The artwork above is titled “911”. The artist Jack Whitten lived in Tribeca and was standing outside when the planes flew overhead, and he watched the buildings get hit and the chaos that ensued. He stopped making art and for the next five years he worked exclusively on this object that involves thousands of tiles and embodies the feeling and the experience of being on site in the midst of 911.

This past weekend, I went to see the Jack Whitten exhibition at MOMA titled “The Messenger” and had one of those rare experiences where you feel like you have been changed as a result of what you’ve witnessed. This is what great art can do. Truth be told, I was not a student of Jack’s work. I recognized it but didn’t really know the arc and depth of it. But, seeing his lifelong commitment to his art practice and getting a chance to better understand where he came from, the arc and evolution of his practice, the exploration of materials and the importance of having an underlying message, I walked away feeling different about what art does for us.

This probably happens to me a couple times a year, whether it’s an amazing concert, theatrical experience or art exhibition. Something about that moment resonates in a way in which my entire sensory system seems to calm down; it’s meditative.

Take a look at the links here if you’re not able to get to the New York area to see the exhibition. If you are able to get there, do not miss it.