The Politics of Art & Authenticity

I visited the Museum of Natural History on September 25 and I went through most of the museum, exploring different peoples and time periods and I covered the vast majority of exhibits in the museum. I love this museum so much because it is so comprehensive – it is enormous and displays every part of history, from the beginning of the world to the current day, without missing a single detail. I focused on human exhibits rather than the biological and ecological rooms, as I find the human groups most interesting. It is fascinating to walk through those and see how other people lived, whether it was in the Hall of Human Origins, the African Peoples, the Asian Peoples, etc. I couldn’t help but think what I would have done if I was born into one of those ancient time periods…. would I still be the same person I am now? As I was going through the exhibits, I was taking all of the displays into consideration. How in the early men were so primitive and undeveloped, how the Northwest Indians had such elaborately decorated clothing, and how religion was so pertinent to Asian culture. I tried to imagine myself living in each of these time periods. What I would be doing if I were in one of the exhibits. It was really interesting and mind-boggling. I’m happy I live now, in the twenty first century, and I get to watch models of other people in the exhibits instead of living on the other side of the glass.

I saw many exhibits that I thoroughly enjoyed, but my favorite exhibit is the infamous canoe that you first see when you come in through the 77th Street Entrance. I like this so much because in the novel Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield hangs out at the museum and loves this canoe.

I took a few pictures of my day at the museum, and this is by far the prettiest one I took. This is a precious tiara from the rocks and minerals exhibit, where there are all kinds of rocks, gems, diamonds, minerals, etc. I was considering stealing it =).

On September 23rd, I took a trip to the American Museum of Folk Art. I was not expecting to see any pieces of real art, but i learned that some of the best artists out there are the regular folk among us.

One piece of art in specific that amazed me was the Button Tree. Gregory Warmack suffered a tremendous injury and was in a coma on his death bed. He somehow made a miraculous recovery and used it as his inspiration to create the button tree. He took a tree that was uprooted for urban renewal and gave it a second life as a work of art, reflecting his own renewed life.

This is tremendously inspirational to me. His near death experience reminded Warmack about the value and importance of life. And this Button Tree reminds me of the same message- we gotta live like were dying, because one day, we really will be.

When people hear the word graffiti they usually cringe or look down upon the practice.  They think graffiti is done by rebellious teens who want to damage other peoples’s property.  But this is not the case.  Graffiti is a type of art and  few weeks ago I went to 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, located in Long Island City, New York, where I saw graffiti being utilized to the fullest of its potential.

This old 200,000 square foot factory building has been called the “graffiti Mecca” by many artists, and it is very obvious why.  Graffiti artists from all over the world come to paint on this building.  Walking around the entire perimeter, you can see each artists distinct style and the detail that goes into all the pieces.  While I was there, I observed an artist creating an outstanding masterpiece that would’ve taken many people weeks or even months to complete, but what he probably finished within a day or two.  That is another amazing thing about 5Pointz.  You might go there one week and see some artist’s graffiti, and the next week it is covered by another artist’s piece of work.  I don’t understand how someone can put so much time and effort into something when they know it will be gone in such a short period of time. Hopefully someone will view it and photograph it before it disappears.  It shows people that these artists don’t just paint at 5Pointz for the fame, but because they truly love art and want to express it.  Even if not one other person sees their work, they will still feel proud and accomplished to have painted their graffiti at 5Pointz.

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While at 5Pointz some of the people who work at the center told us that the owner of the building is trying to sell, because it is pointless to be paying for an abandoned building when they can be making a profit by selling it.  I was upset by this because I find beauty when people are able to make something amazing out of an abandoned building, just as they did at 5Pointz.  In my hometown of Beacon, NY, there are many old factory buildings that haven’t been used for almost a century.  Instead of taking them down they have been transformed into different art exhibitions, such as Electric Windows, and some have been made into natural parks.  People do not realize how much history and story is behind buildings.  When these historic buildings are taken down, a supermarket or commercial store is usually put up in its place.  Wouldn’t you rather see a historical factory building covered in beautiful murals or artistic graffiti than see another Walmart?

It’s important to keep places like 5Pointz so we, as students, can experience and see great art, even when we might not think it is.  What I like most about 5Pointz is that you don’t expect it to be so amazing and breathtaking, so when you see it for the first time your speechless.  It made me realize that you musty expect the unexpected when looking at art, and to always keep an open mind.

I was never introduced to folk art until last week, when I made a trip to the American Folk Art Museum. Folk art is nothing like the fine art I’m used to seeing at museums; folk art expresses different cultures and is more decorative than aesthetic fine art. It just isn’t the type of thing I would assume I’d like. I mean, folk art… it sounds pretty random. So I was shocked when I found myself looking at exhibits made of sequins, beads, buttons, foil, and other interesting materials. One thing I thought particularly great was a traveling exhibit called “The National Tribute Quilt.” The quilt is a memorial for September 11th and its victims. Each one-inch square of the quilt has the names of one person who died on September 11th and was made and sent in by the someone in honor of the victim. Some of the blocks are quilted, some embroidered by hand or machine, and some even printed on the computer. The squares make up a picture of the skyline with the twin towers in the middle. The edges of the quilt are dedicated to the the four flights that were and the Pentagon. It looks like the background is smoke from the fire. I think this quilt represents a type of art that everyone is involved in some way or another. Art is a way to express oneself, and with this quilt, a large number of people worked to express their emotions after such a devastating tragedy.

I went to 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, expecting to see the usual crude graffiti that I’ve grown used to in the City, but was blown away by the artistic genius that covers the walls of the decrepit, abandoned buildings. It is mind-blowing how such an ugly part of Queens has managed to become a hotspot of creativity for artists worldwide. Because the vivid colors and detailed paintings are nestled amongst such dirt and decay, instead of in a beautiful museum, the level of expertise of the participating artists is amplified. I still have no idea as to how they can spray-paint on all those different kinds of surfaces. It really has to be seen to be believed. For whoever thinks “graffiti” isn’t art (I put it in quotes because 5Pointz is reserved specifically for this use so it is 100% legal) I really urge you to give it another shot. Because maybe you’ll learn to see ugliness for what it really is – an opportunity to infuse beauty.