Macaulay Seminar One at Brooklyn College

Like most of my peers, I was very excited to go to the Brooklyn Museum. I was eager to look at art in a new way and actually talk about the artwork. I had gone to museums before, but I had never done more that look at the art and think to myself what the artist was trying to convey. Unfortunately, I was not able to discuss the artwork the way I wanted. Most of the students in my group had a seminar teacher that set an assignment based on the Brooklyn Museum Event. The professor wanted the students to choose two works of art from different time periods (approximately 100 years apart or so) and discuss the similarities and differences between the two works of art, or something of that nature. Everyone, EVERYONE, in my group had a “lets just get this done” kind of attitude. The way in which we discussed the art was almost sarcastic. We were looking at the art, but only discussing it to fulfill a required assignment. This made anything we understood from the art less authentic and less meaningful. I believe the words, “Lets B.S. about this one next,” were used. I am so angry because I feel robbed of my museum experience. I didn’t even mention that we only visited one floor. My group only visited the “American History” level. It’s not that I did not appreciate or enjoy the American art, but I wanted to explore more and see if art from different cultures could appeal to me as well. As beautiful as the artwork was, I could not fully appreciate it because of my group. However, I did learn a lot. For example, I learned that the museum plays an important role in how the artwork is framed. On the “American History” level, there was a room pained green. I feel like this was done to add to the theme of expansion and manifest destiny that was running through that room. I also noticed that certain pieces are placed next to each other for a reason. One work of art referenced “A Storm in the Rocky Mountains,” and the painting next to it was, “A Storm in the Rocky Mountains.” The two paintings had similar themes and elicited similar ideas. The actual architecture of the museum was also stunning. It reminded me of the coliseum or perhaps a structure from a Greek or Roman myth. Everything was so majestic from the pillars on the outside of the museum to the beautiful chandelier on the inside. Something else I also leaned is that I cannot expect to understand or find every work of art beautiful. I walked into the museum expecting to look at every single work of art and understand it, find it beautiful and figure out why the artist created this work. I now realize that my expectations were unrealistic and almost impossible. I did not fully appreciate every single work of art. However, that made the ones I did understand and find beautiful, that much more special. I will definitely be returning to the Brooklyn Museum, either alone or with a group of friends that want to go to appreciate art fully.

Although I love to take pictures and think of some as really “cool”, I don’t usually find photography as art. However, as I walked around the Garry Winograd exhibit (the first photography exhibit I have ever been to) I started to realize that I actually can appreciate the photographs as works of art more than I usually would have. I’m pretty sure it has to do with my change in perspective of art in general. I’ve always appreciated art even though I didn’t know how to analyze artwork. Thanks to the night at the Brooklyn Museum, I am now able to appreciate all different kinds of art much better than I used to because I am confident in myself as I now analyze the art work.

Anyway, as I looked around there were a few photographs that really caught my eye. One was of a man in mid air upside down. At first I immediately thought of “the Falling Man” of 9/11. The position that the man was in reminded me right away of the position the man that was falling from the World Trade Center was in. It wasn’t exactly the same but it still made me think of that. So, naturally, I got closer to the photograph so I could look at it a little longer. That’s when I realized that it must be a stunt, or trick of some sort. There was another man, standing on the side, with a huge smile on his face. He looked very amused. I first got a sense of morbidness from the artwork but than realized that it’s actually a fun and playful scene. (I was also confused at the beginning considering 9/11 happened years later.)

Another photograph that I was intrigued by was one of a big crowd of girls behind street barriers. They were all looking in the same direction and screaming for or because of something. There was a man on the side that was looking in the same direction as all the girls were, but his face looked confused or worried, I’m not really sure. Then I noticed one of the girls was wearing a shirt that said “the Beatles.” That’s when I understood what was happening. It all made sense to me now! I was then laughing to myself as I looked at the photograph again with a new perspective.

I think if Garry Winograd would have put more explanatory titles for his photographs it wouldn’t have been as much of a fun investigation as it was for me. I liked that I had to figure out what was happening in the photographs as oppose to being told by the title. He could have written “Beatlemania” for the photograph of all the girls screaming, but that would have given it away. I thought it was a nice experience for me to see the art in photographs that are not of beautiful, grand landscape scenes.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI9EgzgXskg

This is such a great song! It is catchy and has amazing lyrics.  However, I feel it’s the innocence of this song that makes it beautiful. The la la la part (No other way to describe it…) is so… child like.  The diction of the lyrics; the comparing of his love to a carousal, a falling start, a wishing well etc.. resonate with innocence and simply make the song what it is! Beautiful.

“Sometimes I feel like the world is a place I bought a ticket to. It’s a big show to me, as if it wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t there with a camera.” After seeing his exhibit, I found brilliance in this statement by Mr. Winogrand.

Before actually visiting the exhibit, I could understand the controversy over the quality of Gary Winogrand’s work. “Does he really deserve to be such a successful photographer if all he does is take everyday pictures of random people in the street?” I’m glad to say that by the end of the exhibit my answer was, “Of course he does!”

There are so many aspects to Gary Winogrand’s work that I love:

1) He titles his photographs with just the location the picture was taken (i.e. “Long Island 1981”). By doing so, he lets us (the viewers) to interpret the photos ourselves and give our own meaning to the moment. He gives us the opportunity to become storytellers.

For example, I personally would title this photo: “A Woman in a Man’s World.” Notice how this woman is surrounded by men and only men. Maybe at this point in history, most women didn’t have careers. But this specific woman seems to be determined and ambitious.

2) The thing about passing somebody by in the street is that the concept of you experiencing that same thing again is practically impossible. Everyday moments are only experienced once. Life passes by quickly and we have to appreciate every moment. By this photographer taking pictures of these moments, it is instantly captured and can always be remembered. Most photographers limit their work to the sole concept of what is beautiful, but Winogrand offers a whole spectrum of everyday life and activities. We would never think to notice a person passing by us on the street, but I’m sure glad he did.

3) Every photo depicts a situation that is relatable to our lives. We can relate more to a photo of 2 average women trying to hail a taxi in New York City, than a photo of a 5’11 airbrushed model advertising a $13,000 watch.

I really loved this exhibit. Gary Winogrand’s work actually reminds me of an Instagram account that I follow. It’s called @humansofNY. The bio of this account states “New York City, one story at a time. Currently on 50 day trips across 10 countries.” Like Winogrand, @humansofNY captures daily life moments all over the world. I strongly recommend checking it out!

Okay so disclaimer ahead of time.

I find this song/music video to be beautiful due to the history i have with it. It is very beautiful in a comedic way, not so much in an emotionally moving sense. If you listen to this song on it’s own it however does sound beautiful (even though it is just repeating) but watching this video will also make you laugh, or feel creeped out…

Also this is an opera type piece so don’t listen to it if you don’t like it. I also forgot what the lyrics mean, but it has something to do with fire and ice… something along those lines… It’s in italian so maybe someone will know.

So I had originally gone to the Met last week to see Garry Winogrand’s exhibit, but I forgot to post about it. So I’ll just go on about how the day that I went was. Last Friday when I had gone, I arrived to the Met before it had even been opened, so I when i had entered the Met, it was basically completely empty. I had forgot Garry’s name so i just went around the museum looking for the 900’s exhibits because I only remembered his exhibit numbers.

When I entered into his exhibit, I was pleased by how all his photographs were displayed. Nothing in his exhibit popped out at you. I don’t mean that in a bad way, since all of Garry’s black and white pictures should all be equally presented to you. The exhibit made it easy to be able to look at all the pictures one by one without another one catching your eyes too much and making you focus onto it.

I do like Garry’s style of taking pictures. There was a lot of variety to them, nothing was type categorized, such as pictures of zoo animals, beach scenes, riots, and others kinds. Garry had those pictures which differed drastically from one another. I really liked the picture, “Hard Hat Rally”, it showed a lot of violence and chaos, but in a way that makes the picture seem so authentic. Garry didn’t try to hid any of the distress in the people’s faces. He made the picture to represent what was really going on and he didn’t try to hide any of the struggle. I saw one of Garry’s quotes on the wall, “The world isn’t tidy; it’s a mess. I don’t try to make it neat.” and that quote is exactly represented in that picture of the hard hat rally. Since his photos are so authentic I really did enjoy looking at all of his pictures.

I’m not trying to say that I only liked the violent pictures, but that one picture did really stand out since Garry had a quote to back it up with. His photo of the what looked to be a family with human parents and chimp children was also nicely taken. Since it is suppose to show a parent’s love and a child’s trust, that photo was very touching in a way.

I guess to sum up the exhibit, all of Garry’s works were really nice to look at. I honestly liked some more than others, however it was still amazing to be able to take a glimpse at the world from a very honest camera point of view.

[quicktime]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSZtAV4W8JE[/quicktime]

I really love the version of this song. The acoustic version really brings something out of the song that the original does not. I feel like everything about it represents beauty: The instrumental tune, Sam Smith’s voice, the lyrics, and the memory it reminds me of. This song really enraptures me (pun intended!) and I could definitely listen to it on ‘Repeat’ for hours. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art is always a great time.  However, I found myself captured (all puns intended!!) by his work in more ways that I would have thought.  I hadn’t really looked into, or learned much, about the art of photography before going to the collection; which, in my opinion, was nice to experience it purely from a personal lever; as opposed to an academic level.

First off, I have to say I loved his work.  It may have been the simplicity of what was on the outside but it was really moving.  I really loved how he captured everyday people doing just everyday things and making a whole other reality out of it.  My favorites had to be the ones where men and women, old and young, were all at some sort of party, I believe they were all part of the same collection.  Every picture told its own story of each guest at the party and their state of being.  Some shots were of the same people just the next moment after the first one.  It was its own little story picture book.  Like many of his photos, you could easily tell how people were feeling or what they doing.

One thing that really stood out to me was a few of his pictures didn’t have a focus at times.  For example, there would be pictures of a large group of people, but also a very scenic background.  This is very different from a painting which has a focus or a sculpture that usually, again has a main focus.  I would assume that photography works the same, but I saw so many smaller focuses.  It added a certain intimacy to the people and places in the photos.  Another one that I really loved was of a very young, beautiful, (I think blonde) woman lighting a cigarette.  It looked like she noticed she was being photographed but she also looked surprised, as if, she didn’t request to be photographed.  You could see the surprised, yet happy and flattered, look on her face.  It seemed so natural.

After leaving the museum and reflecting on that specific picture, the idea of its natural being resonated with me.  And I feel that photography, or at least Garry Winogrand’s work, is the most natural art form.  Most art, if not all, is imitation; imitation of the world we live in and all aspects of it.  But photography is a still frame in time showing us our reality.  Its literally the world we live in, frozen for us the reflect on.  It does not get any more natural or real than his collection of work.  I simply loved it and recommend it to anyone even slightly interested in art!

I know that someone is probably going to roll their eyes and say, “What a corny song!” but this is my beautiful song because of how amazing the words are. The words are so real and it gives the song just amazing meaning. When I listen to the words she’s singing, I just get engulfed and never want it to end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ayN39xmsI