Daily Archives: November 10, 2014

Pulitzer Fountain – Anthony Cacchione and Elyssa Sur

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The Pulitzer Fountain is located in Grand Army Plaza, at the edge of Central Park. The Fountain is named after Joseph Pulitzer, who donated $50,000 for the creation of this impressive monument. The entire piece is 22 feet high, including the larger than life-size sculpture of the Roman goddess, Pomona, on top.

The fountain’s location is actually something that the architect and sculptor worked very hard to accomplish. While it was always intended to be in Grand Army Plaza, they made it symmetrical with this monument inside, but in order to do this, they had to move the William Tecumseh Sherman monument 16 feet West, in order to line it up with the Pulitzer Fountain. By doing this, they were able to line up the two most significant monuments of Grand Army Plaza.

As you can see from the photograph, there are 6 basins that hold water in this fountain. This complex design requires a constant and intricate flow of water. That is exactly what this monument gives us, as you can hear the water cascade down to each level. The powerful flow of water results in a beautiful waterfall from the sixth basin, which sits high above the rest, down to the fifth basin. The water then flows down each level by spouts that get larger and more elaborate as the water flows to the next level.

On top of the 6 basins of the fountain, stands the sculpture of the Roman goddess, Pomona. This bronze sculpture displays Pomona carrying a basket of fruits, which refers to her being the goddess of fruitful abundance. Looking at Pomona’s pose in the statue, it appears she is in a state of motion, as she is turning her head back to the right while also lifting her left leg. It looks as if she is turning to look at something behind her, but it is unclear what she could be looking at. Regardless of what she is looking back towards, the movement in this sculpture connects with the rest of the monument, as the entire piece of art has a sense of constant motion about it. Pomona is stuck in a state of motion, while the fountain constantly has water flowing from one basin to the next.

The sculpture’s presence is what brings the entire piece together. As we mentioned above, Pomona is the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance and this sense of abundance is carried, not only throughout the rest of the monument, but also throughout the surrounding area. The fountain, with its 6 basins of increasing size and detail, certainly displays an incredible level of abundance. However, the surrounding area emanates a similar level of wealth, as the Plaza Hotel and General Motors Building are both located around Grand Army Plaza.

This fountain was built in 1916 with the “City Beautiful Movement” in mind. The “City Beautiful Movement” began at the end of the 19th Century, as cities began to become overcrowded. In an attempt to deal with the poor city infrastructures, poverty, corruption and prostitution, this movement began. It involved a systematic planning and beautification of cities. Supporters of the movement believed that well designed buildings and public monuments would help keep the urban populations under control. They also argued that public art with classical style and technique would improve the aesthetic tastes of the urban populations. One of the main components of this movement was creating sculptures that would improve the morals of people by portraying uplifting and inspiring subject matter. This monument certainly accomplishes that, as it provides a feeling of wealth to anyone that gazes upon it.

Ruminating on shipwrecks and art

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During the class’s discussion today, the wheels in my head screeched into motion as everyone thought about the line from Lorca’s poem (“as if they had just escaped a shipwreck of blood.”)

I seem to be surrounded by shipwrecks lately! The poet I work on in my own research uses them poignantly in his poems (notably in “A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish

Vernet

Vernet

Chance,” and “Stilled beneath the Oppressive Cloud”). At our concert outing to Carnegie Hall, Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest (inspired, of course, by the Shakespeare play of the same name) involves a fantastic shipwreck whose turbulent booms and crashes vibrated our seats. And now, beloved Lorca closes his dawn with that image (which seems to fittingly correspond to the light of dawn as many of you brought up).

Though in all these things, and especially the Lorca poem, I come back to a Moroccan writer, Tahar Ben Jelloun, who used the word in perhaps one of the most powerful contexts I’ve encountered. Writing about under-served and neglected youth in French suburbs (comparable to “inner-city” youth of American inner cities), he speaks of “the shipwreck of their destiny,” to hit home the catastrophic plight (in France) of their immigrant parents.

I find myself wondering if Lorca intended some sort of social commentary about the shipwrecked lives of these people in the mire of New York, as well.

 

Art for Art’s Sake?

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I was looking for something to post in this new “Thoughts on Art” category, and my mind drifted to the bohemian cause célèbre from the 19th century of Art for Art’s Sake, engaged by notables such as Théophile Gautier and our very own Edgar Allan Poe.  I stumbled upon this Ted talk on art that I thought might prove thought provoking (though it does drag at moments, I think DeVlieg brings us some interesting conclusions).

Mary Ann DeVlieg brings up a deceptively simple question in her talk to drive home her point: (I paraphrase) If art is such a non-issue, an unimportant question, why are artists censored, persecuted, and shunned in so many instances even today?

 

Some of the artists she cites in her talk:
Robert Rauschenberg
John Cage
The Wooster Group

123rd Street Rap

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In amazing brevity Willie Perdomo is capable of illustrating this street from Spanish Harlem from the perspective of an observant and knowledgeable outsider. His use of alliteration (bullets bounce, stoop steps, bells bong) adds to the rhythm of the rap as well as quickens the pace of poem as a whole in company with the shorts stanzas. This quickened pace adds to the message of the poem in relation to having to grow up quickly in setting such as 123rd St. From the diction of the poem readers can pick up on a sense of roughness in relation to the neighborhood and fiscal struggles for the speaker. Lines such as “Sun that don’t shine”, “Trees that won’t grow”, and “Wind that won’t blow” also give off a sense of hopelessness.

This poem heavily relates to a section I recently studied in Anthropology on drug-dealing in Spanish Harlem and the social consequences/causes of this. In many ways Perdomo is trying to convey the fact that these children grow up surrounded by violence and drug-dealing and as they come of age they are struck with this internal moral conflict (“And I can’t tell what’s wrong from what’s right”). Many times stereotyping and prejudice bar these individuals from the inner city from attaining respectable jobs or being respected in the workplace which then forces them towards illegal means of income just to stay afloat. This relentless cycle traps many children, such as the ones Perdomo describes in his poem. Therefore, people are left with the question of if the illegal means of earning money which they are accustomed to or the discriminatory and degrading positions they acquire in the work force are correct. What outsiders many times fail to see is that this a social issue in which the victims are wrongly being blamed in a sense for partaking in this illegal activity, which in reality they are being forced into by societal pressures around them.

The Cabdriver’s Smile

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The initial description of the cabdriver portrays him as a tough, stern New Yorker. The speaker’s brief and matter-of-fact statements describing the situation give off a very unemotional tone as he analyzes this man. This poem is greatly a commentary on human connections and the simplicity of our relationships with people we encounter daily. Everyday we come across hundreds of people especially in a populous city such as New York. As a cabdriver you come in contact with a variety of people but are only with them from point A to point B and in reality how much do you actually get to know about the majority of those people or moreso how much effort are the majority of passengers putting in to get to know their cabdriver, sadly very little. Though the cabdriver may seem cold in his interactions with the other friendly cabdriver as well as the speaker/passenger, I think he is just aware of the sad fact that so many people are too self-concerned much of the time to get to know the people around them; in that we are limiting our own opportunities for human connection. It is very easy to feel lost and insignificant in the large group of people which constitute the population of NYC. Even interactions like that of the cabdriver who “bows like a king” may seem somewhat false and the fact that he is being aligned with a king give off the sense that his actions are self-righteous and he acts as though he is superior. And the brief glimpse of a smile which the speaker sees on the mouth of the cabdriver conveys a small ember of hope that there are still members of society who see him as more than just a mode of transportation and dehumanize him in such a way, that there is still genuine compassion left in humanity.

Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

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Although I am not a huge fan of classical music, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s was enjoyable. What struck me as the most interesting was the movement, which flowed through every aspect of the orchestra. You could trace it from the movements of the conductor which varied based on the emotion conveyed, to each individual moving with passion while playing their intruments, to each section of the orchestra as a whole, and was tied together by the movement of the music which flowed through the hall. I found myself not only listening to the music but also watching each group of instruments move with the music, in a way, from these movement I could deduce the emotion which the music conveyed without even really listening. At parts where the music would become militant I could tell by the vigorous movement of the conductor in unison with the violent stabs of violinist’s bows into the air almost like an army of soldiers saluting or when it was sad I could see the slowness and gentleness in the orchestra’s movements it was really interesting. I also was not expecting to see another opera but the last performance was great and the storyline was amazing, although I did get a bit lost while trying to read the translations. It was through and through a good experience and the hall was very beautiful.IMG_7992

BAM Harvey

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When I approached BAM Harvey expecting to see “Six Characters in Search of an Author” I was firstly struck by the modernity and light emitted from the building which set it apart from the surrounding neighborhood. I told the woman at the Box Office that my professor had left me a ticket for the play under the name Drabik and this is where things got a bit confusing. The woman handed me a ticket and said hurry they may not let you in then kindly escorted me to a door and said “once it starts you can’t leave because it’s a live recording”. As the door closed behind me and I turned around I immediately saw a small room with a band set up, many cameras, and about 8 people seated (none of them my classmates). So I awkwardly sat down and realized “oh shoot this is not the right show”. I ended up watching a live recording of a small podcast called B-Side and got a free performance from a small Brooklyn-based indie band called Empyrean Atlas. I actually really enjoyed their music although their interviews and stage presence were at times painfully awkward. The band was composed of a drummer, a bassist, and three guitars and the lead-man also switched to a saxophone for a few songs. The music was entirely instrumental and ranged from slow ambient to more upbeat afro-pop influenced sound. Overall, after I overcame my panic at the fact that I had sat through the completely wrong performance I sort of laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation and was appreciative of the fact that I found a new band to listen to. Here is a link to the show if anyone is interested: http://vimeo.com/110581319 And a link to Empyrean Atlas’s bandcamp: http://empyreanatlas.bandcamp.com

Fall For Dance

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Each performance and studio brought very unique stylistic differences and each studio’s aimed impact for the audience varied greatly as well.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

I didn’t necessarily enjoy this performance as much as the others. The music was harshly, industrial which in my opinion suited the performances mechanical and uniform style. Furthermore, the unshapely black smocks which each performer wore added to this uniformity. Although the performance was very robotic and formulaic and at times seemed to be discordant due to the lack of connection between the rhythm of the music and the movements of the dancers, their was an underlying level of unity which allowed the piece to flow and come together.

 

LUCINDA CHILDS DANCE COMPANY

Of all the performances this was my favorite. The entire time I analyzed each couple and began to see each color with the differing styles of each couple as a part of a documentation of a romantic relationship. Alternately, I saw that it could be a general representation of the trials and tribulations as well as the benefits of a romantic relationship rather than the rocky relationship of one couple. With each movement the audience could see either the tension in the relationship, or a simple dip could be interpreted as the dependency on had on the other, and the red performance I remember as being implicitly sensual. This one truly amazed me because it was a perfect representation of how body language can be utilized to convey so much meaning, its truly like a language of its own.

 

SEBASTIEN RAMIREZ & HONJI WANG

From the moment Ramirez and Wang entered onto the stage I knew this performance would be different from the others. Even their casual, non costume seeming, clothing gave the performance a different energy completely. Their incorporation of modern street style dancing into traditional ballet was very fun and energetic and also portrayed a relationship between the two dancers. Some of the moves they did were very impressive and evoked verbal responses from the audience. Overall, It was very playful and I feel like it really woke up the reinvigorated and woke up the crowd.

 

SEMPEROPER BALLET DRESDEN

The final performance was also particularly interesting to me. It was a very complex intertwining of playful, silly dancing and a very serious social commentary. When it began I was confused at whether the singular man dancing was part of the performance or just a transitional skit between performances. I really liked that they were so inclusive and interacted with the audience it added a new level of entertainment and excitement to the performance. Furthermore, the music was really interesting and I like how they incorporated a sort of tribal vibe to it. It was surprising when the performers, in identical suits and ties, sat in the semi circle and the mood immediately became very serious and somber. I think the first round of the performers systematically flailing with the last man falling to the ground was a bit of a shock to the entire crowd. Aesthetically, the circular wave they created was very interesting. I feel as though the choreographer was making a commentary on the cyclic nature of a workingman’s lifestyle, which much of society believes is the norm. It conveyed this idea that we end up living to work rather than working to live and in the end some of us begin to get fed up with this systematic, mundane lifestyle and become bogged down by the tiresome cycle of life (symbolized by the man falling to the ground). Contrastingly, the silly parts of the dance were a reminder to let loose, live a little, and find some joy in the simple things in life even if it is just randomly dancing.

Patti Smith

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Patti Smith is a very interesting character. She isn’t known first and foremost as an author but rather a musician. She is a singer, songwriter, poet and visual artist. Her band the Patti Smith Group debuted their first album Horses in 1975, this album was a major influence on  the punk rock scene in New York City. This album was ranked number 44 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 issue of 500 greatest albums of all time. Patti Smith is also known as the Godmother of Punk as she fuses rock and poetry. She has also co-written a song with Bruce Springsteen, “Because the Night”.

Listen to it here:

— Chloe Chai

Banksy Art: Graffiti

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After today’s class I went and looked up some of Banksy’s pieces on Google. I found one that particularly stuck with me:

A photo taken of Banksy street art in London. Found at: http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/2011/04/26/banksy-street-art-clipstone-street-fitzrovia/

A photo taken of Banksy street art in London. Found at: http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/2011/04/26/banksy-street-art-clipstone-street-fitzrovia/

I feel like this piece is particularly powerful because of its blatant contradictions.

“If graffiti changed anything, it would be illegal.”

Obviously, graffiti is illegal. Thus, Banksy’s point is made clearly through this painting: Graffiti does have the power to change things and that is why people in power don’t want it to exist.

It reminded me of the conversation we had today about what kind of art is allowed in public space, who dictates it, and of course the tearing down of 5Pointz.

I feel like graffiti is so powerful because it is raw. It portrays a viewpoint of a generally voiceless community. Sam commented on one of my last posts something along the lines of this: graffiti is the only outlet that some people have, so we have to let their voices be heard. If we do, it can have the power to change everything.

Philippe Petit: The Human Definition of Dream

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Philippe Petit definitely must be one of the most driven men in history.  His entire life from the point he saw the construction of the towers in a paper in the dentist office, to his achievement of walking across the towers, was consumed by the desire to just do it.  It is impressive how much practice he had done on other great public places knowing just what the consequences would be such as getting arrested.  The sad thing is that he could not do it alone and he essentially just used all of his friends throughout the entire process.  His girlfriend had even mentioned that she had to put her own dreams aside while she was in the relationship.  She had to help him realize his own dream before hers and then after the success and fulfillment of that dream he left her for someone else.

This was not only what happened to her but also to all of his closest friends.  All of them had contributed to Petit’s success and realization of his dream but all were essentially abandoned after the completion of his dream.  While he was granted amnesty for his act that was considered to be illegal, his friends were all kicked out of the United States and were not allowed to come back.  Petit did not even do anything to make amends with his friends.  It truly was sad to watch one of his long time friends start to cry during the documentary, because of the memories that are all now almost faded.  A big part of his life was to be able to help his friend accomplish his dream and then once it was done it was all over for him, the friendship and this big role.

I also can not imagine how Philippe reacted at the end of it all.  I understand he still performs publicly his art of tightroping but there is nothing else to really strive for.  After accomplishing such an immense dream, what else is there really to do in life?  It seems he has made peace with it but I can not imagine how he would be able to view his life in the same way as he did before his walk between the towers.

The Significance of Humanity

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Upon reading the journal entries I have gotten back today, I noticed a particular interest in one phrase I used by Professor Drabik.  My phrase was “humankind as a whole has no significance” and the response to this phrase was “Are you sure?”  This entry dates back to our fourth class, we were discussing the poems “Man Listening to Disc” and “The Weary Blues.”  I believe during this class we entered into one of the most heated debates about the significance of man.  Many believing that we do in all ways have much significance however my point is that in a cosmic scale we do not.  Even on a more global scale, the history of the conquered is always lost to those that conquer.  One specific example was the burning of the libraries at Alexandria, which set back medical science and research centuries of work.  The significance of those that published and researched for the good of all of mankind was lost because their only legacy left to the ages was also lost, burnt in a fire.

Simply put, humans only have significance because we give each other significance.  It is only in society can we have any effect on the scheme of things.  Without society, we are nothing.  You can not rebel against a society that does not exist, you can not progress a society that does not exist, you can not influence, control, manifest or do any like action on a society that does not exist.  If you look up the term significance in the dictionary, you are returned with this: the quality of being worthy of attention; importance.  When you really think about it, our whole existence is in no way signifiant.  If there was any cataclysmic event that were to wipe us out, a mass extinction of man, there would be nothing left of us.  No one, even if there were other intelligent forms of life, would know or hear about what we have endured, what we have created, or what we have suffered.  Without knowing, there is no “importance” in our existence because any step toward progress will eventually be forgotten to the cosmos and to time.

As I said this is all relative to the global scheme of things.  As long as there is society, we all have some individual significance.  We all effect those around us, for the good or for the worse and we all have some small local meaning and “importance.”  It would be an imprudent decision now to stop striving for progress because the in the present, the end of our species currently is unforeseeable.  However our significance as a species overall will eventually run out with time, but in the present, as long as there is a present, we will maintain our importance and significance.

“Six Characters in Search of an Author”: Reality or Fiction

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This play has most definitely sparked the question of what is real and what is fiction.  Even out of the context of the play reality is always something that is relative to the viewer.  Everyone has their own interpretation of what they see this interpretation cultivates their own reality.  This individualized reality explains why there is such a large variance in the comments made about the play.  There are those who believe that the characters were never real and therefore the daughter and son never died, and there are those that believe everything that occurred on stage was real (at least in the sense of the play).  It all depends on perception.

I personally believe that within the realm of the play, the characters that appeared on stage were real people.  The events that transpired on the stage were real in the play.  These characters were not simply fictional but real living people. This point can be made when the father talks to the director about the nature of his work, after the director claims the father is a madman.  The father rebuts, stating that the director himself is the true madman, making the stories of fiction into reality when there are already real stories going on in reality that do not need to be dramatized.  The father’s family, the characters, were symbolic of this.  Their entire lives had turned out to be one giant tragic plot and in the end they wanted their story to be told, and an ending of their story to come.

These characters provide a dynamic view of reality.  As I mentioned before there is no single reality, as every person has their own perception of it.  Every single character has their own perception, they all provide a piece of the overall picture and interpreted different events in different ways.  They all made the story a more realistic one, and was also a source of great confusion from many onlookers.  Nevertheless all the pounding emotions led to the intrigue of the director and with each passing minute of the director he had become more and more enamored by the stunning story.  As the family members were going on about their miserable and bleak lives, the director would make some remark such as “Brilliant” or “Perfect” indicating his isolation from the family’s tale, for he was just one of the audience right now, taking everything in and looking at what riches this play can bring him once performed on stage.  Once the play comes to the close, the girl drowning and the boy shooting himself, the director’s mind is changed on the subject.  He was no longer just the spectator, no longer just the listener, he was in the midst of the action.  The horrible cruelties and drama that the family had was no longer “fiction” to him as he was in the presence of it.

The overall play was bleak and morbid and very much unlike other tragedies.  Generally tragedies were produced and created to allow onlookers to feel a sense of relief that their own lives were not as damaged as the lives of the characters.  However after this play I could not leave feeling any more thankful for my own life with the lack of as significant hardships, but leaving upset with the unfolding of all the events in such an unexpected and horrible climax.

Performance at Carnegie Hall

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My apologies to Professor Drabik for being delinquent in posting until this time.

This was my second time seeing an orchestra perform at Carnegie Hall. The first time I attended such a concert I was 12 years old. I went as a favor to my dad, who was going to see one of his students perform. To a 12 year old, the idea of seeing classical music live may not be overly thrilling, but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed the performance.

So, six years later, I again find myself, once again seeing a classical performance. I found the most captivating piece in this concert to be “The Tempest.” I feel every movement was perfectly executed by the orchestra. I think the contrast within the piece itself between the movements also contributed to my profound enjoyment of it. I will definitely be open to attending more concerts of this nature in the future.

Discussion on Dawn

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We have not discussed this poem in last week’s seminar, so I thought I might try to describe one to the best of my ability. Also, this poem matches the timing I am posting this at.

“Dawn” uses a gloomy tone to explain events and feelings of New Yorkers. People feel like there is no hope, paradise, or love in the mornings. They are very sleepy and feel like if they had an enormous struggle to wake up. The poem seems to ask the question: why would any one want to wake up?

It is very confusing and more gloomy than necessary. I have noticed that almost everyone in the subway was sleepy, but I believe that the city is pretty clean in the mornings. For example, the public bathrooms have been cleaned and no one has used them yet.

A Song From an Insomniac

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I couldn’t sleep at all tonight for some reason…

Although most people would hate this, I actually like the fact that I’m awake at this hour. I can do whatever I want and get myself in my own little world. Now nothing sets the tone without a little bit of music.

At this time of night, I feel that there is only a small selection of music one should choose from. The music that is chosen has to be light as it compliments the serenity of the night, but it really shouldn’t be anything that keeps you asleep.

Anyways, here is my example of one of those songs:

Reaction to Carnegie Hall

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Going to Carnegie Hall on Thursday night was a fun experience.

The place itself was amazing. It is so grand and regal. That definitely left an image that’s hard to forget. Like the place, the performance was unforgettable too.

Although I am not a fan of classical music, I really enjoyed what was played that night. It was really captivating and I was energized with every performance. I was confused at how some of us were sleeping… (Not naming any names haha.)

I think the most memorable thing from that night wasn’t the music, but the instruments themselves. As the way the violins moved as they were played, it looked almost like a synchronized dance. It was just surreal.

Carnegie Hall

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This was definitely one of the more relaxing performances we have been on. Our past visits to performances required us to listen as well as watch what was happening on stage, and understand the plots, and the artist’s intent but for this performance, I was able to just close my eyes and listen. There were less boundaries in this performance, since the music predominately appealed to our ears, I felt more freedom to sit back, relax, close my eyes. The funny thing about this performance was that I felt more engaged with what was happening on stage even though I wasn’t watching. My heart rate would increase and I would feel nervous and tense when the music escalated to match the plot’s climax, and the story I was creating in my head that went along with the music would also change accordingly. When I did open my eyes, I loved watching the first violinist’s movements, she really had a stage presence among the many musicians surrounding her. Maybe it was her seating position on stage or the way she used her whole body to play the violin, it was just captivating. Not only her, but every musician seemed to show a bit of their own personality and style of playing in the way they moved to the music. I really appreciate how music can affect your mood, and the different senses that it indirectly affects. Relating this back to Fall for Dance, when many responses (myself included) were about music and how it made the listeners feel, I could feel the uneasiness of the situation in Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest and jumping on the bandwagon, this piece was easily my favorite from Thursday’s performance.

— Chloe Chai