The Arts in New York City

I walk across the Madison Square Park to the subway station every now and then. There is an artificial tree at the center of the park. It is made of steel and has short branches but leaves. It is as tall as the natural trees in the park. It always catches my eyes because of the glossy steel. I have different feelings about it every time when I see it. When I am in a good mood, I see it as a growing tree and feel a sense of liveliness. However, I see it as a dying tree when I am in a bad mood. In conclusion, the emotional state affect how people feel about artwork.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars, The Cosby Show and Mrs. Doubtfire.  Yes, I did say Mrs. Doubtfire.  This museum simply overcame me with a sense of nostalgia.  It appeals to people of all ages through media covering many eras of American culture and even has the coveted interactive component.  You can listen to the soundtracks of the classics such as Casablanca and Raiders of The Lost Ark.  The actors and actresses also share their experiences and mindset with you through recordings that walk you through scenes.  A mini model of a temple houses a screening area, one of the main attractions of the museum.  Freddy Kruger’s hand and a model of Yoda are also some of the more attractive components.  Another is the most massive collection of Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia I have ever found.  I recommend this museum to children and adults of all ages and any connoisseur of truly amazing media.

Sitting on the N train, heading towards Penn station, I was surprised as a beggar came my way. What caught me off guard was the grace and sincerity in his voice. He began by saying that he’d accept anything that anyone could give him. But his next line brought a smile to my face. He said that if you couldn’t give him anything, he’d instead accept a smile as he walked by. Hearing that, I didn’t care if he really was a Vietnam veteran or if his house got burned or if his family got robbed at the motel they were staying in. Just because he brought that smile on my face, I was ready to give him whatever I could afford. This made me think he was probably one of the most successful beggars out there. I began to look at begging as an art, since it required the manipulation of words and emotions. I now see begging as a competition, a competition to win my money.

We went to the Alexander string quaret in English class. The performance consists of three violinists and one celloist. One of those performers explained some music theories to us. It was the first time I really got to know Beethoven. The classical pieces they played were very unique. Usually, I think classical music is calm and slow, but the music by Beethoven is intense and dramatic, to some point, even frightening. It inspired me to perceive music in a different way. The experience was enhanced by the performers’ emotional attachment. They moved their bodies back and forth and their facial expressions were very intense. I was really enchanted by both the music and their body motions.

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.

I always look forward to taking the 6 down to Union Square. Not only because it signifies the end of the school day, but also because I often come upon the familiar sound of fast beating drums. Actually, the drummers beat on white and green buckets splattered with specks of paint. The duo consists of a man with diesel ebony rocks for arms and a very well toned, thin woman. The man’s silver chained crucifix shakes violently as he drums with superhuman speed so that the sticks are only blurs. I feel the beats like they come from my own racing heart making me want to join the dancing stranger who has already succumbed to the overwhelming flood of high spirits.

As I was waiting at Union Square for a friend to arrive, I saw a large crowd that had gathered just a few feet away from me. Curious to see what people were looking at, I walked over to check out what was happening. From what I could see on my tiptoes behind the crowd, there stood a mime. I had never really seen a mime perform apart from on television. It was humorous to watch the emotions of fear he displayed on his face as he pretended to be trapped in a box. His rigid arm gestures created the illusion of the box and the panic that he showed made the crowd laugh. It was beautiful to watch him move because his motions made something literally out of thin air. Out of his arm motions, he threw a lasso into the crowd and struggled to pull an individual in. I though that it was wonderful how he had such an imagination to create such a vivid show for the people.

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.

The Moma (museum of modern art) showcases the most modern art that could still be considered art. Before I went to this museum, I had a vague understanding of what encompasses modern art. However after I returned from this museum I came to the conclusion that modern art is a wide range of works that I didn’t even previously consider art. The Moma is six stories high and it feels like every floor is a unique museum onto itself because ever floor houses a different form of art. On the lower floors was a suspended stairway that got narrower as it reached higher. There were also objects made of steel that could only be described as futurist. To my surprise not all the pieces were form the last couple of decades, there were things there that were almost a century old. The upper floors of the museum contained the pictures. These pictures were of distorted objects, geometric figures or a wide array of colors. An example of this was the work by Pablo Picasso. My favorite was the pattern that playing tricks on eyes by making you feel like you were hallucinating. Although the museum was crowded with tourists during the time that I was there, I though my trip there was interesting and worthwhile.

The Museum of Natural History does not exhibit history only. From my childhood memory, my impression of the museum was a shady place filled with scary images of animals and statues. However, this time, my biggest surprise came from the Milstein Hall with the sculpture of a giant whale hanging in the center of the room. The whale was undeniable fascinating in design. In addition to the whale, the overhead screen gave me the feeling of being underwater with its use of blue and white colors. The surrounding sounds and cool climate contributed to the impression of what life was like underwater. Even the polar bears on display had such discrete expressions, making me question whether they were artificially made or real life animals. With the help of technology, it was no longer about memorizing facts or names, but to experience them the way they should in their climate, or at least an artificial representation of it. In all, my trip was not only to learn about history, but to experience the artistic portrayal of history, especially with the help of technology.