Awakenings

Berenice Abbott had an amazing ability to take something very ordinary and turn it into a beautiful work of art. She glorified objects that we would pass by every day and look at, but would never see for their deeper meaning and true beauty. Through photography, Abbott was able to unlock the hidden aspects of typically dull and mundane things, and transform them into something appealing to observe.

Abbott’s most famous project was “Changing  New York,” which was basically a photo-documentary of how New York industrialized after the Great Depression. From bridges to buildings to housing projects, Berenice Abbott captured all of the key points of New York’s transformation from suburban to urban. Abbott was a fantastic photographer. Her ability to capture and accentuate the beauty in ordinary objects was prominent in her work.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Abstract Expressionism Review

The beauty behind abstract art is that every individual forms his own meaning for the painting. There is no right or wrong; a person looks at the painting or object and develops a theme for it from the emotions that it produces for him. Abstract expressionism surfaced in the late 1940s and would be the dominant Western art form of the 1950s. From all of the paintings that were displayed at the MET, the three that most captivated me were Morris Louis’s untitled work, Franz Kline’s untitled work, and Class Oldenburg’s Soft Calendar for the Month of August.
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Innovation has altered society’s perception on war. Today, people have been exposed to the horrors of war through movies such as Saving Private Ryan and television series such as Band of Brothers. Additionally, soldiers now have mini-cameras attached to their helmets, so anyone can witness the environment and the circumstances that current soldiers endure. However, society’s exposure to war was not always as direct and blunt as it is today. Before innovation, photographers enlightened society about the situation that soldiers endured through photographs. The person whose work, perhaps, best illustrates the conditions and horrors of war was Robert Capa. (more…)

For my “Awakening” collage, I drew inspiration from past artwork and experiences to from a unified piece of art. The work was done in retrospect, or taking place at the beginning of, the events. As a biographical note, both my mother and father had cancer. These events were tremendously influential in making me the person who I am today. I have learned so much from these occurrences and have taken away from them artistic inspiration and an entire artistic style that is reflected in the collage. This piece was a reminder of the emotions that were alive in my home at the beginning of the ordeal, but also harkens to the current feelings that we have. (more…)

The addition of words and symbols to photography adds a completely different dimension to the photographs. In the exhibit, “Between Language and Geography: Words, Signs and Symbols in Photography,” the work of various photographers is combined to show just how significant the inclusion of words and symbols are. (more…)

With the anticipation for this project came a clear idea for exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to take a closer look at the natural beauty found right around our school campus. With resources such as Gramercy and Madison Square Parks, there was evidence that there may be more to New York City than just skyscrapers and sidewalks. For many years, I have admired the interaction between architecture and plant life in this area, noting their relationship and how that affects other’s opinions on the city. Now, I got the chance to prove that New York really is alive with nature, not just the buzz of taxicabs, people and the occasional pet dog.

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New York, NY, Oct. 31 –She doesn’t come from a star-studded family history, or a glamorous city. She doesn’t have a team of bodyguards surrounding her, or the paparazzi attacking her. She doesn’t have an attitude either. She’s Angela M. Brown and she’s brilliant.

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New York, NY, Nov. 7 – Aida has been touted as quite possibly the most awe-inspiring opera in existence. However, nothing can prepare you for the experience firsthand. The approach to the Metropolitan Opera is quite impressive in itself. But, there is nothing in the world like the feeling you get when you first walk into the theater hall. It is magnificent. Your first instinct is to look up, and when you do, your eyes gaze upon the massive snowflake-like chandeliers. You try to follow the paths that the light takes as it dances around the gilded ceiling only to be distracted by the sheer number of seating levels. The mystique of the opera house creates this aura of utter luxury and elegance unparalleled by any other place I have ever been to before. The feeling: complete sensory fulfillment.

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Photos from our visit with Angela M. Brown, from Aida.

Professors Bridgett Davis and Roslyn Bernstein with Angela Brown

Students with Angela Brown (left to right): Rudy Morales, Andrew Aziz, Daniel Shporin

Eugene Levin and Angela Brown
(All photos by Glenda Hydler)