The Art of A Doll

Art is New York. Every nook and cranny has a piece of art that represents the people. Manhattan, for example, has buildings, statues, paintings, and murals scattered all over the area. When I was a child, I loved Manhattan, especially Grand Central. I used to get exited whenever my mother even hinted at Manhattan. I could stare at the city in awe and never tire because the art was just that amazing.

In high school, my favorite subject was art. The museums that I went to were the best moments in high school. I remember going to the MoMa [Museum of Modern Art]. I was captivated by the unique style that other traditional Artist did not have. One of the pieces that I stumbled upon was called the “Untitled (Bébé Marie)”. It was one of my favorites because of its eerie appearance. The artist, Joseph Cornell, placed a doll inside a box, with withered flowers and twigs on each side of the doll.

But why was I so captivated? It was a doll inside a box- nothing special. The answer perhaps was deeper. Joseph Cornell was known as an artist who had a great fascination for beautiful artifacts that were thrown and forgotten over time (Cornell). Usually, people connect dolls with infancy. When I saw the doll I felt a strange detachment. The box put a wall between the toy and I.  The withered flowers and the color scheme served as an amplifier to the already existing detachment.

The problem is that people usually forget their favorite toys as they get older. They throw them into a box, let them wither and rust and discard them after they find them a few years later in the same corner of the closet where they last placed them.

Art is a wonderful way of communicating with the community. New York connects different styles of art and brings it to its people. I will never forget the day I saw Joseph Cornell’s art work. I started appreciating art on a whole new level. Every time I go to a museum, I find new art styles, new designs. They are rare, lovely, and unique and it’s all part of New York.  

• "Cornell, Joseph." WebMuseum:. Nicolas Pioch, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/cornell/>.
• Untitle (dBébé Marie). Museum of Modern Art:. 682.1980. Museum of Modern Art. 2014. Web.  Feb 2014. <http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=81784>.