When I was in high school we used to take a yearly trip to DC to see the Smithsonians and monuments. The first time I went to the Hirshhorn, my first impression was that it was full of pieces that existed solely to push the "what is art" envelope. Each piece seemed like it was trying to top the others in trying to be more unconventional. Room after room I rolled my eyes at what I thought were snarky and pretentious pieces of art until in one room I saw Ellsworth Kelly's "Red Yellow Blue V." At first glance I thought it was a full size diagonal wall, painted in stripes of red, yellow, and blue. As I walked closer though, I saw it was actually a canvas.

When I first saw the painting, I had a strong negative reaction to it. I found it to have a mocking tone, no aesthetic or technical value, and I was bored with all the "avant-garde" pieces in the museum. Seeing this painting again this weekend was strange. I liked it much better this time around. It seems somehow, more good-natured now. Whereas at first, I assumed the piece was meant to push boundaries, I can now see that it is a legitimate expression of the artist's aesthetic. Although I don't believe "Red Yellow Blue V" is the end-all-be-all of modern art, I appreciate its point of view and I can even manage to glean some aesthetic value from its giant color-blocked surface now.