Docent in Training - More Interpretations and Shadowing a Mentor

Hello,

January 2019 is upon us. What with NFL playoff games, my binge watching of Chinese movies on Netflix, trying to get back into the groove of eating less and exercising more, and learning more and more about the Amon Carter Museum of American Art collection, my cup runneth over. I usually watch TV and work on my computer at the same time but, subtitled Chinese movies do not allow such luxury. Unless one understands Mandarin they must keep their eyes on the TV or forever be lost. The one thing about these movies is they are historically correct and take me back to the beginning of the first empires of China. So it is not mindless TV watching as much as catching up on my history. At least that is what I want to think.

I missed the class on 20th-century photography last week and regret doing it. Not only because I missed a learning opportunity but also because the curator took his time to give the class. However,  I did make this weeks class and it was outstanding. We started with a class discussion on the proper way to offer questions on our tours. The object is to get the guests we are giving the tour to an opportunity to get involved with the art. The trick is to not put them on the spot and in some cases to not let them take over the tour. It will take practice but I know I can do it.

Attention Company!

The second half of the class was spent with a few giving interpretations of the permanent collection. I was so impressed with their skill and learned a great deal about different ways of presenting the works. One in our class is a docent at the Modern Art Museum here in Ft Worth and also an art teacher. The work she interpreted was Attention Company! by William Harnett.

I have shown this picture before in another post. That interpretation was a comparison between this and a Mary Cassatt. This interpretation was just on this work and how it lent itself to the abstract. I found this to be an interesting take and one worth exploring more.

Two others did Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay by Martin Johnson Heade. They pointed out that no one seems to be in a hurry to leave so maybe the storm is on its way out rather than in. The Civil War had happened shortly before Heade painted this piece. The question, was reconstruction on his mind? Hard to say without his input. At any rate, it is a lovely rendition of a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay

Although there were many great interpretations I only have room for one more and it is one with a significant history.

The Swimming Hole

The Swimming Hole by Thomas Eakins is a masterpiece that was not used by The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts during an exhibition because the students and Eakins himself are recognizable. Eakins had been forbidden to use students as models. He eventually had to resign because of having a male nude in his class where a woman student was present. The work became part of the collection of the Fort Worth Art Association, the institutional predecessor of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. When the Art Association decided to sell it The Amon Carter purchased it. Ruth Carter Stevenson chose it as one of the paintings to hang in President John F. Kennedy's hotel room the night he and the First Lady spent in Ft Worth.

I wish I could tell you about more of the wonderful interpretations by our class but need to move on to lunch with my lovely mentor Subie. We enjoyed lunch at The Cafe Modern in the above mentioned Modern Art Museum. Then I followed along on her tour of the ACMAA. We had a large group and it was great that they were interactive with Subie. This is what our goal is, to hopefully have the guests get involved with the art. We ended the tour upstairs with the western art of Remington and Russell. I am ashamed to say I had not yet been up there and was not aware that the ACMAA has every one of Charles Russell's western sculptures plus one he did of Douglas Fairbanks as D'Artagnan in 1921.  Mary Pickford actually asked him to create it. Just proves every art piece has a history and some of them have a very interesting story to tell.

Douglas Fairbanks as D'Artaganan - 1921

If you have a chance you must make it to ACMAA and view all of the terrific works by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. Thank you Subie for a wonderful tour.

Well an NFL playoff game is coming on and it appears it is snowing in Kansas City so until next week please keep art on your mind and in the schools.

Warmly,
Caroline