Riverside Art Museum Analysis

The Riverside Art Museum was built in 1929, and was originally used as a YWCA center. The architect of the building located in downtown Riverside, Julia Morgan who was best known for her design of the Hearst Castle. The museum is used to hold functions, and is a monumental building in the heart of downtown Riverside. The art museum became an art center in the sixties, and became the Riverside Art Museum in 1967. The employee that helps visitors in the lobby is sure to tell everyone that enters the museum about its history and architecture, as well as informs visitors of the many art classes and exhibits present in the museum. The museum itself is two levels, featuring multiple different pieces of artwork, including sculptures by artist Lois

The first level is the primary (natural) level that is the most basic level of understanding. When viewers look at the Mike Nichols painting, Of Birds and Fish 3, he or she will only see what is in the painting. In the painting, a viewer will be able to see that there is a moon, a tent, birds, a man on a piece of paper, and banners. In Panofsky’s viewpoint of the primary level, a person has no cultural knowledge, and does not know the specifics of the paintings. The second level of the strata of meaning is the secondary (conventional) level, and allows a viewer to look at the painting with some cultural knowledge. Using the second level of meaning, viewers can tell that the painting is of some type circus, because of the tent and the colors used. Other things a viewer can see is that it is obviously taking place at night, and one thing a viewer at the museum can question the amount of birds at this event and why the painting is focused around them. In the second level of meaning, a viewer can question when the painting is set, as well as where the painting is set. From previous knowledge, viewers know this painting was created in 2015, but can determine that the painting reflects a period of time in the twentieth century. Using culturing knowledge, viewers can determine that the painting is set in the 1950s or 1960s when circuses and carnivals were really big events in the

Museums allow artists to interact with their audience, and allow people to appreciate the raw emotion in pieces of art. People look at art with multiple different with different points of view, and interpret art in their own way. The amount of cultural knowledge a person has, is very different between every person. Of Birds and Fish 3 is a painting that is a reminder of the past, as well as the present. The idea of a circus is seen in art and media is seen as dark and scary, while Mike Nichols paints it with a bit of darkness but also adds pops of color to convey lightness. Art is important to life, because it allows people to stimulate their imagination, and it allows people to express their