Notable Museums Around The World

Part 3: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

• Located on Fifth Avenue of the Upper East Side, Manhattan, this art museum houses Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and Contemporary art.
• ·         Established in 1939 as the ‘Museum of Non-Objective Painting’ by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, it was renamed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1952 as a memorial to its late founder.
• ·         Its current building is considered a landmark of 20^th century architecture and is conceived as a ‘temple of the spirit’, cylindrical and wider at the top than the bottom. It was built in 1959. The museum itself opened to the public in October of the same year.
• ·         The museum describes itself as “a vital cultural centre, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums”.
• ·         The collections at the Guggenheim feature over 7,000 artworks by more than 650 artists, such as Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Warhol. It represents the museum's unique history, which has mapped the development of 20th and 21st century art.Many special exhibitions are also held throughout the year.
• ·         Collections include:

o   A collection of abstract and Surrealist painting and sculpture Peggy Guggenheim's (Solomon R. Guggenheim’s niece)

o   Thannhauser Collection, featuring an array of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern masterpieces

o   Count Giuseppe Panza di Biumo's vast holdings of European and American Minimalist, Post-Minimalist, Environmental, and Conceptual art

o   The Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, the donated private art collection of the museum’s founder

o   The Hilla Rebay Collection, the donated private art collection of the museum’s first director and curator

• ·         The Guggenheim does not divide its collection based on the specific mediums used or the era in which it was created; instead, the collection is envisaged as an “integrated whole”.
• ·         In 2013, the Guggenheim hosted the most popular exhibition in the city and received 1.2 million visitors.

Sources: http://www.guggenheim.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_R._Guggenheim_Museum

Notable Museums Around The World

Part 2: The Tate Modern, London, England

• ·         Part of the Tate group, the Tate Modern is an art gallery in a converted power station located on the banks of the River Thames.
• ·         The artworks displayed make up the national collection of Britain from the beginning of the 20^th Century to present day as well as contemporary and modern art.
• ·         The featured collection exhibitions include:

o   Poetry and Dream

o   Energy and Process

o   Structure and Clarity

o   Transformed Visions

o   Setting the Scene

• ·         It first opened in 2000 and in 2009 a major project was begun to develop it, creating more space for galleries and improving visitor facilities, making it into the museum it is today.
• ·         The museum uses three converted large, underground oil tanks, originally used in the power station, as display areas and spaces for facilities. Construction of a new tower, 65 metres above the oil tanks, will provide even more exhibition space.
• ·         The chimney, perhaps the most recognisable feature of the Tate Modern, is made completely out of brick and is not used to display art.
• ·         The museum runs many temporary exhibitions and its collection varies from artwork to installations.
• ·         The most visited modern art gallery in the world, it receives 4.8 million visitors every year. 

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

Sources: http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_Modern

Notable Museums Around The World

Part 1: The Louvre, Paris, France.

• ·         One of the biggest museums in the world, the Louvre exhibits nearly 35,000 artworks from throughout history, ranging from pre-history to the 21^st century.
• ·         First built in the 12^th century by King Philip II of France. It was extended many times over the years to become the Louvre Palace.
• ·         It was first used to display artwork when King Louis XIV left the building and moved the court to the Palace of Versailles (where it remained until the French Revolution). King Louis left the royal collection in the Louvre to be put on view. During the French Revolution it was decreed by the National Assembly that the Louvre be used as a museum.
• ·         The museum first opened in 1793 displaying 537 paintings, mainly confiscated royal and church property. It closed again in 1796 due to structural problems.
• ·         Napoléon increased the collection housed in the museum, reopening it in 1801 and renaming it the Musée Napoléon, but after he abdicated many of the works he has seized were returned to their original owners.
• ·         The museum gained a further 20,000 pieces under the reigns of King Louis XVIII and King Charles X and through donations and gifts the collections have only increased.
• ·         There are eight departments in the Louvre:

o   Egyptian Antiquities

o   Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities

o   Near Eastern Antiquities

o   Islamic Art

o   Sculpture

o   Decorative Arts

o   Paintings

o   Prints and Drawings

• ·         Today the Louvre receives more than 10 million visitors a year and hosts many exhibitions.

http://www.louvre.fr/en

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre

What makes art valuable? - BBC Documentary

Newgrange /The Boyne Valley - Dublin, Ireland.

Newgrange was built over 5,000 years ago in the Boyne Valley in Leinster, Ireland. 
It was constructed in 3,200 BC meaning it is older then Stonehenge in England and The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. It is most well known for it's astrological and spiritual importance, however it is also a great place of evidence of ancient Celtic art.

Consisting mostly of spirals and abstract shapes it is mostly impossible for us today to know exactly what the Celts were portraying, though we can theorise.
Many think they hold an astrological meaning, the movement of the sun and the stars, or the changing of the seasons. Others think they were maps or mediation devices. 





Sources : http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/art/
               http://www.newgrange.com/
           

The art an artist does can be effected by what country they are from or in at the time; the culture, landscape and geography.
For example if you compare early century Spanish art with African art from the same time period there is an obvious difference in the style and subject.
The same goes for more modern art, although thanks to technology we are able to share ideas and techniques immediately, the culture and geography of a place can still have a major impact. 


 http://creativeroots.org features all sorts of recent art done by people all around the world. You can search for a particular country or nation, find art and design books on the 'Bookshelf' page or listen to podcasts.

Introduction

Introduction


Hey, my name is Sarah, and this is a blog about the 'Geography of Art'. In my environmental studies class one of our assignments is to set up a blog about one of our interests and relate it to geography. I chose art because I like it and am interested in a career in it.