As I sit on the short, hard bench, my back hunched as a press my elbows into my knee caps, I stare ahead of me trying to grasp something. A big white canvas only marred with a child-like black and red scribble stares back at me. Unappreciative thoughts start to fly through my head,
” How did this get here? Couldn’t anyone have made this? Is this even art?”
I push those thoughts out of my head and stare harder at the canvas. Every lesson I write I encourage my students to think critically about artists and writers decisions. Everything is purposeful, so this piece must be too. My sculpture teachers voice floats into my head,
“Modern art is art and it is all created with intention, look past what seems easy to discover the why”
I take a deep breath and look again. I see anger, child-like impulse, I see yelling I hate you at your parents over something small when you really don’t mean it, I see unfiltered rage. I see the meaning of this piece as I interpret it.
I stand up and begin to walk away still tussling with these themes in my head, I smile because an artwork I almost didn’t give the time of day made me feel.
Art Teachers Do It For The Monet 
Inspirational reflection. Writing makes me feel vulnerable, but posting my art on a blog would make me feel naked. You go!
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Modern art is my favorite. When I was young, I didn’t get it, but studying literature, especially the imagist poets and postmodernism, has improved my understanding. No, not just anyone can create your red and black piece.
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I’m a little confused… Is this your art or a student’s?
Either way, I think it’s great that the art got a second chance in your mind. Your description struck a big chord with me as I go through that situation a lot… And I can definitely see that artwork being his emotions on canvas.
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It’s a piece from the philly museum of art
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Ah, got it.
I’m not an art person, so modern art does often make me scratch my head. But I still do agree that it does match the emotions of my son sometimes.
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That’s understandable, modern art takes time to decipher but a lot of time we don’t take that time in schools to learn about it
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Interesting piece of art! It would have challenged me as well. The more I learn about modern art and its contexts, the more I appreciate it. Reading your words first and then seeing the art made it a much more powerful visual experience for me.
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I love looking at art, but I don’t know much about it. Your piece gave me a new way of seeing. I love the line, “I smile because an artwork I almost didn’t give the time of day made me feel.”
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I’m so excited to learn how writing and art intertwine, intersect, and inhabit the same creative space.
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