From Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills to a Jackson Pollock’s painting, here’s a list of the artworks I’d display in my imaginary museum.
As an artist and future art history teacher, I’ve been thinking for a long time about the works of art I’d put in my imaginary museum. It’s an excellent exercise because it allows you to step back and look at the works of art that have moved and even inspired you. You’ll see that the following list includes works that could be related, but some are less so. That’s the beauty of art: you never know what’s going to touch you. There’s no specific order between them, and there are only 9 artworks as I didn’t want to write something too long…but there could have been many more pieces listed.
Untitled film stills, by Cindy Sherman
I don’t remember how I discovered Cindy Sherman’s photographs, but I’m sure one of my teachers advised me to go and see her work. I love many of her series, but the Untitled film stills are definitely my favourite. I love everything about them: the various characters Cindy Sherman created, the fact that the compositions look both simple and thought-provoking, the atmospheres, the way she drew inspiration from films while managing to create her own world… Gosh, I just love this work so much. I believe she created one of the best photographic series of all time, and I wish I could be as imaginative as she is.
Morning Sun, by Edward Hopper
From the many articles I’ve written about Edward Hopper’s work, I don’t think it’s hard to guess how much I love it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I would display almost all of his paintings in my museum. But if I had to choose just one, I‘d go for ‘Excursion into Philosophy’ or ‘Morning Sun’. The latter reflects everything I love about Hopper’s work: the colours as well as the light, the loneliness and fragility of the woman, and the way she’s looking out (like so many of Hopper’s characters)… in fact, I’m not really sure whether she’s scared, waiting for something or just resting. I’m a big fan of Hopper’s paintings because, like Gregory Crewdson’s photographs, it’s not so obvious what they convey. We know what his work is about, but still, we can imagine our own stories.
Damalis, by Antoine Etex.
Near the city I live in, a museum hosts one of the most moving artworks I’ve ever seen. It is a sculpture entitled “Damalis” that represents a nymph sitting on the ground, she’s looking at one of her feet while touching it. It’s simple and yet so magnificent. I think I could spend hours looking at it. Even though the young woman is naked, there’s nothing erotic about this work. It’s just soft, and touching and makes us contemplate it. Moreover, there is a kind of ambiguity: the young woman seems both fantastic and real. We don’t know if we are dreaming or not.
Monaris’ photographs
A few years ago I discovered Monaris’ work on Instagram and immediately fell in love with it. I used to dislike street photography, as I often found it boring, but Monaris made me look at it in a way I could never have imagined before. Her images are spontaneous yet cinematic, simple yet very well composed, edited yet still incredibly realistic. They are a great source of inspiration for me and when I travel, I now try to take street photos that don’t look like they were taken by a tourist… and I try to find my own style. Monaris made me realize that street photography is something that can be fun to look at and take.
Plus, I was offered her book two years ago and it’s definitely a great piece of art. You should check it out and her Instagram profile.
The Lovers, The Great Wall Walk by Marina Abramovic & Ulay
I have mixed feelings about Marina Abramovic. I mean, she’s fascinating yet a bit weird. But some of her performances touched me, especially “The Lovers”. It was about Marina Abramovic and Ulay both walking on the Great Wall of China but starting from opposite sides and meeting at some point. During this walk, the artists shared their thoughts. This performance was about the fact that they were ending their 12-year romantic and professional collaboration. In the documentary “The Artist is Present”, it is said that Ulay had cheated on Marina with his translator and that she was pregnant… but Ulay says that Marina had cheated on him too. Anyway, it’s not our business. What really interests me is the performance they did. “The Lovers” is definitely poignant, especially the moment when they finally meet and say goodbye. It really symbolizes the end of this relationship and the beginning of a new chapter.
Your body is a battleground, by Barbara Kruger
I really admire the way Barbara Kruger intelligently tackles issues. As an art lover and feminist, “Your Body is a Battleground” is definitely one of the works I’d like to display in my home. The combination of the image and the sentence is really powerful. Barbara Kruger created it for the Women’s March in Washington, in 1989. It is an artwork that is, unfortunately, still relevant these days as women still need to fight for this right in many countries. I think this piece reminds people that for some, women’s bodies and choices are debated, when it shouldn’t be that way, at least men shouldn’t have the right to decide what a woman should do. This piece acts as a weapon: we have to fight for our rights, our choices, our bodies and to be heard.
Untitled, Summer (Summer rain), by Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson is my favourite photographer. His images have fascinated me for years. As I said earlier, what I like most about them is that they always leave room for interpretation. “Untitled, Summer (Summer Rain”) is the best example. It shows a man standing next to a car with one of the doors open. The man is looking at his hands. There’s a briefcase on the ground. The scene takes place on a street, at night. As you may have guessed, all of these elements create a great deal of mystery. Gregory Crewdson wants to show what is behind the American dream: in other words, he shows the anxiety and frustration that hides behind beautiful appearances. However, he also manages to always create ambiguous images. We, the viewers, have the pleasure of imagining the stories that these photos could tell. I love that.
Convergence, by Jackson Pollock
I struggle with abstract art as I find it hard to understand what the artists want to convey (but I recently read “On the Spiritual in Art” by Wassily Kandinsky and I’m sure it will help me see abstract paintings differently from now on). What I like about Jackson Pollock’s work is the technique he used and especially the way we can see its impact on the canvas. The videos showing Jackson Pollock while he’s painting are also very captivating. It almost looks like gestures he couldn’t control and I would have loved to know what was going on in his head while he was painting.
Elsa Bleda’s photographs
I want to end this article with Elsa Bleda’s photos. I came across her work on Instagram several years ago. She doesn’t post regularly on social platforms, but when she does, you can be sure that it’s going to be a feast for the eyes. Just like Monaris, Elsa Bleda made me see travel photography in a new light. From Johannesburg to Istanbul, her images are always poetic and artistic. They silently invite us to slow down and take a deep breath. Elsa Bleda always captures the most interesting moments and the right way to immortalize them.
What do you think of these artworks?
What pieces of art would you display in your imaginary museum?
