A few weeks ago, I, along with my most artistically talented friend, paid a visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art (which by the way, has Pay-What-You-Wish admission on Friday nights!). The Whitney, which seemed to be a small building from the outside, is actually a multi-story establishment with intriguing installations showcasing everything from Edward Hopper’s realistic depictions of human existence and life in New York City to exhibits featuring the impacts of a hurricane in Puerto Rico. There’s no better way to spend a Friday evening.
I want to get more into the habit of taking notes while walking around museums. Any type of museum offers an insane amount of knowledge, which is often difficult to digest all at once. However, I was so completely enamored by the art that I totally forgot about this mission. At the end of the night, I opened my Notes app, seeing the only thing I wrote down was this: “How little it takes to upset the eye.”
This phrase stuck in the back of my head for a while; it’s so beautifully elegant and short, and yet holds so much meaning. “How little it takes to upset the eye.” What a wonderful thing to upset, especially when compared to the other options: (1) upsetting the stomach seems somewhat uncomfortable and painful, (2) upsetting the tongue appears regretful and distasteful (pun intended), and (3) upsetting the heart sounds sorrowful and even vexing. But upsetting the eye almost sounds like an exciting challenge or feat, especially from an artistic standpoint. And “how little it takes” shows the power artists have to change our perceptions to yield an intended emotion, which is just a long-winded way of saying artists are masters of artistic manipulation. Upon further research, Edna Andrade is who I’ve quoted in this editorial, specifically referring to her piece Cool Wave, 1974, which is pictured.
While I hardly consider myself an artist of any form, I do believe that there’s an art to creating a newspaper. Specifically, the design of the newspaper requires precision and an “artistic eye” by the staff members who put together the layout of the paper. So yes, you may consider the folks at The Stute, who create the layout of the paper to be master emotional manipulators. After all, we choose which articles are displayed on the front page, what kinds of artistic elements to add to features, and specific photos to accompany articles. And while the news we produce is ultimately unbiased, the directional components of the paper are a display combining our personal editorial and artistic decisions.
Be First to Comment