I have always been a shoe fanatic, especially with sneakers. I actually have an array of collection in sneakers ranging from Jordans, Nikes, Bapes, etc. If I had more money, I would definitely expand my collection. I’m bringing up my interest because I stumbled upon a webpage that showed some really fascinating artworks that utilized the idea of a shoe or the actual sneaker. Here’s the website of all the works (Some of the pictures do not work if you click on it though).

There were a lot of different works to choose from, so I decided to write about one of them that really stood out to me. It was the one called “Walking Bike”, which used a group of sneakers as the wheels of the bike. There is even a video showing that the bike actually worked. I thought this was a very creative idea and after reading through all the articles, I also realized there were actually so many types of artworks that can incorporate shoes as the main object.

Walking Bike

It’s the incredible flying man! In his recently published collection Flying Pictures, photographer Daniel Gordon has revived the dying art of analog image-manipulation to create what just may be the most magically beautiful photos I have ever seen. And of course, by analog image manipulation I don’t mean Photoshop, or even Hollywood-style smoke and mirrors: to create these beautiful illusions of unaided human flight, Mr. Gordon uses nothing more than his own acrobatic prowess, an impressive tolerance for pain, and the camera’s natural ability to capture a frozen moment.

With an eye for settings and a talent for staying remarkably parallel to the horizon, Gordon is able to preserve through film his ephemeral victories over gravity. The images are sharp (without any blur or appearance of movement) and vibrant, with a noticeably extended depth of field, and a brief enough exposure to give the impression that he is indeed hovering in the air. No matter that he always crashes painfully to the ground seconds later, his pictures exemplify photography’s inherent relationship with fantasy and illusion. In a way, by showing us only a fraction of a second, photos are never less mythical than human flight in the reality of our forever changing world.

In all its vulnerable and wonderment-filled glory, Gordon’s Flying Pictures is pure photographic magic.

Check out more Flying Pictures HERE

I have always had an interest in architecture and was always amazed at how some of the structures in the world were built such as Beijing’s “Birdnest”, Dubai’s “Burj Al Arab”, Rem Koolhaas’ “Seattle Central Library”,

Rem Koolhaus' "Seattle Central Library" - Best Architecture Since 1980

and even Paris’ “Eiffel Tower”. Architecture is definitely a type of art that requires a great deal of creativity because the finalized product will be placed on a street that people will see EVERYDAY, while works such as canvas paintings may only be seen in galleries by a few.

My interest in architecture was suddenly sparked after reading an article on the upcoming opening of the 20-story, 76-unit condominium located on the Upper West Side, called the Laureate. This new building will carry the vibe of buildings from the prewar period such as the early 20th century. I think this is a very creative idea because it is “out with the new and in with the old”, which reminded me of how fashion works too since many times, the new trend seems to be a remix of how fashion trends popular years ago. But going back to the Laureate, the interior of the building possesses the feeling of the 20th century time period as well with the baseboards, herringbone wood floors, and layouts with long halls. The homes will include large energy efficient, sound attenuated windows, separate dining and lounging areas, over-sized bathrooms, and eat-in kitchens with custom-designed faucets and hardware. This luxurious condominium is located on the corner of 76th street and Broadway that will range from $1.7 million to $8.33 million for each apartment. I would definitely not mind spending even a day in one of these rooms.

This magnificent building is designed by SLCE Architects, one of the leading residential architecture firms with over sixty years of experience. Some of their other projects include “The Visionaire” in the Battery Park neighborhood and the “Metropolitan Tower” of Midtown Manhattan.

The Laureate

If anyone is interested, maybe we could form a small group and head on over to the Pace Gallery. I posted another blog about Thomas Nozkowski’s exhibition there about two weeks ago, and the scientific display I’m about to talk about here is also located at Pace Gallery. Of course, it’s not anything as riveting or exciting as a theater or dance performance, but I myself have always been more drawn to art exhibitions such as these. I’m just totally afraid that anyone who accompanies me will most certainly have a boring experience.

Moving on to the actual exhibition, photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto opened his display “The Day After” on November 6th. These photographs are his largest photos ever, and they took four years of RESEARCH to be perfected. Definitely not your average photo. He causes electrical sparks to emerge over the film’s surface so that it gives a striking lightning effect. His goal is to make the process seem similar to the situation of the first meteorite hitting Earth. It illustrates the most believed theory about the creation of life; the theory that states that life was created after meteorites covered with amino acids that plunged into the sea.

The process is interesting, as well as dangerous. He uses a 7 x 2.5 foot sheet of film which is laid on a metal plate, a 400,000 volt generator, and an electrical discharge wand (which is normally a metal kitchen device taped to a plexiglass handle). The manager of Sugimoto’s studio, Greg Stanger then flips the generator switch on while Sugimoto waves the wand around until the air “cackles with static electricity.” When Sugimoto’s intuition alerts him that he’s got the right dose of charge, he lowers the wand onto the sheet of film. WITH A LARGE BANG, a miniature lightning field is created. Despite wearing rubber shoes, both men have been shocked numerous times. He then chooses the best 8 by 10 portion of the film to enlarge, a process which he compares to cutting a piece of the sky.

The "Lightning Effect" of this scientific, electric artwork.

Anything worth seeing? I’d love to go see it, but again, seeing as it’s just a plain ol’ exhibition, I’m not sure if anyone else would be willing to go with me..

The article for the event can be viewed here

I personally view this as an incredible attempt to illustrate the beginning of life. I also feel that Sugimoto is a little crazy for the risks that he takes. He and his studio manager have gotten shocked in this process, and while it doesn’t seem to have majorly affected their health, a time may come where the cost of art may be a little too high-risk. Sugimoto also draws inspiration from the days where he used to experiment with drugs, another aspect of his career which I cannot entirely agree with. Being entirely against hallucinogens, I don’t see why he should have those particular experiences as inspiration.

Like my two posts in a row? Me too. Well, its not like I have no life whatsoever and post about the Arts all day long (although I’d prefer it 😉 ), but I came across this article in my search and knew that I had to post about this topic as well. Most people know about the famous pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, and even more people know about Andy Warhol, another pop artist of their generation. This past week an auction was held at Christie’s, featuring some of their most famous works. The auction at Christie’s was an auction of postwar and contemporary arts and was held this past Wednesday night. What amazed me about this article was the price at which many of these pieces sold for. Lichtenstein’s 1964 “Ohhh… Alright…” piece took the top at $38 million. Warhol’s 1962 “Big Campbell’s Soup Can With Can Opener (Vegetable),” came in 2nd, taking the bid at $23.8 million. This piece features a can opener cutting into Warhol’s famous soup can. Yet, while these prices may seem high, they didn’t even reach the expected goal stated by experts who evaluated the works in advance. The Warhol piece was expected to rake in a whopping $30 to $50 million, coming short by almost $7 million. The Lichtenstein piece, of similar value to the Warhol, was estimated to sell for $40 million, but came up short $2 million. Now, I’m no expert but it seems to me like these pieces still did quite well considering. Pop art is one of America’s most loved and treasured art genres and it certainly shows by the price tags on these artworks. Possibly because this auction came after 2 other very prominent art auctions did bids lag, or could it be attributed to a more broad, global view of art and its worth? I’m inclined to think not, but the economy is certainly not hurting these bidders’ budgets. Art has great value and I don’t think that that is something that will ever change. Especially the pop art of the 60s, which doesn’t require much effort to decipher it’s creator and whether there is a deeper, more significant meaning behind the work. The art is pretty much taken at face value for it’s quirkiness and like-ability. At least that’s how I see it.
article

When I came across the post about the underground art gallery, called the Underbelly Project, created in an abandoned subway station I was truly fascinated. It reminded me almost of a secret culture of art that was limited only to those who knew of its presence. A sort of underworld society of artists banding together to create larger-than-life masterpieces. Well after the New York Times revealed this secret to all of its readers, it’s no wonder that many built up the courage to seek it for themselves. This illegal refuge of art became a tourist attraction for the City’s most curious artists and art admirers. However, this short-lived debut has sadly come to an end. New York police gone undercover patrol the area arresting those who visit the site, or even attempt to. One officer has claimed, “This is not an art gallery; this is completely illegal.” Well, obviously. But the beauty of it is that it is illegal! The gallery takes on the “forbidden fruit” quality that makes people even more eager and desperate to see what’s behind closed doors. And so, despite the prohibition of seeing the site, it still attracts a crowd. The actual location of the site has not been disclosed to the public; however, it is speculated that it exists atop the Broadway stop of the G line in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The station was abandoned after the Great Depression hit, forcing a halt in its construction (part of a larger ambitious plan to expand the subway system in the late 1920s). The works will not be removed or painted over, say Transit Officials, but they do not encourage anyone to visit the site for safety reasons. Maybe one day they’ll open it up to the public, and generate a profit doing so! An anonymous person has posted photos online of the works, and can be viewed here.
Some of my favorites:

How appropriate.

A skeletal romance of sorts...

A tribute to the City's most beloved creature.

No caption necessary. They own the night.

Remember the bronze statues of Adam and Eve by Fernando Botero that Professor Smaldone blogged about a while ago?  Now, in addition to these bronze statues of the Colombian artist, we can now see 16 of Dalí’s statues at the Time Warner Center, in addition to many of his original paintings and drawings in “Dalí: The Vision of a Genius”.  Dalí’s artworks are on loan from the collection of Enrique Sabater y Bonany, who used to be Dalí’s private secretary and curator for 12 years.  They are located in the lobby as well as the second floor, and they are on sale.  The price is in the $50,000 range, but it is free to see it!  Some notable sculptures are there, such as the “Woman Aflame”, “Persistence of Memory”, and “Profile of Time”.  The exhibit opened on November 3rd, and will be opened until April of 2011, so don’t miss the chance to see it!

Here is a website where you can find more information, as well as see the pictures of all 16 sculptures.

Remember this?

When the name “Ai Weiwei” pops up, many would probably have no idea who he is, but when “Bird’s Nest” comes about, I am sure many of you will refer to the 2008 Olympic stadium in Beijing. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist and an architectural designer who co-designed the “Bird’s Nest”. He is a very well known artist in China and after seeing some of his works, I can understand his popularity because his works are really impressive.

Individually & Uniquely Painted

Recently, at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall in London, Ai Weiwei’s exhibition “Sunflower Seeds” was installed. This work consisted of one hundred million porcelain “seeds”! But the number is not as impressive as the fact that each and every seed was painted individually by hand, with the help of 1,600 Chinese artisans. Each seed has its own unique design as well, so therefore there were no exact same seed.

All the seeds were scattered across the hall and visitors were allowed to skip, jump, walk, run, or lay down in these seeds. Visitors were also encouraged to pick up the seeds and let it run through their fingers. Ai Weiwei has a purpose with this exhibition though, he was attempting to portray the mass consumption, Chinese industry, and famine and collective work in China.

Unfortunately, this particular exhibition had to be shut down after less than a week of opening due to the noxious ceramic dust that arose from the seeds.

Ai Weiwei - The Genius Himself (above); Having Fun In the Seeds (bottom)

This is one of his previous works that I also found to be quite impressive.

Working Progress (Fountain of Light)

Check out his other works here.

NY Times Article.

I was fortunate enough to take this past year to study abroad in Israel. One of the cultural highlights that I experienced while I was in the country was going to a glass art exhibition at the Litvak Gallery in Tel Aviv. According to their website, the Litvak Gallery aims to “to help leading artists create their own masterpieces and to assist them by promoting their work internationally. The Gallery promotes artists working in different media, including painting, sculpture, glass art and video art.” The exhibition I was privileged enough to see was a compilation of various renown glass artists including Dale Chihuly, Vaclav Cigler, Lucio Bubacco, and many more. These artists come from many different backgrounds and thus have many different and awe inspiring styles. Some manipulate the glass to form lifelike everyday objects such as fruit or a guitar, some use the glass to make ornate and magnificent chandeliers, and some produce installations and pieces that are left up to the interpretation of the public. Until viewing the exhibit I had no idea that such beauty could come from glass. I had always thought of glass as a delicate material, one used occasionally in art but more practically when dining. This notion was completely “shattered” after experiencing the Litvak Gallery’s exhibit. I had hoped to visit the gallery again before I left Israel but sadly I was unable to. A similar exhibit is now ending in our very own SOFA Chicago in Illinois, where many of the same works of art were on display. Hopefully the exhibit (or one like it) will be brought to a gallery in the Tri-State area so that I can marvel at these masterpieces again.

Some of Dale Chihuly’s art

Some of Vaclav Cigler’s art, he now has his own exhibit at the Litvak Gallery

Some of Lucio Bubacco’s art, check out “Eternal Temptation it’s my favorite

In one of the previous posts, ToniAnn blogged about the Storm King Wavefield, a sculpture park located in upstate New York.  But although we hardly recognize it as a piece of art work, we actually have one the greatest examples of landscape architecture right here in New York, and that is Central Park.  Unlike the Storm King Wavefield, Central Park did not take a little tweaking to make it into what it is today.  Before it was Central Park, the land was actually a rocky, swampy terrain that was terrible for farming or commercial development.  It took more gunpowder to blast out the rocks than was used at the Gettysburg Battle during the Civil War, and it took massive draining to get rid of the swamps.

The current Central Park is the way it is because of the careful planning of the two designers, Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.  Their original Greensward Plan won the design contest, and was chosen as the main design of Central Park.  The park was to reflect the rough, unpolished look of nature.  Olmsted and Vaux wanted to provide sites for relaxation, so they also planned for big open fields, such as the Sheep’s Meadow.  They designed winding roads meant for the use of carriages, cars, and strolling, with many bridges to connect the roads to make the system run more smoothly.  There are gardens in Central Park.  Then there were famous structures like the Belvedere Castle, and the Bethesda Terrace, with many sculptures added like that of Shakespeare and Alice in Wonderland.  There is also the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  These are all art that is available inside the great work of art that is Central Park itself.  I think it is an overwhelming idea that in going to Central Park, you aren’t only seeing sculptures and artwork by other people, you are actually in one of the greatest works of art designed by Olmsted and Vaux.  I think that my next visit to Central Park will be a more appreciative one.

A recent New York Times article, entitled “Finding Art in Energy in the United Arab Emirates” describes a project, the Land Art Generator Initiative conceived by the New York based Atelier DNA, that works at producing large-scale art presentations which doubly serve as clean energy generators.

“Its aim is to help participants to develop and ultimately attract investment to construct power-generating plants that are aesthetically and functionally integrated into the landscape.”

This article did not specifically appear in the Times Arts section, but it certainly has a lot to do with art and our perception of art. Often, we discuss “art for the sake of art”. It is a form of expression, but it need not hold any greater purpose.

The art of this project, though, certainly does have a higher purpose. Alternative energy is a huge topic of modern discussion, and is vital that we limit our dependence on non-renewable energy resources as much as possible.

Projects like the Land Art Generator Initiative show that art and alternative energy need not be two distinct fields, and I think this project is a great one.

Taking a tour of Big Bambu was definitely one of the most unique experiences I have had with the arts. I first heard about it back in the summer. Since I live a few blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I made sure to see it in August. However, the day that I went, they were out of tickets for the tour. So on September 14th, I went back and took the tour. Having seen it twice, I can honestly say that the tour made the experience infinitely more impressive. At this point in this semester, it’s unnecessary for me to describe to you what Big Bambu is, since all of us have either been there ourselves or read about it extensively. However, I will try to relate my experience to you differently than how it has previously been written about on the blog.

I believe that the most amazing thing about Big Bambu is that nobody in the past has and nobody in the future will ever have the opportunity to experience what we did when we stood 40 feet above the Metropolitan Museum of Art looking over Central Park. That view that we had of the city is one that only people who visited the roof of the met during its roughly six month existence will ever see with their own eyes. They may hear stories about it or see pictures of it on the web, but never will they be able to truly recapture it. This uniqueness is what struck me the most as I peered over the peaceful green trees of the park to the magnificent buildings on the West Side.

This encounter with the arts is very different than what we usually associate with great works of art. Millions of people have seen the Mona Lisa’s piercing gaze with their own eyes. And millions more will observe the brilliant Statue of David in amazement. The feeling of sharing the same aesthetic experience with people throughout time is something that makes art so incredible. Nevertheless, I think that it is equally special to see a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit like Big Bambu.

I am sure many of you have seen pieces of gum lying on the floor while perusing the streets, which were already stepped on and “cemented” into the ground. Have anyone ever thought of drawing on those pieces of gum? Well, British artist Ben Wilson has done just that.

Ben Wilson at work

Wilson began working full-time on these paintings in 2004 and has produces over 10,000 of these works all over the UK and some parts of Europe. To make these paintings, Wilson heats the gum with a small blow torch and then adds lacquer to harden it. He then uses special acrylic paints to create his designs. These paintings can take up to ten hours to produce. I find this to be a very creative idea. By doing this, Wilson has made chewing gum a better sight to see for pedestrians.

After some research on this artist, I discovered that Wilson was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage because of this, which I found to be absurd. Just like graffiti, I guess any art displayed on public property is prohibited. (Graffiti will always be considered as art than vandalism to me.)

This type of art reminded about a previous post when someone blogged about an artist constructing artwork using pieces of gum. Who would have known that chewing gum could have so many purposes? It obviously is not just for keeping your breath minty fresh.

yes, that's gum.

See the gallery of works here.

There’s nothing like a good piece of shock art, and Ben Turnbull’s 2009 exhibition “I Don’t Like Mondays” is shock art at its best. On each of a series of seven pockmarked, pen-scratched, and generally use-worn wooden school desks, Turnbull has skillfully carved deadly weapons, and in doing so delivered a powerful comment on the modern epidemic of schoolyard violence.

These tools of destruction – grenades, handguns, knives, and rifles galore – contrast poignantly with the exposed innocence of the sweetly worn school desks. Once imprinted with the images of these deadly weapons, the desks are transformed from relics of childhoods past into piercing reflections on the violence that goes on in so many inner-city schools today.

An elegant synthesis of hard-hitting imagery and accomplished artistry, Turnbull’s work is an altogether interesting comment on the dwindling role of innocence in today’s increasingly violent society.

Click here to see the rest of “I Don’t Like Mondays.”

I skimmed the New York Times online recently, and came across an article that not only shed light for me on a topic that I’m not well versed in, but also made me respect an artist I had never heard of before. Apparently artists do a “concept sketch” on normal paper before actually putting it on the canvas. They use this as a means to plot out their ideas, and figure out how they want to structure each particular piece. I actually found this notion (which sounds like a very basic strategy that most abstract artists used) a bit perplexing. I always thought that art wasn’t something that should take so much planning and “blueprinting,” especially abstract art. But then again, when Professor Smaldone broke down certain pieces of art when we were at MOMA, it did sound like a lot of beforehand preparation was made before doing each piece. Confusion, confusion, there is no single way to ever make art!

But this abstract artist, Thomas Nozkowski, does the exact opposite. He doesn’t put that much thought into what goes on the canvas. “I believe in those principles of not doing preliminary sketches — of acting, not having a preconception of where you’re going to go.” Instead of doing a warm-up sketch in which the artist prepares for what’s going to be put on the canvas, Nozkowski does a “cool down” sketch. He uses pencil and paper to have them reflect on his finished masterpiece (whatever he placed on the canvas). It’s similar to the notion of writing a paper after a class is over to reflect on what the class did for you, what were you trying to achieve by taking the class, and how you feel after achieving your goals in said class. You cogitate about what you just did.

I liked Nozkowski’s “old school” approach. Doing without much thinking. “Too much information is a trap for the viewer,” as he bluntly puts it when discussing his views on titling work and the artist’s inspiration. While I personally believe that there should be a good amount of thinking done where art is concerned, too much thinking and too much information spoils the piece. This artist has a rather laid back, natural approach to abstract art, and he is definitely someone I can appreciate now.

His exhibit consists of 19 pairs of works, a canvas with a sketch underneath it. It’s located at Pace Gallery at 510 West 25th street. The article itself (which can be viewed here) does not state the dates that this exhibition will be available for, but I would love to go see it. (Edit: I went to the Pace Gallery website, and this exhibition goes on until the 4th of December! And all you have to do is take the E train to 23rd street to get there!)

On canvas.

On paper. The cool down sketch.

I love the topic of graffiti in New York City. I simply feel that this city would not be the same without the artists who (illegally) display their work on the city walls. Yes, there are those who say that graffiti is “destroying the city” and that there should be harsh laws against, but I still think that most of it is beautiful.

One spot that I think is particularly beautiful is the Freedom Tunnel in Harlem. I found this tunnel’s beauty almost by accident. Its knows as one of the “secret beauties” of New York City among the circles who think graffiti is beautiful. The tunnel is an old diesel amtrak line that is hardly used anymore, since most trains are now electrified, so you’re able to walk across the tracks without much danger. It is seriously something to be able to walk across a train track when you’re told all your life to beware of them. My friend and I had fun with that. Anyway, a couple of friends had arranged a trip to go and explore the tunnels in a big group but I couldn’t attend so one friend and I went another day. It was gorgeous. Where the light poured into the tunnel from above it was seriously stunning.

At the time I was producing a music video and I knew that this tunnel just had to be in the video. This is an excerpt of what I filmed in the tunnel. (the song is about discovering what is “real” and what is not, so the tunnel metaphor really worked to my advantage. The music video featured various street musicians.)

I am not doing justice to explaining this tunnel so I’ll let these people do it (I know this is really an advertisement for a boot company but I still think they do the best job of explaining the wonder of this tunnel)

Click here for the video

Many artists strive for fame, hoping that the public will see their pieces, that their works will be in exhibits all over and that they will be able to sell their work.  That’s why this article in the New York Times was so fascinating to me. Unbeknownst to the public, there is actually an underground art “gallery” in an abandoned subway station. According to the article, “the only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority”. In fact, this whole “art gallery” has been put together illegally. The curators remained nameless in the article, scared that if identified, they would face some sort of prosecution.

“PAC”, a street artist, stumbled upon this abandoned subway station that had not been completely built. He said he used to spend hours there admiring the architecture and enjoying the “solitude of being underground”. He later met “Workhouse”, who focuses his art on abandoned spaces, and somehow the two came up with the idea to turn this subway station into a giant work of art. The parters feared the illegality of their actions but, as Workhouse said, “There is a certain type of person that the urban art movement has bred that enjoys the adventure as much as the art. Where else do you see a creative person risking themselves legally, financially, physically and creatively?”.

Over time, the two artists found other street artists to contribute to their giant project. They felt that working in private and not aiming for an audience really allowed them to express themselves and recapture the good feelings they had about creating art, rather than worry about the marketplace. While this was all extremely risky, it makes sense to me. These artists were doing this for their own pleasure, not aiming to get public approval. If I were in their shoes, I would be scared of the punishments that would await me if I did get caught; but at the same time, I can understand how the risk can give a thrill.

The article is pretty long but I think it’s worth reading. I liked the story behind this whole project of creating the underground art gallery. I have no idea how this reporter learned about it and got to interview the creators, but I enjoyed learning about it, and if there was some non-dangerous, non-illegal way of getting down there to see this “exhibit” I think it would be interesting to see.

For some reason, I’m having difficulty getting the photos to cooperate with me and go in the post, so here’s a link to a slide show of some underground work, and some of the artists working on it 🙂 PICTURES

On Saturday, October 30th, I finally went to see Big Bambu. I didn’t go to Big Bambu earlier for numerous reasons, such as bad timing, bad weather, and just forgetting that it had to be done. But I woke up 8 am on Saturday morning, trying to get the noon tour. However, there was a long line, and I ended up getting a ticket for the four o’clock tour. Professor Smaldone and I coincidentally ran into one another at the museum as I was waiting.

I wanted to record the entire 40 minute tour, but all that was allowed was the clothes on our back to keep us warm from the cold breeze. As we walked on the bamboo stairs, I heard a lot of creaking. We were informed on how the structure was tested. Engineers helped make the base of the structure, and a large number of heavy bags of sand were left on the sculpture for 24 hours in order to test it (I forgot the exact numbers said for the amount of bags and the weight of each, but they were astounding numbers). The sculpture had only moved a quarter of an inch with this immense weight, so it was unlikely that we would collapse, despite all the creaking (and the shaking that I felt whenever one of the guys would bounce on the structure!).

When we walked up a little higher, we met with this little living room-like area. Benches and cup-holders made out of bamboo, and the floor had a cross hatched design that looked absolutely gorgeous. Our tour guide showed us how the rock climbers cut off the tip of bamboo poles and placed them into the floor for decorative purposes. Mixed in with the color nylon rope, it had a stunning effect.

We were then split into two separate groups and walked to the top of the structure. Before mentioning the rest of the experience, I came on the 30th expecting to see the structure at practically its highest point, since the Starn brothers and the rock climbers were supposed to have kept on going until the last day. However, the tour guide informed us earlier on in the tour that the Starn brothers recently decided to make deconstructing the structure a part of the “art process” too. So for the past week, the sculpture has been getting shorter as they have been removing some of the poles.

The tour guide expressed that they wanted to make it look something like a tidal wave. When we got to the top, I saw it. It seemed like such a fluid crescent wave, as if it were crashing against the sea shore or something.I personally felt as if I was riding on the top of a giant wave. I wish I could’ve taken a picture, but for now, a picture from an article will have to suffice:

The “wave” isn’t as stunning here in the picture as it is when you view it from the top sadly.

What I liked was the description of it being an “organism.” The tour guide even mentioned that the pathways were like the arteries of the structure. This piece is mainly organic, and the brothers and the rock climbers just “go along with it.” Like life, all the changes that happen are spontaneous, and not always well thought out. The same is said for the changes that Big Bambu underwent these past few months. An enthralling experience, I’m glad I got to see it on its penultimate day.

What I DIDN’T like was being at the museum for 5 hours before going on the tour.. I honestly thought the line would be shorter since everyone already had so many chances these past few months to view it.

One of the first expressions of art that I can remember this class talking about and bonding over was the Starn brothers’ colossal wonder, “Big Bambu(i don’t know how to do the fancy “u”). Just as the end of our amazing artistic journey is drawing near, the dismantling of this incredible creation is commencing. It is sad that this revolutionary and innovative piece is being taking apart, but the Starn brothers can take solace in its many achievements. “Big Bambu” was a tremendous hit for the duration of its exhibition. An astounding 600,000 people visited it(more than the predicted 400,00) and it was the giant jungle gym for multitudes including; Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg,Lou Reed, Bono, and Paul Mccartney. Although the exhibit has run its course, the Starn brothers intend to create a separate exhibit from photographs and relics of their masterpiece. The creativity and ingenuity of “Big Bambu” will live on in the memory of those who visited and it will be immortalized in this upcoming exhibit. Just like “Big Bambu” I think that our class and the experiences we’ve shared will stick with us for the rest of our lives. The knowledge and culture that we’ve gained will be used to help make us well-rounded people. Maybe we can all go to that future exhibit together as a little reunion, and I don’t know….write a one page report on it or something….

click here for NY Times article

Recently, a public art installation made completely of lights was set up in Madison Square Park. The artist, Jim Campbell, calls his new piece “Scattered Lights”, and the title speaks for itself. With seemingly no pattern or rhythm, 1,600 of hanging light bulbs suspend from seemingly nowhere, for seemingly no reason.

Using stock footage from Grand Central, the lightbulbs, which are outfitted with LEDs, flicker on and off, resulting in what seems like shadows passing over a thin curtain. Although this installation is probably only going to last a few days (the article makes no mention of how long it should last), I can definitively say that if “Scattered Lights” is still standing in MSP, I’m probably going to make it my one-page essay.

(article via the Huffington Post)

Graffiti of the past is making its way back onto the streets of New York City, but this time with a message. The message is to spread the awareness of graffiti as a real form of art, as well as to give inspiration to struggling teens about their culturally-strong history. This project is the work of a group of graffiti artists who call themselves “Slavery”, and it is appropriately named “Subway Art History”. The main focus of the project is to revive the graffiti of the 80s, with a new creative interpretation. For example, a famous work of art graffitied on a the No. 6 train car in 1980 was that of “Hand of Doom”- the title of a Black Sabbath song and an ominous and extremely creepy message to those who encountered it. The piece has been recreated (this time legally) to read “Joan of Arc”, and rather than a hooded executioner with a time bomb, the image of the martyr is portrayed. Various other pieces of art have also been remade or have been altered, for instance, a piece graffitied to the wall of a coffee shop has been altered from “Dondi” to “Ghandi”. This area of art has been dominated by the competition of artists to become greater and more well-known than their competitors, that it has lost its originality in recent years. This project also seeks to break away from the constant competition and pay homage to those who were dedicated to the quality of their work.

Although a common topic as far as the arts in NYC are concerned, I found this to be extremely interesting and a worthwhile read. Check out the article for yourself.