Inside view (from rooftop garden) of the MAMAC
I'm backtracking a little.
So I've been to a lot of museums in my lifetime and when I say a lot, I mean a lot but the MAMAC (Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain) was different than all of the rest; it left me breathless.
Opened in June 1990, the MAMAC houses several permanent collections (including works by: Yves Klein, Christo, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguley, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg to name a few) as well as works entrusted to the museum for temporary exhibitions. Besides the exceptional layout of the building and phenomenal collections of work, the MAMAC embodies everything that is art.
In my second year at Clemson, I took painting and studied, in depth, the American Abstract Era. The task was to choose an Abstract painter, study his/her work, and then try to recreate a piece of their work; I chose Frank Stella. I formed an immense appreciation for Stella, his work, his ability, his process. So when I went to MAMAC and walked into a room with a ginormous Stella piece, I was literally overcome with joy and awe. Here was my idol, the man who had, indirectly, taught me a love for abstraction and simple forms and given me an appreciation and understanding for the other painters of that time. I stood in awe, smiling like a fool, and to my surprise (and I can't believe I'm admitting this), I felt tears form. The power of his work captivated me and I felt as though I understood everything (just by looking at a painting, sheesh).
I'm backtracking a little.
So I've been to a lot of museums in my lifetime and when I say a lot, I mean a lot but the MAMAC (Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain) was different than all of the rest; it left me breathless.
Opened in June 1990, the MAMAC houses several permanent collections (including works by: Yves Klein, Christo, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguley, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg to name a few) as well as works entrusted to the museum for temporary exhibitions. Besides the exceptional layout of the building and phenomenal collections of work, the MAMAC embodies everything that is art.
In my second year at Clemson, I took painting and studied, in depth, the American Abstract Era. The task was to choose an Abstract painter, study his/her work, and then try to recreate a piece of their work; I chose Frank Stella. I formed an immense appreciation for Stella, his work, his ability, his process. So when I went to MAMAC and walked into a room with a ginormous Stella piece, I was literally overcome with joy and awe. Here was my idol, the man who had, indirectly, taught me a love for abstraction and simple forms and given me an appreciation and understanding for the other painters of that time. I stood in awe, smiling like a fool, and to my surprise (and I can't believe I'm admitting this), I felt tears form. The power of his work captivated me and I felt as though I understood everything (just by looking at a painting, sheesh).
'Damascus Gate II' by Frank Stella
As far as it stands in terms of museums, the MAMAC holds my heart.
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