Macaulay Seminar One at Brooklyn College

*(I realized I never got the chance to upload this and just left it on my computer. So here it is now.)*

I went to the Gary Winograd Exhibit on its last day at the Met with my mom after a long day. Having already gone in for a shift at work and then to the Macaulay building to work on the Night at the Museum group project, I was physically exhausted and wasn’t sure if I’d be ready to analyze photography. I believe photography to be one of the most precise and demanding forms of art since it requires the upmost care, and often a meticulous work ethic, for a photo or photographer to stand out to me. Considering all the people my age with DSLRs it’s very easy for one to think they can excel in the field of photography.

This visit was also really interesting for me because I was going with my mom who used to be a professional photographer herself before she started our family. Also I frequently used to go with her to art exhibits and institutions, which we hadn’t visited recently.

I was astounded by Winogrand’s photography, from his simple but carefully chosen shots of everyday life and emotion in New York, to his atmospheric and oblique angle shots of Nevada and LA landscapes. Winogrand was an expert in use of high contrast in some of his earlier photographs and he knew when to capture real expression. A couple shots that stood out to me included one of a child holding a mother’s hand while in the waves at Brighton Beach and one of a little girl mimicking the anger and disgust of, who I would assume to be, her father donning a hard hat in a protest with other workers.

Although many of the other students had their aversions to the discussion, I personally loved it, though that is most probably because I’m Jewish and therefore it was easier for me to relate to what they were saying. Since my greatest hobby is baking and cooking, I loved the fact that we went to an event that discussed food. Going into the show, I knew that they weren’t going to be speaking about the Jewish foods that I’m used to eating, like Middle Eastern foods, but I wish that they did because the foods that they chose to speak about don’t scream out “Jewish” to me, such as bagels, lox, and delis. I associate those foods with regular everyday life and people.

The discussion was flowing amongst the speakers, and the audience was interacting, which gave this sense of unity in the room. I felt as if I was in high school again where mostly everyone around me had something in common, being Jewish, which is something that I haven’t been around for months. What did make me uncomfortable though was the fact that many of my classmates felt as though they were left out because they had no idea what the speakers were speaking about since they aren’t Jewish and therefore I took it upon myself to try and explain to one of my classmates the different aspects of Judaism and Jewish foods which gave me pride in the extensive knowledge I have of my religion.

After going to the show, I realized how many different types of foods there are within different groups of people and ethnicities, even amongst my own. As a food lover, this has made me want to learn more about how food unites people and what food means to every family.

Where do I start with Carmen? The story itself was so intricate and not really what I was expecting, from the down fall of Don Jose’s character, to Carmen’s desire and hold to her freedom, I was pleasantly surprised of the entire story line. I loved how we could see Jose slowly fall deeper and deeper into basically his obsession and madness towards Carmen and his destruction, and how his two love interests paralleled each other. Carmen herself was such a complicated character that I don’t really know what to make of her, which I love. The first impression I got of her was just a tremendous manipulative flirt who knew she was attractive, and used her looks to get whatever she wanted.  That image of her continued for me throughout the entire opera until the very last scene where she says she rather die than live without her freedom. That line for me really changed my perspective of Carmen and had me pause and review all her past actions, and see even though she was manipulative and selfish, she was also a strong woman who refused to live her life on anyone else’s terms. In general, I enjoyed the opera, most likely because of the story of Carmen and the interesting music that was performed.

1) What is YOUR definition of art? Is it subjective or objective? Is the ratio of artist to a work of art 1:1, or are there really multiple artists responsible for a single work of art?

2) What is (in your opinion) the art “capital” of the world? Why?

Due to religious reasons, I was unable to attend the class where the guest, Amanda, came to introduce the art of opera to us. Therefore, my perception of the opera before that Thursday made a complete 180 degree change once I actually saw it. I expected to watch a single woman dressed in an elegant attire sing “opera” for three hours straight without any interaction with other characters. I thought the ONLY pre-requisite to perform in the opera was to just be able to sing with a distinctly powerful voice. But I was so wrong.

When the curtain was raised, I was confused to see multiple men on stage. Already I knew that this performance was not going to meet my expectations in any way. There were so many aspects that I appreciated at the end of the show- the acting, the obvious vocal talent, the scenery, the costumes, the dances, and most importantly, the perfectly captured emotions. I enjoyed my time in the opera more than I thought I would. I really appreciated that the venue provided us with subtitles in front of us because without them, it would have been way too difficult for me to understand what was going on. However, our seats were rather high and so I didn’t have such a great view of the actual performance.

[The woman who played] Carmen’s ability to show her emotions was undeniable. Even though we were so high up, I still felt her passion. She was a little too provocative for my taste (giggle), but she was really able t0 insert so much drama into the performance. Don Jose bothered me a little with his constant mentioning of his homeland and his mother, but he too was able to give his character the appropriate emotion he deserved.

In class we discussed how the opera being in French obstructed our understanding of the content. I definitely agree with that concept, but would like to just add that this language is so beautiful that I think if it were to be in English, it wouldn’t be as audibly pleasing.

I honestly don’t think I’ll be running with excitement to my next opera experience because of its length and my preference of broadway shows. However, it feels incredible that I can say that I’ve been to an opera at all. It’s something that I’ve always been curious about and I feel very accomplished that I did it. I feel more cultured in a way and it’s really awesome. Thanks Professor Ugoretz!

When I went to the opera, I expected to enjoy the experience more than the actual opera. After I went to the opera, I found I enjoyed the actual opera more than the experience.

I was not expecting the opera to resemble a play or a show. The singers are also actors and there were actual sets. Not only was I surprised by the sets, but also I was also surprised that they moved and turned. The actual opera, the singing and acting, was my favorite part of the opera because I was not expecting much. I my mind, I picture singers on a stage, singing a play or performance. Similar to script reading, only the script is being sung.

However, I think I would have enjoyed the opera much more if I could see the singers/actors closer and if I could hear them better. I now know that they were singing without microphones and I know that it is amazing that their voices could fill the opera house like that, but I wanted to feel the music the way I did when Amanda Hick sang to the class. I know people probably say this all the time, but when Amanda sang to us, I literally got chills. I was also battling with looking at what was happening on the stage and reading the subtitles. I wish I understood French or that I had shut the subtitles off and just watched the opera.

I think I understood and I actually enjoyed the opera because I could follow the storyline. I understood that Carmen was meant to be this temptress and how she could ruin a character like Don Jose. She was very seductive and so willing to use her sexuality to get what she wants. She used it to wield this power and have men almost worship her. Don Jose gave up everything for her until he went mad. I also think I was expecting the opera to be so dramatic, similar to a Shakespearean tragic play.

Unfortunately, I was extremely uncomfortable while watching the opera. There wasn’t much room for my legs, not that I have long legs, but I get fidgety and I like to cross my legs. I did not have the room to do so. The velvet seats, although nice, were creating a wardrobe malfunction. Every time I would slide off or on the chair, the friction between the velvet and my jeans would pull my pants down. Not lying. And I just kept thinking about how uncomfortable I was the whole time. However, the velvet on the stairs and the giant chandelier were absolutely stunning. The chandelier looked like an explosion of beautifully shard glass.

I think I am ambivalent about my opera experience. I don’t want to say I liked it because there were things about it that I did not like and I don’t want to say I hated it because there were things I liked about it. I think if I ever get the chance to go again, I will definitely shut the subtitles off, pay attention to the seat choice, and wear a belt.

1) How do curators determine what is good art and what is bad art? Are there certain standards the art has to meet? And similarly, how do art teachers/professors grade art?

2) What do you think art will look like in the far future? For example, when I picture the world 50 years from now, I see metallics, structure, order, sharp shapes, and patterns. So what will the art look like and do you think it will mimic this picture of the future?

The American Ballet Theatre was absolutely beautiful. From the sets, to the dancers, to the music, everything was beautiful. Every single “act” brought something new to the performance and I enjoyed every single one.

The first act, “Sinfonietta,” seemed to be about symmetry. There was no real set during this act, which made me think that the focus must really be the dancing. The choreography seemed to alternate between one, to two, to a group of dancers. The dancers did a lot of running and jumping in this act. I noticed that they made the choreography look so easy, when I know it is not. I know that the dancers have to be in control of almost every muscle in their body during the dance. I cannot imagine the work and hours of practice that went into each practice. However, something I did notice that bothered me was the actual sound of the dancers shoes hitting the stage. For some reason, the sound of the ballerinas coming down on their feet distracted me from the actual dancing and the orchestra too. I know it is foolish to be bothered by it because these dancers are coming down on their feet with their full body weight and coming down after being so high off the stage. Still, the sound bothered me and I found myself paying attention to it often. The music in “Sinfonietta” was high-spirited and mimicked the high-energy dancing. I was heavily relying on the orchestra for some kind of story line, but then again, I think this act was meant to focus more on the actual dancing and choreography and not on a story line.

The second act, “Jardin aux Lilas,” was the most emotionally touching act of the entire night. This act’s story line was taking place in a garden, which was beautifully created on the stage, where there is a farewell party. The garden party is meant to celebrate or focus on a soon to be married couple, however, it ended up focusing on the tension between lovers. The bride appeared to be set up, or arranged to marry a much older gentleman, whose costumes varied much differently from the rest of the dancers. There was a longing between the bride and the man she truly loved and wanted to be with. The audience is left hoping and expecting a final kiss between the bride and the man she wants to be with. Unfortunately, this final, farewell kiss never comes. There is also tension and a different sense of longing between the groom and his mistress. The theme that rang through this act was yearning and longing. I also thought that this choreography told the story of how unfortunate life can be. Both the groom and the bride seemed to be aware that they would not be happy in this forced union and wanted to be with other people. This specific act, more so the scenery and set, reminded me of Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Nights Dream. I actually think someone(s) in the class mentioned it during the act. Something I think that is important to notice is that the title of this act, “Jardin aux Lilas,” means “Lilac Garden” when translated into English. The thing to note is that lilacs represent the emotions of love, which I see very fitting for this act. The dancing obviously mimicked longing and orchestra played softly. The music made me feelsad and almost depressed.

The third and final act, “Fancy Free,” was my personal favorite. This specific act seemed to be more along the lines of modern ballet, not that I would know (this was my first time seeing a ballet). The story was about three, humor-filled sailors. The sailors were spending “a night on the town” when they started competing for the attention of two dames. The sailors were competing for their attention and almost asking the women, “Pick me, pick me, pick me.” Their dancing was high-spirited. I almost forgot that I was watching a ballet when one of the dancers jumped on the bar table and jumped back off. The choreography of the dancing captured the humor between the sailors. At one point the sailors burst into fighting each other in a very sill manner that was hard to take seriously. The orchestra, of course captured this silliness. The music was light-hearted and I think it was also meant to capture the time period in which this story would take place, perhaps the 1940s or 50s. The way the act ended was neither woman choosing a sailor, I think they just walked out of the bar and in the middle of their fighting, the sailors did not notice. However, a third woman comes out and the cycle starts again.

     I definitely see myself going to another ballet in future. The only things I did not like about the ballet were the actual sound of the dancers shoes hitting the stage floor and the amount of clapping the dancers received. I did notice that the curtain was lifted around three times and the clapping continued for quite a long time. I thought this was basically feeding the dancers’ egos. However, after I thought about it, I think they deserved it. They made each movement and motion look so graceful and beautiful. I cannot imagine the amount of energy that went into each performance and I think that it is appropriate that their hard work be appreciated with a few rounds of clapping.

One ting that surprised me at the ballet was how easy all the dancers made the performance seem. Only after maybe the first 15-20 minutes into the performance was when I realized how hard what they were doing was, and these dancers were some of the best in the world and have been training ti do this for practically their whole lives. The costumes of the first performance was one of my favorites because they were what i picture in my head when I hear the word ballet. Also, I loved the solo performances in the first dance, especially one selection performed by a brunette ballerina and the duet between the other two ballerinas. The first section I felt was more “classy” and traditional ballet and demonstrated the skill of the ballerinas. The second performance I felt was the dramatic and theatre-esque representation of ballet and I thought was beautiful. I was happy that i read the synopsis of the dance before the actual performance or else I would have been a bit lost. The scenery was amazing and I didn’t think there was going to be props and stuff at all. The third performance was by-far my favorite (and not just because of the Brazilian danseur (term for a male ballerina) even though he added so much to the performance and my entertainment.) It was funny, and entertaining, but you could also see the level of skill and talent each dancer had and I just had a great time.