On the rainy day of April 30, Marral Guarino’s Modern Poetry class attended their annual field trip to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The class had been studying the connections between art and poetry prior to the trip; therefore, they were well prepared and had no trouble making connections and understanding the deeper meanings of each of the artworks.  

The day started off with a 25-minute bus ride to Pasadena where the students were allowed to take pictures in front of the museum with multiple figure sculptures. They were then greeted by their tour guide, Nicholas, who started off by exhibiting more ancient art and made his way through the museum to more recent and modern art.

The first two paintings were of the ancient Greeks. Senior Alen Zohrabyan was quick to notice the different medias and colors that were used in each painting. “As a photographer and photo editor, I’ve developed a keen eye for color and composition,” Zohrabyan said. “The Norton Simon Museum really expanded my already diverse view of color and vibrance, causing me to further appreciate manual color grading and the importance of color throughout hundreds of years in art.”

A few days before the trip, Guarino had the class analyze and discuss a few paintings in class, which were also displayed in the Norton Simon Museum, and were also brought up during the tour. Such artworks included The Ragpicker and and an extremely tall sculpture by Albert Giacometti called Tall Figure IV.

The remaining displays that the students examined included The Pont des Arts, a stunning oil painting of the industrial era in Paris which was created by the French artist, Renoir; Woman with a Book by Picasso; and Women Ironing by Degas. While examining these works, the students noticed a pattern in the order of their tour. The guide had started them off with looking at more ancient and “wealthy” art and made a transition into industrial art, and then into the Great Depression, and finally, the working class and more modern lifestyles.

“As we analyzed from older works to more recent, there was a distinct progression in ideologies and themes conveyed in the artwork,” said senior Ani Babayan. “The whys and wheres of the artist changed, yet there was a very human element to all the pieces. It’s an almost humbling kind of observation, that even after centuries people are as complex as us.”  

After the tour came to an end, the museum staff commended the class for their attention to details, as well as their analytical skills. Afterwards, the students were released to enjoy lunch for about an hour in Old Town Pasadena. Senior Melody Nieves had a great time as she got to enjoy lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. “Honestly, it didn’t feel like a field trip at all,” Nieves said. “It felt more like a day to hangout with friends, eat some great food, and look at beautiful artwork.”