Macaulay Honors Arts Seminar

Art in the Everyday:

Subway Performers

You’ve all seen them, the ones that come in and start with “Ladies and gentlemen…” or the ones that pull out a ukulele and start singing ballads about life or love. They camp 14^th street – Union Square, and some people stop to give a few coins. Others keep moving, because they’ve seen it all already. It’s disappointing that art is so neglected, but perhaps it’s inevitable that people see it as a luxury instead of a necessity.

I’ve yet to see any amazing performers, but they’re not shabby. Even so, the romantic idea of a talented, starving artist jumping from bar to bar, playing for whoever will hear him or her is poles apart from reality. They travel and take art with them, yet I wonder how quickly each of these artists would give up art for a decent life. Philosophizing aside, subway and street performers truly add to the culture of New York City. We may have grand institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall, but there is art to be found on our streets as well. It’d be rude to call this “low art” or “common art”, so perhaps a more apt term would be “everyday art”.

I saw a young boy about eight sitting in front of a piano keyboard the other day. He was well-dressed with a black cap on his head, and simply reminded me of Oliver Twist. I got on the train soon, but that scene of a classy, posh boy playing classical music amidst the grimy, desolate subway with hooded passerbys stays with me. In a way, that was installation art – it had a profound effect because of where the art (the boy) was located. The contrast of him against the drab surroundings was striking. Indeed, it was surprising because I’d never expect to see him there (just as I’d never expected to find a giant Earth wedged beneath the High Line).

There are plenty of similar surprises in New York City that we’d stumble upon if we opened our eyes to them – artistic novelties that are a stroke of serendipity. In fact, one could write a book on all of them, or perhaps even publish a photobook of snapshots!

Train Symphony

Art in the Everyday:

Train Symphony

I love music, but having worked with narrative animation in the past, I must say that ambience sound is what makes audio shine. The proper blend of background noise at the right volumes will change a good track into a truly immersive experience.

Having taken the subway for years, I naturally phase out the noise or pop in some music. But surprisingly, one can pick up much from simply listening on the subway. The hum of the air vents above, the squeaking of ill-lubricated wheels below, the rattling of the doors – they seem to devolve into chaos, but there’s a method to this madness. Closing one’s eyes and concentrating enough, one could pick out the separate parts of the ambience. It almost seems like a symphony with its different instruments of doors opening, speakers sounding, and steel moving in time to a different pattern our ears are unaccustomed to. At times, the train seems like a single, live being moving along the tunnel, its many parts acting together as one like an orchestra.

And that’s only the train, not the mention the people riding in it. Snippets of conversation fade in and out, sometimes a musician coming on to play a piece for a bit of change, and their voices mix into the song. Maybe they’ll chat about school or work, or gossip about people. Whatever it is, listening to their words adds to the overall experience of this train symphony because that dialogue is now also part of this ‘realm’ within the train. It’s a moving installation art.

Again, it’s all about being open to artistic experiences, even where there don’t seem to be any. Only by opening my senses and pushing aside my preconceptions of what constituted art was I able to see artistic expression in the everyday. From mundane settings, we can derive inspiration that grows into something greater. By taking in the world around us, we can create a synthesis of ideas greater than the addition of their parts.

Art in The Everyday:

Grounded in Tradition

There are many things we take for granted; good health, human rights, family, education, transportation, the list goes on. Perhaps the most important thing we take for granted is the ground we stand on – that which supports us and acts as a foundation off which we build. As crucial as it is, we never pay the ground any mind, simply running over it as we rush towards other exploits. But what if we took some time to examine the places we walk?

For one thing, taking photos of the ground was a surreal experience. Bystanders looked down to see if they were missing anything, and then gave me a strange look. To them, there was nothing there; only ground. As seen in galleries and even the pictures students took for Snapshot Day, pictures were taken of only things that were aesthetically pleasing, interesting, or held special meaning. But, art doesn’t need to be any of that. I asked at the start of the year what constituted art, and received the answer that art is art when an artist says it is. I was skeptical to accept this theory, to say the least, but I’m slowly coming to terms with that concept.

The series of photos I took range from an indoor, tiled floor to the bumpy subway strip. In each there is a reference object to the right. The first thing I notice about each shot is the texture. Ground is not always flat, and as in architecture, their form defines their function. In the first shot with the slipper, the floor is plain and waxed so as to be easy to clean, as these once served as dorms for nurses. In the fourth one, the floor is bumped so people don’t slip off into the subway tracks, and yellow so that people can clearly see where the floor ends. Yellow is also the color of caution and promotes alertness.

There is an austere beauty to floors that appeals to me. Many argue that art serves no practical function, but I counter that many things with practical value are also artistic. Nondecorative floors may have been created without thought for art, but that doesn’t mean a person cannot find art within them. Indeed, it pays to be open-minded and see art in the everyday.

Art in The Everyday:

Wall of Messages

When I first came to college, I was expecting excitement and adventure. Those I got, but there was also an overwhelming sense of loss, confusion, and displacement. These feelings reached a peak late one night when I randomly ran out of the dorms and into a Duane Reade. Wandering up and down the aisles with nothing but a few bucks in my pocket and nobody in the store but the cashier, I languished in the suffocating atmosphere until colorful, bright squares caught my eye – post-it notes. Before I knew it, I had brought them and was heading back.

In my dorm room, I chided myself for wasting money buying a useless thing. Weren’t money problems were bad enough already; what was I even thinking; why couldn’t I be more responsible? But without thinking, I took out a sky blue post-it, scribbled something, and slapped it on the wall above my bed. “You’re better than this, so give it your best! Make me proud!” What did that even mean? I didn’t know at the time, but over the months, whenever a strong emotion struck me, I would write something down and put it up on the wall. The collection of messages has been growing ever since.

Recently, I realized that this wall of messages was a coping mechanism much like the message board used by the family members of 9/11 victims. They had kept putting up missing person notices long after hope had died, not because they thought their loved ones would return, but as a way to express their grief and send a message telling their story. Somewhere along the way, this creative expression became art.

This visual art on my wall became a symbol of human spirit to me. Most of the messages are inspirational and say things like “You deserve to be HAPPY!” and help keep my spirits up. I use whatever color pops into my mind first, and affix the notes spreading outward from the first one. I can’t pinpoint the exact date of each post, but I’m hoping that as I grow, the style of my messages changes to reflect my growth. By the end of the school year, the entire wall will probably be covered, so I’ll start on the next wall. Hopefully, I don’t run out of post-its!

My favorite music are ballads and orchestral music (which is why I naturally loved our Carnegie trip to experience the Mariinsky Orchestra), and I enjoy fine art most. However, in the spirit of the Arts in NYC course, I decided I’d try to open up to different music forms, namely rap. I have never really been able to get into rap, and at times, even despised how so many teenagers were obsessed with rap songs about money, sex, and fame. To me, it was childish and shallow. Even the rappers themselves dressed vulgarly, associated themselves with unsavory colleagues, and generally did not act classy. However, I’ve slowly been learning how close-minded my generalizations were, and that those rappers only constitute a small (yet vocal) minority of the rap community.

Recently, I saw a new work from the directors Wong Fu Productions (who performed years ago at my high school, Brooklyn Tech) – a collaboration music video with underground rappers Magnetic North and Taiyo Na, respected rappers. Their song, Home:Word, is about the necessity of not letting life’s troubles get in the way of truly important things in life like love and family. The title is a word play on “homeward” and the video follows the story of a family fallen on hard times – a daughter caught up with friends, a son down under the pressure of college, a mother who works long hours in a diner alone, and a father who just got laid off from work. At first, they nearly succumb to their sadness and feelings of being lost, but soon realize that they already have something that will help them make it through their difficulties – powerful bonds that bring loved ones together.

Home:Word is so powerful for me because I can relate to its message at this time in my life. In fact, its universal meanings appeal to countless people. Since the beginning of time, people have exchanged stories and songs to cope with life. Whether folk tales around a village campfire or videos through screens, these artistic expressions by common people have a distinct beauty that rivals any high art piece. Sometimes who created the art is as important as what the art is. We saw this concept in action during our visit to the International Center of Photography, of the examples of 9/11 tributes made by regular people. They did not set out to create art, but still did so by interacting with the world and expressing themselves naturally. So in conclusion, I can surely say I can accept rap as an art form, and my ideas of art will continue to evolve.

Title: Home:Word

Name of artist: Magnetic North & Taiyo Na

Date of work: December 7^th, 2011

Materials/Medium: Vocals by singers, actors, professional video production equipment

Duration/Running Time: 6 minutes 36 seconds

Genre: Music: Rap

Venue or Location: N/A

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf6CMwpuOr8

I’d first read Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail two years ago, but was recently struck with the urge to hear it, maybe because I’ve been listening to many speeches lately to improve my own oratory abilities or because of our trip to the Metropolitan Opera to see Satyagraha. The combination of charisma, energy, and technique of some speakers is in itself an art. Using both the text of King’s letter as well as oral interpretations, I analyzed the message and methods to understand why artful speeches can be so influential.

What I first found was that the language was simple, direct, and honest. Though King was a political figure, he was not a politician that dodged questions and hid behind a veil of ambiguous wording. He structures his argument like a logician, charming the clergymen he addresses by using Biblical references, evoking powerful emotions with techniques like appeal to pity, and appealing to the audience’s moral sense of duty and virtue. He always makes valid points and takes care to refute counter-considerations, thus strengthening his argument. I also found that there were potent lines spread throughout the speech at crucial times. For example, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” is now a famous quote. It is pithy and effective in its parallel structure. Lastly, the speech has a natural rhythm that makes it musical and memorable. It adheres to a cadence that captures the audience’s attention subconsciously, and delivers its message at the right speed with pauses at the right times.

Indeed, persuasive oration is an art. It requires an articulateness and confidence much like other forms of art that utilize the human body as an instrument. It combines the musicality of singing with the graceful gestures of dance and the language of literature. In some ways, a speech taken to extremes could become an opera. Masterpieces of discourse like Mark Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech are clearly elevated to levels of true art. And with this in mind, I continue practicing the art of speech.

Title: Letter From Birmingham Jail

Name of artist: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Date of work: April 16, 1963

Materials/Medium: Written word

Duration/Running Time: N/A

Genre: Literature; Speech / Spoken word

Venue or Location: N/A

Links:

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knFojb020bY

I’d be remiss as a writer not to include a single piece of literature, so here’s Nadine Gordimer’s Once Upon a Time, a short story about the dangers of being overly optimistic and the inevitability of pain. When people hear of art, they think of paintings, sculptures, maybe even dance performances and concerts, but rarely of writing. However, storytelling is indeed an art, and the art of writing with words is no less noble than composing with notes or painting with strokes. Perhaps I am much too biased, but I believe that it is within writing that art as expression flourishes the most. Not everyone is acquainted with music or trained to have an eye for frescoes, but language is universal. People have been communicating with language since they could speak, so does this point not make writing the most accessible form of art?

People have been passing down knowledge through the generations with folklore and fairy tales with morals. Gordimer’s Once Upon a Time is simply one of these tales. Like the traditional fairy tale, it makes use of simple, childish language and straightforward exposition. It tells the tale of a happy white family living in a gated community that slowly builds up defenses around their home to guard against danger. However, it subverts the usual model with an ending twist I won’t spoil. Hidden throughout the story are themes of inequality (namely of race discrimination in apartheid South Africa), fear, and ignorance. A child could read the story one way, but an adult would pick up on these mature concepts and symbolism.

What I love most about written work is that not only can its components hold multiple meanings as in visual or musical art, but they can also change over time. Colors and instruments remain the same, but language evolves and takes on brand new meanings. Words are defined and redefined, and because language is so intertwined with society, changes in one reflect changes in the other. It’s because of this unpredictable dynamism of language coupled with its accessibility that I favor written works best. For all art forms, a healthy grasp of the artistic language (whether dance moves, instrumental mastery, or brush control), an creative imagination, and a willingness for expression is what delineates what is art from what is not art.

Title: Once Upon A Time

Name of artist: Nadine Gordimer

Date of work: 1989

Materials/Medium: Written word

Duration/Running Time: N/A

Genre: Literature

Venue or Location: N/A

Link: http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/Elements_of_lit_Course6/20th%20Century/Collection%2015/OnceUponaTime.htm

I absolutely loved this one, as I recreationally enjoy Korean music, and have martial arts experience. Basically, it was a public dance on the street performed by a young group of Taekwondo practitioners. They mixed combat moves with hip hop dance and timed their movements to the beat of the music. Performances like these may not carry the same weight as shows like our ballet outing, but I included this one to illustrate yet another facet of art – its ability to unify.

Perhaps we have been too caught up with the idea of art as a sacred thing to be revered and treated with utmost respect, but art is both simpler and more complex than that. Art is an experience. For example, going to a concert involves more than sitting down, watching the show, and leaving. There’s the thrill of dressing up, the excitement of finding one’s seat, the hush as the lights dim and curtains rise, and most of all, the company of others. The Taekwondo Shuffle was so successful because of the enthusiasm of the audience. They clapped, cheered, and in doing so, contributed to the artistic experience. Suddenly, everyone present entered a specific sphere and shared a moment together despite being strangers. It is this power to bring people together that makes some performances memorable.

As for the performance itself, I recognized many of the dance moves as derivations from Taekwondo. The first seven seconds consisted of sweeping blocks and one overhead escape technique. The footwork was taken from the famous “Shuffle” dance, and there was a basic front kick. It then progressed to fancier kicks and “tricking” as the terminology calls it. I know from personal experience that all of the subsequent moves require much finesse, technique, and precise control of the body, not to mention hundreds of hours of practice. In this way, martial arts (which is an art in itself which has a codified language and system of rules) is similar to dance with the time and effort invested in using the human body as a form of expression.

Title: Taekwondo Shuffle

Name of artist: Anonymous Dancers

Date of work: November 24^th, 2011

Materials/Medium: Dancers, stereo music

Duration/Running Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds

Genre: Dance

Venue or Location: South Korea

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Cfy4d9-to

          Though not directly accessible for my study as it is located across the world, Michelangelo’s David is a work I must cover. I’ve encountered it too many times in reviews, popular culture references, and shows to ignore it. Even before seeing the original statue in Florence, I knew of its history and details. For example, like many other statues of the hero David, it depicts his battle with Goliath, but unlike other versions where David is holding the head of the giant or posing after victory, Michelangelo’s is a pre-battle David. He holds a slingshot in his left hand and his face is accurately tense. His body is relaxed, but poised to strike. He is the epitome of youthful strength, vigor, and courage facing down a seemingly invincible foe.

There is also something intrinsically human about David. In contrast to the brutish Goliath who dominates by force, David uses his wit and cunning – the trait of intelligence unique to humans – to overcome adversaries. He is the ideal man – sound in mind, body, and soul. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, Medieval Age depictions of men were skewed and showed them as ugly, pitiful creatures powerless before the might of God. With the Renaissance came a transformed image of man possessing power to alter his fate. David’s stature and countenance is in keeping with humanist Renaissance ideals that believed man was beautiful and heroic.

Therefore, I interpreted David as not a physical battle of man against beast, but a philosophical war of man against God. It captures the essence of life, an eternal conflict against death and nihilism. David’s expression conveys determination and resolution to stand up for humanity against stronger foes like natural disaster, time, and deities. These universal themes arise often in one form or another throughout the ages of art, so I thought this work would be a fitting addition to my collection.

One last thing I’d like to mention is a quote from Michelangelo about sculpting: “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” This brought up an important question about art – is the artist simply a container or messenger through which perfect art is transferred, or is true art the product of an individual human mind and its experiences? I cannot decide and intend to ask during class, but for now, I view art as a shapeless concept that is molded by purpose and can take any form an artist wishes.

Title: David

Name of artist: Michelangelo

Date of work: 16^th century

Materials/Medium: Carrara Marble

Duration/Running Time: N/A

Genre: Visual Art: Sculpture

Venue or Location: Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, Italy

Backup Links:

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01182/arts-graphics-2007_1182015a.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/artanddesign/gallery/2008/oct/28/1000-artworks-to-see-before-you-die-art1/LI261662@Michelangelo’s-David-i-601.jpg