Monet's Water Lilies at MoMA

At MoMA recently we went from New Photography 2009, an exhibition of work by six young photographers, to Monet's Water Lilies, an entire room devoted to the impressionist's paintings of flowers floating on ponds. On the surface, these displays bear little relation to one another: 21st century, 19th century; photos that rely on computers and other digital equipment, paintings that rely on more organic materials; etc., etc.



But they actually have a very important fact in common: each photo and painting depicts some artificial thing, something created by the artist with the sole purpose of being turned into art. In their studios, the six photographers manipulate images or create tableaux that are likely taken down once the shoot is finished. Monet too built the Japanese ponds on his property in order to paint them. Sure, they might be beautiful, they might merit hours of quiet contemplation, but they existed primarily for Monet to capture in oil and watercolor (they continue to serve an economic function, as tourist destination). Nothing like MoMA to remind us that art is always artifice.