The Art of Choosing

When Professor Drabik assigned this project for us to do, I expected that the project is going to be tough. I didn’t know anything about art, so I didn’t know how exactly I would be choosing what to see. It turns out that having no foundation might be actually an advantage. You can literally decide to go see anything, and it will all be a new experiences. Our group ended up going to three completely different art pieces: Becoming Robot at The Asia Society, “Straight White Men” at The Public Theatre, and Zero Tolerance at MoMA PS1.

The first place we went was Becoming Robot. Lucius actually recognized the name of the artist, Nam June Paik (1932-2006). I was expecting that the exhibit was going to be about robots, like the ones one would see on Star Wars or some sort of sci-fi movie. The first thing we saw was a robot that looked quite dilapidated. This robot, named K-456, was perhaps the only “real” robot that we saw there. Nam June Paik was a visionary, one who was greatly ahead of his time. His robot ideas combined to lead the path to modern-day video technology, which was what his exhibit was mostly dedicated to. In another part of the exhibit, there were a family of robots created by TVs, a father, a mother, and a baby. The different sized of the TVs clearly exemplified the growth in television history. There was also a part in the exhibit where there was a video camera that broke all the light coming in and made everything you see into blue, red, and green. We stood in front of it to see how we would be portrayed in those colors. One thing that was very surprising at the exhibition was how each part of the exhibit seemed very unrelated to another. For example, the first robot K-456 was completely different from the family of robots and the video camera. Nam June Paik’s art explored the different parts of video technology as well as the robotic sense of it, combining it into this Becoming Robot exhibition. It is actually quite cool to see Nam June Paik so advance of his time.

Taking a radical step in a different direction, the next thing we saw was the performance of “Straight White Men”. We chose this performance primarily because of the title, “Straight White Men”. Entering the theatre, the music was the first thing anyone would notice. The music was very vulgar, and with an audience that was primarily old and Caucasian, it didn’t seem to fit. Nevertheless, many people were quite into the music, and I thought that was actually pretty funny. The show begins with a very humorous and comical introduction, and it was quite enjoyable. However, the second half of the performance started to become serious and quite tensed. The play ended with a very abrupt ending, and I personally wasn’t a big fan of it. One thing that this play did portray very well was the idea of privilege. The father and the three sons gather to reconcile for Christmas and in the end got all tensed because of their perception of privilege, with the oldest son not accepting it and trying to disregard that fact. The two younger sons are indifferent and does nothing about it, just like the father. The concept of privilege was explained in terms of a modified version of Monopoly, which I thought was very cool. If I were to change the performance, I would’ve end the show in a more “happy ending”.

Zero Tolerance was my personal favorite. My friend from MICA (Maryland Institute College of Arts) recommended me to go to MoMA PS1, and our group didn’t decide what to see until we were there. We saw a total of three exhibits there, but Zero Tolerance was definitely the best. Zero Tolerance depicts the political turmoil and demonstrations for rights by citizens of different countries from the 1960s all the way to present time. The exhibit included posters by John Lennon and Yoko Ono against the Vietnam War, demonstration at a church in Moscow by Pussy Riot against Vladimir Putin, attempting to breathe air into Tiananmen Square to revive the dead, crashing a car into a tree in St. Petersburg, rap video by a group of Turks, etc. All these strive to show the ill in our society, and the “zero tolerance” citizens have for the world. Even at present many other political tensions in the world could be incorporated. Look at the Umbrella Revolution/Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong, the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, “Black Lives Matter” demonstration etc. Maybe some of the world’s leaders should take a journey to MoMA PS1 and reflect on themselves.

 

~Christopher Chong

Our group, Nabila, Sophia and Angelika, went to see ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow at the Guggenheim Museum, The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rocketts and Disgraced on Broadway. The three events are essentially completely different forms of art, related by their ability to express different elements of human nature in distinct manners. While I enjoyed tremendously the three events, it is that time of the year when one wishes to talk primarily Christmas, coincidently this is also my favorite time as a skier. The Christmas Spectacular was wonderful and even magical. We were very surprised to see a full house at Radio City because we went before Thanksgiving. We had great seats in the orchestra and thus, our interaction with the action going on the stage was very personal and perhaps even intimate. It is not often that one watches a Santa Claus running around before his eyes.

I believe that the Christmas Spectacular is already an intrinsic part of New York’s culture because it prepares the city for the Holiday season. The intent of the show is to entertain the audience, but also to sparkle some love, happiness and magic into the atmosphere. After the show, everyone felt incredibly elated. Sometimes one needs this kind of event to relax and accept the moment. Before the event we all had lots of college work, exams and worrying, but the show forced us to relax and enjoy.

The show highly emphasized the Rocketts and nearly every other number was a dance number. The Rocketts performed different dances ranging from ballet, to tap dancing and even some acrobatic movements. One of the most wonderful numbers was The Nutcracker ballet performance in which the dancers were dressed in oversized animal costumes from the story. Even though they had enormous costumes, they were still gracious ballet performers. This was a very humorous performance. In addition, Tchaikovsky’s accompaniment was great because even though there are no words, Tchaikovsky’s music speaks itself. The music conveys the story line. Further, the Rocketts performed to some very cliché, but charming, Christmas carols such as “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The outfits in each performance were stunning as well.

I also realized that the Rocketts perform three times a day, or perhaps even more when it is closer to the holidays. It must take lots of love for dance to be able to take on this profession. Their dances take months to coordinate so that the dancers can dance in unison. The line-leg kicking still amazes everyone because it is so incredibly hard to do with thirty dancers at the same time. Even though the Christmas Spectacular seems as if just another entertainment show, it takes a plethora of hard work from the dancers, musicians and costume designers.

Overall, I believe that the Christmas Spectacular is a wonderful production because it has the intent to bring happiness to the audience and it does so efficiently. It is a very carefree show that is suited for both adults and children. In fact, it brings adults back into their childhood where everything was magical and lighthearted. This show is a time travel to a different dimension, Santa-land, which leaves behind the troubles and the New York rush. I enjoyed this show because it presented all forms of art.

-Angelika Pokovba

The first art in the city was Memory Prints: The Story of Phillip Chen. This exhibition in the Museum of Chinese in America did not end as an experience, but as a change. I have been to museums throughout my life, and there were arts that caught my eyes, however, Phillip Chen, caught my heart. The most impressive method by Phillip Chen was his usage of mathematical symbols in art. It was impossible within my mind to use mathematics, a realm of exactness and universal answers, to incorporate in art, a realm of multiple interpretations and abstraction. What was considered “oil and water” in my perspective, Phillip mixed the two contrasting worlds and created a beautiful product. Phillip proved to me that anything or anyone can dive into the world of art and be a part of something better and something greater. Having the first experience of staring into an artwork in awe, a change was occurring within me. I was swimming in the mind-blowing effect created by his printings and embraced everything Phillip was offering. He induced both parts of the brain, the logical and the artistic, to create a simultaneous interpretation. Phillip is a master printmaker, he prints his paintings not on paper, but in the hearts of the viewers, permanent prints that cannot be erased, but remembered.

The entrance leading to Nam June Paik’s Becoming Robot was just a mere introduction to greatness of art. The presentation itself was different from the previous exhibitions. This unconventional protocol of entering individual rooms, in which each room containing different types of art, was like entering different worlds. Each room had its unique set of arts and had its unique gifts and tasteful fruits. For example, one room contained three cameras, each projecting different colors with different angles, with its image on the television, representing different perspectives and its effect on each other. Another room was filled with families of robots made out of television. The father figure was made with huge televisions, while on the other hand, the baby robot was made up of miniature televisions. In addition, another room presented a television with a reclining Buddha on top. On the television screen, was a naked lady lying down. Its juxtaposition was portrayed to criticize televisions’ detrimental effect on the erotic images that women emit through films and the media. I felt like an explorer trying to find the treasure that Nam June Paik buried within his artworks. I was trying to dig out the deep, yet simple message in each of his work. I was not searching for the gold of wealth, but the gold of enlightenment.

Straight White Men…this play still haunts me today. Starting from its mysterious introductory music, to the ambiguous and incomprehensive ending, the play was out of proportion in every aspect. The beginning of the play initialized the mood and built the setting of how the entire play will proceed as. Using only four characters, this play was able to capture the attention of the entire audience. Each character emitted distinct colors, by representing its distinct characters, and developing exclusive personality traits that held me captive for the entire show. These men displayed a certain life style in Christmas, setting the mood and the plot. Its perfect mixture of both comedy and drama resulted in several mood swings that drew me into their world. From the comical atmosphere in the beginning of the play, to the rising tension throughout the later part of the play, was just the right seasoning for the crowd to focus their attention. Using minimal props and a single setting, its product was a masterpiece. However, the ending was left to question. It was as if the play just stopped in the middle. As mentioned before, it was out of proportion in every element, and I loved the rollercoaster ride.

Henri Matisse’s exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, “The Cut-Outs,” was especially impressive to me as a testament to the human spirit. In the exhibit, a short video depicted how Matisse composed his cutout pieces. Despite his age, illness, and other limitations, Matisse managed to design extravagant works of art while guiding a partner in how to physically construct them. His work resonated with me because it stems from his sheer determination. Not only did he manage to overcome physical and spiritual obstacles, but also he thrived as an artist on an implausible scale. By the late 50s, his pieces were spanning entire walls and, in a few cases, entire rooms. It left me seriously considering the extent to which artists go in order to create. I was always led to believe that there is certain romanticism in sacrificing for your art. However, there is also a necessary persistence that, despite all odds, you will pour yourself into your work. After this exhibit of Matisse’s final projects, I now believe that this strength of will is what separates mediocre art from true masterpieces.

The political satire Tail!Spin! was performed at the Lynn Redgrave Theater and was much more lighthearted than the other shows we saw, while still being just as clever and eye opening. The genius of the performance comes in the script, entirely composed of quotes from disgraced politicians throughout our country. The actors easily manage to ridicule representatives such as Anthony Weiner, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, and Mark Foley all while using the politicians’ own speeches, tweets, text messages, and interviews. I often questioned what I was watching; the comedy was so jarring because the politicians did not need help in making themselves look like fools. The perfect juxtaposition of their promises to the public with what they say, tweet, and text while in private left me questioning whether all of our politicians are this disparate between their supposed policies and their actual beliefs. For the most part, I appreciated Tail!Spin! for its entertainment factor. However, the reason that it is so successful is because the portrayed representatives ultimately are the ones embarrassing themselves; Tail!Spin! only brought many of the discrepancies out into the open. This irresponsibility of our nation’s elected officials is troublesome to me, and forced me to wonder whether many others are just as careless or immoral as those featured in the show.

Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Disgraced, which was performed at the Lyceum Theater, opens up one of the most significant questions that can be discussed in our current society: to what extent are we truly an open and accepting culture? As the show specifically deals with Islamophobia in New York City, it presented ideas of underlying resentment toward Muslims and general xenophobia in one of the world’s most progressive societies. The performance particularly impacted me because of the more radical ideas that it brought to the stage, many of which are both anti-American and anti-Muslim. I left that night vastly disgusted with the characters’ frames of mind and could not imagine why someone would create a play to spread such viewpoints. However, the show left me thinking. I realize now that such radical ideas were included purposefully; they were not meant to be agreeable, but rather to present to the audience underlying issues in our own society and make us question our own beliefs and ideals. I loved Disgraced for more than just its depth of characters and enthralling storyline, but for the conversation it opened up which our society desperately needs to have.

Out of the two exhibitions that my group chose, I think that Zero: Countdown to Tomorrow at the Guggenheim was the most memorable of the two.

The building structure of the Guggenheim is amazing. I loved how the building was just one huge spiral with its main exhibition in the center while side exhibitions were in the small rooms on the side. Sadly, the art really didn’t match how awesome the building is.

The art was somewhat dreadful for me. I couldn’t make sense of most of it. Some artworks were just color on a canvas; it was a single shade of red, blue or yellow. I was speechless, not in awe but in confusion. I felt like a three-year-old could spill a can of paint on something and then have it submitted in as art. That was only the beginning.

The next section of the exhibition featured vibrations and movement. When I read the description of it all, I had high hopes thinking that the pieces of art would be better than the single-colored canvases. It wasn’t. Immediately after reading the description, a huge canvas loomed over me. This canvas had what looks like a sheet draped over it. the sheet had four rips in the middle as if a huge cat had slashed it. The piece description stated that this piece was supposed to be a play on 4-D. For some people the effect of a fourth dimension may have been there. Not for me. I just saw a sheet with four rips, put over a sheet. I started at it blankly thinking that it was absurd to consider this as something worthy enough to be put on display.

Although the Guggenheim was filled with confusion for the most part, I did actually understand and like a certain part from the Zero exhibition. I found the pieces that had a play on light to be ingenious. The section consisted of artwork where artists would cut out shapes on a sphere, box, or wheel made out of metal. Light would then have light shone on it or through it while the shape rotated. The patterns and shimmers that the light produced was just so elegant, especially Light Ballet by Otto Piene.

After going through it all I realized one thing. At times art is not supposed to be understood. When art cannot be understood, would it still be called art? Of course.

“To rebel or revolt against the status quo is in the very nature of an artist.”

-Uta Hagen, Respect for Acting

Respice, Adspice, Prospice. Throughout the year, we have encountered different forms of art. We started with the art of Szymborska, which commemorates the past, looking at the photograph. Then we took a journey to Vik Muniz’s Wasteland, which uses art as a mirror, reflecting what is around us. In order to complete the trinity, we now chose the art that looks ahead.

Nam June Paik was a 20th century artist who dreamt of the world yet to come. His ideas surpassed that of Google and Facebook by several decades; revolutionary by nature and absurd by context. Yet, the greatness of his artwork is not from the very fact that Paik was ahead of his time; the artist has included humanity in the artwork which many idealists have missed. When observed carefully, the robots are not only progressive but humanly progressive, embracing both the cultures of the past and the newly evolving technology. While the robots boast engineering complications, they also cherishes the human heritage, defining very well the boundary between the creation and the creator–to the point that no artwork on the exhibit can dare to exist without a father whose name is humanity. Perhaps the boy in the photograph, who innocently plays around with his artwork, was also burdened with the onus of being an artist.

In stark contrast, the play by Young Jean Lee. Straight White Men is not an artwork which looks decades ahead of time, but it is similar to Paik’s exhibit considering that the play pulls the society towards the world yet to come. Although it is tempting to think that the play is about some straight white men, the author makes it clear that she is not speaking only about the straight white men with the social “privileges.” If we think about the remark made to Matt, concerning how a white man can’t speak about civil rights, the author hints that the play is attacking the societal silencing in general, not just a specific race or ethnic group. The playwright is well known for writing plays about everyone and anyone, unlike the traditional American method of writing, which Ronald Knox very-explicitly explained in #5 of his 10 Commandments: “No Chinaman must figure in the story.” This is the story told by Lee, which tugs everyone towards the future unknown.

If Paik’s “Becoming Robot” is the manual for an experiment, and if Lee’s Straight White Men is the procedure to identify problem, the Zero Tolerance exhibit of MoMA PS1 shows the explosion of revolution: the embodiment of ideas and realization of what used to be merely dreams. If artists are revolutionary, can revolutions be art? Certainly, revolutions can take forms of art, as shown in the exhibit. Anger, despair, grudges, frustrations. These human feelings are portrayed in many different shapes– some violent, other peaceful, some noisy, other quiet. What matters is that these images and sounds are considered modern arts, and rightfully so; they connect the artist and the subject with us, the audiences. The Zero Tolerance exhibit does not complain about what used to be, or what is now happening; it shows various experiments in which change is about to happen.

Respice, Adspice, Prospice. Art is selection. It is a selection to seek, to find, to look, to think, to feel, to live and to be. With this baby step progress towards understanding what art is, we look back, look ahead, and look around.

The Art of Choosing Project had allowed me to explore three completely different art forms on my own accord.  To my surprise all of them had shared a common correlation with man’s primal self.  Genesis by Sebastiao Salgado, Zero Tolerance at MoMA PS1, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet all put on display mankind’s most basic self.

At Zero Tolerance, I encountered images of protest.  Men and women gathering in outcry over governments that dared to restrict their freedoms.  Through documentaries, photographs and drawings, mankind’s fundamental desire of freedom was shown to be at the mercy of the governments it has established.  Those that could not stand to have this most basic right taken from them took to the streets and voiced their grievances.  This sets the stage for the overall idea of Zero Tolerance, the eternal conflict of control and freedom.  This conflict is undoubtedly  never ending which explains the large scope of the collection on display, ranging from the latter half of the 20th century to the present day.

The works displayed at Genesis captured mankind’s most basic self through photos that reflect groups of peoples that live in primitive hunter-gathering communities.  Although the exhibit did not only cover man, but nature as well, you can learn much about our human condition through the photos of the different peoples all across the world that have “long escaped the long reach of today’s world.”  It is remarkable to see how easily man can live in harmony with nature and although the words “uncivilized” are usually used to describe these peoples, they can just as easily describe us as such.  It is our society and way of life that puts the most strain on the planet we live on.  Although these primitive tribes are few in numbers today, they are able to show mankind’s basic desire of community.  In our culture, we sometimes forget our connections to the communities we live in whether it be our own families, cities, or countries, but in these tribes and primitive bands of people, community is everything, because without community you are doomed to die.  Each person in these groups relies on each and every other member due to their way of life.

Finally in Complexions Contemporary Ballet, we also encounter this sense of community.  However, in this community conformity is encouraged.  The performance started with one man standing out in front of others. He was out of place and soon realized the others behind him.  He quickly gotten into his place on stage and danced with the others. The man originally in the front had looked confused before he eventually fell in-sync with the rest but despite this confusion he had joined in. It had made me question mob psychology in which people do things simply because others are doing them, even if they do not fully understand what it is that they are doing. What also added to the performance was the lack of clothing.   This partial nudity usually symbolizes vulnerability. The movements of the dancers were also very unnatural, as they were contorting their bodies in very jerky movements.  In the last dance of the night, in the music there was a lyric that stuck out to a member in our group: “If only fools are satisfied, [then] take my sanity away.” Now when reflecting upon this lyric I think this ties in completely to other observations. The lyric means that the only way to be satisfied is to be a fool, and it equates that having sanity makes you less of a fool. Sanity to me is mental health, being your own individual and being able to be one’s self. The man who had been sticking out at the beginning of the night gave away his sanity, he conformed to the rest of the group; he gave up his sanity in order to be satisfied.

ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s-60s at the Guggenheim Museum proved to be an interesting exhibition. The question of the night seemed to be, “Is this really art?” Upon seeing several of the pieces, it seems as though they were simple enough to be done by anybody. However, the exhibition included several videos that documented the difficult procedures and methods that the artists in the ZERO network used to create their work. One structure, made of a painted canvas marked with deep slashes, actually was created with a lot of precision, as the artist was shown smoothing and bending the slashes so as to make them appear a particular way. It made me realize that part of art could be making the audience feel as though they could be part of it and be the artists of it as well. I saw this in several pieces, especially in the “Vision in Motion – Motion in Vision” in which there is scrolling papers that list actions for the viewers to do in front of a mirror that will reflect their image as they do it. This is the overarching message of the ZERO exhibition that I received. As the world experienced destruction in the face of World War II, the artists in the ZERO network chose to reinvent what exactly art is and part of that is taking art to a level that is unconventional yet understandable as if belonging to the public to define art for that period of time.

Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes was a testament to how much technology has been incorporated into the arts. The technicians were able to create 3D snowflakes, 3D Christmas gifts, backdrops of New York City, product placements of sponspors, and an infinite amount of Santa Clauses. Also, a majority of songs and such were pre-recorded. A part of the art was the fashion of the Rockettes. Every outfit was incredibly detailed and added to the stories told in the show. The Rockettes were a thrilling part of the show, having wanted to see them for as long as I can remember. However, their frequent appearance on the stage in almost every single scene started to feel excessive after a point. It did increase my admiration for how hard they work though. The Radio City Music Hall itself did have an added feature that not many other theatres have: sales. There was loads of candy on the lower level of the Hall that would be a dream for any child to lay their eyes on. It does add to the sweetness of the experience. It made me think about how much I’d love to bring my younger cousins or my own children to the Hall one day, not really to experience theatrical arts but to get into the Christmas spirit and get amazement from all the things that advanced technology has made possibly.

Disgraced by Ayad Akthar at the Lyceum Theatre gave me by far the best experience before the break. Of all the theatre performances I have seen, it was the most realistic and modern play which made a difference. Much more of the dialogue was conversational which isn’t what I’m used to seeing on stage. At first, it appeared as though the acting quality was not so great. Eventually, as the play gets heavier and heavier, the acting seems to flow. This was one performance that did not seem to hold back one bit. Every shocking line and moment was delivered with a force. I decided to see the performance because Islamophobia in America has been a topic of much interest to me that I have not had the chance to look into and do not experience firsthand. By the end, I could really find myself relating the troubles within the Muslim American community to those experienced by Black Americans. The performance dealt with issues such as displacement, colonization, racism, and diaspora, using the perspectives of those outside and inside the community. It was a fantastic production leaving me with lots to talk and think about it. I appreciate art that makes me want to continue the conversation long after it’s over.