The Arts in New York City

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My mother is an artist. She cannot paint, take photographs or dance. Neither can she sing, write poetry or churn out novels. For my mother, the wok is her canvas, the spatula is her paintbrush and her palette lies behind the cold doors of the refridgerator. My mother treats dinner like a chore, something that must be done whether it be pleasurable or not. Since I was younger, helping out was a chore as well since my mother both wanted my help and hated it when I got in the way. However, it seems cooking as well as many things, is art. The selection of materials to create a masterpiece is like the choosing of colors to paint the sky or a mountain in a landscape. The emotions she puts in while cooking: the frowns when something is too salty, the nod of satisfaction when something’s just right – it is the age of Expressionism acted out in our kitchen. While my mother probably doesn’t see dinner this way, her cooking is art in the making. Even the way I have learned to work around her, dodging her hands while I continuously chop garlic and stepping back while I’m washing the dishes and she needs the stove; it’s all a well choreographed dance. So while I may be perusing galleries for silent unmoving art on the walls of New York City’s elite institutions, I can find art just as well in my little suburban kitchen in Queens.

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Growing up Chinese in a Korean neighborhood, I had always been interested in East Asian culture, which is why after discovering the Japanese Art gallery tucked away in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was curious to take a look inside. I had always attributed Japanese art to screen painting and handscrolls, similar to the Chinese art I had seen growing up and so I was honestly not expecting to see anything groundbreaking in the dark rooms that made up the gallery. Sadly almost half of the rooms in the collection were devoted to screen paintings and wall scrolls, which were absolutely beautiful, but didn’t stand out to me as uniquely Japanese. Luckily, there seemed to be small surprises tucked away in the corners of the gallery including a small pink bowl made in what is known as rakuware style. Rather than patiently spinning a perfect piece of pottery on a wheel, rakuware involved shaping a bowl with bare hands and putting the piece through a series of extreme temperature changes not to beautify it, but to destroy and maul it. It seemed that not all art concentrated on aesthetic appeal. The art in rakuware pieces is the process by which it is made. It is the the imperfections of cracks and bumpy surfaces that make the piece ultimately beautiful. This by far was the most surprising fact I picked up and it completely reinvented my previous notions of Japanese art.

When I was in elementary school, my favorite subject was science. It was simply remarkable the way that nature had its own rules as to how the world worked. However, as the years passed and as studying science in school revolved around grades, my interest slowly dropped. Instead, I found myself dabbling here and there in the arts, which seems to be on the other side of the spectrum. So when I waltzed into the Museum of Natural History with Eilene, Kenny and Siwen desperately trying to avoid the onslaught of rain, I never expected to find two of my great loves reunited.
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New York City with its Broadway productions, art galleries and tireless inhabitants, is the cultural hotspot for tourists. Yet, most leave without ever reaching the core of the art movement in New York City. Art in NYC is about expression and what better way to live the art of NYC than to experience graffiti, the living breathing words and dreams of actual New Yorkers? While most people believe that graffiti is an act of vandalism, the 5 Pointz building, a yellow painted building covered in graffiti, treats it as a work of art. The building is iconic and a familiar of 7-train riders; my first encounter with the building was upon looking out the windows of the train and coming face to face with it. While those who have seen it have always wondered about it, I am sure few have actually visited it. Unfortunately, I too only stumbled upon the neighborhood on a trip to P.S. 1, a popular contemporary arts museum, which is ironically just across from 5 Pointz. Rather than waiting on line at P.S. 1, I took a bit of a detour to view the building up close. The view is fantastic. According to sources, the building is a haven for graffiti artists who decorated the former “fun-house.” Today, those who want to paint in the area have to first attain a permit. Impressively covered from head to toe, the building is covered with tags and all kinds of illustrations. While I was not comfortable going inside on my own, those who have been there say that the inside is just as decorated. While some people may have seen it from a distance, I have to say that nothing compares to seeing it up close and whether or not you believe it is art, it is truly a sight to behold.

As a student in New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is far from being an unfamiliar place. The iconic institution is an A-Class favorite for students, teachers, and art fans from around the world. However, as strong as the desire to survey the entire museum may be, it is unlikely that even the most devoted art connoisseur could manage the Met’s gigantic and highly impressive collection. Which are why, after a trek and a picnic in the neighboring Central Park, the two attractions that I wandered upon stood out to me as almost opposites in the Met collection spectrum. On one hand, the Met holds classics like the pieces found in the Robert Lehman Collection, a popular gallery with gallery talks led by eccentric old ladies nearly three times a day, and on the other hand, there are more contemporary gems like Depth of Field gallery featuring a much smaller, but equally as significant, collection of modern photography. This eclectic clash is really what makes the Met a unique place and while I can say I have my votes for what I consider art, both collections offered me a new insight to the subject.

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Out of curiosity (or rather beckoned by the numerous signs around area), I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a glimpse of the newly renovated Greek and Roman Galleries. The 15-year project opens up with its signature hallway – gleaming statues stand illuminated by natural light via the glass ceiling. Rooms opened on either sides display smaller, but equally as beautiful, works of art. Further down the hallway, visitors are met with an enormous column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis. Standing almost twice the height of the average full-grown man, the column is simply mind-blowing and even I, like many other visitors, couldn’t resist the urge in snapping a few pictures. However, the real treat of the renovation lies behind the enormous column – a beautiful sunlit two-story courtyard decorated with never before seen sculptures. A simple fountain, benches, natural light from the sunroof and the dark marble on the floor highlight the sculptures, providing a beautiful environment in which one can study the sculpture. The trip to the mezzanine comes with surprising elevator service and features a display of exquisite Etruscan art. The most interesting note is that all of the pieces upstairs are held in large glass cases with at first what seems to be a complete lack of information panels and tags. Instead, the Met has invested in a state-of-the-art set of computers (along the side of the room) that allow you to locate a piece of art by cabinet, level and position. The newly renovated gallery devoted to Greek and Roman art is a real treat for admirers of art from antiquity and even if you don’t happen to have an interest in the physical artwork, the environment that has been created is fantastic place to rest up. Pictures? If so, (more…)

The Big Draw, part of the River to River Festival, is a free annual art event in Lower Manhattan that is sure to interest both young and old. Spread out over several locations, all accessible by foot or provided bus, The Big Draw offers five unique artistic experiences ranging from traditional observational drawing to even laser tag. Although attending as many events as possible was on my agenda, I was only able to attend two of the five events, but had fantastic time nevertheless. Upon arriving at an event, stalls set up along the sides provide you with a sketchbook, which features the locations conveniently marked off on a map, a schedule of when they take place and descriptions of the activities. (more…)