“Ugh, I can’t believe I’m running late on my first official Macaulay event for school!”, was the only thing that was going through my mind as I hurried through the busy streets of 5th Avenue that Friday evening. I suddenly found myself wishing for the skill of teleportation so I could magically appear on the roof of the MET, viewing the much anticipated Anthony Caro exhibit with the rest of my class instead. Having lived in New York City my whole life, I am quite embarrassed to confess that I have never set foot in the world renowned museum. Therefore, I was really excited for the opportunity to finally learn about historical art and see its aesthetic sculptures and paintings (free of charge!). And hey, if this Anthony Caro exhibit was recommended by Macaulay, it’s bound to be pretty amazing right?
Absolutely not. Compared to the gorgeous collections of art inside the museum, the weirdly shaped structures that were sprinkled across the rooftop of the MET seemed completely out of place. As I stepped through the door of the rooftop, I quickly took in my surroundings: a large group of well dressed people scattered about, an unbelievably mesmerizing view of the Manhattan skyline, a bar well equipped with alcohol, several stoic security guar-….wait…a bar??? I may not have a great deal of experience with museums and abstract art, but I am pretty sure art is intended to be appreciated without the help of intoxicators. Immediately, I was thrown off and a bit confused by the setting of the exhibit. Nevertheless, I strolled around the rooftop, trying to make sense of the monstrous “works of art” Anthony Caro had created. Honestly, I had not a clue what I was looking at. I shot one of my classmates a confused look, to which she replied with a “I have no idea either” shrug.
I did not get much out of the Anthony Caro exhibit. I felt that there should have been a brief description for each sculpture. Without it, I was completely lost. I tried taking notes but I literally had no idea what Anthony Caro was trying to convey through these mysterious pieces. To me, they just looked like heavy pieces of well painted metal randomly welded together. They would have served more purpose had they been placed in a children’s playground; it looked kind of fun to climb and play on. I found the setting of the exhibit much more interesting than the exhibit itself. I was completely distracted by the beautiful sunset and skyscrapers and ended up snapping more pictures of the scenery instead.
After seeing all the structures (which didn’t take long), I started to focus on the people around me. I noticed that most of them were very well dressed. I could tell they were quite wealthy by seeing the ridiculously overpriced alcohol they were holding. What struck me most was how very few of them were actually paying any attention to the exhibit. Most of them seemed more interested in their private conversations. As seen in the picture below, not one person in the background is looking at the art. Why would one choose to attend one of the greatest museums in the world just to socialize?
Overall, the Anthony Caro exhibit did not meet my expectations. Sadly, I was more amused by the people and setting of the exhibit. Although I do not understand Anthony Caro’s way of expressing his creativity, I believe his art sends a powerful message to those who are able to appreciate it. How else could he have gotten the incredible honor of having his work displayed on the coveted rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
