Yesterday, I made my way into New York City to see Big Bambú: You Can’t, You Don’t, and You Won’t Stop. The exhibit is on display in The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden of The Metropolitan Museum of Art from April 27 to October 31. Its creators, Mike and Doug Starn, are twin brothers from New Jersey. They collaborate with rock climbers and other artists to continually construct the bamboo sculpture. To assemble, the team utilizes approximately 5,000 pieces of the plant that can measure up to 30 or 40 feet long. Each portion is held together by a piece of nylon rope, altogether measuring 50 miles. The structure’s foundation and walkways are all built in a wavelike shape that intends to accentuate the aesthetics of architecture. The constant rebirth of the art near the natural setting of Central Park gives the sculpture a living quality. The entire evolution will be available for viewing at the conclusion of the event.
Since I arrived before tickets were being sold, I explored my surroundings. The weather was cool but comfortable, so musicians were out performing under Central Park bridges while artists encouraged tourists to buy their works in the street. I moved on to observe other art in the Met, intending to excite myself for the final grand display that awaited me. There were rooms holding statues from ancient Greece and Rome, and others housing artifacts from Oceania. An exhibit of modern art was even showing a few works of Henri Matisse, such as “Laurette in a Green Robe, Black Background” and “The Young Sailor II.”
Finally, I was welcomed into a group of 15 people and we were off to hike through a magnificent maze of bamboo. The structure was enormous; according to the Starn brothers, it stands 50 feet high, 50 feet wide, and 100 feet long. I overheard mothers instructing their young children to not look down, but honestly, that was the best part. The interior walkways are about 20 to 40 feet above the Met’s Roof Garden, which offers an incredible view of Central Park and the rest of the surrounding city. Walking up so high on uneven grounds gave the impression of being on a wooden roller-coaster.
Our group was fortunate enough to even meet the Starn brothers! This made the artistic experience even more dynamic and interactive. The men had gentle faces, and seemed very down-to-earth. We had so many questions to ask, but they had to be on their way. Climbing over the structure’s pathways closed off to the public, they met with their team to relax, listen to classic rock, and discuss future plans.
I highly recommend you to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience, if you haven’t done so already! To find out more about the exhibit and how to attend, click here.
One ground-view of the monument.
I’m glad you were able to get tickets for the tour! It was sold out when I arrived, so I’m going back this Friday. I also went yesterday, but in the afternoon. The College Group at the Met was hosting an event that evening, which wasn’t particularly exciting. The music played was pretty good, though. I was excited when they played this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhjaGRhIYU
Here’s some of my photos from that day:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41891613@N07/sets/72157624940720212/
Nice photos! The Starn Brothers have created a wonderful work of art that also says something about the process of making art!
Thanks for all the information and insight on the exhibit! I plan on going tomorrow, I hope I’ll be able to have just as great of an experience! The pictures look astounding, and everything described just sounds so refreshing as a whole.
I finally climbed Big Bambú on the 18th, prior to enjoying a burger from Shake Shack (which was quite delectable)! I loved admiring the view while sitting in the “living room.” This is truly my dream treehouse. The Starn brothers and their team of rock climbers will continue to build more elevated paths until the last day of its exhibition, so I plan on visiting again in the middle of October.