Critical Thinking
MoMA PS1: What was the purpose of my visit?

Ambling along Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, I attempt to locate the site that would be the material for my next assignment. Easily enough I was able to come across what would lead me directly to it- 5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin’ standing out in its kaleidoscopic mastery of aerosol art. The outdoor exhibit is an old warehouse that features the works of world famous graffiti artists and allows for quite the contrast to the museum that is located on the opposite side of the street: MoMA PS1. Founded in 1971 as an art and urban resource institute, PS1 serves as the leading contemporary art center in New York and since 2000, became an affiliation with the Museum of Modern Art.
Sizeable alabaster walls and open space directed attention to the fresh, contemporary artistry that hung on the walls of the former classrooms of PS1. With the echo of every creaky step, I slowly browsed the exhibition of Henry Taylor, open-mindedly losing myself in his alluring pieces and for the sake of this paper, desperately trying to grasp a sense of his style and meaning. Comprised mostly of portraits, his exhibition majorly demonstrates an influence by his immediate surroundings and according to his MoMA PS1 profile: Taylor presents himself to the world of art “offering a refreshing, idiosyncratic perspective on culture and politics using everyone and everything around him as source material”. His work could be described as more formal with a twist: his darker pallet and unique shapes come to life in the intriguing representations of his environment.
Especially demanding my deliberation and thought was one such piece that stood out with its own peculiar uniqueness, pulling me in for a closer observance: My Brother Randy 2008. The painting features the portrait of a middle-aged, African American man sitting attentively, his back against a large tan sofa. With a nest of matted coils of long brown hair perched messily on top of his head he glares intently at you: the sclera of his large piercing eyes contrasting against the muddiness of his face. Dark, bushy eyebrows fixed in thought, I would imagine he has gotten some incredible stories to tell: a sermon about the supremacy of Selassie; or the tragedy of his lifelong pet dog and is perhaps delineating them as he is being frozen on a 31’ x 35’ canvas in bold acrylic strokes. I find myself inescapably glaring back into his brown eyes, softening to his rough, flat image and from the very nature of his portrayal: sensing an intimacy between subject and painter. Inscribed in Verso are the words:
My hero brotha Robert Randy Taylor (my brother) April 8, 2008 Henry Taylor Randy I love you.

Further supporting the familiarity and affection depicted in the painting, the inscription indicates the nature of their relationship; with subject and style combining in an appealing semblance.
A second painting featured in Henry Taylor’s exhibition is: Resting 2011. It illustrates an African American couple perched on their living room sofa in a reposed manner; both their eyes directed towards the same thing: the artist I assume. On the right of the painting displays the male figure dressed casually in all black t-shirt and jeans: his arms slung lazily over the top edge of the sofa and his knees apart. He appears to be involved in a conversation with the person across from him. Sitting exactly beside him is the woman: closed legs and hands clasped on her thighs, the brilliant pink of her sweat shirt emerging from the pallet like the macaw’s feathers against a clear sky. Her face beams a more conservative expression, with closed lips and eyes that only wish to observe. On what they brace, demonstrates the perplexed figure of a sleeping man who somehow merges into the sofa, his head protruding from the woman’s right and facing away from the viewer; its illustration calling for a second glance. In the far distance of the painting’s background displays men dressed in blue uniform beside an oversized wall with “warning shots” inscribed on it. Taylor’s peculiarity of shape and form add a unique twist to this contemporary piece of acrylic on canvas.
Narrowing down on the purpose of my visit; the visual arts as well as other forms of art serve as instruments in the development of critical thinking skills which include the ability to use logic and reasoning in problem- solving. Critical thinking can be described as the mental process of actively analyzing, synthesizing and evaluation information to determine an answer and through the incredibly subjective nature of art we are able to challenge our minds: describing what we see and feel and offering explanations. With the contemporary designs of Henry Taylor, I was able to dive into some brainstorming activity, questioning myself on what his work brought to my mind: my very perceptions of his illustrations, and the sensations that came with it. The expressions of his characters tickled my imagination and his style made me assume the relationships he shared with his subjects.

Works Cited

Museum of Modern Art PS1. “Henry Taylor.” MoMA PS1. 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.
Taylor, Henry. Resting. 2011. MoMA PS1, Long Island City NY.
Taylor, Henry. My Brother Randy. 2008. MoMA PS1, Long Island City NY.