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For the Best Of! Page
Hey everyone, so I think for the Best Of! Page, everyone needs to submit their own personal favorite during the course. So hopefully over the weekend everyone can submit their own personal favorites onto the blog with a brief description of why you liked them. Then me, Lucius, and Adrian will take your responses and do something with them to display the overall results of the Best Of! Page. Just follow Adrian’s example on the blog.
Philippe Petit: The Truth
Well I have been going back to the beginning of our blog, reading every post and commenting on all of them that I feel I have something to say, and I found that everyone mention Philippe Petit’s betrayal of his friends after he achieved his dream. I have some news for you. He did not really cut ties with his friends after he walked between the towers, in fact for the filming of “Man on Wire”, it was Petit himself that had brought all of them back together on the same day to do the filming for the documentary. I was thoroughly shocked when I had saw the movie and see Petit’s choice to leave behind his friends but only now after reading everyone’s blog posts have I decided to look into it. According to information on pyschologytoday.com he never really abandoned his friends and instead the reason the film portrayed it as such was to make it carry more meaning even if it distorts reality.
If you really think about it, the way the producer created it, he offered a greater story, as many of us had left questioning ourselves about how far are we willing to go to accomplish our dream and what can possibly happen to us after we do? It is a relief to know that Petit was not really the Petit depicted in the film, of course he was still driven with passion and his friends did sacrifice a lot of their time to get Petit to be able to do the walk, but Petit did not take them all for granted and leave them in the dust.
Our Guests
We have finished reading “Just Kids” and we can all definitely agree that being an artist opens so many doors to you. It was a great experience reading the book and seeing how many people had influenced Patti Smith, but even greater an experience was meeting two real breathing artists. Daniel Kelly and Tara Sabharwal were artists from very different fields in art, Daniel being a musician and Tara being a painter, however they both shared very active and high energy lifestyles. The number of experiences both have had being of their passion is innumerable. It’s one thing to read a book, but another to see and hear firsthand about the true life of an artist in modern day.
Does it make me want to become one? No but that is because I do not have that passion they both had said that you need to really make a living out of art. I have also found reason more reason to pay more tribute to artists, as Daniel Kelly influences the lives of many of the locals he encounters on his travels. In fact this class has introduced me to many great modern artists that have made me more appreciative of their work. Although I did not very much enjoy some of Sabharwal’s actual, it was amazing to hear about all of the different places in the world she travelled to and how each area shaped her use of different supplies in drawing.
Another thing I had drawn from both artists was that once you delve into something, you realize how much more there is to learn. Although I am going into a profession that is not in any way related to art, I can take this thought and apply it to my own academic and professional life.
The Purpose of Art
One day I was simply questioning myself “If art is supposed to convey a message, then why does it not simply state the message?” I continued to ask myself this question and thought even about the occupation I have chosen to pursue, engineering. An engineer tries to convey what he is trying to say in a very precise and efficient manner whereas an artist would try to convey what he is trying to say using very abstract drawings, or photos and force the onlooker to take a more active role in determining the message of the creator. I kept pondering why artists would take this route in sending their message when a lot of it gets “lost in translation.”
As I continued to ask myself this, I though of a possible solution. There is a difference between stating a message and implying a message. By simply stating facts and percentages and a concrete sentence, what kind of emotional response can you really trigger in an individual that reads your work? Little to none. From an artist however, if you convey your message through characters on a stage, or melodies, or splashes of paint on a canvas, you allow an individual to become more attached to the work. They get a sense of the message but the message is not any longer just a message, it is known to the audience by the emotions invoked upon them.
Then I came to another conclusion. Although artists tend to try to deliver a message; it can tend to be a broad and general message. Through art, the overall message one person takes can be different than another. Although they can see and feel the general underlying message, their own individuality shapes the overall message they receive. With a clear and concise statement there is no room for this flexibility. The individuality of the individual is lost because they are no longer using their own beings to translate the message into their own thoughts.
I am sure there are other reasons why artists choose to convey their messages in the way that they do. Respond with your theories.
Charles Mingus
When I had played in Jazz Band at my school I had encountered numerous Jazz musicians and styles, and no one had stood out as much as Charles Mingus. His music is very upbeat and chaotic. Check out some of his songs here (We played the latter two in class):
Cookies!
I am bringing in some cookies tomorrow for everyone! They’re sugar cookies with a trace of cinnamon. Despite my bowl, you can obviously tell it is not pasta.
Ingredients:
Flour, Sugar, salt, butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and eggs. They do not contain nuts so if you’re not allergic I hope you enjoy.
The Hotel Chelsea
Reading about the Hotel Chelsea in “Just Kids” is just so overwhelming. On almost every page there is a new major person referenced and being someone born to parents that were once part of 60s culture almost all of the musicians sound very familiar. Although I cannot put names to songs I know I enjoyed a lot of the songs of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Janis Joplin in particular. Seeing these names repeated, I could not help but listen to their music in the background as I continued to read. Although I am just about free of these past musicians, as I am now enthralled with modern pop music and alternative rock, seeing these names and listening to their songs and brought back memories of long road trips as my parents listened to the Vinyl Classics station on Sirius XM.
I remember one class in which I said I am happy I chose not to be an artist because of the harsh life they live and now reading throughout this chapter I have to slightly recant my haste conclusion. Although I still cannot imagine having to live with such a lack of financial security, I think it would be amazing to be able to surround myself with these very notable and famous artists and musicians. It is a very diverse group of people and I remember Smith saying how it is as if the entire hotel held many universes as in each room there was just a whole different type of person. As a developing artist she also says how many of these people had influenced her and in living in such a place, I guess you would not be able to help but be influenced by every artist around you. I can’t imagine how interesting it would be to be surrounded by all of these artists everyday.
Like I said my parents were alive during this time and they were very into this type of music that was being made but they had never told me about the Hotel Chelsea and so it had been very interesting to learn about it by reading it from a artist’s perspective. If you had not been able to influence this type of music I really recommend these songs:
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?
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!
Thinking Back to Week 1
If you think back all the way to week one of classes I remember the huge discussion on chefs and bakers being artists. Quite honestly I still feel that they should deserve this title and I feel that Majakaur’s post who can create art somewhat helps support why. In his post he mentions that “only those who are artistically skilled enough to incur change, cause disruption, or gain precedence (politically, socially or even economically) can create influential art.” If you think about some of the greatest works of art they are all able to invoke great emotions through the combination of sensory stimuli. Exquisite food products do just this, they invoke great smells, tastes, sights, feelings, and even sounds. Just look at the picture attached. These pastries have an amazing bright color and I am sure also can invoke great smells and other stimuli. Those that create these products have to hone a lot of skills and must have great precision especially in baking. The skills necessary in baking and cooking must be at least comparable to the skills required to drawing a great work of art. Also the chefs and bakers that are most able to hone their skills are able to gain precedence over others as they get hired by more prestigious restaurants or bakeries. For instance just look at Hell’s kitchen or any other shows about different amateur cooks, and then compare their cooking to that of professionals. In this disparity of skill set and the creations that are being produced these people should all be considered artists. As a baker myself I am personally attached to this idea and would love to hear feedback from anyone else on whether or not chefs and bakers should be considered artists. 
By the way, I really do intend on bringing in cookies to Monday’s class if Professor Drabik allows!
And finally on another note, there was a major shift in culture after tea and coffee started to gain popularity throughout Europe and the Middle East. I remembered learning this years ago in global history about how this adoption of drinks actually had larger impacts than one might think. Usually people of all classes would have met, consuming alcohol which as many know can cloud judgement. After the introduction of tea and coffee many people of upper classes began meeting in local tea and coffee houses, and with the lack of intoxication they discussed many important political, social and philosophical topics. The influence of these houses was considered to be a large factor in the start of the Enlightenment.
Check out this link: http://www.stephenhicks.org/2010/01/18/coffee-and-the-enlightenment/
Carnegie Hall: The Power Behind Music
Being a former trumpet player, I found much of the first piece of music rather boring. It just lacked the brass sound that I love. The second and third pieces fully brought out the crisp brass sound and even highlighted the strength of the sound. I recall one of the best parts of playing any piece is to be able to gradually play louder and louder, allowing the music to grow in intensity and fill up a room. It invigorates you with power and makes you feel unstoppable. Although I no longer play, the pieces brought back the memories of the days I played.
Another thing I had noted was the immensity of the chorus. We had once talked about the ability of the human voice to completely fill the room when we had gone to the opera, but the chorus at Carnegie composed of at least 50 different people was deafening loud. There is such great power to the human voice. It was clearly the dominating sound throughout the final piece (of course the translations also made the song paint a clearer picture of what the song is showing). It might just be my youth drawing me to the loudness of the brass and chorus but I usually always associate loudness with power (sometimes jubilee and celebration) in a piece of music.
I had also found it very interesting that one of the pieces we had heard was at one point lost for 200 years and was found only days before the composer’s works were being collected to be made into a book. Coincidence or not?
Philippe Petit: The Human Definition of Dream
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
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
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.
The Charging Bull
The Charging Bull, positioned at Broadway and Morris Street, by Bowling Green has a very strange and interesting history. The sculpture created by Arturo Di Modica is only one of many of this man’s great works. An immigrant from Sicily, Di Modica, has always been fascinated with the art of sculpture. Even from a young age his work has been well known locally. He had attended the Academia Del Nudo Libero for only two years before he opened up his own studio in Florence, Italy. In Florence he mainly did work with bronze and other metals however he sometimes also used marble in his works. After 12 years of living and working in Italy he moved to NYC and opened up a new studio in SoHo. Di Modica was just as acclaimed in NYC as he was back in Italy, thanks largely to his marble sculptures at Rockefeller Center. It was not until 1989 did he complete one of his most recognizable pieces though, the Charging Bull.
The Charging Bull weighted 7000 pounds and took Di Modica two years to complete. In order to place it where he had wanted it, which violated city permits, Di Modica and colleagues staked out the area in front of the NYSE on the night of December 14th to find the interval of time between different police patrols. He and his colleagues returned the next night with the bull to place it however found that a Christmas tree was set up in the exact location he had wanted to leave the bull. With his path obstructed, Di Modica had left the massive 2.5 ton bull under the Christmas tree for all of the world to see and instantly overnight the bull had reached great acclaim. Although the bull was quickly removed under the authority of the NYSE the bull had found a new home where it is now by the Parks Commissioner Henry Stern.
Like many of Di Modica’s works the Charging Bull had been made with a great attention to detail. Although many pieces of art are usually used to show a static image, Di Modica’s works are created in very dynamic states. In his “Charging Bull” the bull is in a stance ready to charge forward. Also like many of Di Modica’s other works, the “Charging Bull” is thought to bring good luck, prosperity and success. Due to its initial location, the Charging Bull could have been very symbolic of the coming prosperity of the economy since the bull in itself is symbolic of an upward trending progression (bull market).
When visiting the “Charging Bull” there were always tourists swarming around it, taking pictures with it and posing in many different ways. Many do it to find this good luck that the “Charging Bull” is supposed to bring while others do it because they find it fun to pose cupping the massive scrotum of the bull. Either way the Charging Bull is very iconic of the city and attracts the attention of millions of tourists. In fact the sculpture is so popular, the NYPD always keeps officers near it because of the sheer number of people that surround the bull. If you want to see the bull but do not want to make it into a tedious commute you can watch it livestream through this link, but nothing compares to seeing it in person!
http://chargingbull.com/video.html
-Kevin Call, Adrian Horczak
“The Americans”
As the polar opposite of an avid photographer I can not possibly truly appreciate the work of Robert Frank in his work “The Americans.” However, I can truly equate his reaching for his goal much like the way Philippe Petit pursued his. Of course Frank’s work was much less dangerous, but it still showed his great commitment to his work.
He was very influenced by his origins in Europe. Growing up under in Europe during the time of Naziism, he experienced oppression from the government. Luckily his art was able to provide him some comfort and when he traveled to America he was hoping to experience the freedom the United States promises to any prospective immigrant. When he got here however he was shown a different side of the United States that many citizens were not able to see because essentially their eyes grew blind to it. There still was a lot of oppression just not on all, but some. Racism, classism, and sexism were rampant, and his work “The Americans” had shown this and displayed America in this light. It makes sense why there was an uproar of this title. It was bold, and painted the world’s newest growing superpower in a negative light, somewhat jeopardizing its credibility on an international scale. This much like the opera reflects the power and influence of a piece of art on politics and society.
Opera: An Unexpected Joy
Upon looking over the page, I noticed that a post I thought I had made had not posted and so now, weeks after the performance here I am discussing my take on the performance.
Going into the opera I did not believe my experience would be any better than my first with this kind of performance. During my first experience, I was incredibly bored. The subtitles were displayed above the stage which made it very hard to watch what was going on on the set while reading the translations. It made it very hard to keep up with the plot of the play and there were not many jokes and one-liners thrown into the opera to make it even remotely funny.
This first experience put a cloud over me, and prevented me from really appreciating this art. My new experience at the Metropolitan Opera House broke me free of that cloud and fog. Even in the opening scenes of the performance I was baffled by the ingenuity of the set. The way it was able to rotate to provide a dynamic set was a true incredible feat of engineering. This was the first thing that had captivated me, of course the music playing was quite lively and performed with no signs of mistakes, but as a prospective engineer I must put the technology of the art above the art itself. Another piece of tech that I found that made the experience more enjoyable was the personal subtitles playing before me. They allowed me to quickly jump between the words and the action on the stage in a way much better than at my previous excursion to the opera.
Besides the tech used, I had also thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the play. Although at first it was a little confusing, the characters’ lives were all carefully interwoven in a way that would cause massive confusion and misunderstandings. As an audience, we can only laugh at all the misunderstandings and confusion on stage but understanding the play as a whole and seeing where it originates and the inspiration of the play you can appreciate it in a more fulfilling way. In class I was surprised learning that the play was essentially an insult to the estate lords of Spain. It just goes to show that even a work of culture, a form an entertainment, can have large political and socially driven motives.
-Kevin Call
The City in the Clouds
For my NYC snapshot I took a picture of the city as I was leaving for the day to return to Staten Island. Every time I take the ferry to come to Manhattan I watch as the buildings grow out of the ground, and poke deep into the sky. It is an experience that can never get old. I wish the day we had to take the pictures had better weather to better depict the feelings created by the sight of the skyscrapers. The way the background influences the overall mood of a photograph is astounding. The grey sky and dull colors in this particular one establish a sense of dread that I never experience on my travel across the water. Instead, I usually feel empowered, ready to take action and accomplish great things. That’s the power the city can have on people. It can fill them with dreams and hopes for the future, but maybe the grayness of this background and the exiting of the city could represent the dismissal of those same dreams and their crumbling to dust. 
Kevin Call- Introduction
Hi fellow Macaulay students! I am Kevin Call which I am sure you can tell from the title of my post. I am, what I call, a Euro-mutt, as in I hail from many different ethnic origins in Europe. This includes German, French, Spanish, Scottish, British, Dutch and Irish. Most of my composition however is Italian from my mom’s side of the family. My mother is a second generation born Italian-American whose grandparents had come to this country in hopes of better opportunities. My dad’s origins are a little harder to track. From research on ancestry.com my father and I were able to trace some of my lineage back to the Mayflower. Later on, we were able to find the origins of our Call surname coming from Ireland during the colonial times. Over the years of my family’s existence in the country we had done service in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War II. As a citizen of New York City, I am a good representation of the melting pot the city truly is.
I now currently reside at the Towers of CCNY which brings me closer to the part of NYC most people actually consider “The City,” Manhattan. For most of my life however, I have lived in Staten Island, which used (and sometimes still is) to be known as the dump of the city. Although it does not have as much to offer as some of the other boroughs I can easily say that it is great to live there. You are out of the overall chaos and noise of Manhattan, but have easy access to it. Plus in a few years we will boast the world’s largest Ferris Wheel!
Now that I have talked about where I have come from, I guess I should proceed with where I want to be. Throughout all my life I have had many different interests. Currently I am a Biomedical Engineering major however this one major does not encompass all of the things I thoroughly enjoy, which don’t get me wrong, I love all of the sciences, however I also love learning about personal finance and history. Personal finance is probably my largest interest group outside of the life sciences and engineering. I am currently an investor in the stock market and I do place that occasional option trade to reduce the cost-average of my stock investments. I understand many of the fundamentals and ways of making money in the financial markets but am starting to indulge in different techniques of trading. Besides investing in stocks, I also foresee owning a small business in the besides having just a job to depend on.
Now when it comes to music, I am also very diverse. I love listening to just about any style of music, my favorite being modern alternative (which still encompasses a lot of different groups). Right now a song I am very into is Take me to Church by Hozier. This song struck me as being very different to what I normally would listen to. It conveys a deeper meaning however which I found after my curiosity had brought me to look into it. Check the song out and see if you can come up with what I had found out about it!.
And now that I am finished going on about myself, I look forward to reading about all of you!
