Unexpectedly encountered "The Village and I" (and more) at MoMA

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Fangirling, if you describe me when I saw Marc Chagall's The Village and I at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on my second week in New York City. I went to MoMA to see Van Gogh's Starry Night, which is the Museum's star masterpiece if I must rate it according to the flock of tourists at a time fighting for a spot to take a photo with it and the existing articles on it in the web each time MoMA is mentioned.

But Lo and behold, I saw a masterpiece that never left me from the time I learned about it in our Humanities Class in college. I thought I have to go to a Jewish museum before I can see this piece. Modern art sometimes does not hold one's breath because it lacks the mystery and the depth of chiaroscuro. One example is this piece. It is colorful, has geometry in it which suggests that the piece must be logical but it is not logical given how the objects are drawn which shows that it is dreamy and tells a story.

When I read one e.e. cummings poem, I thought of this particular Chagall. I  know I am to make a blog about this piece but it took me only today to do it. Of course, scribbled a poem about this experience which I am constrained not to share yet as it is part of a work in progress. Maybe, this is an apt day to do it as I have to start 2023 with something inspiring and sustaining. 

The Village and I is actually not a happy piece as its vivid colors may suggest. It is a longing of Chagall who left his Village where he has animals, neighbors and home. The green man is him and he is looking at his past, his childhood, his home because he was away from home. Anyone divested from his hometown knows the twin joy of being away and the sorrow of remembrances of one's own village.

Chagall's "The Village and I" has been interpreted or explained in many ways. I want to think of it as my personal visual poetry of sorts. I am making it as my theme for my 2023 and beyond as I quest to explore possibilities and new dreams.


MoMA is really underrated because actually, it has a masterpiece of Picasso, a Klimt piece which I liked and can say you may skip Neue Gallery, a portrait of Frida kahlo as well as Giacomo Balla's Lampada - Studio de Luce which I find interesting to gaze at. I must say that I prefer MoMA than The Gugg (See previous blog on this). Of course, nothing beats The Met in my heart.



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