The Politics of Art & Authenticity

Eccentric. Definitely the most eccentric thing I’ve ever seen. I just didn’t think it was a dance. It seemed like they were just moving, shaking, waddling, but not dancing. But then, I guess dance is really what you make it. Yet, if there was some message they were trying to get across, I surely didn’t understand it. In the first act, were they

trying to swim? Why did they randomly say the word “swim” every so often? In the second act, why did the girls keep repeating their names? And why was each introduced with a name that she then corrected? And the list of questions goes on and on. I was simply confused as to what they were doing and why they were doing it. I also think that music would’ve helped the performance by making it more interesting. The dancers of the Barnard Fall Project performed works by four different choreographers, some of whose works I glimpsed at online. I saw some similarities. I think it’s great that everyone can express themselves through art, here, particularly through the art of dance. It seems like “modern” in the world of the arts is weird and out of the ordinary, nothing like the quintessential form of the art that one would expect. If this is modern dance, I think I’ll stick with the old days’ classics.

Quite simply, I didn’t get it. I tried. I really did, but as much as I like interpreting things, this was too much. All of a sudden the performers started convulsing. Then, apparently they were doing something called “twerping.” The best parts where when the performers were all doing motions in unison because it seemed like at least this was supposed to be happening. With all that said, I have never seen any sort of modern dance before. It may be an acquired taste like bitter wine or whiskey. I don’t really know how to watch something like what I saw at the Barnard Project. Is is the individual motions? Is it the entire performance? The reason I like literature so much is that it provides a story, something going on in the foreground which makes the ride entertaining. Meanwhile, in the background motifs link the work together. At this production, I felt like I was in a fairytale land only dealing with the “background stuff.” It was nice to say I did it, but I don’t think I will go back.

http://www.sothebys.com/content/sothebys/en/sales-series/2012/impressionist-modern-art-evening-sale/overview/_jcr_content/leftpar/image.img.jpg/1329735207815.jpg

Usually I never know what exactly we’re doing or where we’re going or what we’re seeing for these productions because I like it to be a surprise. I like surprises. So I knew I was coming to the MoMa, and after accidentally walking into the restaurant and being redirected three doors down, I was excited to be there. I thought, “Well, I’ve never been to this museum before. Modern art can’t be too terrible, right?”

I’m always impressed by photography and how beautiful it can make such ordinary things look. I never know how the photographer decides what angle to snap a shot, or what to take a picture of. Some of my favorite pictures were the ones that looked like one face but they were actually a combination of three overlapping faces. It took me a few seconds to pick up on this but when I did I was amazed. How did they do that? Stevie tried to explain it to me and although it sounds simple, it’s something I didn’t know existed. I was very literally taken aback by it. I appreciate the creativity behind photographs so I definitely enjoyed this gallery.

Then, I remember trying to check in my bag and Professor Davis explaining to me that The Scream by Edvard Munch was being loaned to the MoMa for a few months and it was just one of those paintings you have to see. Naturally, I was expecting some crazy, elaborate, I don’t even know. Then there was a line to get into the gallery and I was pretty pumped. I was thinking, “This has to be awesome, no?” And then I saw it. Usually at this point in my blog post I start complaining about disappointment but I actually wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I would be.

My first reaction was to think, “What…This looks like it was drawn with crayons. This is what I came to see? A crayon drawing? Oh.” But then, in an attempt to be a cultured member of society, I actually stopped and thought about it for a little while. And then I realized, hey, this is kind of interesting. I even squinted to read the little excerpt on the wall about the painting. The contrast between all the bright oranges and yellows and the darker screaming figure with the look of horror on his face made me think of devastation in the midst of beauty. Thinking about it right now, it reminds me of being out in Rockaway this weekend. The beach has a peaceful, beautiful quality to it. I was standing on the beach, looking out into the ocean, momentarily entranced by it’s beauty only to snap back to reality and look around to see a destroyed boardwalk, wiped out houses, and devastated looks on homeowner’s faces. It was beauty in the midst of devastation. Just like the screaming figure with a beautiful sunset going on around it.

This is my favorite quality of art. It is subject to a hundred different interpretations by a hundred million people. It means something else to someone else and there is no right or wrong answer; only new perspectives.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/11/17/arts/17BARNARD.html

Generally I try to be open minded about all the productions we attend. I learned early on that they’re very different from the things I’m accustomed to seeing so I tried not to be judgmental and tried to let it sink in like I usually do…

The Barnard Project was definitely the most different of all the productions we’ve seen. I’m usually just shocked and in awe of whatever it is I’m seeing but this time…yeah…I talked to my friend about it. She’s been dancing since she could walk and when I told her how I felt about the show she laughed and told me I had to love dance to appreciate modern dance. I’m going to have to agree because from the beginning I was just really confused. I was concerned that they weren’t wearing any shoes at first (or were they? I forgot my glasses and couldn’t see much). I tried really hard to understand why they kept saying, “swim” at random moments but they weren’t actually swimming?? Or making any swimming motions? I also felt really bad for the one girl that got dragged by another girl by the foot… That hurts…I was also wondering what was going on when they flipped their hair onto their faces and kind of convulsed for a while. I may or may not have been frightened. Basically I was just really confused the whole time.

I’ve tried to let myself think about it and try to be a cultured person since we watched it but I just don’t think it’s for me…My friend that I mentioned earlier is taking me to see a ballroom dancing show at Columbia University in December and that I am excited for. I can see myself appreciating a dance show like that because it’s a lot more familiar. I don’t think I’m cultured enough for modern dance just yet…maybe after a couple more semesters of IDC I will be but for now…I’ll stay away from it.

I do have to admire how passionate they were about what they were doing. They were all very in tune with the noises (music?) that was playing and with each other. I don’t know how they all knew which moves to make at what time especially since the music was a little hard to follow. It also looked like a workout. Especially that last scene when they were all running around and hopping and all of that. I can barely walk up a flight of stairs let alone run around and twirl and roll over people for 15 minutes. Passion and stamina…that is what I gathered from this production.

I don’t know what the deal is with “modern” photography. I don’t want to unfairly categorize “modern” as one entire pool of indiscernable groups, but there is one, very large sect that confuses me. What’s with all the pictures of naked people? I feel as if the image of a bare human body is the easy way out for these photographers. They are trying to capture something provocative– visually, emotionally, and intellectually. Orwell describes poor writing as “reaching for ready-made phrases.” These represent the “ready-made” photograph– nakedness. Removing layers of clothing invokes ideas of getting to the truth while nakedness can also be pure, un-doctored. Sometimes these photographers will take the idea in the other direction making their work straight crass. As I walked through the New Photography Exhibit, people were staring at these photos with furrowed brows, allowing others to know they are “getting it.” Bullshit. Spend time looking at the collages of people from all over the world, or something like the photo of a bottle which “survived” an atomic bomb blast. Spend time looking at something which delivers real emotion, not something which is unoriginally playing on the relationship between human desire and purity. There probably are quality, original, provocative pieces which employ the image of the human body in the exhibit, but I unfortunately missed them in the sea of the “ready-made.”

courtesy of MOMA

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I’ve been putting off responding to Wild With Happy partially because I have so much work and partially because I have no idea how I felt about it. There were so many moments during the production that I saw everyone around me laughing hysterically and I just wasn’t amused. I understood the jokes but I just didn’t find them funny. Towards the end I was able to chuckle a little, but for the majority of the production I just wasn’t entertained.

The ending explaining the connection between the title and story was corny but almost cute. I wasn’t sure why Gil was so displeased with his mother and her fantasies. It’s probably because I can relate a little bit to her and I’m impulsive regarding all the things that make me happy. I also love Disney World and Cinderella’s castle so… I was glad to see Gil accept his mother for the first time even though it was too late for her to see this change in her son’s opinions.

The plot line was definitely interesting. The crazy aunt was hilarious. Her angry rants and hand motions were absolutely hysterical. The stage props and setup were beautiful as well. Especially the last scene recreating Cinderella’s castle… I could see all the time and hard work that went into making that happen. Even earlier on, the multiple uses for the coffins were impressive. They were regular coffins at some point, then transformed into closets, benches, and were they used as cars as well?? Regardless, whoever was in charge of making that all happen deserves an incredible amount of recognition. The time, effort, and creativity put into all the props almost made up for my distaste of the production itself.

It’s safe to say Wild With Happy wasn’t my favorite of the productions we’ve attended, but I’ve learned that I can always find something positive in these things even if I didn’t find them amusing. My reaction to the production probably also has something to do with my lack of sleep and cranky edge. At the time, I was naturally inclined to hate everything and everyone I encountered so maybe my judgment was slightly clouded.

courtesy of MOMA

Munch’s “The Scream” initially looked to me like a five year old had his way with a piece of canvas. But whenever I look at a piece of art, which is not very often, I have to step back and think, “Could I do that?” The answer is usually no. This makes me look again at piece with greater interest and attention to detail. In the case of Munch, I caught onto how deliberate his strokes with the pastel crayons are. Some lines are terse and bunched densely together. Other lines are long and flowing. The use of stroke gives life to the piece, and makes portions of it discernable. Portions which really shouldn’t be. A few, orange, squiggly lines is supposed to be the sky? Give me a break. Yet, I know it is the sky. And Munch uses colors is such a way that nothing seems right. It delivers emotion; not to mention the face. Why is it screaming? The whole damn painting just irks me. Nothing seems as it should. The sky is orange, the boardwalk red, the person barely looks like a person, and there are two other people on the boardwalk. Those other two guys are the most annoying because this thing in the front is “bugging out,” and the other two guys are just “chilling.” Once again, I revisit the painting from a different perspective wondering if I could accomplish all of this confusion and emotion. The answer is no. I guess Munch did his job.

Last week we went to see Edward Munch’s The Scream. I was looking at the picture, asking myself, what is it about this picture? What makes this so perennial? Why is this viewed over and over again throughout the years?

Maybe people can identify themselves with this bald-headed, open-mouthed man standing on this bridge over the water. It could be a calm, serene painting, maybe something Emerson or Thoreau could describe in terms of nature, but Munch painted a swirling storm and a brightly colored bridge with artificial colors. I think his use of colors is what makes this picture tick. The yellow pool in the sea, the red and pink and purple tones in the bridge, and the gauntly tone of the person all make this picture scream. It doesn’t really matter if people live in the nineteenth, twentieth, or twenty-first century. We could be in the middle of a hurricane, or just living in total peace. As Much himself wrote, “I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.” Sometimes, all we want to do is scream.

We also saw the New Photography exhibit. Professor Davis asked us what makes something a 21st century picture. I happen to love photography. I have a DSLR camera and I love taking pictures of everything. I didn’t really like this exhibit so much. Some pictures were really cool, but others seemed really mundane and there was nothing special about them that struck me. I think today, in the 21st century, the term “artist” demands a lot less talent than it used to. Today, people can post videos of themselves singing and dancing and become an instant YouTube star. Today, people can digitalize their faces and voices and pictures and videos. There is more room for creativity, but more of the computer’s work and less of the artist’s. I was unimpressed with most of the pictures I saw. I didn’t like the collages, where it looked like the artist just pasted a bunch of unrelated-looking people or pictures together. The pictures didn’t really speak to me. There were pictures of regular, everyday scenes, like garbage, people smoking, and shots of New York city. These pictures didn’t really have anything special about them. I could walk to school one day and see the exact same scene outside. Today, if people take pictures with a digital camera and edit them on a computer, they can make them so “artsy.” I think this term is so hackneyed in today’s world, and in a sense, rather than the photographer, the cameras and computers have become the artist. After visiting this exhibit, I was a little disillusioned with what today’s photography may have become. People can just take pictures of anything, edit them a little, and call this art.

Later, we went to the Barnard Fall Project. I wasn’t such a huge fan of this performance. In the beginning, I thought it was really cool. I thought, those girls have some real guts to go out there dressed like that. I liked how in the beginning there seemed to be two different dances going on at once – all the girls were moving in sync except for two, who were doing their own sort of dance. I thought this dynamic was cool, but as the show progressed I started to like the dance less and less. I really didn’t understand when the girls came out in dresses and kept repeating their names, and mixing up each person’s name. I couldn’t tell if that was some sort of private joke between the girls, but I don’t know any of the girls and I was so confused as to who was who. I liked it at the end, when they all changed their outfits to either the white or brown outfits. Everyone looked kind of like oreos.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I especially liked seeing The Scream. I would recommend it to others.

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At the beginning of the day, MoMA was definitely something I was excited to go to because it was something I would never imagine myself going on my own time. I never stepped foot into a museum. Except for the Natural History Museum, but I don’t really count that as an experience because I was young and I kind of just ran around with my friends at the time. I didn’t appreciate what was around me at the time. When we arrived, the first thing we saw was The Scream by Edvard Munch. This famous piece of artwork that I seen basically every where, on television, in textbooks, basically every where since I don’t even know how long, but to see it before my eyes was incredible. Although people praise this artwork, I looked at it and I said to myself, “This is it? This is what people obsess about, what people think is amazing.” I looked at it and it looked so simple, as if he just took Crayola crayons and wanted to draw something real quick. It didn’t look so special to me and that is when I realized I’m not an artsy person. I understand the time he took, but I expected to see GREAT detail to the point where I’d look at the painting and go, “I wish I was an artist.” However, when I looked at this artwork, I said to myself, “It looks like I can do this” (But of course I can’t because my drawing skills on a scale of 10 is undefined. It’s horrible I must tell you). I do enjoy looking at artwork, especially The Scream because I got to see this painting with my own eyes without media having to portray it themselves.

Also, at the MoMA, the photography section was a little too much for me. I guess the term “modern art” can be interpreted VERY loosely and I wish it wasn’t. I guess my view on that section of the museum is that if you are not open minded about stepping into the photography section of MoMA, then I don’t think you should. Just a fair warning.

Later that night, after watching The Barnard Fall Project, although I left early, it was a different experience. I walked into the theater with a very open mind, actually excited to see what this “modern dance” is because I didn’t even know there was such thing as “modern dance.” I guess, I know what it’s called modern. The way the danced was so very unique I would say. It was just their movements seemed so “different” in a sense. I guess it’s just not what I’m use consider dance. The one thing that really bothered me though was that during the second dance, they kept walking around to wherever they were going. It wasn’t dancing to me, it was just walk to where you need to stand and that what grind my gears at the moment. However, the one thing I must applaud about The Barnard Fall Project was the first dance because the fact that majority of the dance was performed without music. I’ve tried to dance without music in a group and it was a complete fail because people were just off beat, but during the performance everyone was basically in sync with each other. It was amazing to watch and the stamina that they have. Jeez… the amount of jumping and leaping and running and walking they did was just…. CLAPS FOR YOU GLENN COCO (Excuse my Mean Girls reference).

All I can say about this modern stuff is that one needs an open mind, I wish someone told me that sooner or else my mind would of been opened rather than closed. Now I know, an open mind is needed when you are exploring NYC in a different way than what I’m use to seeing NYC as I see it.

When we went to MoMA to see The Scream exhibit, I was very pleasantly surprised. I had seen the iconic image before, so i was just expecting more of the same. But the photocopied versions I had seen in textbooks and in my high school’s art room did not touch the heels of the original painting. Something about seeing it live and real and in the flesh was spectacular.. Thinking about the fact that Edvard Munch’s pastels carved the image out on this paper that I was looking at was a really beautiful experience. I am grateful that I got to see it in the few weeks that it was out for the public to see.

Next, we went to the New Photography exhibit. There, I saw one of the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen. Along an entire wall was a picture that was made up of thousands of little pictures, all taken in one place over the course of a day, from three different perspectives. It was interesting to see two forms of art, one so modern and one so.. old fashioned (the scream), juxtaposed so closely together. The Scream is one of the oldest pictures in the book. I have seen it a million times. But, its message is a modern one. It symbolises modernity, how much people want to scream amidst the chaos and confusion draping over them. It looks at the insanity of our world in this post-industrialized society. So perhaps, there is no better place for this exhibition than right in the middle of this modern photography.

Later still, we went to see The Barnard Fall Project. When I walked into the auditorium, I thought, oh! thats why he was screaming! I truly have never seen a moe bizarre production. These girls were… wiggling.

weirdly. All across the stage, saying something about swimming. If they were trying out that stroke in the water, as a certified lifeguard i can tell you that they would have drowned. I cant understand what they were doing! And those four girls, Linden, Lea, MArtha Scott, and Katherine were CREEPY! why were they pulling eachothers hair?!

I guess it was trying to be modern, but I think it was too modern. I read the biographies of the dancers, and I truly commend them for being part of a production and expressing themselves through dance in a public forum. I just dont understand them, but nobody said it wasn’t art if I didn’t get it!

I think the common denominator between the three experiences of the day was modernity. So when I went home, I was mulling over the concept in my mind. Modernity is scary to me, because it is always changing. As time goes by, the modern becomes ancient, making way for the unknown. Someday, wacky dance wiggles will be an old story, and well all watch cloned fish robots walk in a circle on a stage. You really never know whats coming next. I think thats what the guy in the painting is so worried about, because Im worried about it too.