Author Archives: Alex

Art in Times Square

We have all seen the performances in subways stations. Whether or not we want to, we just can’t help but at least glance at the performers or pay attention to the performance for a minute. Sometimes you will find it to be a nuisance, but other times, you will be fascinated.

A few weeks ago, I witnessed a performer in the Times Square train station. I honestly do not know what type of music or instruments he was playing, but it was captivating. It is a unique sound you don’t hear anywhere else. It’s somewhat energetic and sure to keep you awake. It sounds like a foreign dance song or a song at a festival. One thing I noticed was that almost everyone who walked by stopped for a few seconds just to stare. IT seemed to brighten up some of the people’s days. This music is certainly something worth listening to and trying to figure out its origins. However, it wasn’t only the music that caught my attention though.

His choice of location was almost perfect. He was surrounded by several works of art. One work behind him seemed to show normal New Yorkers walking by. Many seem slightly rushed. Some of the people in the artwork look as if they were also watching him perform. The picture on the wall seemed to mimic the people in real life, rushing to go somewhere but still sopping to stare at the man and his performance. In the wall across from him, there is a work depicting the recording of some sort of show. They are entering the subway station in this picture. One idea we can gather from this image is that there are shows worth seeing and recording in the subway stations, such as this. It might have been the music or it could have been the pictures, but these two combined certainly caught my eye. I wonder if the man thought about his location in terms of his surroundings before setting his act up.

It’s interesting to me that we can see art in New York City in real life, while also standing in front of something depicting the arts in New York City.

What do you think about subway performances, or this performance and his location? Do you think it was on purpose?

Times Square Performance
Art work in Times Square

Art work in Times Square

It’s Cool on the Internet, but Amazing in Person

We all see cool things people have done, on the internet. We never can be sure who did it, if it is credible, where to find it, or if it is even possible. In particular, I am talking about works of art made out of post-its. I did believe it was possible, but I never saw it in person. Whenever I see a photo of one, I wish I could actually see it in person because it just seems so awesome. My wish came true this past weekend. Near Brooklyn Bridge Park, I saw an image of Pac-Man made out of post-its.

It's Pac-Man!

It’s Pac-Man!

The fact that it is looks exactly the same as something you would find on the internet just makes the act of seeing it much better. Seeing something like this on the internet will not be enough anymore now that I know I saw something like this in person.

Is there a meaning behind this masterpiece? Likely not, but we can probably assume that someone in this office is a Pac-Man fan!

Do you ever see things on the internet you just want to see in real life?

Even the Smallest Works of Art can have a Purpose

While walking around in Downtown Brooklyn, I came across this interesting work wrapped around a tree. At first, I thought it was just something made out of legos, but it was so interesting that I gave it a closer inspection. After a couple of minutes, I realized it is more than just something built out of legos and wrapped around a tree! Do you see it? There’s a message. It takes a while to decode.

Can you decode the message?

Can you decode the message?

Perhaps it was built as just a joke, but maybe it wasn’t. Regardless, the message is pretty funny and it is something everyone should consider. “PEE N DIE,” is what the artist wants to tell you. Pee on the tree and you will die. What can we gather from this? People and animals should consider the well being of trees. Try and not harm them with acidic fluids. Passing art like this is easy to ignore. It is always an accomplishment when you actually stop and notice something like this. If you ever see something that seems out of place, take a minute and decode it! Any piece of art can having meaning such as this one.

Visions of Different Artists

When we went to Pace Galleries, you may have noticed Irving Penn’s Lipstick photograph.

Irving Penn Lipstick Photograph

Irving Penn Lipstick Photograph

I thought it was coincidental for us to see a photo about lipstick after Greg Broom showed us a photo about lipstick. Greg Broom explained that the background of his photograph shows the different colors of the lipstick. He could have also put it on someone’s lip as Penn did. However, he put it on paper. Perhaps Penn wasn’t showing the colors of lipstick but it certainly is one thing he does show.

Seeing photographs of two different photographers helps show how different visions of artists can be. Seeing all the different ideas to show the same thing is just one of the reasons to appreciate and explore art.

How would you go about showing different colors of lipstick?

Brooklyn College’s Conservatory Orchestra 9/28/13 Performance

I learned to play the violin when I was in the third grade. Ever since, I was fond of music and always enjoyed playing an instrument, but over time, I just could not find the time to do so. I managed to play in my school orchestra all the way through high school but I gradually became less and less skillful and decided to stop in college. However, I still enjoy watching a live orchestra and listen to the production-free music.

On Saturday night (September 28th), that’s exactly what I did. I took a bus down to Brooklyn College and watched the school’s Conservatory Orchestra perform. George Rothman, a man with an extraordinary list of credentials, conducted the orchestra. This performance did not disappoint. The lighting in the auditorium was perfect. Performers were dressed very well and the set up was flawless; making the stage look angelic. After watching many high school performances, this just seems ten times fancier. The music was great and the conductor was full of energy. At times, the movements of the conductor was actually more interesting than the orchestra.

They started off by playing Vltava by Smetana. While listening to this song, I felt like I was watching a very happy romance movie. Perhaps there was about to be a wedding. According to the program notes, “Smetana uses tone painting throughout the piece, a technique that is meant to evoke the sounds of the river.” I can easily imagine a river flowing from this song. This was performed flawlessly and definitely kept you on your toes. When the song was meant to be soft, they could barely be heard. When they were supposed to be loud, they made sure you heard!

Next, they played Fatum by Tchaikovsky. Unfortunately, the version played is a version reconstructed from surviving parts. The original was actually burned by Tchaikovsky himself because his mentor harshly criticized the work. It was only performed once in his lifetime, but many times after. This song was more exciting. It begins with a more scary movie feel. Imagine Jaws, but played in a fancy way. A few times during the song, I almost applauded because it was a great performance and the performers stopped. If only I knew that was part of the song. The song continues to be fast paced, sounding more and more like a car chase. It is enough to keep people awake so they have enough energy to listen to their last piece.

Their last song was actually Symphony No. 1 in C Major by Beethoven. The setup of the stage was changed for this to reflect the setup Beethoven used when he performed it. Half the orchestra left and the violins and cellos shifted around. The audience was warned that some parts of this song was going to be played in the “wrong” key. It was the genius of Beethoven and made the piece more interesting. I started by listening and waiting to hear that wrong key, mostly to test my musical abilities. I ended up being hypnotized and forgot to even listen for the key change. This song was a mix of excitement and happy, so it was a great song to tie up the performance.

This is certainly an orchestra to see.

Brooklyn College Conservatory Orchestra

Brooklyn College Conservatory Orchestra

Installation by Rabih Mroué at ICP

While roaming around the International Center for Photography, you must have caught a glimpse of the Installation by Rabih Mroué. The first thing you will think of is that the room is dark. Indeed, it is quite dark! The room is only dimly lit by a video of Mroue speaking, projected onto the wall at the front. At first glance, you would think it was just like any other dark room in the museum. However, upon entering, you are greeted warmly with a pixelated photograph of a man… pointing a gun straight at you. As you look around, you will see similar pixelated photographs, some of men carrying guns and some of children. All of these photos are titled “Blow Up,” with a different number attached.

This was by far my scariest encounter with a two-dimensional gun. When I watch movies that involve gun violence, I always know that no one is actually shot, or if someone did, I do not have any knowledge about it. Despite the fact I am not a fan of violence, I am typically just entertained by the scenes, as the produces intended to do. In this room though, I know the guns aren’t just used as props. They are meant to cause harm. These photos were taken by Syrian activists during the country’s civil war. Many of them were taken by mobile phone cameras. They took these photos and shared them on the internet with social networking sites to show the world what the Syrian media can not. It is said that one of the men in the installation shot his photographer.

Mroué did an amazing job at bringing this installation to life. Every aspect made me think or feel some sort of emotion. First, the dark room made it eerie and mysterious. Then, the first photo I see upon entering is just a shock. How many times in your life do you see a photo of someone pointing a gun directly at you as the first thing you see when you enter a room? After I enter and look around, I see blurry pictures. They may be low quality, but the messages were clear. The children, the murderers, the soldiers; I could see the fear, anger, and envisioned the violence. I could see the chaos. I felt fear just looking at the guns surrounding me. If I feel this way by simply looking at photographs, I can not begin to even imagine the fear that the activists felt. They were there right in front of the gun barrel, about to be and many times shot. It really makes me wonder, what it is like to be in Syria right now in the midst of their civil war? What gives these photographers the courage to go into such dangerous territory to record and photograph the events?

These pixelated photos answers many questions about Syria but leaves so many more to be answered. How did you feel after you saw Mroue’s installation?

Photo taken from: http://www.artexchange.org.uk/exhibition/rabih-mroue-the-pixelated-revolution

Photo taken from: http://www.artexchange.org.uk/exhibition/rabih-mroue-the-pixelated-revolution