The Montclair Art Museum - A Must See

As Judith Howard describes in Social Psychology of Identities, identity is, “…tenuous, fragile, and elastic, rather than as fixed and dichotomous” (382). Identity is extremely fluid and can be influenced by race, gender, sexuality, beliefs and social environments. I argue that it is equally internally and externally persuaded because of the multitude of factors that are mashed together to make you, you. External factors can include gender, social status and race whereas internal factors can be personality, sexuality, and general preferences.

Self-expression through art is a transformative way to understand and visually process how people identify with themselves. Through the Montclair Art Museum’s Identity exhibit, a few forms of perceived identity struck me not only as creative but having to achieve a deeper level of consciousness to fully understand the motive behind a piece. There is a level of artistic expertise that artists have to have to comprehensively understand themselves but also be able to accurately depict the identity of person being perceived.

Alice Neel - Isabel Bishop, 1974

When I first saw this photo, I was immediately drawn to her hands. They reminded me so much of my own grandmothers hands. From the blue, bulging veins, to the way they are crookedly relaxed. The ring on her finger will be her forever symbol of the love of her life. A small watch on her wrist to try and keep track of time although she still doesn’t understand how all of these years have passed. A slight smirk demonstrates her ability to find the happiness and good in every situation. There are slight wrinkles around her mouth highlighting all of the laughs she shared. I think the royal blue dress was a great choice because it is bold and beautiful. All of these factors are incorporated in her identity and the artist does a fantastic job of incorporating the qualities of a well-lived women into a 2-D painting.