A Day in PAMM

The Perez Miami Art Museum or PAMM is a museum full of magnificent paintings and alluring exhibitions. As stated on their website, the Pérez Art Museum "is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th century and 21st century." Since the museum holds painting from the various artist, I was exposed to many creators, some from the United States and others from different countries like Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom and so on. During my visit, I noticed that some paintings were enormous compared to others. One painting that caught my attention was "Island (see-escape)," the painting was made in 2010 by the Cuban native Yoan Capote. The work of art consists of oil paints, nails, and fishhooks all mounted on plywood, to display a picture of the waves of the sea crashing slightly with one another. The painting is divided into four panels and together they measure around 300 x 900 centimeters. The theme of the painting consists of the saying "the calm before the storm" because when looking at the sky, one can feel relaxed and calm, but when taking a step back to admire the sea, it becomes overpowering and gives a sense of a monstrosity. The colors of the artwork consist of a mixture of light and shadow. The combination of blues and blacks creates the effect of the deep sea; On the other hand, a combination of light yellow, light orange, and baby blue gives the effect of the sun setting. When I look at the part of the sea, I notice that on top of the oil paints it had fishhooks, which gives it a rough and pointy texture. The only important design in the painting are the waves crashing with one another. The primary artistic intent of the work was to show the power and aggression of the sea.

A special exhibition that the museum is holding is called "The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art." In this exhibition, I came across very fascinating illustrations, one that caught my attention was a work of art that consists of three paintings, but of the three, the one stood out the post to me was "Parallel" by George Afedzi Hughes. The painting was made in 2009 and measures around 70 x 130 inches. The image is made of a combination of acrylics, oils, and enamels, all together on a canvas. The work of art represents a soccer shoe with a gun right under it. The theme that the artist wanted to give with this series of images was to remind the people of how materialistic the sport can be and how it involves a lot of money and violence. This image also contains a series of dark and bright colors. The dark greens and browns that give it a feeling of suspense, while the white gives a sense of focus towards the middle of the image. Since the image is made with acrylic and oil paints, the texture is very soft and smooth. The two main designs are the soccer cleats and the weapon that is position right under the shoe, almost as if they are the same thing. The main artistic intention of the work was to see beyond what sport really is. The figure of the weapon can be interpreted as the war that is generated by passion, economic state and commercial problems that surround sports in general.

Another artistic work that impressed me was "Common History: Dance" by Michael Craig-Martin. This was made in 1999 and is made of acrylics on canvas. On the description of the painting, it states that "Michael Craig-Martin is recognized for painting objects from everyday life in colorful, graphics, and puzzling composition." The "Common History: Dance" is a vivid painting that explodes with colors such as pink, green, purple, red, and blue, making it is hard not to see it. The painting measures approximately 214 x 180 centimeters. In this illustration, Martin gives a little bit of life and happiness to simple things like a cup of water. The blend of the vibrant colors gives a pleasant and excited look to the people observing it. To me, the image may not have a defined theme but it could represent the simple life of a human being, for example, despite the limitations that someone may be living they still have the ability to find beauty and joy to his or her situation. The important forms in the painting are a cup of what appears to be a lemonade, a "hand" of bananas, a piano and a shoe that seems to be worn by a woman. The main artistic intention of the work was to give birth to a new idea that our everyday objects, although they look boring and simple, are completely full of life and joy.

In general, the Pérez Art Museum is home to many of the incredible paintings and sculptures made between the 20th century and the 21st century. Among these paintings and sculptures, the museum also has many artistic media such as digital and cinematographic photography, mosaic and even watercolor. Paintings that vary in size and shape, come together to give this incredible place a sense of welcome and warmth. The Pérez Art Museum has a special place in the hearts of the people of Miami because it shows the culture of this county. Being a city predominantly influenced by the Latino culture, the Pérez Art Museum welcomes all non-natives of Miami to the way of life that it possesses.