The unexpected beauty of art
On releasing control
I saw this installation at the MOMA when I was in New York last October.
It made me tear up. The seashells and yellow and orange color scheme reminded me of my Nana and Papa’s house on top of that hill in Laguna Beach. They passed away at the beginning of 2023 and the house was sold a few months later, but I think of that place often. The way it was a safe haven. The way it was filled up with the sweet aura of two people who loved me so wholly.
When I saw the shrine, I remembered the shell wallpaper in the guest bathroom and the view of the ocean and the burnt orange pillows on the couch where I was held in the arms of love so many times.
That’s the thing about art.
Sometimes the work strikes a chord with people that we never could have known or dreamt up. The artist doesn’t know about my Nana and Papa’s lemon tree. But she knows about love and grief and beauty.
I am reminded to release control of other people’s perception of my artistic expression. Sure, maybe for some, my writing will fall flat or miss the mark. But for others, it might touch on something so deeply personal that makes them feel less alone in their humanity. That’s the beauty of art, that the force of its power is far greater than anything we can consciously control.
Love and loss and beauty.
We are all connected by the finite nature of our existence. Our task in this life is to express our love and our awe and even our pain in whatever way resonates with us individually — in the food we cook, in the conversations we have, in the words we write and the intentions we set, without any expectation of other people’s perception.
That’s their journey.
The cherry on top is that are expressions of love will, at some point, inevitably harmonize.
P.S. If you know the name of this artist, please let me know in the comments! I tried to look it up on MOMA’s website but couldn’t find this particular installation.
Edit: One of my readers found the installation on the MOMA website! The artist is Ja'Tovia Gary and the piece is titled THE GIVERNY SUITE 2019. Thanks Katie!
You probably already found the artist of this piece but I think it’s by Ja'Tovia Gary. I had never seen work by this artist and immediately started searching to find out more! Thank you for sharing her work!