Stephanie Reyes is a senior at Florida International University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Her family is Venezuelan and Colombian, and she was born in Ontario, but raised in Miami. While her current ambitions strive toward attending law school in the future, Stephanie has a passion for forming new experiences, performing arts, and travel.
Art Encounter as Text
Growing up in Miami, I learned to love the city for all its parts. From the shores to the cities to the suburbs, there is so much to see and learn about. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to be emersed in such a culturally diverse city and feel as though I still have so much more to discover. I find myself to be very observant, tending to have my eyes linger longer on the little details around me and in artwork. Analyzing and taking in all aspects of a piece could lead to connections to social issues, time periods, and certain events that one wouldn’t have considered otherwise.
My family loves to visit a particular restaurant, El Rinconcito Paisa, not only for its delicious food but its beautiful interior design. I found myself admiring the details in the mock roofing tiles inside the restaurant, which are authentic to the style used in Colombia, as well as the overall ambiance of the restaurant. There’s a wall of the restaurant that is a mural of what reminded my father of a Colombian town and heightened his sense of nostalgia.
I love to listen to the way people interpret and just think in general about art. Art makes our society so unique and is in so many aspects of our lives without giving it a second thought. I have the utmost respect for those who are able to create works that capture important aspects of society. Art is an amazing form of expression: there are so many different kinds of art that can cater to so many unique perspectives and this is what I believe makes it beautiful.
I have always loved history, and believe art is one of the best ways to capture it. We see pieces from historical archives and immediately connect them with specific periods in time. I am excited to be introduced to more contemporary art through the course and understand how these pieces are capturing our modern events, issues, and emotions overall.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the art culture of Miami, I still have aspects I could be aware of, but it doesn’t come as a shock that Miami is a center for contemporary art. My knowledge of certain types of artistry such as paintings and photography extends to what I have learned from the exhibits displays at the Museums I have visited. I admire contemporary pieces and how someone is able to convey so much in a single piece, and I am eager to branch out to places and understand more pieces from different perspectives.
I look forward to the course and experience as a whole, as I feel there are so many places I have yet to experience. I don’t mainly anticipate one event over the other but am eager to visit each place to see different pieces and experience as much as I can in the city I call home. I love Miami but I would love to know more about the enriching history through the lens of artists.
Norton as Text
The Norton Museum was a unique experience in providing views and styles of art that have progressed since the 14th century. As noted during the beginning of the lecture, art has been an important part of society, it was mentioned that artists would be left to work on their pieces while others would be left to do other necessities. This aspect paints a picture of how valuable art is and was, even in the early points of civilization.
The Renaissance marked an incredible period of innovation within art, and it was wonderful to see it through the displays. One of the biggest points of the tour that stood out to me was the section of art that tied in with religious context. When we compare depictions of the Virgin Mary in The Madonna and Child in Majesty by Florentine, with The Immaculate Conception by Giordano, one can see the progression when it comes to detail, shadowing and highlighting, and overall realism from the 14th century to the mid 17th century. Not only do we see a change in technical aspects of art, but also in the way those connect religion with these images.
Although many see the latter depiction of the Virgin Mary and Jesus to be a talent to honor the two, it can be considered sacrilegious work and was controversial in its time. In earlier depictions, the proportions of the image, body position of Jesus and Mary, and lack of dimension allow a sort of loophole around the prohibition of creating and worshipping visual images of God. However, as we progress through the centuries, these depictions become more complex, and by placing Jesus and Mary in a more human-like context, a visual image of them is then created.
From the 18th century, there was a switch to feature more landscape scenes as opposed to religion-based ones. The switch introduced new methods of art, marking a move from Baroque to Neoclassicism. The rise of impressionism also stood out, with artists trying to capture in a sense, living moments. The individual markings with the brush with a more textured finish, as opposed to solid blocks of color, create a detailed visual that changes with perspective. As with the painting pictured above by Alfred Sicily, whose image of trees, grass, and water becomes more whole when focusing on the picture versus its individual parts. The technique of painting does a more in-depth depiction of nature that is more accurate to a real-life feeling.
It was incredibly interesting to see how different styles have emerged as time goes on, and the heavy contrasts between what we see from the Renaissance period versus more contemporary work. Some modern abstract pieces may look like nothing more than simple brush strokes and random pieces stitched together, but upon closer inspection, tell a much bigger story. Noting how artists have played with multiple viewpoints within one frame such as with cubism, I am curious as to how art will develop to provide more innovative perspectives of our world. We think everything has been discovered before we discover it, although I won’t be around to see how art progresses for the coming centuries, it’s exciting to think about.
Margulies / Bakehouse as Text
Going through the Margulies collection was a very unique experience. I was originally unaware of the area in which the collection is located, and as such, unfamiliar with the history behind it. The warehouse has provided three decades of art education to thousands of students and other visitors as an important contribution to art in the area.
A piece in the collection that initially stood out to me was Die Erdzeitalter, by Anselm Kiefer (pictured above). Firstly, for its sheer size, and secondly for its composition. With the stacked layers of unfinished canvases, dried sunflowers, and rubble, the work is made up of materials a typical person would consider to be trash or useless. However, Kiefer takes these materials to speak on a larger topic of the history of evolution and the destructive nature of time. The rubble and the positioning of the canvases create a representational relationship between the Earth, humans, and how cruel time can be.
Another piece by Kiefer, Geheimnis der Farne, a group of 48 large frames, incorporated dried ferns, sunflowers, and other plants to allude to the beginning of history. Plants have been on our Earth before humankind, and the incorporation of both Earthly materials as well as man-made canvases reflects on humans in relation to the Earth and time.
The idea of taking something that could be considered as scraps, trash, or any unexpected material, and turning it into a piece stood out to me from the visit. This idea translates similarly to the idea presented in Adler Guerrier’s work when we visited Bakehouse. The artist has stencils of shapes that are reused throughout their work. These seemingly mundane shapes are applied in these different contexts to give them a new meaning in each work. Shapes can be manipulated to represent just about anything you would want them to, and in turn, heavily represent the versatility that comes with art. Similarly, to scraps or unfinished canvases, one wouldn’t typically think to have just a simple stencil of a shape as a symbol within a work.
Visiting another artist studio, Morel Doucet, we got to experience a different form of art making, as well as a new perspective. The sculptures the class was able to see in his studio were breathtaking, as I can only imagine the amount of time and dedication it takes to create such intricate pieces. Doucet explained how in some of his other works, he will take parts of the environment from which he wants to represent and incorporate it into the work itself. Doucet centers his work around cultural issues and brings about important topics such as migration and displacement of black communities. The inspiration behind most of the work in Doucet’s collection makes the utilization of the flora and fauna from these areas, that much more impactful. It is a series of works that trigger deep thought about community concerns and are reflective of the mistreatment of these communities.
It was incredible to be able to interact with these artists and collector to gain a bit more insight into the thought process behind creating these works, and how specific pieces stand out and are put together to create collections.
Art Wynwood as Text
Art Wynwood was an amazing setting where our class got to witness how artists and collectors come together in an environment to not only appreciate but collect. Through this experience, I was able to better understand how each piece is viewed differently, and what makes each artist unique. From surrealism to interactive pieces, to sculptures, and even political commentary, Art Wynwood displayed a variety of pieces, each one just as interesting and unique as the next. The rotation of pieces put on display allows for a fresh experience every time the event takes place.
Near the beginning of the tour, I found myself fixated on a piece by Humberto Calzada, Space – The Text of Memory. I appreciated the incredibly crisp lines that look like they could have been created through technology. The preciseness of the work was incredibly satisfying to me, and it easily ranked as one of my personal favorites from the day. The surrealism in the piece also made it more interesting the more I looked at it, with the staircase cutting off at the horizon and the doors that seem to lead to more interesting spaces. Scenery pieces will always draw my attention, but the detail in this particular work made it stick differently for me.
At the end of our tour around the venue, we spoke to artist Teresa Diehl about her installation Ojitos Para que Te Tengo. The installation consisted of projector images displaying videos of what looked to be armed forces, quotes such as “an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind” and “ojitos para que te tengo,” and strings of AI generated images of human eyes hanging in the center of the space. The space stood out to me immediately as we approached it, probably being the most memorable from the exhibition. Mixing politics and art can be heavily controversial, however I love this piece and the message it puts out. The piece changes and looks slightly different from every angle as you walk through it, mirroring the complexity of the issues we face in the world.
As Diehl explained more about the installation, the underlying meaning of the work stood out to me because there is a connection with it, what it strives to do, and what I’ve been studying to do in the future. The piece calls out leaders who have a constant “eye” on their citizens yet seem to neglect their necessities. The title of the piece Ojitos Para que Te Tengo brought me to the idea of, what we have eyes for, if we are to just ignore what is going on around us. As I prepare for a career in law, there is a big emphasis on the importance of service, and helping those who cannot help themselves. The piece correlates with and reminds me of why I wanted to get into the legal field in the first place, and for that it is one I will never forget. I believe art that mixes important social issues is essential in keeping a record of developing times.
Art in Rubell / Emerson Dorsch as Text
The Rubell Museum contained a collection of works that were very thought-provoking. One of my favorite pieces from the museum, and probably one of my favorites throughout the course, is Family, a sculpture by Karon Davis. The piece consists of a mother, a father, and a child who is wearing a backpack. From just looking first glance, one would just think of a typical family sending their child off to school. However, the more I observed the painting I noticed the antlers on each of them, the way they seemed to be huddled together, and what appeared to be a sort of melancholy expression on the parents’ faces.
The theme of the piece touches on race and violence in the country. The antlers allude to the family being “hunted” just as inequalities and the system have consistently gone after African Americans. The piece also incorporates the concept of fear being tied to sending children to school in our modern day. The sculpture depicts how we live in a world with so much violence, and how we witness this violence revolving in the school system and our society. Davis using her family members and her son, as the casts for the sculpture make it that much more impactful by adding an incredibly personal touch from the artist.
Another piece that stood out to me due to a personal factor from the artists was La Rivoluzione Siamo Noi (We Are the Revolution). Cattelan inserted himself directly into the work in a way that I had never seen, making a smaller-scale sculpture of himself as the focal point. The piece is entertaining enough on its own, but when coupled with the idea of Cattelan essentially putting himself on display, it calls for much more reflection. When artists produce their work, most times it’s a representation of themselves. Subsequently, when they share their work and have it displayed, they are putting themselves on display as well.
From the Emerson Dorsch gallery, our class had the chance to hear a perspective from an artist entity that showcases art for a different purpose from what we had originally seen. It was interesting to see the different types of art that were displayed between Emerson Dorsch and, for example, the Rubell collection. Emerson Dorsch, I would say, displays art that is much more capable of being displayed in a more generalized manner, as opposed to, the more unconventional works of art observed at other locations. This places an emphasis on the different types of collections and the purposes they serve. The first location, Rubell, is more for education, catering more toward the general public, and Emerson Dorsch catering more toward collectors.
From our classes’ conversation with Ibett Yanez del Castillo and Daniel Clapp, we got to understand how sales and attracting people to a showing keeps private collections afloat, as they do not receive funding in the way a public museum would. The speakers emphasized that making sales goals is what keeps their cycle afloat and were overall transparent on how private galleries focus on attracting these buyers.
Art in PAMM as Text
The Perez Art Museum was the only semi-familiar location I recognized. I say “semi-familiar” because even though I had visited this location in the past, the rotation of artworks makes the second visit feel like an entirely different experience.
The most prominent part of the tour, in my opinion, was the Gary Simmons “Public Enemy” exhibit. The first piece upon entering the section was Lineup, which displays a row of golden shoes on a platform, with the background of what appears to be a mugshot background.
This piece is a powerful one to start with, as the more you stare at the piece, the more your mind wants to fill in the shoes. When picturing the people who are filling the shoes, you take a moment to reflect on who you put in the place of the shoes, and why. In this piece, Simmons wanted to draw upon the stereotyping of black youth as “criminal,” a concept that has become deeply rooted as a problem in society.
Just slightly past Lineup, we reached, Disinformation Supremacy Board, which opened up a discussion and internal reflection surrounding the theme of the work. When I looked at the piece and read the corresponding text, to me, the white chalk on the whiteboard symbolizes not only the push of white supremacy in an educational setting but the idea that by dismissing diversity in education, no one is getting educated. There is no substance or information to be gained from white chalk on a white surface, and thus education loses its meaning as the boards blend into the whiteness of the wall they hang on.
The work reminded me of the controversy in recent years involving certain educational materials being banned from Florida schools. Legislation has been passed that could be seen as placing a target on books that involve themes of race and racism. This corresponds with the idea of essentially omitting important aspects of education that are pivotal for a truly immersive society.
After being able to walk around the museum, we had the chance to make our own art in the form of a miniature booklet of sorts, called a “cine.” The project was led by a member of the museum staff, and we were instructed to create our work on whatever we wanted. I will admit I struggled for some time at the beginning trying to think of a theme for my project, but when thinking back to walking around the building, I felt it was only right to create something based on what I gathered from the Gary Simmons exhibit.
On the front cover, I drew an eye to mimic one of my initial reactions when going through the exhibit. “I see.” Continuing on the inside pages of the mini magazine, I drew divided, old-style schoolhouses to represent an educational divide, an empty chair sitting in front of a blank “lesson plan” to mimic the idea of lost education, an open book with empty pages to continue on the idea, and finally a broken lightbulb to present the idea of the enlightenment and illumination in the educational system being broken.
Although I would not call myself an artist by any means, having this chance to make my own piece threw me into a space where I could better understand the background that goes into creation. It allowed me to shift my perspective to not focus on elements I just think look good visually put together, but on how feelings and social commentary can be translated into physical manifestations of artwork.
Art in Oolite / Wolfsonian as Text
Visiting artists in their studios will always be a new and exciting experience for me. The creativity in each artist we got to speak with at the Oolite was so interesting and each cultivates a style that is so different from the next. Toward the end of our tour, Diana Eusebio explained how the colors in the work she does, are pulled from forms of nature. We had the chance to directly see how a certain type of bug, when squished, will release a red dye, and how it varies from one bug to the next. I find it interesting how these subjects in our world, we wouldn’t pay much attention to, however they help us create art. What one wouldn’t consider as “beautiful” can turn into something beautiful.
When starting our tour of the Wolfsonian, we were able to witness how any type of area of focus can be connected with art. Frank Luca took us into the Wolfsonian’s library section, which I was pleased to learn is available to access. Luca began to ask the group about our majors and proceeded to claim that practically any subject can be connected with some form of art. While taking a look at the shelves of books, I could see titles that, to my surprise, connected art to the world of law, where I see myself in the future. Two titles “Art in Politics” and “Art Law” jumped out at me, immediately piquing my interest. Learning about the library and the collection the Wolfsonian holds opened my mind to thinking more creatively about my assignments. I had never thought of connecting art in history to any of my term papers, however, thinking back at some of the topics combined with this new experience, I absolutely could have.
Student and academic engagement coordinator, Molly Channon, had us complete an activity where we would break off into groups and write about a painting together. This exercise was unique to me, and I found myself just sitting and staring at other displays to see what narrative I could make for it, to see how I felt about it, or trying to put myself in the place of those in the picture and reflecting on how it feels. As we each had our own narrative that we would all build upon, it was enriching to see how each person from one group viewed the painting in their unique vision.
The very last piece we viewed as a tour was the Geneva Window created by Harry Clarke. The visuals and color combinations make the piece incredibly enticing, and the more I viewed it, the more I found myself wrapped in the little details. This work was deemed as “provocative” for its time, and “unrepresentative” of the Irish people, even though the references it makes are specifically to Irish authors. The censorship of the work was in part due to the religious connotations, as it included Protestant authors, and the Roman Catholic church had a large role in politics and culture. Works of art and their history paint a picture of what the period was like, not only through visuals but also in the interactions with the work and the way they are criticized. The way we as a society react to certain subjects will very likely be recorded and reflect ideals and customs to our future generations, keeping memories of the era alive.
Art Final Reflection as Text
When looking back at my initial Art Encounter as Text reflection, I’m incredibly satisfied with the amount of knowledge I have gained about the art culture in Miami. Through this course, we had the opportunity to visit various locations, each more unique than the next. We even had the chance to visit artists’ studios, which I was surprised to learn are mostly available to the public to visit. In addition to discovering new art centers, I was pleased with the chance to discover more of Miami in general, as some of these areas I had never visited in the past. I was correct in stating that I had so much more to discover, and even now I still do.
Before my experiences this semester, I had only visited the Perez Art Museum in Miami, but now I have a whole list of places I plan on visiting again. I knew very little about the art in Miami, and even less about contemporary art. I had a preconceived idea that I would not enjoy contemporary art as much as I enjoyed historical pieces, mainly due to the pure look of the pieces. However, the deeper connections and understanding it takes to analyze contemporary art made it much more appealing to me.
When I think of art now, I have shifted away from more Renaissance-era pieces and much more inclusive of different styles and mediums. When I look at contemporary art, it is much more difficult to understand the underlying themes right off the bat, however this made everything much more enriching. Having to work on my own and with others to understand the concepts rooted in contemporary art opened my mind to different perspectives on certain matters. Moreover, I now reflect on the time each piece was created, and how it connects to particular parts in history. Art is a window to what a period was like.
I took this course because I believed it would be a fun way to immerse myself in a different aspect of culture, and it proved to be so. From the first location, I learned so much about the history of art in Miami and how the art district was developed into what it is today. Incredible efforts from those dedicated to sharing art with the world.
What I didn’t expect, however, was for my favorite location visited, to be the only one I had already been to. The Perez Art Museum included a new exhibition, Gary Simmons: Public Enemy, that had the most lasting impression on me. The pieces included reminded me of why I decided to pursue my chosen career path. A career in law would help me address the same concepts addressed in the works, that is, social justice, inclusivity, and equality.
My respect for artists only increased following the course. Artists have an ability to capture moments in time like no one else, and in such a unique manner that each piece is so different from the next. This course has given me memories and experiences like no other, and I will forever cherish how these moments have changed my thinking.
Miami in Miami 