Zero was a project begun in the aftermath of World War II by artists Otto Piene and and Heinz Mack, later to be joined by several other artists who shared the same mindset and ideals. Their goals throughout this time were to reinvent art as it was at the time. Walking up the spiraling structure of the Guggenheim, each level with its own title and theme, I noticed a lot of similarities in the pieces such as minimalism, bright colors, recycled materials, and clever use of light and motors. It all conveyed the ideals of the original members of Zero which was to begin anew and start from scratch so to speak in the aftermath of WWII. Much of the exhibition paired with the ideals of the artists actually mirror the world at the time; the each country involved in the war was piecing together and rebuilding their structures and even the physical aspects of their land which was left destroyed in the wake of the all encompassing war. The simplistic or minimalistic art was a reminder of the simple beauty in the world and a refreshing break from the complexity of war. Furthermore, by using destructive methods such as burning and slashing and industrial materials which were in some ways reminiscent of war the artists show people that destruction can be transformed and beauty can be created.
Sebastiao Salgado’s exhibition Genesis was another project which had a greater purpose and strong message. Each of Salagado’s photographic endeavors for Genesis were deliberately chosen to portray the natural, pure, and untouched beauty left on Earth as well as the distant cultures which embrace these rare, raw areas of the world. Much of today’s society has become distanced from the natural world, especially living in such an industrialized and modern society such as New York one can sometimes forget about nature’s beauty and what we modern generations are doing to the planet. When looking at the heavily forested jungles and profound depths of the canyons one realizes the extensive amount of time that had to have past for these forms to have been created and it can be horrifying to believe that humans can be such a quickly destructive force to these natural phenomena. Salagado truly draws attention to the fine details in each photograph with the lack of color by allowing viewers to put all of their focus into the content of each image in addition to the lighting and point of view . The name Genesis is a very suiting name in my opinion. Genesis, meaning the beginning of something or the roots, greatly reflects on what Salgado is trying to express and accomplish with this collection. The collection is not only a reminder of the natural beauty from which the earth roots its origins, before humans transformed the planet, but it is also the possible beginning of a movement to preserve and restore the planet.
Young Jean Lee’s “Straight White Men” was a very powerful social commentary and even from the beginning vulgar music which served as a first impression of the play, each deliberate detail she put into helped carry her message. It began comical and casual with the brothers simply catching up and goofing around, but by the end the issue of privilege and what it means to be a straight white man in today’s society truly means. As the men begin to play the game “Privilege” which ends up being the overshadowing topic of the play. Lee tackles topics which can at times make society uncomfortable to debate such as racism, sexism, gender-inequality, sexual orientation, class, and financial status. The final scene with the elder brother alone, conflicted over his decision and urge to earn his way in this world and not abuse his privilege or take it for granted in comparison to what his brothers’ use of their privilege left me with a question; is it worse to take advantage of the privilege which you are born into or ungrateful not to utilize these privileges to your full advantage?
