Art is Where You Find It

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened its “Art and Love in Renaissance Italy” exhibit just yesterday and it aims to present the different ranges of love shown through Renaissance arts. The exhibition explored different views and aspects of love through various objects, all chosen carefully to celebrate love and marriage. The items on show ranged from decorative vases, plates and jewelry and marriage portraits and paintings of passion and fertility. Among other things you’ll find there are splendid gifts presented to then-couples, the earliest dated wedding ring and even some rather sensual paintings of “profane love”. On the bare dark red painted walls were simple phrases and lines that seemed to have been pulled straight out of a love sonnet: “Amore Vole Fe” (Love needs Trust) and “I give you my finger/give me the ring”. Each section was dedicated to the key moments of every Renaissance Italians’ life: Betrothal, Marriage and the coming of children. Several paintings also delve into love lives of mythical heroes and gods such as with Aphrodite, Ares and Cupid. It’s definitely interesting to see the rich complexity and often ambiguity of meaning of love and marriage because all the paintings, trinkets and glassware on display present a different side or interpretation of this subject

I’ve probably been to the Met no less than twenty to thirty times in my life. I’d thought I had already combed through every individual exhibit in the building. As a result, you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly stumbled upon the “Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas” exhibit last week when I was persuaded (read: paid) to take my cousin to the museum (he spent most of the trip with his eyes glued to his Nintendo DS). I have no idea how I ever could have missed it in the past, especially since it is a permanent exhibit that occupies its own wing. I certainly took my time that day, whiny cousin in tow, browsing and absorbing new information about ancient Pacific Island rites and the construction of totem poles. The exhibit was thorough and encompassing, boasting collections of gold-plated statues, symbolic stone sculptures, religious wood carvings, life-sized boats, and festive masks, among many other things. The Oceanic region has always fascinated me because of the “exoticness” associated with it, and I especially enjoy ancient art because it’s always amazing to see that we haven’t changed much from our primitive ancestors in the sense that we still create pieces that explore timeless subjects like love and death. I love the Met, and this adventure has proven that there are still plenty of treasures in the building left for me to uncover in the future.

Chilly on the outside and warming on the inside, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is definitely the place to go this time around. Even though the temperature is falling dramatically, sights like Overlook are still amazing—its proper alignment of trees impressed me tremendously. I visited the garden last week; it was raining red, orange, and yellow leaves. Many photographers were roaming around trying to take pictures of it from all angles. One cannot help but feel serenity as he strolls through the many paths covered with piles of leaves. In addition, the laughter of young children holding onto their parents’ hands was heart warming and touching. I stood idly by watching them throw themselves at dry leaves over and over again. Sometimes, you just want to forget how awkward everything will be, and just join them. The day passes so quickly when you visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Everywhere you turn, you see stunning beauty. It is also nice to know that this beauty is not seasonal; it is all year round.

The Cooper-Hewitt Museum is relatively petite and has a limited selection. On the first floor, it is abundantly filled with paintings depicting scenery and decorative rooms. However, most of these paintings are similar and it is hard to differentiate between them. There was one room with silver colored chairs that I thought was part of the exhibit at first, but it turned out to be the cafe. On the second floor, I found the section devoted to children’s wallpaper and books to be controversial. I can understand the wallpaper to be a part of design but children’s books do not fit in my stereotype. One area had two tables, which were about two feet high, with story books on them. It seemed more like a playroom than an actual exhibit to me, but that is just my opinion. Overall, I found the Cooper-Hewitt Museum to be repetitive and off-topic at times.

            Man.Gov, a repertory play at the 45^th Street Theatre, manages to successfully engage the audience through an intense, thought- provoking plot. Dave, an arms inspector, releases a few secrets about the Iraq War to an intrusive journalist. A few days after the interview is released, Dave risks losing his job. The audience looks on as Dave’s family struggles to remain intact, thanks to Laura’s, Dave’s daughter, promiscuous rendezvous’ with Jordan, the chief investigator of Dave’s case. The show is a must see, especially during this historical month. It challenges the mind, raising questions about the Iraq War, Bush’s presidency and government influence on the media. Even if these things don’t interest you, the repulsive relationship between Laura and Jordan will surely keep you entertained.