latimes.com

March 10, 2005

CALIFORNIA CLASSROOM

Abstract art is usually in the eye of the beholder

Look carefully at the lines and shapes in this painting. What do they remind
you of?

Not even people who study art agree. Are they a person riding a horse or a
man kneeling next to a bride? What do you see here?

The artist, Arshile Gorky, often drew and painted shapes that were puzzling.
They had special meaning to him, but he thought people should come up with
their own ideas when they looked at his paintings.

When this painting is viewed up close, you can see the drips and slashes
Gorky made by painting quickly. You can also see areas where he painted over
something he’d already drawn.

Although the painting might look spontaneous and wild, Gorky actually made
many drawings of it. He even painted out and drew over layers of paint on
this version, changing things as he went along.

An incredibly strong man, Gorky made some of his paintings so heavy with
thick layers of paint that only he could move them.

Gorky was born in Armenia and moved to the United States as a young man. His
birth name was Vostanig Adoian, but he changed his name, using Russian
words. Arshile is the name for the Greek warrior Achilles, and Gorky means
“bitter.” What might this tell you about how he saw himself?

On April 3, kids ages 5 and older and their families can see this and other
paintings in “Into the Unknown: Abstraction From the Collection at MOCA, the
Museum of Contemporary Art.” For more information, call (213) 621-1712 or
visit .

This Learning Link was provided by the Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S.
Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012.