Journal 5
East of The Park
The train ride into Penn was not so bad on Friday. I think it was because I got lucky and was on a train car that only had three people on it. When I got into Penn I went to my spot near the MSG entrance where I became every tourist’s photographer. I should really start charging. I started today with the song “Howard” by Bayside, which is now my new favorite song. I have had the album for over two years but I sadly have to admit that I never gave the song a truly good listen to. Downstairs in Penn I met up with the class and the day began.
We took about a billion subway rides and wound up in East Harlem where we made our way to the Museo Del Barrio. We met our tour guides and went outside for a walking tour of the area. We saw a few different works of art on the walls of buildings. We saw a mural painting on the side of a random building, a mosaic art piece on the side of another random building, and a powerful graffiti mural located in the play yard of a school. The first mural painting we saw was a depiction of the East Harlem neighborhood using actual people who used to live in the area as the main focus. The mosaic art we saw depicted what seemed like a bunch of random stuff which even after it was explained I do not quite understand how they fit together. Starting from the right side, there were two African people in what looked like Hawaiian vacation t-shirts and playing the drums. Above them was John Lennon who I did not recognize at all and still did not see it when I was told it was him. In the center was a tribal dancer with a lion head piece on, a grass skirt with animals hidden in the design, and was holding a bow and arrow. The last piece was a blue goddess figure laying on her side with another male god figure facing away from her near her legs. Supposedly, this looked like New York but I did not see that at all. The last piece we looked at was a huge graffiti mural, which I thought was outstanding. I am discovering throughout this class that I have a deep appreciation for graffiti art. I find it fascinating and inspiring! This mural was of a mans chest with his heart exposed and his arms extended outward as if he was about to write on paper. The flesh on his arms were torn, exposing only bone and no blood, spelling out “I am a writer.” Next to it was a rather long quote basically saying that status quos are a joke and that its better to be an individual than to sacrifice individuality and art for what is expected or accepted. It was interesting to me that it was permitted to be up in a school yard. Although the piece had bright colors, some of the details were quite morbid and the message seems very out of reach for elementary aged kids. However, it is a fantastic piece of work and I am glad that the school granted
the artists permission to create.
Afterwards we began our walk through Central Park. It was decided that instead of going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art that we would walk through the park instead since it was a beautiful outside. I was kind of excited about this decision because I have been to the MET about 6 times already and, although I love it, I have had quite enough of the museum. We walked from 110th street all the way down and across to the other side of the park. We walked and we walked and we walked, we walked passed an Alicia Keys sound check and then we walked some more and learned about John Lennon. The area is named after a Beatles song (one of my favorite Beatle's songs) and was created in honor of singer John Lennon who was murdered in front of the Dakota apartments in 1980 (Blue Book Guide, 2008). I must admit, my expectations for Strawberry Fields was way to high. A few years earlier I had tried to make my way there and got lost in the park with my best friend for hours! We decided to give up for that day at least and return later with a map, which we never did. As time passed, my expectations reached impossible levels. I thought it would be a wonderland of colors and flowers. I was really glad I got to see it but because I had put so much effort into seeing it prior to this trip I was a little disappointed that it was just a circle which said Imagine on it.
The whole way through the park I was looking all over for the entrance to the Alice in Wonderland statue and realized that the memorial is on the complete opposite side of the park. It is almost tradition that I visit the statue every time I go so it felt strange leaving the park without sitting on the mushroom and getting a picture.
We then headed to FAO Shwarz where one of the “toy soldiers” outside told me that he was surprised to see a white girl wearing a t-shirt with the Day of the Dead skull on it. He then philosophized about how its not good to judge a book by its cover because a lot of people think he is Arab but he is actually Spanish. I thought he seemed like a pretty chill guy and I thought that he must like talking to people outside like this because it seems like the job could get pretty boring, especially since his partner was really serious about it. I then noted that his friend looked exactly like Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy but he had no idea who Stump was! I was pretty shocked because I had assumed every one knew Fall Out Boy. Inside, I paid a dollar to have my fortune read by Zoltar who babbled on about smiling and then did not give me my fortune card. I was convinced that no fortune meant I had no future and therefore I was waiting for the sky to fall for the rest of the day. Lucky for me, Zoltar is just a toy who knows absolutely nothing about anything.
After, we walked to Penn Station on 34th Street just so that those who did could say “I walked from 110th Street all the way to 34th Street.” So now, I would like to take this moment and say: I walked all the way from 110th street to 34th street. I got so used to eating ice cream every Friday that on the way home from Penn I stopped at Carvel and got myself a chocolate cone.
We took about a billion subway rides and wound up in East Harlem where we made our way to the Museo Del Barrio. We met our tour guides and went outside for a walking tour of the area. We saw a few different works of art on the walls of buildings. We saw a mural painting on the side of a random building, a mosaic art piece on the side of another random building, and a powerful graffiti mural located in the play yard of a school. The first mural painting we saw was a depiction of the East Harlem neighborhood using actual people who used to live in the area as the main focus. The mosaic art we saw depicted what seemed like a bunch of random stuff which even after it was explained I do not quite understand how they fit together. Starting from the right side, there were two African people in what looked like Hawaiian vacation t-shirts and playing the drums. Above them was John Lennon who I did not recognize at all and still did not see it when I was told it was him. In the center was a tribal dancer with a lion head piece on, a grass skirt with animals hidden in the design, and was holding a bow and arrow. The last piece was a blue goddess figure laying on her side with another male god figure facing away from her near her legs. Supposedly, this looked like New York but I did not see that at all. The last piece we looked at was a huge graffiti mural, which I thought was outstanding. I am discovering throughout this class that I have a deep appreciation for graffiti art. I find it fascinating and inspiring! This mural was of a mans chest with his heart exposed and his arms extended outward as if he was about to write on paper. The flesh on his arms were torn, exposing only bone and no blood, spelling out “I am a writer.” Next to it was a rather long quote basically saying that status quos are a joke and that its better to be an individual than to sacrifice individuality and art for what is expected or accepted. It was interesting to me that it was permitted to be up in a school yard. Although the piece had bright colors, some of the details were quite morbid and the message seems very out of reach for elementary aged kids. However, it is a fantastic piece of work and I am glad that the school granted
the artists permission to create.
Afterwards we began our walk through Central Park. It was decided that instead of going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art that we would walk through the park instead since it was a beautiful outside. I was kind of excited about this decision because I have been to the MET about 6 times already and, although I love it, I have had quite enough of the museum. We walked from 110th street all the way down and across to the other side of the park. We walked and we walked and we walked, we walked passed an Alicia Keys sound check and then we walked some more and learned about John Lennon. The area is named after a Beatles song (one of my favorite Beatle's songs) and was created in honor of singer John Lennon who was murdered in front of the Dakota apartments in 1980 (Blue Book Guide, 2008). I must admit, my expectations for Strawberry Fields was way to high. A few years earlier I had tried to make my way there and got lost in the park with my best friend for hours! We decided to give up for that day at least and return later with a map, which we never did. As time passed, my expectations reached impossible levels. I thought it would be a wonderland of colors and flowers. I was really glad I got to see it but because I had put so much effort into seeing it prior to this trip I was a little disappointed that it was just a circle which said Imagine on it.
The whole way through the park I was looking all over for the entrance to the Alice in Wonderland statue and realized that the memorial is on the complete opposite side of the park. It is almost tradition that I visit the statue every time I go so it felt strange leaving the park without sitting on the mushroom and getting a picture.
We then headed to FAO Shwarz where one of the “toy soldiers” outside told me that he was surprised to see a white girl wearing a t-shirt with the Day of the Dead skull on it. He then philosophized about how its not good to judge a book by its cover because a lot of people think he is Arab but he is actually Spanish. I thought he seemed like a pretty chill guy and I thought that he must like talking to people outside like this because it seems like the job could get pretty boring, especially since his partner was really serious about it. I then noted that his friend looked exactly like Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy but he had no idea who Stump was! I was pretty shocked because I had assumed every one knew Fall Out Boy. Inside, I paid a dollar to have my fortune read by Zoltar who babbled on about smiling and then did not give me my fortune card. I was convinced that no fortune meant I had no future and therefore I was waiting for the sky to fall for the rest of the day. Lucky for me, Zoltar is just a toy who knows absolutely nothing about anything.
After, we walked to Penn Station on 34th Street just so that those who did could say “I walked from 110th Street all the way to 34th Street.” So now, I would like to take this moment and say: I walked all the way from 110th street to 34th street. I got so used to eating ice cream every Friday that on the way home from Penn I stopped at Carvel and got myself a chocolate cone.
Journal 6
The Wild West Side
On Friday’s train ride into Penn a passenger broke the unwritten code of quiet that they are supposed to take once they board the train. The rider who chose to shake the walls of silence was me as I had a mini-nervous breakdown thinking that I took the peak train with an off peak ticket, again. I asked a girl a few rows ahead of me whether I got on the 9:07 or the 9:15 since it was only 9:16 and I learned the hard way a few weeks ago
that trains times are never quite precise, regardless of what the announcements tell you. I was told it was a peak train and although it would not have been a big deal to pay the 4 dollar service charge it is simply frustrating to do considering I could have avoid it. As I jumped up to get off the train, the doors shut so I rolled my eyes and sat down. Later on, I found out that I was on the right train after all and was ecstatic that the doors shut on me. I took out my mp3 player and put on Digital Revolution by the Omegatypez.
I am desensitized to the area outside of Penn that I once found really interesting. Nothing new is ever going on there. Different people pass and every once in a while a zany personality will walk by and turn some heads with some public antic but overall its just a taxi and tourist area. I went downstairs and met the class and we headed out onto the streets to begin our day.
Our first stop was the Museum of Modern Art. The MOMA is a museum dedicated to art that makes no sense such as entire canvases painted a single color, a fan spinning from its chord, and items that look as though they washed up on the shoreline from a beach. I enjoy all forms of art, including writing, film, music, and paintings but I think it is safe to say that I am not a huge fan of most modern art. I work with kindergartners who make me cards with drawings which are equivalent to or better than many of the modern works featured in the museum. I must admit that I walked into the museum with very low expectations of what was to come and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were some paintings which caught my eye while we were there. I think my favorite piece was titled Butterflies and it was an oil painting by Odilon Redon. He was a very interesting painter and typically would paint images with dark themes. However, Butterflies depicts a different side of Redon where there is a happier type of theme. I wrote about him, specifically his painting titled “The Marsh Flower,” 2 semesters ago for an art history class. Unfortunately we did not get to see The Marsh Flower on Friday’s visit but it is a beautiful piece so I figured that I would throw in what I wrote about it from a few years back.
“The goal of symbolist art is to inventively and
imaginatively represent reality and emotions through abstract symbols. Odilon
Redon, the French painter, is widely known for his contributions to symbolism
with his strange, mesmerizing, brilliant, and often disturbing pieces. Many have
described his paintings as “haunted,” as they give off often grave, chilling,
and supernatural tones. The 1885 lithograph, “The Marsh Flower,” was created as
homage to Franscico Goya, a Spanish painter who died in France in 1828. The
lithograph depicts a flower stem, commonly assumed to be the stem of a lotus
flower, growing from the marsh like ground beneath it. The stem has three not
yet bloomed spherical buds dangling from it. One of these buds, however, has
fully bloomed into a human head, and is believed to be the image of Goya as he
transcends into the next life. Often in symbolism, the lotus flower represents
birth and rebirth, and sphere shapes represent Heaven. Therefore, this piece is
most likely a symbolic work expressing the rebirth of Goya into the heavens.
However, the gloominess of the lithograph would seem to give quite a different
message, most likely one of sadness and sorrow. Unless Redon aimed to combine
the sadness of death with the positive message of transcendence into the next
life or, perhaps, he was just portraying an event which he felt strongly about
through his signature mysterious artistry. The face, rumored to be Goya, looks
rather placid as it buds from the stem, even though the piece is still able to
leave the viewing audience with a very eerie and uncanny feeling. The lithograph
is currently located in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.”
While at the MOMA we also got to see an exhibit on sound titled “Soundings: A Contemporary Score” which, when it was described, sounded like the type of modern art that I typically would hate. My expectations could not have been any lower as I walked through the hall way blasting the white noise through what seemed like hundreds of tiny speakers in the walls. Once we got to the back where there were all separate rooms with separate sounds, I realized that the exhibit was actually kind of cool. There was a surreal horror movie vibe to the whole thing that I found captivating. The website that the artists who put the rooms together understand that “how we listen determines what we hear” and that the rooms are open to interpretation based on the people who enter. They aimed to connect people to each other and the room through the sounds since it is on rare occasions that people will share “aural space.” Some of the sound bites that were used in the rooms included bats, sounds from within abandoned building in Chernobyl, bells in New York City, and a sugar factory in Taiwan. I thought
the Sound exhibit was actually a really cool experience.
The Blue Book Guide (2008) states that art during 1929 "was not considered art at all in many quarters." While most of the art in the MoMa was very difficult for me to wrap my head around, I would not go as far as saying that the works inside were not art at all. I think that is a little harsh because some people, especially the artists, do view these things as art works. Art is dependent on taste and what one person may consider art another person may not see it as art. I personally believe that many of the art displayed at the MoMa, is indeed art, but I do not particularly enjoy it.
Next we went to eat Thai food which was absolutely delicious! I never tried Thai before this class and my friend and I are already planning a trip so that I can try it again. We then went to Morningside Heights for a walking tour of that area but first we all got to hang up an Angel of unconditional love and we even got our own angel to take home with us. The angel I got was beautiful and I have it saved nicely in my travel box. We then walked to the Columbia University campus which is really nice and I could not help but point out that it looks exactly like the Scare Building from Monsters University.
that trains times are never quite precise, regardless of what the announcements tell you. I was told it was a peak train and although it would not have been a big deal to pay the 4 dollar service charge it is simply frustrating to do considering I could have avoid it. As I jumped up to get off the train, the doors shut so I rolled my eyes and sat down. Later on, I found out that I was on the right train after all and was ecstatic that the doors shut on me. I took out my mp3 player and put on Digital Revolution by the Omegatypez.
I am desensitized to the area outside of Penn that I once found really interesting. Nothing new is ever going on there. Different people pass and every once in a while a zany personality will walk by and turn some heads with some public antic but overall its just a taxi and tourist area. I went downstairs and met the class and we headed out onto the streets to begin our day.
Our first stop was the Museum of Modern Art. The MOMA is a museum dedicated to art that makes no sense such as entire canvases painted a single color, a fan spinning from its chord, and items that look as though they washed up on the shoreline from a beach. I enjoy all forms of art, including writing, film, music, and paintings but I think it is safe to say that I am not a huge fan of most modern art. I work with kindergartners who make me cards with drawings which are equivalent to or better than many of the modern works featured in the museum. I must admit that I walked into the museum with very low expectations of what was to come and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were some paintings which caught my eye while we were there. I think my favorite piece was titled Butterflies and it was an oil painting by Odilon Redon. He was a very interesting painter and typically would paint images with dark themes. However, Butterflies depicts a different side of Redon where there is a happier type of theme. I wrote about him, specifically his painting titled “The Marsh Flower,” 2 semesters ago for an art history class. Unfortunately we did not get to see The Marsh Flower on Friday’s visit but it is a beautiful piece so I figured that I would throw in what I wrote about it from a few years back.
“The goal of symbolist art is to inventively and
imaginatively represent reality and emotions through abstract symbols. Odilon
Redon, the French painter, is widely known for his contributions to symbolism
with his strange, mesmerizing, brilliant, and often disturbing pieces. Many have
described his paintings as “haunted,” as they give off often grave, chilling,
and supernatural tones. The 1885 lithograph, “The Marsh Flower,” was created as
homage to Franscico Goya, a Spanish painter who died in France in 1828. The
lithograph depicts a flower stem, commonly assumed to be the stem of a lotus
flower, growing from the marsh like ground beneath it. The stem has three not
yet bloomed spherical buds dangling from it. One of these buds, however, has
fully bloomed into a human head, and is believed to be the image of Goya as he
transcends into the next life. Often in symbolism, the lotus flower represents
birth and rebirth, and sphere shapes represent Heaven. Therefore, this piece is
most likely a symbolic work expressing the rebirth of Goya into the heavens.
However, the gloominess of the lithograph would seem to give quite a different
message, most likely one of sadness and sorrow. Unless Redon aimed to combine
the sadness of death with the positive message of transcendence into the next
life or, perhaps, he was just portraying an event which he felt strongly about
through his signature mysterious artistry. The face, rumored to be Goya, looks
rather placid as it buds from the stem, even though the piece is still able to
leave the viewing audience with a very eerie and uncanny feeling. The lithograph
is currently located in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.”
While at the MOMA we also got to see an exhibit on sound titled “Soundings: A Contemporary Score” which, when it was described, sounded like the type of modern art that I typically would hate. My expectations could not have been any lower as I walked through the hall way blasting the white noise through what seemed like hundreds of tiny speakers in the walls. Once we got to the back where there were all separate rooms with separate sounds, I realized that the exhibit was actually kind of cool. There was a surreal horror movie vibe to the whole thing that I found captivating. The website that the artists who put the rooms together understand that “how we listen determines what we hear” and that the rooms are open to interpretation based on the people who enter. They aimed to connect people to each other and the room through the sounds since it is on rare occasions that people will share “aural space.” Some of the sound bites that were used in the rooms included bats, sounds from within abandoned building in Chernobyl, bells in New York City, and a sugar factory in Taiwan. I thought
the Sound exhibit was actually a really cool experience.
The Blue Book Guide (2008) states that art during 1929 "was not considered art at all in many quarters." While most of the art in the MoMa was very difficult for me to wrap my head around, I would not go as far as saying that the works inside were not art at all. I think that is a little harsh because some people, especially the artists, do view these things as art works. Art is dependent on taste and what one person may consider art another person may not see it as art. I personally believe that many of the art displayed at the MoMa, is indeed art, but I do not particularly enjoy it.
Next we went to eat Thai food which was absolutely delicious! I never tried Thai before this class and my friend and I are already planning a trip so that I can try it again. We then went to Morningside Heights for a walking tour of that area but first we all got to hang up an Angel of unconditional love and we even got our own angel to take home with us. The angel I got was beautiful and I have it saved nicely in my travel box. We then walked to the Columbia University campus which is really nice and I could not help but point out that it looks exactly like the Scare Building from Monsters University.
Journal 7
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
The New York Comic Con was in the city this Friday and while I am not exactly a comic book fanatic I have always had plans to attend this event at some point but was never able to get around to going. I am fascinated by the event because of the diverse gathering of fandom’s, usually comprised of eccentric people who arrive in their favorite CosPlay (costume/ role playing), and the potential to meet comic and entertainment celebrities seems exciting. On Friday some friends of mine from work went to the Con. I had been invited but I obviously could not make it because of class. I thought I was okay with this but on Friday morning I realized how far from okay I actually was.
It honestly seemed as though life was conspiring against me! Of course the year my friends decided to go on a trip to Con I could not go with them. To make matters worse I not only could not go but I was spending the day so close to where the Con was taking place. I felt a bit helpless knowing that #27 on my bucket list was only just out of reach. There are different kinds of knots that form in the bottom of your stomach dependent on the situation. This type of knot was the kind of knot that happens when you know something fantastic is going on and that you are going to be left out. I was processing these thoughts as I blasted “Sector 9” by Dj Pavo, hoping that the booming bass would take my mind off of the reality of the situation.
The music did not help because as I was trying to forget that I was missing the Con, I started to see Con goers in their costumes coming out of Penn by the droves. Some of the costumes were fantastic and others were laughably bad. When class started I was not in the mind set to be in class. In my head I was at comic con shaking hands with Norman Reedus asking him about the new season of the Walking Dead.
We went to City Hall, which the Blue Book Guide (2008, p. 83) describes as "one of new York City's architectural treasures," where a sweet old woman gave us a tour. She reminded me a lot of Aunt May, Peter Parker’s aunt, from Spiderman. I was then thinking about all of the different Spiderman’s who were probably at comic con. Would there be really good ones, or really bad ones? Would they go as Spiderman or as Venom? Would there be any Spider girls? By the time I thought about all of the comic con spiders and played out the whole first Spiderman movie in my head it was time to leave. The day here was not totally lost to thoughts of the comic con though, I took a lot of beautiful pictures of the main staircase and the artwork in the portrait gallery.
After city hall we went to the freedom tower and the 9/11 memorial site. The last time I was here it was still ground zero, it was less than a year after the incident, and the place was all ruins. There was metal and dirt, and other debris everywhere. Now in the same spot is a beautiful tower and two large square water fall structures where water flows downwards into a square well. It is truly a spectacular monument memorializing the tragedy but also capturing the beauty in the aftermath of America coming to together as one to support one another, survive, and triumph. The monument stands not to remind those who visit of a disaster from long ago but to remember those who were lost and to reflect on what our nation has become since then.
Despite the gorgeous memorial, the entrance was a bit of a downer. It could be described as having an insulting irony actually. Everything about the “lobby” was reminiscent of an airplane terminal, from security checks of bags and body scanners, to the rude security people, to the layout of the room. I thought this similarity was actually rather disgusting. The only thing I kept thinking, especially while looking at the names of victims on the sides of the water falls, was “this was probably the last thing these people experienced.” I hope someone has the decency to rethink that blue print and if they still feel the need for such an intense security checkpoint to at least make it a little less insensitive.
After this, we went to Battery Park where there was a big Eagle statue which made me start thinking about all of the Captain Americas running around dressed up at comic con. I took many pictures of the Eagle but I hit the shutter button quite angrily as I thought about all of the fun I was missing. To make matters worse I thought it would be a grand idea to map out how far I was from the Javits center, where the con was taking place. I believe we were only a few miles away. I knew I could walk that distance if I really wanted to, and I really wanted to! Battery Park is named after a row of cannons that once stood in the location to defend a fort which once stood there.
After that we went to Chelsea Market where the only thing I found that seemed appetizing was the cupcakes I had set my eyes on when I first walked in. They were absolutely delicious! We then crossed the street to the highline which I was expecting to be a lot higher and a lot prettier. I am thinking that it probably looks nicer in the summer since this is not the season for blooming flowers. I saw a lot of greenery and small purple flower’s that I almost fell in. I thought the train tracks lining the highline was a nice piece of décor because it gave the highline a vintage classic tone. While up there we walked passed a sculpture of a woman with sunglasses and a loose dress on. The sculpture was awesome. Despite being made out of stone and being a stone color, the sculpture looked very life like. The way the artist was able to capture movement made the dress appear flowing and real. We walked along the highline a little longer and then our made down to the streets to start our marathon viewing of the Chelsea art galleries.
Mike then told us that celebrities like to view these galleries and that one time he saw Keifer Sutherland and his wife viewing art. I realize that lightning does not strike twice in the same spot so my odds of bumping into Keifer or any Sutherland was basically none but that got me thinking about celebrities. I was not thinking about just any celebrities, I was thinking about the celebrities who were signing autographs at the Javits center. That got me thinking about how far away we were from the con. I had it in my mind that we were on the opposite side of the world from where it was taking place. I mapped out the directions again to find that we were only 10 blocks away! I crossed my fingers and hoped that we would end before 7, even if it was at 645 and I had to run there for a peek at what could have been.
We went into a bunch of galleries I think around 15 in total. I had many of the same issues with the art there that I had with the art at the MoMa. Most of the modern art today is so either so abstract or simplified or both that it loses all meaning and winds up looking more stupid than anything else. I did find one photography display particularly interesting. All of the pictures were of men doing different things but with really intense looks on their faces. One man looked like he could be the protagonist of an action movie but he would be one of those bizarre main characters that you would not be able to tell if he was a good or a bad guy. He was leaning on the ground in a dimly lit parking lot near a car. The other photo that caught my eye featured images of two men who I believe may be the same man. One of the images of the man is of him in full drag in the foreground and the other image is an average guy sitting against an alley wall in the background. The third picture which I liked a lot was of a man lying down on a bed with his arms out and his head hanging off the side. I thought this picture was kind of silly but it portrayed a relatable image of boredom.
We also stopped in a book store where we were asked to find a book that spoke to us. At first I could not find anything! I was shocked because usually I always find something interesting to look at. I do not like to describe art as boring, whether I think its horrible or not I avoid the word boring because what I find exciting may be boring to someone else and visa versa, but I was bored with most of the artistic liberties the art books were taking in the shop. I do not want to say that I was shocked or disturbed by how many artists featured nudity in their art because a lot of artists use the naked body as a means of symbolism or expression but I found myself cringing at some of the images. I think it was due to the context of the nudity because it seemed like it was nudity for nudities sake rather than for the sake of bringing forth deeper meaning. They were naked because they could be. It was as if the artist did not want to dishonor himself (or herself, but I guarantee a majority of them were males judging by the amount of females were featured in the art) by going into the porn industry but did it anyway and called it art so no one would be ashamed. The context was crude and unnecessary and therefore it was difficult for me to wrap my head around. But finally, I found a book! It is called “- a rat, is a pig ,is a dog, is a boy” and it featured photographs of rats, pigs, dogs, and guys. This book spoke to me because the title was a genuine and truthful message and it made me laugh. I would explain more but that would require this Blog to go visit the dark side of my brain and I do not think weebly.com, or the rest of the internet is ready for that.
We ended slightly earlier than usual today and it was a good thing because I think most of the class (myself included) were going to spontaneously combust if we had to go into another gallery. With the extra time that I had I sprinted over to the comic con. I was aware that it was a sold out event but with a heart full of optimism and a reassuring thought saying “you never know unless you try,” I walked as fast as I could to the Javits center. There was absolutely no way in but I walked around the lobby and around the outside of the building for a while and met some really cool people, some dressed up and some not dressed up. Then I tried to see what was going on inside the Con it appeared that I was having a very similar experience outside except I did not have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to do so. I was asking my friends what went on inside the comic con and apparently its just a place where fans come together to exert their full nerd potential. Overall not a lot happens on the inside, or at least that is how it seems. However, I plan on getting inside the Con next year and in full costume!
It honestly seemed as though life was conspiring against me! Of course the year my friends decided to go on a trip to Con I could not go with them. To make matters worse I not only could not go but I was spending the day so close to where the Con was taking place. I felt a bit helpless knowing that #27 on my bucket list was only just out of reach. There are different kinds of knots that form in the bottom of your stomach dependent on the situation. This type of knot was the kind of knot that happens when you know something fantastic is going on and that you are going to be left out. I was processing these thoughts as I blasted “Sector 9” by Dj Pavo, hoping that the booming bass would take my mind off of the reality of the situation.
The music did not help because as I was trying to forget that I was missing the Con, I started to see Con goers in their costumes coming out of Penn by the droves. Some of the costumes were fantastic and others were laughably bad. When class started I was not in the mind set to be in class. In my head I was at comic con shaking hands with Norman Reedus asking him about the new season of the Walking Dead.
We went to City Hall, which the Blue Book Guide (2008, p. 83) describes as "one of new York City's architectural treasures," where a sweet old woman gave us a tour. She reminded me a lot of Aunt May, Peter Parker’s aunt, from Spiderman. I was then thinking about all of the different Spiderman’s who were probably at comic con. Would there be really good ones, or really bad ones? Would they go as Spiderman or as Venom? Would there be any Spider girls? By the time I thought about all of the comic con spiders and played out the whole first Spiderman movie in my head it was time to leave. The day here was not totally lost to thoughts of the comic con though, I took a lot of beautiful pictures of the main staircase and the artwork in the portrait gallery.
After city hall we went to the freedom tower and the 9/11 memorial site. The last time I was here it was still ground zero, it was less than a year after the incident, and the place was all ruins. There was metal and dirt, and other debris everywhere. Now in the same spot is a beautiful tower and two large square water fall structures where water flows downwards into a square well. It is truly a spectacular monument memorializing the tragedy but also capturing the beauty in the aftermath of America coming to together as one to support one another, survive, and triumph. The monument stands not to remind those who visit of a disaster from long ago but to remember those who were lost and to reflect on what our nation has become since then.
Despite the gorgeous memorial, the entrance was a bit of a downer. It could be described as having an insulting irony actually. Everything about the “lobby” was reminiscent of an airplane terminal, from security checks of bags and body scanners, to the rude security people, to the layout of the room. I thought this similarity was actually rather disgusting. The only thing I kept thinking, especially while looking at the names of victims on the sides of the water falls, was “this was probably the last thing these people experienced.” I hope someone has the decency to rethink that blue print and if they still feel the need for such an intense security checkpoint to at least make it a little less insensitive.
After this, we went to Battery Park where there was a big Eagle statue which made me start thinking about all of the Captain Americas running around dressed up at comic con. I took many pictures of the Eagle but I hit the shutter button quite angrily as I thought about all of the fun I was missing. To make matters worse I thought it would be a grand idea to map out how far I was from the Javits center, where the con was taking place. I believe we were only a few miles away. I knew I could walk that distance if I really wanted to, and I really wanted to! Battery Park is named after a row of cannons that once stood in the location to defend a fort which once stood there.
After that we went to Chelsea Market where the only thing I found that seemed appetizing was the cupcakes I had set my eyes on when I first walked in. They were absolutely delicious! We then crossed the street to the highline which I was expecting to be a lot higher and a lot prettier. I am thinking that it probably looks nicer in the summer since this is not the season for blooming flowers. I saw a lot of greenery and small purple flower’s that I almost fell in. I thought the train tracks lining the highline was a nice piece of décor because it gave the highline a vintage classic tone. While up there we walked passed a sculpture of a woman with sunglasses and a loose dress on. The sculpture was awesome. Despite being made out of stone and being a stone color, the sculpture looked very life like. The way the artist was able to capture movement made the dress appear flowing and real. We walked along the highline a little longer and then our made down to the streets to start our marathon viewing of the Chelsea art galleries.
Mike then told us that celebrities like to view these galleries and that one time he saw Keifer Sutherland and his wife viewing art. I realize that lightning does not strike twice in the same spot so my odds of bumping into Keifer or any Sutherland was basically none but that got me thinking about celebrities. I was not thinking about just any celebrities, I was thinking about the celebrities who were signing autographs at the Javits center. That got me thinking about how far away we were from the con. I had it in my mind that we were on the opposite side of the world from where it was taking place. I mapped out the directions again to find that we were only 10 blocks away! I crossed my fingers and hoped that we would end before 7, even if it was at 645 and I had to run there for a peek at what could have been.
We went into a bunch of galleries I think around 15 in total. I had many of the same issues with the art there that I had with the art at the MoMa. Most of the modern art today is so either so abstract or simplified or both that it loses all meaning and winds up looking more stupid than anything else. I did find one photography display particularly interesting. All of the pictures were of men doing different things but with really intense looks on their faces. One man looked like he could be the protagonist of an action movie but he would be one of those bizarre main characters that you would not be able to tell if he was a good or a bad guy. He was leaning on the ground in a dimly lit parking lot near a car. The other photo that caught my eye featured images of two men who I believe may be the same man. One of the images of the man is of him in full drag in the foreground and the other image is an average guy sitting against an alley wall in the background. The third picture which I liked a lot was of a man lying down on a bed with his arms out and his head hanging off the side. I thought this picture was kind of silly but it portrayed a relatable image of boredom.
We also stopped in a book store where we were asked to find a book that spoke to us. At first I could not find anything! I was shocked because usually I always find something interesting to look at. I do not like to describe art as boring, whether I think its horrible or not I avoid the word boring because what I find exciting may be boring to someone else and visa versa, but I was bored with most of the artistic liberties the art books were taking in the shop. I do not want to say that I was shocked or disturbed by how many artists featured nudity in their art because a lot of artists use the naked body as a means of symbolism or expression but I found myself cringing at some of the images. I think it was due to the context of the nudity because it seemed like it was nudity for nudities sake rather than for the sake of bringing forth deeper meaning. They were naked because they could be. It was as if the artist did not want to dishonor himself (or herself, but I guarantee a majority of them were males judging by the amount of females were featured in the art) by going into the porn industry but did it anyway and called it art so no one would be ashamed. The context was crude and unnecessary and therefore it was difficult for me to wrap my head around. But finally, I found a book! It is called “- a rat, is a pig ,is a dog, is a boy” and it featured photographs of rats, pigs, dogs, and guys. This book spoke to me because the title was a genuine and truthful message and it made me laugh. I would explain more but that would require this Blog to go visit the dark side of my brain and I do not think weebly.com, or the rest of the internet is ready for that.
We ended slightly earlier than usual today and it was a good thing because I think most of the class (myself included) were going to spontaneously combust if we had to go into another gallery. With the extra time that I had I sprinted over to the comic con. I was aware that it was a sold out event but with a heart full of optimism and a reassuring thought saying “you never know unless you try,” I walked as fast as I could to the Javits center. There was absolutely no way in but I walked around the lobby and around the outside of the building for a while and met some really cool people, some dressed up and some not dressed up. Then I tried to see what was going on inside the Con it appeared that I was having a very similar experience outside except I did not have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to do so. I was asking my friends what went on inside the comic con and apparently its just a place where fans come together to exert their full nerd potential. Overall not a lot happens on the inside, or at least that is how it seems. However, I plan on getting inside the Con next year and in full costume!
Journal 8
Immigrant New York (Lower East Side, The Bowery, Little Italy, and Chinatown)
Friday marked our final class. There are two sides to every penny so Friday was actually a bitter sweet sort of day. On one hand, I do not have to spend money I do not have any more on transportation and I do not have to take any more uncomfortable train or subway rides, but on the other hand, I will miss exploring the city each Friday with my new friends. I think I learned a lot about myself throughout this class, as corny as it sounds. I learned that I am more capable than I think I am which sounds like a strange thing to have learned at this point in life and it is not an easy thing to explain either. I guess what I mean by this is that I have always been a bit of a scaredy-cat. I considered trips alone, whether it be to CVS, the library, a clothing store, or really anywhere, to be somewhat of a risky move. Simply the thought of taking a train (especially into NYC) broke me out in goose bumps. I was always scared that I would wind up getting lost or becoming trapped in an impossible and maybe frightening situation. Now that the class has ended, I have survived nearly 10 trips into and out of the city and spent some of this time alone (waiting for the train to come, on the train, waiting at the train station to get picked up) and I realize that it is not half as horrifying as I assumed it would be. Deciding to take this class was in itself a big risk for me. I would be in the city with people that I did not know at all and spending extra money each week and I am glad I did it because I have made so many new memories and seen so many places that I would not have experienced otherwise.
I put on Jumped by Loituma, a very happy sounding song, while waiting for class to begin outside of Penn Station. This part of my day, I would not miss at all. For starters, my mp3 player decided that it just does not feel like charging anymore so for the past 3 classes I can only get about a train ride and a half out of it and then it is done. I was thinking about how I should not waste my battery and should save it for the train ride home but decided against it because I needed my music. It is my version of a morning cup of coffee since I do not drink coffee.
We started our day at a candy shop, which was also bitter sweet. On one hand, my sweet tooth was elated and on the other hand, I have a sugar problem so I should probably stay far away from candy. I got a tube of gel sugar, called a squeeze tube! I have not seen those since I was a kid! I was way too happy to taste my old favorite treat again. I had memories rush back of my next door neighbor and I walking to the deli up the block from my old house to get the Squeeze Tube, the Spice Girls lollipops, and whatever else we felt like ruining our teeth with that particular day. I also got some cherry gummy candies (which Mike introduced us to at FAO Shwarz) which I somehow managed to save and am finishing as I type right now.
We then went on a walking tour, were allotted some time to explore China town and Little Italy, and then went to eat at a Chinese restaurant. If I had the option, I would probably eat nothing but Chinese food for the rest of my life so I was really excited about this. The food was delicious! We then went to the Tenement Museum where we were introduced to Victoria, a 14 year old immigrant. The actress who played Victoria was superb! The way she improvised and was able to express history and emotions as if it was current was beyond extraordinary. The museum is located inside a former tenement house and was set up in 1988 to showcase the history of America's immigrant peoples (Blue Book Guide, 2008).
Across the street from the tenement museum was a large billboard that said "I Can't Grow Up," I loved this because I really cannot grow up and nor do I want to! After that students had the option of going over the Williamsburg Bridge to Williamsburg, Brooklyn which I decided to do along with some classmates. The bridge was spectacular and I am glad I got a last look at the NY Graffiti scene before class ended officially. The graffiti on the bridge was different than other graffiti I had seen throughout the weeks in NYC because the graffiti on the bridge was actual graffiti. While the graffiti art in the past weeks were detailed masterpieces with strong meaning and vivid imagery, the graffiti all over the bridge was more traditional as far as graffiti goes. It was not "art" in the sense that it created an image or a full illustration, it was art in the sense that there were messages to be found in the words and symbols spray painted around. One which stood out was "Never... Settle," (picture below) because that is a lesson I learned earlier this year (as I said last week, that deals with the darker parts of my brain that I do not think weebly.com or the rest of the cyber world is prepared to handle). After we got off the bridge I realized that we were in Hipster, U.S.A! You could tell by the amount of fake plastic rimmed glasses and the amount of skinny jeans there were. There were skinny jeans everywhere!
I had a great time in the city over the past 7 classes and I cannot wait to bring my friends and family back to re-experience my favorite spots! I also want to say thank you to Mike and Meritta for running this class and making the past few weeks in the city possible!
I put on Jumped by Loituma, a very happy sounding song, while waiting for class to begin outside of Penn Station. This part of my day, I would not miss at all. For starters, my mp3 player decided that it just does not feel like charging anymore so for the past 3 classes I can only get about a train ride and a half out of it and then it is done. I was thinking about how I should not waste my battery and should save it for the train ride home but decided against it because I needed my music. It is my version of a morning cup of coffee since I do not drink coffee.
We started our day at a candy shop, which was also bitter sweet. On one hand, my sweet tooth was elated and on the other hand, I have a sugar problem so I should probably stay far away from candy. I got a tube of gel sugar, called a squeeze tube! I have not seen those since I was a kid! I was way too happy to taste my old favorite treat again. I had memories rush back of my next door neighbor and I walking to the deli up the block from my old house to get the Squeeze Tube, the Spice Girls lollipops, and whatever else we felt like ruining our teeth with that particular day. I also got some cherry gummy candies (which Mike introduced us to at FAO Shwarz) which I somehow managed to save and am finishing as I type right now.
We then went on a walking tour, were allotted some time to explore China town and Little Italy, and then went to eat at a Chinese restaurant. If I had the option, I would probably eat nothing but Chinese food for the rest of my life so I was really excited about this. The food was delicious! We then went to the Tenement Museum where we were introduced to Victoria, a 14 year old immigrant. The actress who played Victoria was superb! The way she improvised and was able to express history and emotions as if it was current was beyond extraordinary. The museum is located inside a former tenement house and was set up in 1988 to showcase the history of America's immigrant peoples (Blue Book Guide, 2008).
Across the street from the tenement museum was a large billboard that said "I Can't Grow Up," I loved this because I really cannot grow up and nor do I want to! After that students had the option of going over the Williamsburg Bridge to Williamsburg, Brooklyn which I decided to do along with some classmates. The bridge was spectacular and I am glad I got a last look at the NY Graffiti scene before class ended officially. The graffiti on the bridge was different than other graffiti I had seen throughout the weeks in NYC because the graffiti on the bridge was actual graffiti. While the graffiti art in the past weeks were detailed masterpieces with strong meaning and vivid imagery, the graffiti all over the bridge was more traditional as far as graffiti goes. It was not "art" in the sense that it created an image or a full illustration, it was art in the sense that there were messages to be found in the words and symbols spray painted around. One which stood out was "Never... Settle," (picture below) because that is a lesson I learned earlier this year (as I said last week, that deals with the darker parts of my brain that I do not think weebly.com or the rest of the cyber world is prepared to handle). After we got off the bridge I realized that we were in Hipster, U.S.A! You could tell by the amount of fake plastic rimmed glasses and the amount of skinny jeans there were. There were skinny jeans everywhere!
I had a great time in the city over the past 7 classes and I cannot wait to bring my friends and family back to re-experience my favorite spots! I also want to say thank you to Mike and Meritta for running this class and making the past few weeks in the city possible!
Journal 9
Final Impressions of New York City
Prior to class beginning, we were asked to write a blog about our impressions of New York City up until that point. Now, as class has ended, we have been asked to write a follow up blog with regards to our opinions on New York City after all of our COR 390 experiences. My attitudes of New York have not changed a bit and I still feel that the city is a place where culture, history, and diversity is preserved and celebrated. However, this class has helped me experience the many ways in which the city is able to achieve this.
Each class took me to places in the city which I may never have known about or visited if it were not for this class. On the first week we discovered Queens, which I believe was my favorite day of class because we went to some fantastic spots. The Five Pointz and the Museum of Moving Images are two unforgettable places that I would love to visit again. The class taught me how to navigate the city’s subway lines and even though I hate the subways and would prefer never to take them again, I now know how to if I had to.
It is my senior year of Molloy and I have been thinking hard about my future. Being in the city, surrounded by people and constantly in contact with thousands of personalities, also kept me thinking about what my life will become with in the next few years. At one point living in the city or at the very least working in the city, seemed like a realistic option. I now realize that I never want to live in the city. It is much too busy and chaotic. It also smells really bad all of the time and the worst part of the whole thing is that I cannot figure out what the smell is or where it is coming from! Going to the city for trips every once in a while is fun but I do not want to be involved in everything the city has to offer at all hours of the day and night.
I guess what I learned is that I am a suburban girl who likes to have adventures in the big city on occasion. I discovered new places and collected a lot of fantastic pictures from around the city. I value the experiences this class has given to me and I enjoyed the time I have spent in the city. However, my bank account and I are going to have to spend months recovering from this.
Each class took me to places in the city which I may never have known about or visited if it were not for this class. On the first week we discovered Queens, which I believe was my favorite day of class because we went to some fantastic spots. The Five Pointz and the Museum of Moving Images are two unforgettable places that I would love to visit again. The class taught me how to navigate the city’s subway lines and even though I hate the subways and would prefer never to take them again, I now know how to if I had to.
It is my senior year of Molloy and I have been thinking hard about my future. Being in the city, surrounded by people and constantly in contact with thousands of personalities, also kept me thinking about what my life will become with in the next few years. At one point living in the city or at the very least working in the city, seemed like a realistic option. I now realize that I never want to live in the city. It is much too busy and chaotic. It also smells really bad all of the time and the worst part of the whole thing is that I cannot figure out what the smell is or where it is coming from! Going to the city for trips every once in a while is fun but I do not want to be involved in everything the city has to offer at all hours of the day and night.
I guess what I learned is that I am a suburban girl who likes to have adventures in the big city on occasion. I discovered new places and collected a lot of fantastic pictures from around the city. I value the experiences this class has given to me and I enjoyed the time I have spent in the city. However, my bank account and I are going to have to spend months recovering from this.