Event 1: Leap Before You Look

This afternoon I visited Hammer Museum to view the Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957 exhibit. When I initially entered, I was greeted with a piano piece that closely resembled a song from a dystopian movie. As a result, I began to assume that the exhibit would perhaps portray the college's predictions of a robot-ruled future. Instead, I soon became aware that the gallery was one of its history and influences of Black Mountain College on artists.

While the history of Black Mountain College and its artists were intriguing, what truly caught my eyes were the artworks influenced by cubism. The reason why these artworks were eye-catching is I had previously written in my Math + Art blog that cubism is a clear example of the connection between mathematics and art. On the left, there are multiple artworks that uses lines and sharpness to portray the artist's vision. By incorporating such qualities within their works, the artists primarily utilize geometric shapes, including angles and lengths of lines, which highlights the intersection between math and art. Likewise, as seen in A Group of Houses and Figures by Lyonel Feninger on the right, his style of crisp, angular-edged miniature sculptures with the assistance of art through colors and drawings enhances his objective to depict the "imaginative, playful, and childlike" qualities of Black Mountain College's atmosphere.

While geometric shapes as previously mentioned had a purpose to their use, there were also abstract art throughout the exhibit. In the picture above are two of Elaine de Kooning's paintings both called Untitled Drawing. The combination of her titles as well as the ambiguous meaning of the geometric shapes leaves the audience to form their own conclusion of her art.

Overall, despite the initial feeling of eeriness I experienced upon entering the gallery, I was fascinated by Black Mountain College, a college I never knew had existed before, and how its culture can be explicitly seen through its students' and faculty's artworks. Since the exhibit includes not only paintings but also literature, music, and sculptures to name a few, I would most definitely recommend any student to visit the museum and learn about this previously existent institution.

*I was informed that the policies of Hammer Museum prohibit employees from taking pictures with observers. As a result, one employee suggested that I obtain a ticket of my visit as proof in addition to taking "selfies" with some artworks.*

Works Cited

De Kooning, Elaine. Untitled Drawing. 1948. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
De Kooning, Elaine. Untitled Drawing. 1948. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
Feninger, Lyonel. A Group of Houses And Figures. 1949. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA.

"In-Gallery Performances." The Hammer Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016. <https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2016/leap-before-you-look-black-mountain-college-1933-1957/>.
"Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957." Hammer Museum. 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024. 03 May 2016.

Uconlineprogram. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 09 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.