Author Archives: John Sorrentino

About John Sorrentino

I am a PhD candidate in French Literature at the CUNY Graduate Center. I currently work as an instructional technology fellow at the Macaulay Honors College of CUNY.

Posts by John Sorrentino

The New One by Aaron Gilbert

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Sam Genchikmakher Alan Shabatay Michael Gerber Angelika Pokovba Amira Fleyshmakher


Discussing this particular painting in the Brooklyn Museum had definitely changed our perspectives regarding art. Having a group conversation really enabled us to share our experiences and points of view, each of which was particularly unique and enlightening. All of our group members were able to realize that art in fact hides a much more profound meaning that sometimes could go unnoticed from a first glance. Once we spent a few minutes looking at the painting and analyzing its meaning, we were really able to understand its hidden significance and enjoy each others’ thoughts and perspectives.
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The Bowl

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Ye Eun Park, Sally Kim, Sara Rosado, Jasmine Medina, Sheena Pierre, Ester Kim


It was our first time at Brooklyn Museum and it was fascinating to see that Macaulay people were the only ones at the museum. We learned that art is about perspectives. In one of the artwork we looked at, our group had a disagreement on the gender of the person in the art. It was interesting that when we don’t have prior knowledge to the artwork, we can be so creative and different.
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Commentary on “Two Ivans and Oksana”

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Janice Lee, Anand Poonai, Joshua Pratt, Victoria Hsiao, Michael Woyevodsky


It was a very enriching and enlightening experience. We never have much experience with visiting museums so having the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Museum was great.
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Web of Life

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Madeleine Hayes Matthew Dreyer Monica Fining Erin Ajello Bahti Zakirov


Throughout this experience, our group connected with an aspect of humanity which was previously obscure to us. We found it challenging at first to talk about art, but we found our voice and did it.
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Pyramid Analysis, Night at the Museum

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Joe Ferretti, Brian Fox, Steve Gad, Brandon Lei


The night was very interesting and we were able to observe artwork and make friendships.
We learned that there are different definitions of art, depending on each person’s view, and that art can be almost anything.
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The Lonely Man

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Samantha Bergen, Jia Chen, Gabrielle Feliciano, Caitlin Fontana, Nicolette Guida, Tian Richards


It was an amazing experience that we shared. We were able to bond with people from other Macaulay campuses. This was the first time that we had all been in an Art Museum. We were surprised that we were able to have intelligent conversations about the art, having never done so in the past. We learned that art can have multiple different meanings and that each persons’ view of the same piece of art can be greatly varied.
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The Fallen Angel by Salvatore Albano

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Linda Collazo, Freda Iskhakova, Victoria Yagudayeva, Antonio Cerullo, Kirsten Baker, Artemis Katsikoumbas


The experience was enlightening for all of us, as our group was composed of avid museum go-ers and those with little experience in the visual arts.
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“Family Group” by Frederick R. Spencer

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Heba Shaaban, Megan Wong, Martin Tang, Yasmin Jarara, Aniqa Shah, Grace Ouyang, Kaitlyn Zhou


A wealthy family, probably of royal descent, is portrayed in a predominantly sanguine room. Their black and white attire is a stark contrast to the surrounding. The door is open, leading to a scenic view of a tree, a body of water and a mountain. Complimenting this theme of nature are roses crawling into the room from the window on the left.
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July 1956

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Caitlyn Darcy, Kristy Carlin, Ben Fernandez, Ryan Schulte, Ryan Lanzetta, Rowan Cruickshank


Art is a communal experience that requires diligence and attentive intellectualism. It does not demand attention, but if attention is duly given to it, a very rewarding experience shall be had by all.
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Night at the Museum – Memories by John White Alexander

Posted on September 20, 2014 by John Sorrentino

by: Lucius Seo, Manjekar Budhai, Hanna Rose, Robert Nelson, Phil Ye Chen, Christopher Lau


Despite the video making process being a stressful experience, we thoroughly enjoyed attending the museum and discussing the painting in detail. We learned that arts have something deeper to offer to everyone. Each person, however, interprets and realizes the artwork in different manners.
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Comments by John Sorrentino