Art & Authenticy

As I looked through the Looking at Music exhibition in the MOMA, what struck me the most was the large sign that listed out a lot of phrases in alphabetical order. I thought this was very interesting to read all of them. Even though I’m not sure what the significance  of it was in the exhibition, I thought the phrases were very strong. I was also watching The Game, At first it seemed to never end and that I didn’ t know what the purpose of the game was or what kind of game it was. By the end of the video, I realized that they were trying to get two stones on each side of the board in the middle. However, I think they were making a rhythm throughout the video with the pebbles as each of the players seemed to move in a pattern. However, there were hesitations here and there, I guess to for the player to think about the which pieces to move to “win” the game. that threw off the rhythm.

This exhibit truly encompasses the importance and worth of music as a weapon. In the 1980’s and 1970’s the mixture of punk and rock music was used a s a tool for awakening and inspiring the young artists. The inspiration drawn from the music affected the artists to produce extraordinary works of art that reflected their personal beliefs, political views and social problems or issues of the 70’s and the 80’s.

One artwork that I found immensely fascinating was the Blonde/Red Dress/Kitchen from the series Interior, 1978 by Laurie Simmons. In this picture Simmons criticizes the typical American concept of domesticity in the 70’s and the 80’s. Her picture depicts a brightly colored, vibrant and warm kitchen with a single woman standing beside the kitchen table. In spite of the vibrancy or the warmth of the area the picture reflects the feelings of loneliness. The female working in the kitchen is alienated from the outside world. She is shackled by the norms and expectations of the society (the common viewpoint of seeing woman as a homemaker) and so is unable to experience the wide array of experiences in the outside world.

Ramones, originally from Queens, NY, is one of the most renowned bands of all time. When I saw their song, “Beat on the Brat” at the exhibition, I thought it was going to be one of the best tracks I’ll have ever listen to. I was right. With their three chords, a guitar, bass, and drums, Beat on the Brat was another song I knew I had to buy from iTunes later that night. The lyrics were so “authentic”, though unfortunately repetitive. It’s a song you can just sit back in a lounge chair and play a video game to. It’s liveliness is what makes it a Ramones song, as the Ramones are what revolutionized arenas into clubs and lounges. Now, you’ve all seen my dance skills and know they’re nothing special, but I may just be able to bust a new move or two to this song. Check out their video on youtube here.

Looking at Music- MOMA

Rating: 4.5 stars

Reasons:

I went to the MOMA and BAM, photographs of legendary musicians of the 60’s were surrounding me. I love the up close and personal aspect of this exhibit as the viewers are able to see their favorite artists in various points of view. From all of the work, I only recognize The Beatles, David Bowie, and Yoko Ono; the rest of the artists were unknown to me. And the only reason why I know who Davis Bowie is because his name and face were featured in the HBO show, Flight of the Conchord Season 2.

The Beatles and Yoko Ono, however, I grew up with. My dad would play The Beatles in the morning in place for the sound of an alarm clock. And if you know The Beatles (specifically John Lennon), then you definitely know Yoko Ono. For many hardcore Beatle fans, Yoko Ono is not known for her art, but for “breaking up the band.” However, my point of view is: let the woman and the man be in love!

On a brighter note, listen to The Ballad of John and Yoko if you have no idea who they are.

The Beatles

Me If I Actually Saw The Beatles

While I dreaded having to go to the museum, I still enjoyed this trip greatly, 1) i have always wanted to go to the MoMA and 2) I am a child of rock and roll (I LOVE The Beatles). This was one of my favorite cultural events because of its content and mixed media –like posters, intimate photographs, album covers, magazine spreads, videos, and music. While it’s a bit chaotic and overwhelming when you first walk in, it does not take away from the whole experience.  The selection of artists showcased there was phenomenal, it ranged from Patti Smith to The Ramones.  It was also refreshing to see people from all walks of life looking at the exhibit; music really is universal. The only downside of the exhibit was that it didn’t last longer.

     Music has evolved over time into arguably the center of our culture today. You can’t go anywhere without hearing music in its most predominant form, a song, or a rare form, just someone tapping a rhythm with there feet. The seventies embody huge change in mainstream and underground music.

     This I knew before this exhibit and I must say I found it very interesting but not all too informative. I have a decent knowledge of music but I felt that there was no catch or spark here. It was nice picking out pictures of bands I knew and able to listen to older music, but none of this made this exhibit different.

    All in all it wasn’t an unpleasant experience, but it isn’t something I will remember forever also.  I just didn’t feel that it was anything special, or worth going to see for the sole purpose of seeing it.

I thought the first thing I could do is comment on the name of the exhibit.

I found it thematically relevant that this exhibit was called “Looking at Music: Side B.”  Traditionally, “Side B” is the other side of a Vinyl record, which usually acts like a double feature to the main song.  This exhibit shows counter-cultural music of the 70s-80s which can be seen as a metaphorical “Side B” to all the popular songs of the era.

Continue Reading »

During my visit to the “Looking at Music: MOMA” exhibition, I was exposed to “hippies’ music” that I have never really listened to or learned about. Because of my culture and time of birth, I never had a chance to listen to the music in the 1970s and 1980s and therefore never was interested in it. This kind of music was unknown and fresh for me. The only exposure I had is the current attempts to go “retro.” During this decade, young artists who are almost like rebels experimented with different instruments, beats, techniques, etc. I really liked the wall almost at the end of the exhibition that was comprised of photographs of different artists such as John Lennon and Elvis Presley.

It was pop-art all over again. It was rebellious and rude but still glamorous at the same time. Even though it felt more like a CD store than an exhibition, I was still enthralled when I first walked in. My favorite audio piece would have to be the vinyl disc Richard Hell & the Voidoids. I can honestly say that I don’t know why I like it. I just do.

My favorite photograph was Untitled (1980) by Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman. It describes punk rock perfectly because of the androgynous quality of the subject (a girl with short hair). In punk rock, girls can sing coarse vocals and guys can leave their hair long (unless we’re talking about skinheads). Gender doesn’t matter anymore.

The display of magazine covers was also quite impressive; it had the icons of the 70s and the 80s (Sonic Youth and the Ramones). I just wished that the exhibit was bigger.

To look at music is to look at how it has evolved over the span of decades. Music is an element in our mainstream culture that has been evolving through several centuries in the U.S. The biggest change, however, was witnessed during the 1970s and was well chronicled by Looking At Music Side: 2. From the moment you walk into the exhibit, the large, yellow mural with those words “Looking at Music: Side 2” creates a bold and significant impression on the exhibit in general. The font they used is also cleverly designed–as if scribbling the words “Looking At Music: Side 2” is in a sense, implying that music is still a work-in-progress and will continue to evolve as time goes on. Patti Smith’s collection of her self-portrait and her early works is a reflection of these “changing times”. I am also particularly glad that she came into the punk-rock genre because of how intriguing this genre of music has become. The fast paced melody, tempo and electric guitar rhythms is just like musical paradise and to get a first hand feel of how it came to existence is sensational. Another breathtaking aspect of the exhibit was the collage on the wall. By blending in the myriad of photos into a whole symbolizes how music in America is very diverse, culturally influenced and yet, it is very broad in general.