The Arts in New York City

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Over the weekend, I took out my high school’ yearbook.  However, this time, the content of it did not interest me as much, it was rather the art in it that attracted me.  Before I dig in into the content of it, I quickly examined my yearbook’s cover and admired the craftsmanship behind it.  Oh boy, was I proud of my yearbook.  To me, it seemed like the world’s most precious jewel.  When I opened the cover and inspected what was inside, I saw art in many forms.  For instance, there were drawings done in different styles, inspirational poetry, solo pictures, group pictures, people’s (friends and teachers) signatures, etc.  All of a sudden, every single detail in my yearbook became art.  It was just amazing.  I would say I had entered a new word, actually my past, my life, my high school career.

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While heading for Times Square, I found a show in the subway station to be very interesting.  It was a little man, perhaps four feet tall, dressed up in a black suit and hat, who was imitating Michael Jackson.  Honestly, he was a very good dancer.  I wonder if I can ever be half as good.  While the radio was playing music in the background, he stood in front of it and made all of Michael Jackson’s moves.  In order for me to appreciate all of this, I had to fight my way to the front of the spectacle.  It was just hilarious to see him dance, especially when he would jump up and down and take his blazer off, and people would clap and cheer very loudly.  Although his dancing was good, I think most people were attracted to this because of the size and charisma of this individual.

Not knowing what to expect from my visit to the Museum of Natural History made my experience very peculiar. I was actually uncertain on whether I was going to find some form of art at the museum or not, since I have not been there for the last three years, and I barely recollect anything from my past visits. However, I decided to go for it since I had nothing to lose, except for some time. As I went from one floor of the museum into another, I realized that I had uncovered a unique form of art – one in which realism, created out of artificial objects and materials, is highly appreciated. (more…)

I consider myself to be very lucky for I had a chance to appreciate Richard Serra’s magnum opus: Richard Serra Sculpture: Forty Years, a retrospective of Serra’s work: Intersection II (1992-1993) and Torqued Ellipse IV (1998), in the MoMA (The museum no longer shows the exhibition). Richard Serra, a minimalist sculptor, astounded me with his unconventional ways of looking at art. (more…)

I have learned a big lesson today: I should not ever go to free museums. While looking up for a list of free museums, I came across the Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, so I then decided to give it a try. Well, it was not a smart choice. (more…)

After staying at the MoMA for more than three hours, writing a blurb could have been the easiest thing to do.  However, I changed my mind on my way home when I set foot in the subway station at 53rd St. (E and V trains).  I could not believe what I saw before me – advertisements posted all over the wall of the station; there was not any space left, not even for an ant.  Though these advertisements had commercial purposes, I still viewed them with artistic eyes.  I honestly hate advertisements in train stations, but I liked these ones because they were either replicas of famous works of art, or perfect photographs of events in the past.  However, all of them had a unison message – “Please come to our museum.”  It was funny to see that every museum near the station, such as the MoMa, the Municipal Art Society, the Museum of Radio and Television, and the American Folk Art Museum, were all advertising there.