Art: NYC and Me

Hey guys! So the semester is approaching a close and we have to come up with and actually create a final project. I believe that it should be something that encompasses the three main themes expressed in the title of this course: “The Arts, The City, and Me.” Thus, I think we should create something that artistically depicts us and the city. It should be something that portrays both the physical and human beauty that makes NYC a city like no other.

To be more specific we should make a collage. I think that if we create a collage of pictures that form the shape of the island of Manhattan, we can satisfy all the criteria. These pictures should be, however, a picture of you in your favorite place in the city (and by city I do mean Manhattan). Including these pictures will perfectly combine that human and physical aspects that define NYC culture. Along with these, we can also include any necessary pictures form the Media section from this website. We can also include any newspaper articles and magazines pictures that are fitting (e.g. a New York Times headline, a New York magazine with flashy words such as “Broadway” or “Central Park”). We can even include cutouts from the dreaded subway map! Anything that has some aesthetic appeal can definitely be incorporated.

Finally, this has the potential to be a time consuming task, but I do think as Macaulay students we can avoid that. All we need to do is pick a day, where everybody comes prepared with their pictures and cutouts, to actually create the collage. Since it appears that last of our class days are busy, we may need to do this on our personal time.

Thanks for your consideration. I do hope we can accomplish this!

Staten Island Technical High School SING

For the four years before I had come here to CCNY, I was involved in my high school’s SING production.  SING is a completely student run play in which the school is divided into two teams and these teams must come up with a whole play that means the script, lyrics (as songs in modern culture are used and made into parodies), written music (notes for instruments), and sets are all made by students.  We were the musicians, the stage crewmen, the directors, the producers, the directors, the liaisons.  I myself had always played in the band, with my trumpet I followed my conductors from freshmen to senior year.  On Friday night on November 14th I had gone back to my old school to watch their performance and although no longer being part of the overall cast I could not help but get nostalgic.  It was a great 3 hours of singing, dancing, and memories.  On Saturday night the winner was announced and although I was not able to go to that performance I was able to catch some of my old band members after the show and join them for a dinner.  Are these plays nearly as well made as the great works of Pirandello or Shakespeare?  Of course not, but they having something more to them.  There was never just one writer, but a team working together.  It was great to be involved and it was great to be able to go back and see that everything is still going on as it always had.

How many of you were involved in a similar type of performance at your schools or even had the same program at your school?

SING

Zero Tolerance: The World Today

The first exhibit my group had gone to had been Zero Tolerance at MoMa PS1.  Coming in with mixed expectations I had left quite pleased.  Due to the nature of the exhibit I was shocked that it had carried the same message that I am finding very prevalent today: governments imposing laws and doctrines that oppress their people.  Much of the exhibit were different documentaries showing major protests and public gatherings.  Even in America where we are promised freedom and complete autonomy over our own lives, we are met with unscrupulous businesses that collect and sell our information and a government that spies on its own people.  The exhibit had made me reflect on the novel “1984” by George Orwell in which the masses of people do not realize fully what the government is imposing upon them.  In summary of the exhibit (picture provided), it is stated that these governments mask draconian laws in the guise of some form of public service or help.

The exhibit displays heavily the public outcry against these governments.  There was one room, with T.V.s situated all around the walls with different public gatherings and if you stand in the center of the room, you can hear bits and pieces of everything, all of it creating an overall chaotic atmosphere.  Then the room after, focused heavily on Russia and the nation under a ex-KGB president.  There had been one song made by “Pussy Riot” that went against Putin’s declaration against secularism.  If you want to check out the song and music video just follow this link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPDkJbTQRCY . One of the strangest and most interesting things within the exhibit had been the work of  Voina in “Operation: Kiss Garbage.”  It had been a video depicting their work to demean and humiliate people of power.  In it, women would go up to policewomen and kiss them on the lips with absolutely no notice.  The public art, not only challenges the power of government but also goes against Putin’s views on homosexuality.

The exhibit overall had been great, and if you want to see more pictures of the exhibit just look below!

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