High Museum Project

I chose to do my review project in “The High Museum”, in Atlanta GA. It was found in 1905 and its very first name was Atlanta Art Association. Also it is the one of the most visited art museum in the world. While, visiting High museum, I was drawn to two particular pieces from two very different artists. The Chest and drawers by Teyo Remy, gained my attention because of creative design and deep meaning. My other favorite piece is “The beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle”, by Thorton Dial. I will be comparing two artist from Modern and Contemporary Art period.
Teyo Remy was part of a group of young Dutch designers who came to the forefront of the international design scene with works that had a political awareness and also sense of humor. Chest and drawers piece was design in 1991, which was based on twenty drawers which each of those had a story with them. Very first drawer represents a jewelry box that was a gift to the young woman from the father. The entire piece is held together by a furniture mowers strap that represents nature of life. Basically a strap would be a reference of us humans holding on the important things in life that matter to us.
The reason I like this is because it connects to me with memories of my past and experiences I went through. To me, each drawer represents a memory in my life that has thought me to make better decisions in the future. I also like this design of art because it is amazes me how Teyo Remy managed to make a design that held twenty drawers together and none of them fell off. The color selections of the drawers are matte and plain colored that you see in your everyday life. This was a good selection because it made the piece more relatable. “You Can’t Lay Down Your Memory”, is a perfect title for this design as it shows the importance of past.

Thorton Dial was born in 1928, Emelle, Alabama. He endured a life of poverty and hard labor. This self-taught artist has made astonishing master pieces that represent history, politics, and power. He overcame many obstacles such as being illiterate, coming from poverty, and he also had a late start as an artist in his fifties. One of his famous pieces is “The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle”, designed in 2003. Some of the materials he used for that particular design are plastic soda bottles, doll, clothing, bedding, wire, found metal, and rubber glove.
Yellow color represent coming together of all “races” and working with each other in peace. Plastic soda bottles represent a new born that is innocent and pure in this world of chaos. The reason I chose this artwork is because initially it looked very disturbing, distorted, and mysterious. After a few minutes of looking at it, it began to speak to me. I begin to realize what Dial was trying say. To me this art represents a brighter side of the future. Through many life’s struggles and hardships I endured, there seems to always be a greater hope for better life.
I also believe that this represent the beauty in struggles we encounter in our lives. In comparison, these two artists are very different but yet share a similar view on life. They come from very different backgrounds but these two particular pieces have an underlined connection. Dial basis his work on his experiences which are captured in his memory. He is able to express his views, struggles, and experiences from his past. On the other hand, Remy’s chest of drawers represents each of his memory in a tight space of drawers. And also, memories can be used as a stepping stone in a pathway to a greater life.