Art is Where You Find It

A style of writing that has lasted through many centuries, calligraphy is graceful and elegant. Whereas we often associate money with wealth, calligraphy in Islamic culture is a sign of elevated social status. At the Asia Society Museum, one is able to delve into the lives of calligraphers and the intricate materials they used in the production of calligraphy. The interpretations behind the certain passages of the Quran that are written in calligraphy add to the elegance of it for it is certainly not a form of art that belongs to the lower class since it requires time, education, effort, and the luxury of ample leisure time to produce; the elegant appearance that surrounds calligraphy here is enough to make the calligraphers feel superior and separated from the rest of the general population. It is like looking at hieroglyphics and the similarity between the two is that they appear to be gibberish to the ordinary person since both art forms are more visual than textual, but calligraphy holds a deeper meaning because it is found in the holiest book that serves as the fundamental core of the Islamic religion. If Islamic calligraphy represents the upper social class, how does the culture anticipate reaching out to the less fortunate who do not have the opportunities and resources available to understand this convoluted art form?

When entering MOMA, I was shocked at how big it was. The museum was filled with so many pieces of artwork. A work of art which I have studied in the past, and which I was able to revisit was one of Vincent Van Gogh’s. This piece may be familiar to everyone. It is called “The Starry Night.” Because this painting is so difficult to interpret, it is hard to say what kind of a message Van Gogh was trying to get across to us. The only thing I can see from this picture is the displaying of a light during the night. What is very intriguing about this picture is the usage of colors along with the twilight stars. Due to the closing of the MOMA at 5:30, I was unable to see all the pieces, but a painter I would definitely suggest is Ernst Kirchner. The MOMA was a fun place to go, and when I have more free time, I would like to finish the rest of my exhibit.

At Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School on November 14, 2008, there took place the Annual Senior Jazz Concert and Symphonic Band. As an alumnus of this school, I’ve seen the previous concerts. It felt strange stepping back into that concert hall. Every year around the same time the Senior Jazz Band and the Symphonic Orchestra performed together in an hour and half concert. Every year the concerts kept getting better. Now that many of my friends from the class of ’08 had left, I was skeptic. Did talent leave this school last summer? Much to my surprise, talent has surely not left LaGuardia. The concert overall was amazing. There were many great soloists and pieces as a whole band. However at one point of the show my attention was lost. Perhaps the song choice was too similar to the song that they had performed right before. Other than this small attention lost, it was another year of great music. 

A musical about Golf?  The idea is preposterous.  How could a show about the most boring sport known to man possibly be entertaining? What was I doing here?  Five essays due in less than four days!  As I was dragged into Baruch’s theater on east 25th street my mind was completely closed⎯too filled with thoughts of midterms and papers.  I never would have expected that a musical about Golf would pry my mind open.

Golf: The Musical makes good use of its four-member cast.  Each performer is vivacious and charismatic, and uses their characteristics to connect to and relate with the audience.  We felt their struggle as they dropped the punch lines of the more strained jokes, but laughed along with them at the more natural and relaxed ones. That is not to say that all the jokes were trite; for the most part the jokes were unpredictable and amusing.

Manning the stage was very difficult with such a small troupe, but the actors used it to their advantage.  As the audience became more familiar with the actors, the tension eased and the actors began to use more impromptu.  Aware of the more banal humor in their performance, the actors acknowledged their awareness and, by doing so, released their tension as well as our tension.  With the tension removed, it allowed for the audience to enjoy all of the jokes, good or bad.

I for one am grateful for their performance.  They put life into a sport that originally had none.  The musical opened my mind, emptied out the stress, and left me carefree and able to take on the next four days.

You step outside into the cold, dark night as the stars sprinkled throughout the azure sky gleam brilliantly overhead. A tranquility born of slumber fills the air, while a sinister structure sprouts from the earth in the foreground. The setting described is that of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous “The Starry Night.” A new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan showcases some of Van Gogh’s most famous and influential pieces, masterfully demonstrating the artist’s prodigious talent. Divided into five broad categories, including “Early Landscapes,” “Peasant Life,” and “Poetry of the Night: The Country,” the exhibition spans the career of a truly seminal artist. The aforementioned “The Starry Night” draws onlookers like moths to a flame, entranced by the vibrant colors and violent strokes that have become fundamental tools in the artist’s extensive repertoire. “The Potato Eaters,” completed in 1885, brilliantly captures the essence of an ailing generation. Juxtaposed with the foreboding imagery in “The Cottage,” the tragedy depicted through Van Gogh’s paintings is unparalleled. His artwork is not merely confined to the generation in which he lived—his work transcends the confines of time, relating to all generations. The exhibition is one that should surely not be missed.