My second trip to the MOMA today was more enlightening then the last since I realized the necessity of having background information. Previously I had passed by the Picasso painting of Ma Jolie while not believing it to be such a masterpiece. However, today when we stood before it and analyzed how it actually represented a woman playing a guitar, I appreciated the art more extensively. Professor Bergman revealed how Picasso had stripped the woman and guitar into dispersed fragments. Hence, to view the subject one had to piece together the parts through deep concentration. Moreover, I learned how Picasso portrayed depth without actually illustrating it. For instance, by placing the title Ma Jolie in black print on the bottom section, it was understood that the art work laid behind the title, no matter how miniscule this space was.  

The other art works that I found intriguing were the ones composed of squares. Though the technique themselves were not complex I do think the idea behind the works were innovative. As one classmate pointed out, the idea of displaying a portion of a tilted square is not a common one. Moreover, I think what is so great about this piece (the black striped square) is the meaning it can convey. For example one meaning can be that of an open window and looking through it. Another interpretation is that of "a small part of a whole". Viewers can conclude this last idea by the fact that the work seems to be cut off and in essence, continue on to the walls. Therefore, I believe artists of these kinds are being recognized for their innovative ideas as oppose to their technique. Their work is abstract meant for interpretation and individual meaning.