Author Archives: brittany
Posts by brittany
Club 57
This exhibit was full of very interesting pieces of art. It was hard for me to pick just one that was my favorite. One piece that caught my eye was the Collage for Club 57 Calendars. Since it was one of the first few things that i saw when i walked in, it caught my attention. THere was so much going on I felt like I had to stand there to see what it was all about. The organization with a combination of
chaos really intrigued me. While there were so many things going on in such a small space, every picture or event name had it’s own place where it belonged. Some overlapped the lines between dates but that added to the chaos. Plus, the way the calendars were lined up so neatly made it all come together.The individual pictures on the calendar were interesting too. They ranged from skeleton hands to Tweety Bird, and swastikas to Betty Boop. It’s so interesting how they seem to have no relation but what they do have in common is club 57.
This piece fit in well with the exhibit as a whole because it all had a little bit of chaos involved in it. There were posters that had writing all over them, a cabinet with a drawing on it, and a room full of random objects and brightly colored paint that hurt my eyes to look at. Each piece had something chaotic about it but I think that’s what really described the time period – bright colors, random drawings, and little pictures of cartoon characters.
M. Butterfly
The production of M. Butterfly was unlike anything I’ve seen before. It most likely seemed so out of the ordinary since a few days before we had seen a classical opera in which the whole thing was sung in Italian. The sudden transition from an opera that made me want to sleep to a Broadway show that had me laughing constantly made M. Butterfly seem that much more interesting.
One aspect of the production that intrigued me was the set design. In the beginning of the show I was wondering how they would be able to create a variety of different settings with those gray panels but the changes surprised me. It was similar to the set design in Madame Butterfly in which they also had those sliding panels. The difference was the wallpaper and patterns shown, which made it very clear that they were in different locations. I wondered how much practice it took to bring out the right panel each time and how many of them there were backstage.
Another thing that I enjoyed was the acting – when Rene would break the fourth wall, it made me feel like I was a part of the piece and drew me in more. For example, when Rene and Song argued over whether or not to show the audience a particular moment, I felt like I was actually there watching someone telling a story instead of watching a show. While we were watching, I kept wondering how the actors felt when they were nude in front of an audience for the first time. Overall, the show was very intriguing and it pulled me in so much that I didn’t even realize that hours had passed when we left.
Second Visit to the Roosevelt Island Tram
View of part of the Queensboro Bridge and East River from the Tram
Upon our second visit to the tram, we took in more of the environment and how the commuters interacted with the aesthetics of the space as well as paid attention to the differences between the tram and other forms of transportation found in New York. When you arrive, there are the sounds of construction from the renovations being made to the platform but, once you’re on the tram itself, all of that seems to fade away. Because of the construction, the tram only runs every 15 minutes, but that didn’t seem to bother everyone patiently for it to arrive. Most of the other commuters were tourists which may have been due to the time of day we took it. When we got on the tram, we took photos and videos of the view (just like the rest of the commuters/tourists), the people inside of the tram, the Queensboro Bridge, and the tram leaving Roosevelt Island to use for our movie. We noticed some major differences between the two islands: as you exit and/or enter Manhattan and pass over 1st avenue, it is practically a parking lot but when you arrive to Roosevelt Island, there are hardly any cars (all I saw was one FedEx truck). We also noticed some differences in the environment on the islands – rather than having pavement virtually everywhere on Roosevelt Island, you’re greeted with a large patch of grass when you exit the tramway station. We also visited the Roosevelt Island subway station to compare it to the tramway as a form of transportation. In the subway station, although it is pretty clean, you have to go very far underground to get to it, making you feel cut off from the beauty of Roosevelt Island.
The Rosevelt Island Tramway
For my group’s iMovie project, we decided to visit the Roosevelt Island Tramway. Roosevelt Island is only 2 miles long and 800 feet wide at its widest point. Prior to this, the closest I have ever gotten to taking the tram was hearing about Kimmy and Dong’s experience on it on the show 
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt where they began screaming and causing mass hysteria once they realize it’s just one wire holding them all up. However, my experience was not like that. Rather than being worried about my safety, it was a very relaxing experience as I saw the world from a new perspective. It felt like I was watching a movie as the camera pans across the East River – a movie that only costed one metro card swipe to see. I never even considered going to the island because I didn’t think there was anything worth doing over there. I figured since I’d be so close to Manhattan then I might as well go all the way there. But the scenery on the tram ride was so beautiful that, in the future, I will probably go back even if it’s just to experience the tram ride again. It was so different than taking the subway or a bus, where you have absolutely no space (because people push themselves in even though there’s clearly no space) but that may have been because of the time of day I took it. It is a very practical way to get to Roosevelt Island without having to get frustrated by the subway.
Buried Child
I feel as though the 1996 production of Buried Child successfully captures the play by Shephard. It accurately portrays the characters and the tone of the play. Much of this was due to the actors. They captured their respective characters so well that I felt like I was watching a family discussion that I shouldn’t be a witness to – like when your friend’s parents begin yelling at them while you’re at their house and you want to be anywhere but there at that moment. They depicted the dark and uncomfortable quality of the household very well.
The first interaction we encounter, is a scream-off between Dodge and Hallie. Dodge’s gruff voice while yelling to Hallie in the other room shows how weak and vulnerable he is while the way spit flies out of his mouth while coughing makes his weakness and vulnerability much more realistic. The speed at which Tilden talks shows how he not only “wasted away” physically but mentally, too. Had the actor talked at a normal pace, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. Seeing the look on Vince’s face when his family fails to recognize him makes the situation feel even more uncomfortable than it was when I imagined his expression. The way he could appear so nonchalant while dangling his uncle’s wooden leg over his head. The script may have given them their lines but the way it was executed them and their interactions is what allowed the production to successfully portray the dark tone of Shephard’s play.
Pina Bausch’s “Cafe Müller” and “The Rite of Spring”
Pina Bausch’s pieces can only be described as unpredictable. However, it is this unpredictability that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats – both literally and figuratively. I constantly found myself leaning forward so I could take in the whole stage at once. It felt like if I focused on one part of the stage for too long I would miss something on the other side.The two pieces performed were unpredictable and somewhat chaotic, but in very different ways. While Cafe Müller’s set was chaotic, The Rite of Spring‘s actual choreography was unpredictable.
Both pieces used repetition but the effect it had on the audience was different. In Cafe Müller, there were chairs strewn across the stage, and the dancers were moving in an unsure way and there were many sudden changes in the quality of the movement like when they went from walking slowly across the stage to throwing themselves against a wall. The combination of these two aspects of the dance made me feel pretty uneasy. Meanwhile, in The Rite of Spring, there was organized chaos. The actual stage appeared hectic but upon closer examination, it’s clear that the dancers are all doing the same movements, just in different pathways and facings. One can tell that the choreography was specifically set to be that way because none of the dancers bumped into each other – their pathways were laid out and practiced until no one bumped into each other.
These differences affected the overall mood of the pieces, too. After Cafe Müller, I felt confused; I remember thinking to myself, “What just happened?” After The Rite of Spring, I was just as confused but I was also rattled and uncomfortable. The intensity of the choreography and the amount of movement going on at once gave a very eerie vibe. I felt challenged as an audience member because it was difficult to figure out the meaning and intention behind both pieces.
new vs. old
The High Line – which used to be a railroad for trains to carry goods to and from Manhattan’s largest industrial district – is now a space where many people go to stargaze, view art, or just go for a walk, that opened to the public in 2009. As you walk down the High Line alongside old, rusted tracks with new plants growing between the metal rails, you will notice the small, old, and vandalized buildings with cracked exteriors standing right next to tall, sleek, and modern skyscrapers that seem to go on forever. The juxtaposition between the tracks and the plants as well as the styles of the buildings makes one appreciate their surroundings. When you look at them side by side you will notice the things that makes each of them unique. A flower is beautiful when on its own but when it is placed next to an old block of metal, its beauty is multiplied. Likewise, when you are surrounded by buildings that have the same features you can appreciate their characteristics but not the same way you would appreciate a petite, graffiti covered building with a rainbow flag hanging from the balcony standing next to mirrored building. Or seeing the sunset through a tall wire fence covered in vines and listening to the cicadas as you walk down a cement pathway. Or passing by a large patch of grass with a large statue of a winged lion right in the center. There is a great deal of contrast between manmade and natural, young and old. Each spectacle gives its counterpart more personality and the combined personality of everything you see at High Line is what gives it its charm and makes it the perfect place to go when you want to just take in your surroundings.
Comments by brittany
"Youre right there was so much to look at it i felt liek I couldnt take it all in. I hadn't even thought of it as a game of hidden objects but it definitely was. In other posts, people were pointing out things that I didn't even see in the room. It actually gave me a bit of a headache my eyes wanted to look everywhere at once and I felt like I couldn't."
--( posted on Dec 5, 2017, commenting on the post
Club 57 )
"It's unfortunate that you. weren't able to document the site when it was full of people. If we had been doing this project during the summer or spring, I'm sure the interactions you noted would have been much different. However, it may be convenient that there weren't many people around since you were able to take in the aesthetics of the space without all the congestion that would have been present on a warmer day."
--( posted on Nov 7, 2017, commenting on the post
Coney Island in November )
"This picture of the hotel is amazing. I've never actually been to there, just seen it in movies but after seeing this, I want to go. Your description sounds exactly like I imagine the hotel to be. It's such a great coincidence that there happened to be a masquerade ball on the day that you visited. That sounds like such a great thing to see and experience. Stepping into the hotel seems like it'd feel like stepping into a movie."
--( posted on Oct 24, 2017, commenting on the post
Extravagance and Luxury )
"You're right about the cycle of disconnect. It was bound to happen once they didn't recognize Vince. Had he just spent time there and been on his way, it wouldn't have happened. But the fact that they didn't recognize him until he was drunk and tearing through the screen of the porch, it probably felt like that's how he had to be in order to be recognized as a part of the family. Which led to him taking his place as the new Dodge."
--( posted on Oct 9, 2017, commenting on the post
Buried Child )
"It's funny that you mentioned a "dream-like insanity" because after Cafe Muller was done, I asked the people sitting next to me if it was about a mental institution. However, you're right about the different in reactions that they incited. After Cafe Muller, it felt like everyone was looking around or asking the people around them what was happening and after The Rite of Spring, they just seemed astonished by how strong powerful the choreography was."
--( posted on Sep 24, 2017, commenting on the post
The Form of Pina Bausch )
"I liked your analysis of the photo. I hadn't thought of how each person's thoughts and personal opinion adds to the aesthetic of the High Line. It's especially evident in this photo. If everyone were taking a picture of the same thing, it'd be more bland but you can see that everyone has a different opinion of what is artistic. Each person looking in a different direction to capture a picture of something that caught their eyes adds to the overall purpose of the High Line - It's a place to go experience your surroundings as an individual."
--( posted on Sep 11, 2017, commenting on the post
Photography Chain )
