Professor Dr. John A. Tyson Art 250 Art of Twentieth Century May 10, 2022 Art Atmospheres in
and Beyond the Museums The three institutions I’ll be discussing are the ICA Boston, Isabella
Stewart Gardner Museum, and Graffiti Alley in Cambridge. During my time at ICA Boston, I
learned that art can be displayed, viewed, and interpreted in a variety of ways. Every room that I
walked in had its own theme but each piece that was displayed within could be interpreted in
many ways. Each piece that I observed could be looked at from different angles including the
amount of details some pieces contained. The amount of details some ornaments had was
astonishing. The overall mood of the environment was very relaxed, hopeful, but serious at
times. The mood is created from the art pieces themselves. Depending on which room you
enter, the art pieces give off a serious tone with the colors the artists used. One room in
particular had a shade of gray along with blue. Gray gives off the feeling of dullness, neutrality,
and numbness. However, the blue gives off the feeling of stability, calmness, and rationalism.
With these colors by each other, the room and art pieces give off a message of how difficult life
can be but to always have hope and strength to find that eventual stability. With every room I
walked in, I was met with silence. Partially had to do with the respectful nature of the exhibit but
because of how focused the people around me were. I noticed every observer around me really
tried to understand what the artist is telling us through his/her art piece, including myself. The
Isabella Stewart Gardner housed many European, Asian, and American art. As I walked around
the museum, I saw a lot of paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. Some included
art and structures from the 20th century from the West Cloister section. When I walked in, I
noticed that the atmosphere was louder than the other two museums I’ve been to. The
employees seemed more enthusiastic and there were many other events there that gave an
energetic atmosphere. There were also a lot more people, tourists, staff, and security which
gave a more secure atmosphere. Compared to the ICA having just a line to be far from, at
Isabella, it is a lot further in distance from the art. The mood as I walked to different rooms would
range from dark and emptiness, but also calm, energetic, and happy. An example would be
emptiness in the exact rooms where the 1990s theft of 13 works of art occurred and happiness
in the central flower garden because everyone loved the scenery and took pictures there. Many
of these artworks sparked my curiosity, fascination, and appreciation because I could tell that
there were a lot of thoughts put into the details. Even when there are paintings hung on the wall,
decorative arts in cabinets, sculptures, and more, the walls itself would have its own design.
Many rooms would not be plain of color. Many walls were inspired by the renaissance age and
the museum also included sculptures of Baroque art. Because there was so much art wherever
you go, there was not a lot of wall-text included for each item like the unexplainable amount of
chairs These Italian renaissance chairs were displayed usually below larger paintings or just
anywhere near the walls which people were not allowed to sit on. Decorative arts also did not
have any background texts compared to ICA which had wall text or at least a name for each art.
At Isabella, the art is displayed all over the room while ICA has paintings on white walls, which
are easier to spot. Overall, it is clear the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum wants to present the
gothic, Roman, and Renaissance periods. The Graffiti Alley in Cambridge was filled with
different vibrance and saturations of colors. Artists may not be known because there are no wall
texts and artists might not include a name. The wall has writings, drawings, and colors
overlapping each other using graffiti. When you walk though, the atmosphere is happy and
energetic. The wall is an outside gallery in Cambridge, so that means a louder atmosphere.
There are also a lot of picture taking which I am guilty of. When you walk through the wall, you
are also walking below a colorful roof which reflects different shapes and colors onto the floor
and on the wall. This was a shorter visit, but pleasant for my eyes.