Walker Museum visit

Last week, our class made a visit to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. I'd never been there before, and it was nice to get out and take a look at all it had to offer. There were many interesting and thought-provoking pieces, but one that I found myself particularly interested in was Jasper Johns' Fool's House. Completed in 1962, the piece is a 72"x36" oil painting on canvas, with objects attached to it.

The broom in the center of the piece is what initially caught my attention; I did a double take when I realized it was a physical object rather than a painted element. I also noticed that there were other objects included in the piece: a towel, stretcher, and cup. Each object was labeled with handwritten text. I understood the meaning behind the piece to be a look into the everyday life of a "fool", likely the artist's reference to himself. Upon first glance, I felt that 'average' was a good way to describe it; the objects were quite basic, and the rest of the canvas was covered in loose, neutral-colored brush strokes, with the text "USE FOOL'S HO" stenciled across the top. I then noticed a stroke towards the bottom of the canvas that was done using the broom as a paint brush. This led me to view the piece in a different way, and question the artist's perception of the objects. I saw them as simple and ordinary items, but Johns might view them as functional tools.

I walked away from Fool's House with the idea of meaning in my head, and how such a simple piece can have such depth to it. As I said, I found it intriguing yet average when I took my first look, but an element as minimal as the broom/brush stroke put me at a different angle.