Monday’s class field trip was my first introduction to the MOCA, and to the work of artist Dan Graham. I love contemporary art, and although it was amazing to see pieces by legendary artists (such as Warhol and Pollock) up-close-and-personal, it was Graham’s exhibit that really made me stop and think. Graham’s use of popular culture to convey a critical art point of view really captured my attention. One of my favorites of the showing was titled “Figurative”. I love fashion magazines, and the juxtaposition of typical magazine advertisements (at least for the 1960s) with Graham’s cash register receipt was particularly interesting to me. At first, I noticed the piece because of the advertisement on the right. I’m obsessed with 1960s photography in and of itself, and at first I was just admiring the women’s retro make-up and overall look. Then I looked to the left and saw the row of numbers. What did it mean? Who is Dan Graham? I can only imagine what a reader of Harper’s Bazaar would have thought when first encountering the page. Even with the museum’s explanation, I can’t really decipher for sure what Graham was trying to say with the piece, but the fact that he used a popular magazine alone I think conveys much of his perspective. In an introduction to the exhibit, the MOCA included a quote of Graham’s where he compares magazines to pop songs – describing them as disposable, momentary pleasures. I wish that more artists today would take an approach like Graham – how cool would it be to open an ordinary Vogue and see something so puzzling? I don’t know how often the MOCA changes exhibits, but I would suggest anyone interested in advertising, music or architecture to check out Graham’s work. I really appreciate the opportunity the field trip gave us to see it.
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