar, but never had much affinity to learning their background, which is something I know will change over the course of this class. I am fond of paintings with textures and color. I want to say that one of my favorite artists has to be Monet, though I don’t know enough about other artists to give any comparisons. I hope that by the end of this course, I will have a new favorite artist, one that I actually know their history and their background.
My favorite type of art is realism. I love staring at art and not knowing whether it is a painting or a photograph. I am always in such awe that people have so much talent and patience to produce such an intricate and detailed art piece. On the same note, I highly admire sculptures. The ones I have in mind are roman statues; they have so much detail and preciseness. Personally, I aspire to be a doctor in the future, so seeing the human body sculpted to such accuracy is simply mind blowing to me. How a rock was molded to such a smooth and precise texture, I will never know. Every vein and muscle, every small minute detail is depicted, and that is something I can greatly admire.
In reality, I am not afraid to admit that I have no real knowledge about the art world and the way it works. I know nothing about artists, nor how to interpret art. I would love to learn more about the why for artists. To be able to look at a painting and know its past and its reason for being painted or drawn or sculpted. I know that every piece must have a history and a story behind it, and I would love to be a part of that. I believe that knowing these stories would give me so much more insight on the art and the artist. I would be able to look at these paintings and sculptures with more than just my eyes, but with my mind and heart. I would love to be able to see these pieces through a different lens, one that is completely subjective and full of passion. I am very excited to see what this class is going to teach me and what I will learn about art.
Norton as Text
“But you didn’t.” by Nathalie Morlote of Florida International University, January 28, 2024
Visiting the Norton Museum contained a lot of firsts for me. It was the first time I drove more than an hour anywhere by myself as well as the first time I had ever seen such renowned art. You always hear of famous artists: Picasso, da Vinci, Van Gogh– but more often than not we are led to believe that seeing such art is only possible by taking a plane, enduring a 14-hour flight, and walking into a museum in Florence, Italy. Yet, I was proven wrong. I had the privilege of seeing, for the first time, a painting made by Picasso, another by Van Gogh, and finally (my favorite) art by Monet.
The thing about hearing the same artistic names throughout the course of your entire life is that you have very high expectations for their art. Standing there, in front of the oh-so-famous Picasso’s art, I was astounded. I was astounded not because his art was revolutionary, but because how something so simplistic could get so much recognition. How could something so ordinary get so much attention from art connoisseurs, other artists, or even the common person? I began to think about how, given enough time in the right painting supplies, I would be able to reproduce the painting with close to no artistic experience. I am almost 100% certain that I am not the only one who thought the same thing. In fact, many of my peers expressed their shock with similar statements. Then professor Bailly said something that I think applies to many things in life. He talked about how many people say ‘I can do that’ or ‘I can do better’ but the thing is, they didn’t.
Picasso is famous not because of his art, but because of the context of his art during his time. People mention nowadays how ordinary and uninteresting his art may seem insisting that they could paint something similar, but they didn’t. Picasso represents the idea of a new style of painting, one of which was unheard of at the time, nobody else did that, Picasso did. Professor Bailly made me think of it this way: things are special because they’re different and because they represent something that hasn’t been seen before, not necessarily because they’re the most visually appealing or the most technically interesting. Of course, this has applications in the art world but also to real life.
Two decade ago technology wasn’t available to the common person in terms of items such as computers. Nowadays computers aren’t almost every home in America. Computers were new and they were special. In today’s day and age, a computer is just another thing—they’re ordinary and everyone has them. Picasso’s art has a similar concept in the sense that it was new, it was different, and it was special. We may think we can paint like Picasso, but in reality, we would’ve never thought to paint like Picasso if he hadn’t done so first.
Margulies/Bakehouse as Text
“Art can be different.” by Nathalie Morlote of Florida International University, February 11, 2024
The trip to The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse was impactful in changing the way that I view art. I want to say that in general I tend to gravitate toward more traditional art. More realistic pieces with landscapes or renaissance art where there is much detail and thought behind the painting. After this trip, I have a different view about art, and the real meaning behind it. It does not always have to realistic per say, or intricate. Sometimes the lack of detail is what makes it special, leaving more to the viewers’ interpretation.
One such example of this can be seen through the work done by Marcel Duchamp. The submission of a urinal as art was a bold and revolutionary move that defied conventional norms of what art was defined as during this time. Duchamp was able to shift the focus from the artist’s skill and craftsmanship to more abstract and interpretational aspects of art. By challenging the idea that art had to be a unique and requiring excessive skill and talent, Duchamp invited viewers to change their preconceptions about what could be considered art.
Duchamp’s radical and never before heard of approach opened up new possibilities for artistic expression, that emphasizes the viewers ideas, concepts, and intellectual engagement rather than the craftsmanship and skillfulness of the artist. This shift in perspective of art paved the way for mor a new movement that gained traction during the later half of the 20th century.
One of the ways that he changed the world of art is creating the idea that anyone can create art.
Another really impactful aspect of the trip was our visit to the Bakehouse. I was amazed at getting a chance to view the life of an artist from their point of view. Speaking to different artists gave me more insight on how their art is created and the thought behind it. Seeing how different shapes and colors mean more than just their appearance of shapes and colors. One artist described their own use of triangles, for example, as a language, going on to elaborate how the use of different shapes represents different artistic languages. Additionally, getting to see how the differences in an artists’ environment changes their art and the way they see their work was really interesting. Not being an artist myself, I failed to see how working from one’s home might be different than working in a studio, not only because of the difference in the place, but of the people and objects in that place. Their art reflects their environment, which makes it much more impactful to think about.
Overall, I think that this trip has impacted the way that I view art and expanded it into new horizons that I definitely had never seen before. I am able to view art as more than the painting or the sculpture in front of me, but as something that was impacted by several different aspects of any different artist that may have created it. Art is so much more that what we can see with our own two eyes, and this trip helped me realize that.
Art Wynwood as Text
Every experience I have had at an art museum or exhibition has been thanks to this class and to Miami in Miami. Being able to experience art fairs a way that I normally never would have is something I am very grateful for. Seeing art in different shapes and forms, like many of the contemporary piece in Art Wynwood, has made me want to experience art in this manner more often. I have found, however, that attending such events can get quite pricey buying on your own.
I find it very interesting that art is, in a way, a bridge connecting all kinds of people together. Anyone can be an artist, as established mostly by contemporary art. You do not necessarily need expensive canvas, pricey paints, or extremely defined technical skill per say. You do not have to have money to make art, or to say, make good, meaningful art. People who make this market possible, however, tend to have money and a passion. The people facilitating fairs such as Art Wynwood go there with intentions of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on art made by everybody. Artists’ backgrounds, ethnicities, life stories, and hardships become a part of their art, making it that much more impactful in their work.
I can only speak for myself, but seeing art with a story and a meaning behind it has more appeal to me as a passerby than art that is more conventionally beautiful. However, that is not to say that art with perfect technicality to it is not as appealing. I think that finding the beauty and the intrigue of the artist within their art is something that I have learned through this class, given that before, I would look at art more superficially. Once you start looking at art as a collection of thoughts, emotions, and life it becomes something that is more impactful than a picturesque acrylic landscape on a canvas.
That is all to say, Art Wynwood offered a variety of art that, to me, served leagues more than the typical oil pointing would. There was digital art, motion art, art involving lights and movement, etc. There were so many different types of art forms and mediums that I personally had never been exposed to, which made it all such a delightful experience for me, being able to see everything for the first time with people who knew more about the background of each piece. I love getting to chat with the gallery owners, as they passionately got to explain the works they were displaying, along with some information about the artist and the meaning behind the art. My favorite pieces had to have been those by Vicente Hernandez, who focused on Cuban culture, history, and politics to create his art. Being of Cuban descent it was representative of what I have had the opportunity to hear from family members embodied within a canvas full of wit and symbolism of the Cuban government.
Rubell Museum/ Emmerson Dorsch as Text
This past class we had the opportunity to visit two very beautiful places: the Rubell Mueseum and Emmerson Dorsch. In the Rubell Museum, I was exposed to different kinds of art, my favorites which were the Yayoi Kusama rooms and the America sign. The Yayoi Kusama rooms were both stunning and immersive, allowing you to become part of the art itself. It is something I believe is truly unique within the art world, and something that I have found to be more common in contemporary art. The America sign, however, was a great example of art that is deceptively simple without the story behind it. Once the story is understood, the art becomes something with more depth and significance. The neon sign looked like something you would put in your room or as somewhat of a decorative piece that had a slight flicker. The story behind it added more depth to the flicker as the sign of the wavering of America. It shows intention behind the piece.
Alhtough the art in the Rubell museum was beautiful, I found the trip to Emmerson Dorsch to be extremely insightful into how the art world works and operates. Daniel Clapp and Ibett Yanez provided us with details about the transaction of art that I believe many other art curators or art preparators would otherwise like to keep closer to their chests. We learned about the unregulated market of art, and how people control the output of art from a certain artist to ensure their art remains ‘uncommon’ and valuable. We learned about how people who choose to buy art to sell at auctions ultimately end up winning, rather than the artist themselves. The artists generally end up losing in terms of money, since it is not uncommon for galleries to have the opportunity to sell the pieces at a much larger price point than they bought them. I do understand, however, the risk of not being able to sell the piece at all and losing the money. Though it seems odd to me that the artist does not get a portion of the money when their piece is sold, given that ‘their’ art is no longer theirs in terms of technicality, rather the gallery’s.
What I found to be most interesting though, was the brief mention of the change in an artist’s life after their art becomes popular. One often believes that an artist’s biggest accomplishment is becoming renowned and well-known, selling art at high prices. However, Mr. Clapp and Ms. Yanez talked about several instances of artists disappearing due to their success and high demand for their art. It was impactful to me to see how much passion artists have for what they do, and the money aside is incidental; if there is a choice, many artists will chose to go out of the art scene, beside their success, and continue to do what they love. We don’t talk about artists who leave the scene often enough, nor do we acknowledge the kind of stress it puts on their work when their pieces are in high demand, rather we just expect them to come up with art, each piece better than the last.
PAMM as Text
Our visit to the Perez Art Museum was very unique in many ways. Though we have been visiting different art scenes throughout the course of the semester, I found that this trip was more impactful. The first thing that I would say impacted me the most was the intentionality of everything. The through behind the seating outside of the museum, the architecture of the building, the layout of the shade, etc. Everything, even before entering the museum itself, was artistic in its own way. The way the whole environment around the PAMM was set up was meant to invite everyone in, or at least offer a place for anyone to be. The seating had shade, which is something that is much needed in Miami, and areas to sit and either relax, take in the scenery, or study. Either way, it was very inviting and refreshing to see how thoughtful the placement of all the components was, something I would say is unique. I say this since many of the museums we have been to thus far have offered a plethora of beautiful art inside, but not many (if any) have offered such thought and intentionality to the functionality and beauty of the outside of the building containing said art.
Another thing I considered impactful inside of the museum itself was the exhibition ‘Public Enemy’ by Gary Simmons. His depiction of thought-provoking art concerning the prevalent issue of slavery was very meaningful. Everything in all of the piece had so much meaning behind them, where every detail was part of the art, adding something more. It was the type of art that meant more the longer you stared at and analyzed all its small details and connecting parts. One of the most emphasized pieces in the collection was the work titled ‘Lineup’ where there was a line up chart with golden shoes and no people. Upon further inspection, you can see that the shoes are representative of shoes worn stereotypically by African Americans. The work served as a visualization of African Americans placed in prison, without actually putting any people in the piece. Everything was purely hinted at, and the viewer is the one that puts all the clues together to interpret the piece. His most impactful piece, however, was one where there was the full KKK attire, sized for children. This was such a strong piece that indicated that racism is taught at such a young age, and these children were being indoctrinated with the beliefs that some human beings were “lesser than” because of the color of their skin.
Finally, I loved being able to create a zine, and do something as a whole with my peers. We got to implement and experiment with our own art, after seeing so many different pieces at so many different museums and art exhibitions. Overall, I loved to be able to see a variety of pieces representing a wide array of issues, and be able to express my own art after experiencing such great works.
Wolfsonian/Oolite as Text
I always enjoy being able to meet artists and learn more about their process. Going to the Oolite Arts was an amazing experience that I wish we could’ve experience more of. Getting to meet artists and ask questions about what their art was about, how they created it, and their reasons for their process gave me more insights on how versatile and creative making art can really get. It is typical to think of art as a sculpture or a painting or even an exhibition, but these artists added their own creative process to their art, which to me made it so much more unique and enticing.
One of my favorite artists that we got to speak to was Diana. Her process involved making her own dyes for her tapestries. She used things like plants and insects to make all of the pigments she would need for her art and was very particular about either growing all of the plants herself or sourcing the insects from a small business. I was able to see the bugs she made her pigments from and learn more about how different pH liquids would lead to a different color of dye. Ordinarily, one would see her work, and although her art is beautiful itself, knowing her process and the intention behind it made it so much more meaningful and beautiful in my eyes. Another artist that had such a unique process that stuck with me was Lee. He was particularly interested in stained glass, which he himself made in a crockpot. His resourcefulness and aim to support sustainability through his art was really inspiring and quite impressive.
The second half of the class was spent at the Wolfsonian museum, where I was able to learn a little bit more about Miami before I was born, and how it came to be what it is today. We were shown a series of brochures, which were interesting to see, given that they were advertising living in Miami to people living up north. They would picture women in bathing suits and warm, sunny beaches. They would add areas of tennis, polo, and other amenities typically associated with upper class wealthy individuals. Miami was catering to a certain demographic of people, which quickly changed with the Great Depression. It was fascinating to see first-hand the artifacts of actual post cards, brochures, and posters that were handed out to the people living here around a hundred years ago. We also got to see different strategies that were used to demonize Germans during the second world war, and how that art played a role in moving the American sentiment against the actions of the Germans who were considered devils.
I found this class to be very insightful to learning more about creative ways to express art. These ways could be in the process of creating art, adding more meaning and intention behind the pieces. I learned about the history of the city I live in, and how we convinced people to live here. Overall, I would say that it was a successful trip!
Art Final Reflection as Text
As a class, we spent a whole semester going from museums to art fairs to galleries, seeing what the famed art world had to offer. I came into the class knowing who Vincent Van Gogh was, I came out of it knowing I had seen one of his works. The furthest I had driven from home was Key Biscayne, now it’s the Norton Museum (worth it). Though the changes and milestones hit seem trivial, I feel like I have learned and grown a lot in my development through the course of this class.
In the latest class, we were able to go to the FIU Frost Museum, which I feel is a full circle moment. I was able to go there for the first time before I was admitted into FIU, and explored it, not knowing what I was looking at, really. Now, we were able to go there with a new set of eyes, after an entire semester of seeing different art in a variety of settings. Being back at the Frost Museum, as our last location, felt almost poetic. I was able to see things under a new lens, asking myself questions about the pieces we were asked to examine, taking things in in a way that I know I did not do the first time around. I feel like that is a perfect example of how my view on looking at and appreciating art has changed since starting this class, and really taking the time to understand and interpret the piece in front of me rather than looking at it superficially.
My favorite classes are those where we get to experiment on our own with different art styles (despite my lack of talent in the artistic realm). Prior to this class, I had never known that there was a paper out there that reacted with the sun to pigment the sheet. Being able to gather items around me and experiment with them helped me be more creative than I was when we did, for example, the Zines. Being given a set object and having to work with it, making it express what I want to it to is a lot more difficult and constraining than being able to draw, paint, or sculpt whatever I want. Because of this, I felt like I was forced to think outside of the metaphorical box to come up with what I could make with what I had (in my case I had picked up a plastic fork and knife from Chili’s). This also helped me reflect on other artists. Some artists have limited resources and do what they can with what they have, and this activity served as a great reminder of that. It gave me that much more appreciation and awe to the creativity and innovation they are able to express with such restrictions.
Overall, I would take this class again, and would give it 5 stars if I had the option to. I do recommend it to everyone who has ears though.
Miami in Miami 