My 10 Most Influential Works of Art
As we reflect during this time of isolation, we are compelled to think about the impact of the arts on our lives and society. Collectively, we don’t know what the future holds or what the world post-pandemic will be like, but we anticipate it might be different than we are used to. And while we eagerly await the days when we can safely visit galleries and museums to see artwork in person, we thought it would be fun to investigate how and what artistic influences have shaped our respective perspectives.
So, we asked the question of our staff, “What pieces of art have had the biggest influence on you?”
This week we invited a guest, the Curator of the Fullerton Museum Center, to share her answers with us. My 10 Most Influential Works of Art by Kelly Chidester.
Treachery of Images
By René Magritte
This painting is so cheeky and challenging and yet is so simple in its composition.
Medusa
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Her silent scream is hauntingly depicted at a moment straddling life and death. The allegorical figure gazes down at what we can presume is Perseus.
Perspective II: Manet’s Balcony
by René Magritte
In a nod towards Manet’s “Balcony," Magritte has anthropomorphized the coffins in the image as a profound momento mori.
Candy Spills
Félix González-Torres
A somber reminder and beautiful tribute to those who lost their battle with AIDS.
Urban Light
Chris Burden
It’s become an icon and is such a beautiful tribute to the city of angels.
African’t
Kara Walker
The life-size cutouts challenge us to consider narratives of the oppressed. It’s okay to be uncomfortable with these images- it allows up to grow.
We Will Not Become What We Mean to You
Barbara Kruger
The text on this piece is so confrontational and invasive. It forces the viewer to confront who “you” and “we” are in the narrative.
Figure 5 in Gold
Charles Demuth
Inspired by the poem, The Great Figure by William Carlos Williams, this artwork is a perfect example of precisionist painting.
Women of the People
Amedeo Modigliani
Modigliani’s painted portraits of the people around him with a sense of humanity and life. The working woman in this painting is both humble and strong.
Do Women Have To Be Naked to Get Into the Met Museum?
Guerrilla Girls
I think this piece says it all.
Special thanks to Kelly Chidester for sharing her favorite pieces of art!
