Art in History, not Art History
The Museum of Natural History does not exhibit history only. From my childhood memory, my impression of the museum was a shady place filled with scary images of animals and statues. However, this time, my biggest surprise came from the Milstein Hall with the sculpture of a giant whale hanging in the center of the room. The whale was undeniable fascinating in design. In addition to the whale, the overhead screen gave me the feeling of being underwater with its use of blue and white colors. The surrounding sounds and cool climate contributed to the impression of what life was like underwater. Even the polar bears on display had such discrete expressions, making me question whether they were artificially made or real life animals. With the help of technology, it was no longer about memorizing facts or names, but to experience them the way they should in their climate, or at least an artificial representation of it. In all, my trip was not only to learn about history, but to experience the artistic portrayal of history, especially with the help of technology.
November 19th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Art that tells history can also be analyzed aesthetically or at least in the way it tries to tell history or portray it.
November 25th, 2007 at 6:38 am
I think that goes back to the idea that people learn more by observing and exploring their environments than by textbooks. So if you can duplicate past environments that really does help