It May Be Hard to Distinguish What is Supposed to Be, And That’s Just Fine

“As I walked into the Miró: The Experience of Seeing at Seattle Art Museum, I noticed first off the gorgeous use of color in the artwork itself. A greeting piece that demands attention, Miró’s ‘Woman, Bird and Star’ is the essence of larger-than-life colors. The second thing I noticed was not the other art pieces, but the bright, crimson wall that stands out from its white peers. There are several atmospheric touches like this throughout the exhibition, including quotes by Miró that are printed onto the walls, as well as a room that is completely painted black. Continuing on the topic of the atmospheric setup, the lighting is absolutely spectacular. As pertaining to the sculptures, the lighting is such that you can see shadows, which creates incredible depth and a more natural viewing perspective. Almost unnoticeable, the lights trained on the paintings are centered so that the outer corners of the walls are darker than the focal point.”
- Hattie S.

“One of the most fascinating parts of this exhibition is the use of color in the works. Miró's sculptures are cast from bronze and have a mystifying tint to them: a combination of blue, green, white, black, and tan. His paintings are dramatically different, consisting of vibrant blues, reds, and yellows, outlined in pure black lines. The two divergent value themes serve to play off of each other, creating a sense of harmony and balance.”
- Georgia G.

“One of Miró’s paintings, ‘Femmes, oiseau dans la nuit (women and bird in the night),’ particularly intrigued me. It shows a dark brown cliff-looking object outlined with a thin, black line and a stick figure with arms, but no head. One arm is outstretched toward a black figure that looks like it’s supposed to represent a raven upon a branch. There’s a line stretching from this figure’s outstretched arm to the beginning of the cliff that is colored in red and black. I believe this figure to represent a woman, with the red and black underneath her arm to be showing her movement toward the raven. The raven stands on what appears to be a branch and underneath a crescent-shaped, light blue object most likely representing the moon. It was a painting that I could find something in.”
- Leigha R.

“In many of Miró’s paintings one can find an eye or two. This theme can be seen in paintings like ‘Femmes VI,’ ‘Spanish Woman,’ and ‘Woman, Figure, Bird.’ ‘Woman, Figure, Bird’ attaches itself to you the second it is seen. The deep, red eye — like an almond — creates eye-contact with the viewer and demands attention. This eye comes to life before your eyes.

Seattle Art Museum did the exhibition justice by titling it The Experience of Seeing. Miró’s overwhelming use of the eye reminds the viewer that observing and perceiving is pivotal to enjoying art and really taking it in.”
- April P.

“The paintings’ bright colors and thick black lines convey Miró’s boldness to create innovative and different art. In many of his paintings, he used basic shapes as the foundation to form lines and new shapes. The vibrant colors pop out against the light backgrounds of the canvas and the museum’s white walls, making the eye go to the paintings. Miró plainly experimented with different styles — some paintings cheerful, others dark and gloomy, some busy, others simple, some sharp, others hazy. His works aim to evoke a mood, rather than clearly portray a scene. “
- Linda G.

“When looking at such a painting as ‘Jeune Fille’ (1967), it may be hard to distinguish what is supposed to be a young girl. Greatly influenced by surrealist works before him, it seems that Miró let whatever image he claims to be drawing distort and twist in his mind, or, like with ‘Femme Oiseau,’ let the two pictures glitch and rearrange in a place too small for both . The result are these simplified yet recognizable works of art. As for his sculptures, it seems Miró attempted to recreate his minimalistic painting to a 3-D form but forgot that he sadly had to fill in what used to be empty space by actual matter. The result are these symbolist clumps of clay that contain casts of what could only have been real objects. What he had in his variation of color for his paintings, he replaced with texture for his sculptures.”
- Leo S.

“Miró catches the eye with more abstract expression through patinated bronze and lost-wax casting. These rustic, texturized sculptures bring his paintings to 3-D without the bright colors. They, too, are simple in form but suggest much more. The figures seem to speak from their isolated pedestals in the white rooms. ‘Figure’ (1981) easily prompts a smile of understanding as it resembles a small, disproportionate human figure. It has arms sculpted as if to wave hello. Other familiar shapes to connect to real life include hands, eyes, and even a horn in ‘Tete de Taureau (Bullshead)’ (1970) which abstractly represents the wild animal. These sculptures bring out fantastical imagination and excitement as they move throughout the rooms, bringing their fellow paintings to life.”
- Vivika S.

“At first glance, you’ll probably think, ‘What on earth is this supposed to mean?!’ but what I like about Miró’s art is that he allows the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions. While modern art is not my preference, Miró’s way of distorting our idea of beauty and nature attracted me. ... For a modern art lover, whether it is the valiant colors or abstract shapes, this exhibit will draw you in. However, Miró’s creations might not appeal to somebody who takes art only at surface level; to truly understand them, one must be willing to dig deep beneath the exterior.”
- Pippa M.

Miro: The Experience of Seeing
Seattle Art Museum
February 13 - May 26