Art at MIT

 The first piece of art visible at MIT was also probably the best. The simplicity of the large-scale structure of the piece belies its small-scale intricacy. Composed of mostly mathematical symbols, the sculpture is more and more fascinating the closer you get. I thought that this piece was not only aesthetically attractive, but it was also able to capture the essence of intellectualism that is so essential to the MIT community. This makes it a great piece of site-specific art, and it is easy to notice that it is one that is clearly appreciated and adored by all who visit.

It comes as no surprise that MIT architecture is imaginative, unique, and visually stunning. This example, like many of the artworks at MIT, is perfect in its combination of aesthetic and intellectual appeal. First of all, the unique shape and appearance of this building can't be missed. But, to learn that the roof is exactly one-eighth of a sphere makes it all the more interesting. Such works capture the attention of observers, but also add to the uniquely intellectual environment that is inescapable at MIT.

In one of MIT's courtyards were three of the stranger pieces on campus. The first of these depicts a man killing a chicken. The work is bizarre in more ways than one. Unfortunately, I don't feel that this piece is at all appealing. In my opinion, it is only disturbing, perhaps even frightening. The almost faceless man and the act of slaughter are discomforting for the observer. The next piece, a large abstract bust reminiscent of the Easter Island heads, was much better. Unlike the man killing a chicken, this head appeared to be benevolent. It served as a pleasant contrast to the other sculpture, and seemed almost to have its own personality. In my opinion, it was the best of the 3 courtyard sculptures. The final sculpture was very difficult to distinguish (especially considering the lateness of our visit). The twisted and distorted limbs of whatever the sculpture was trying to depict seemed to be as unsettling as the slaughter of the chicken. It must be conceded that I really can't pass a fair judgment on the piece, though, because it seems to be a piece that would be better appreciated in the daylight. Regardless, I still believe that the large, smiling head was the best of the three courtyard sculptures.

This painting from one of MIT's dining halls is an interesting yet unremarkable work. In my opinion, it neither adds to nor takes away from the atmosphere. Many of MIT's artworks make the experience of visiting a fascinating one. This work, though, left no real impression on me. It is neither aesthetically pleasing nor ugly. This work, to me, seems to be a mediocre addition to the MIT collection. I think it fills a necessary space, but it does so without the style of many of MIT's other pieces.

One of my personal favorite parts of MIT's campus (and I think I can say without much opposition, one of our group's favorite parts as well) was the public blackboard. What makes this board so cool is that its messages are so transitory, and that anybody and everybody can contribute to it. This includes Terriers (see below)! Of course, many of the writings on the board were mathematical, but there were also written messages and interesting images. This is not only a perfect forum for public art, but like all other MIT artworks, it perfectly captures the intellectual atmosphere. After all, blackboard and chalk do have far more academic associations than do oil and canvas.

The busts in MIT's library are peculiar yet fascinating. Although they still depict the typical human face, they do so with certain stylistic distortions which make viewing them unique. The Rodin piece and the bust of Beethoven are the best (the other wasn't even labeled). Although the quiet second-floor library might not be the obvious location for these two, the busts actually add enough artistic flare to the library to prevent the all-too-often feeling of sterility felt in many libraries.
The painting below, also in the second-floor library, works in the same way as the busts, by adding enough art and character to the library without losing the conservative, plain, quiet feel of a library.

This mural outside the library was really neat! I unfortunately didn't get any other good pictures of it, but it had all the elements of an African savannah, a rain forest or jungle, and society. The painting was extremely bright, having a cheering effect. In fact, many of the caricatures, especially the elephant below, seemed to be strongly influenced by Dr. Seuss. This nostalgic connection is almost certainly uplifting to college students far from home. Plus, the human characters in the work reflect many of the archetype MIT-type students, which makes this yet another excellent piece of sit-specific art.

Outside some of the science lecture halls at MIT are testaments to some of history's greatest pre-20th-century scientists. I personally found the physics display to be incredible. Not only did it capture many of the fundamental principles and symbols of physics in a small display, but it managed to represent the diverse scientists and disciplines that have led to our current understanding of the universe. While it (necessarily) included Galileo, Newton, and other household names, it also acknowledged the importance of Arabic and Dutch physicists as well. My personal favorite, though, was the likeness of James Clerk Maxwell because he was depicted with all 4 of his equations of electromagnetism, which practically made me giddy, and represents the kind of quirky, almost esoteric intellectual environment at the school. Across from this was a memorial to the lesser of the two great sciences, chemistry. This memorial, too, was an almost perfect example of site-specific art. With an original periodic table and some important chemical apparatuses, the simple image managed to encapsulate the fundamental chemical interests. And, like its physics counterpart, it managed to represent a diversity of scientists, many of whom are either overlooked or completely unknown in much of the western world. These pieces were perfectly placed works of art, and their simplicity partnered with their solid design give them a timeless feel, and people of any era to appreciate the great contributions of past scientists which have made the modern, scientific world possible.

Between the chemistry and physics displays was this interesting piece. It consists of two sheets of glass, between which bubbles constantly form and pop. This piece didn't seem to be fully operational (it was surrounded by construction materials, and bubbles only formed in the very bottom), but it was still a visually stunning piece. The colors of the bubbles (which, un-coincidentally, are a result of extremely complex quantum mechanical behavior) were gorgeous, and changed from every angle. The honey comb shape the bubbles made with the walls also added to the aesthetic and mathematical/intellectual appeal of the piece. Again, MIT's art managed to perfectly encapsulate its environment.

 Unfortunately closed off at night was this interesting floor design. With vibrant colors in bold geometric configuration, this walkway was visually incredible. We only managed to catch a glimpse of it from a small angle, but even from this view we could tell that this piece was a truly special part of the campus, and it really stood out against its relatively monotone surroundings.

This skull was a clever use of the cracked marble floors in MIT's main building. Although it is more quirky than artistic, it is nonetheless an interesting addition to the campus.

This sculptural display of three pieces, collectively called Three-Piece Reclining Figure, Draped is a bizarre and interesting piece. I personally didn't find it aesthetically attractive, but I nevertheless found it interesting to decipher the artist's message. The far right statue seemed the most anthropomorphic, but I can't be sure that this was intended. I found it hard to form an aesthetic opinion on this piece, but I thought that it succeeded in engaging the viewer's attention, so made a good addition to the campus' collection.

 The geometric compilation below acted as a good recognition of MIT's connection to mathematics. It was nice to see something simple and concrete (not in the material sense) to contrast the many more abstract pieces on campus. I think this collection capitalizes on its simplicity. The piece is neither visually nor conceptually confusing, but it still manages to capture the intellectual atmosphere of MIT. It worked particularly well across from its polar opposite, the odd three-sculpture piece pictured above.

 Elmo was another one of the stranger pieces at MIT. I struggled to find any recognizable form. It appears to merge elements of plant and animal forms, but is still something entirely on its own. I think that this makes it a unique sculpture because it merges various elements of nature and society, which is only reinforced by its metallic composition but garden environment.

This untitled piece clearly is suggestive of ice, both in color and form. Its  merging of layers give it the illusion of depth, and almost appear to lead to a cave or passageway. This sort of fantastical element gave the simple sculpture an air of mystery. I thought this piece was interesting from both a mental and visual perspective. Also, (this is pure conjecture), the hole could be a political message about the growing danger of global warming which threatens to melt polar ice and deteriorate the ice habitats and environment.

The Pegasus-like sculpture  below was another visually attractive piece. I thought that the lines and curves seemed to be somewhat erratic, and gave the sculpture a feeling of movement or stress. It is hard to make out exactly what the sculpture is depicting at first glance, but I think that this challenge to the observer is worthwhile to see the subtle complexities of the sculpture.

Angola was among my least favorite pieces at MIT. Unlike many of the other works, Angola didn't seem to have much visual appeal. Also, despite its irregular shape, the sculpture didn't seem to be nearly as unique or intricate as its counterparts. I didn't feel as though this piece added much to the campus environment, either through its character or attractiveness; it was a bit of a disappointment.

TV Man or Five Piece Cube With a Hole was one of the more unique pieces on all of MIT's campus. Not only did it incorporate the geometrical, mathematical aspect typical of MIT's academic community, but it was also aesthetically unique and engaged the imagination. First of all, it poses an interesting yet difficult problem to figure out if and how the 5 pieces of the cube fit together. What's more, though, is that it can be a fun interactive piece. By depicting a blank television screen, viewers may feel free to use their imaginations and nostalgically play like children pretending to be on TV (see below). Also, this makes the artwork's appearance and meaning subjective, which adds a layer of depth and perspective which make the piece even more interesting.

 This large sculpture is centrally located on MIT's campus. I didn't personally find the work either spectacular or poor. I think it is attractive enough, yet somewhat simple and unimagined, especially considering many of the other artworks on campus. It is nice to see art on campus, and it provides at least some visual attraction away from a bare courtyard, so serves its purpose. Still, the sculpture is somewhat underwhelming.

We passed by this work-in-progress, and although its meaning was unclear to us, it was the use of vivid color and dripping paint was visually stunning and made an attractive display.

House was another example of abstract art at MIT. This was a visually appealing piece. It added an interesting addition to the area. It was somewhat unclear to me how exactly this represented a house, but regardless of its namesake, House was more notable for its use of geometry. The creative use of various shapes and forms which make up the supposed house is quite unique, and the piece makes an excellent addition to MIT's impressive art collection.