Museum of Modern Art, NYC

So. I will say right up front that I am not a fan of modern art. In fact, I’m not a very artsy person in general. I can appreciate art, but I have a very traditional definition of what constitutes art. Basically, if it’s something that I can recreate with minimal effort, I don’t consider it art because I don’t consider myself an artist.

I will admit it. I am an art bigot.

My son, on the other hand, loves modern art. He spent most of his teenage years doodling the strangest things – people with three eyeballs, an octopus with a clock for its face, people who have robotic claws instead of hands, etc. I don’t get it.

So it was kind of a big deal when I offered to take him to New York City for his birthday and tour the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Because I knew there would be pain for me. Financial and visual.

I was not entirely wrong. Certainly, New York is one of the most expensive places I’ve ever been. And certainly, there was some “art” that made me cringe. For example, Louise Bourgeois’ Fillette. Google it if you dare.

But I was pleasantly surprised to find some things that I genuinely liked. For example, Marcel Odenbach’s You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees:

You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees plays on a common expression and is a plea to not only see this particular forest as a forest but also take into account its context: the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz–Birkenau, was named after the many birch trees surrounding the complex.

I also thought this chandelier by Ingo Maurer called Porca Miseria was pretty cool.

It is made of flatware and broken plates, bowls, mugs. I think it would look awesome in an eat-in kitchen.

And in the strange-but-kinda-cute category, we have the Heart to Heart Chain and Billy B Old English Padlock by Matthias Megyeri:

Plus, I was also impressed with how the museum itself seemed like a work of art at times:

But, to be fair, there was quite a lot of weirdness. Like this Bubbles Chaise Longue by Frank Gehry.

(It’s cardboard.) And there was also Dan Flavin’s Monument.

All in all, it wasn’t a place that I would visit a lot, but I am glad that I went. It did help me broaden my definition of art and I found plenty that was interesting or evocative. If you’re into modern art, you should definitely plan to visit there.

The Museum of Modern Art is located at 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019. Telephone 212-708-9400. Museum hours vary by day. Check their website or call for hours when planning your visit.