Peace and Tranquility
I do not truly enjoy art. However, there have been some paintings that have captivated me in the past. So I entered the gallery open minded and out of the 32 photographs the ones that captivated me the most were:
Joel Meyerowitz’s New Year’s Eve
Carrie Mae Weems’s Sea Islands Series #3256
Jill Mathis’s Delirium
Caleb Cain Marcus’s Waiting to Carry the Dead
These were the photographs that I stared at. The ones I stopped and by looking at them they brought me back to another time and another place.
Joel Meyerowitz’s New Year’s Eve was humorous and reminded me of how time stops when you kiss someone you love. I just stared at the photo and noticed how everyone is active and kinetic, but not the couple. They seem motionless, out of place, and genuine. Thus, I just stared at the couple, and then noticed the “Kiss me, stupid” line written above them. It caused me to smirk and move on.
The next photo that captivated me was Carrie Mae Weems’s Sea Islands Series #3256. It was not the words that allured me, but the photo of the crying woman. Why was she crying? It almost seemed as if she was in pain. I read the words. They reminded me of old Dominican folklore and superstition. I noticed the next photo of a chair and a bowl of water next to it. I smiled. Proving to me the fact that people follow what they truly believe, even though there is no proof to the folklores. I guess it is the old saying “better safe than sorry.”
Then I noticed Jill Mathis’s Delirium. Instantly it reminded me of road trips in the Dominican Republic. I remembered laying my head against the windshield of a car and just looking out into the open land. Just fields of crops that extended towards the horizon, and at the end of the horizon: green mountains. I use to love that view, it made everything in life simple. I would reflect. Forgetting that I was in a car with my friends, I would just think about whatever was on my mind or solve any mental issue that I had. The view made reflecting so much easier and made life slow down and almost seem motionless, because one felt that they were not moving seeing the same picture for what felt like eternity. So, standing there, absorbing the photo, I reflected and thought about all the beautiful landscapes that I left behind in the Dominican Republic as well as the memories I cherish most.
Finally, I stumbled upon Caleb Cain Marcus’s Waiting to Carry the Dead. Similar to Jill Mathis’s Delirium, it reminded me of my life in the Dominican Republic. Only this time it reminded me of the night. The photo is so dark and the only light is coming from the boats that one has to squint in order to notice the ocean and landscape in the photo. The sensation of squinting reminded me of the nights on the beach in the Dominican Republic. It brought me back to the days where I would hop in a car with a few friends and we would head out to the beach. We would spend the day there talking, drinking, eating, and enjoying life. The sun would set and it would get dark, so we would leave. Throughout the ride back I would be exhausted, lay my head against the windshield, and look out to the sea. I was hard to see the sea, but I knew it was there. Every once in a while I would notice a light in the middle of the ocean, had to be some boat or tanker, and I would wonder whether someone on the boat had to squint to see me like I was squinting to see him.
I enjoyed those photos, the rest did not interest me. I am glade I went to see the gallery, because of those four photos. They brought back so many memories and filled me with tranquility and peace. I look forward to going back to the Dominican Republic in November to relive those moments. They should be more sensational now, because my mind will be conditioned to New York City life which can be the opposite of tranquility and peace.