Archive for the 'Art' Category

25
Jul
10

Circle of Cameras

Here’s a great idea. Get a load of people with cameras. Sit in a circle and all take pictures at the same time of people jumping around in the centr.

29
Jun
10

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

Torso of a High General

Torso of a High General

I wrote a blog article recently knocking the content at the Getty Centre in Los Angeles but praising the building.  I failed to mention that I had earlier visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Blimey Mrs. It’s a corker!

The Metropolitan has art from all over the world. I’d seen some of the types before but what I found completely stunning was the quality of the pieces. It seemed that if there was only one perfect example still in existence of a type of art from somewhere in the world then the Metropolitan would have it and all beautifully displayed and perfectly lit.

I was stuck by one piece in particular. This was a damaged statue with the title Torso of a High General from 4th Century Egypt. The piece is of a young man but the torso has sheered away revealing the raw sandstone. It occurred to me that, for people who had not seen carving of this quality before, it must have seemed miraculous. Sandstone in it’s raw state is uneven and quite obviously inanimate. Yet in the hands of a craftsman it takes on the appearance of a man. Even the damaged example had  all the strength and vibrancy of a living body even after 2000 years!

If there is one museum you visit in New York then it should be the Metro.

Marble Head of a Woman, 1st Century Rome

Marble Head of a Woman, 1st Century Rome

Marble Head of Athena, Rome, AD 138-92

Marble Head of Athena, Rome, AD 138-92

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sea Bear Head, Haida, British Colombia, 19th Century

Sea Bear Head, Haida, British Colombia, 19th Century

Forehead Mask, British Colombia or Alaska, 1840

Forehead Mask, British Colombia or Alaska, 1840

Smiling Figure, Mexico, Remojadas, 7th-8th Century

Smiling Figure, Mexico, Remojadas, 7th-8th Century

Female Mask (Gabanda), Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende Peoples, 19th-20th Century

Female Mask (Gabanda), Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende Peoples, 19th-20th Century

04
Jun
10

High Line

High Line

High Line

Wednesday evening I visited the school that the kids of a friend go to in Tribeca. Kids from 4 to maybe 12 years old. A big event was taking place. A theatrical production relating the story of a mean developer who wants to destroy a rural area to exploit the oil beneath. The kids were all dressed as trees and tree spirits and birds and three were dressed as developers. When the developers removed their outer garments they were revealed to be wearing BP T-shirts. In the end Mother Nature (and her assistants) ensured that good prevailed and the rural area was saved. Of course the investors in the oil company would be worse off and this would be reflected in the dividend payments to shareholders which usually means pension funds and so I guess the net result would be that some poor widow would be forced to go without heating in winter. Did Mother Nature consider this I wonder, or was she too wrapped up in her trees and birds to consider the economic realities of the 21st century?
I jest of course.

On the walls of the school was work created by the pupils. I saw one large wall sheet which advised tactics on getting through an exam. On the left was the Old Thinking which included thoughts such as:

  • This is all wrong, I will have to erase it all and start again.
  • I can’t do this.
  • Everyone else thinks this easy, I must be an idiot.
  • If I ask a question I will look stupid.

And on the right was the New Thinking:

  • Not all my work is wrong, I can save the good parts.
  • I can do this if I focus.
  • Other people are probably struggling too, we can all do this if we try.
  • Maybe other people want to ask a question but are too shy. If I ask I may be helping everyone.

This almost brought a tear to my eye as it is exactly what we should be teaching kids. We should teach them how to handle the negative thoughts that all of us have so that they can grow up to fulfil their potential. The older I get the more I think that this sort of stuff is far more important than maths or physics as if we can master our “dark side” then the learning of maths or whatever can become much easier.

After school I walked up to the High Line. This is an old raised railway running north from Gansevoort Street where north along the west side of New York. It is no longer used and rather than tear it down it has been turned int a raised park with wild grass and flowers – apparently.

Viewing Station by Richard Galpin

Viewing Station by Richard Galpin

As the park is raised high in the air it is possible to walk around and see over the water to the west and the city to the east. The paving stones and benches have all been designed in the style of old railroad sleepers. This was a brilliant idea and I loved it.

An artwork by Richard Galpin named Viewing Station has been erected on the High Line. This is fairly simple but very effective and consists of a metal screen with shapes but out revealing different colours of the cityscape beyond. When viewed from a small viewing point the result is an piece of abstract art.

After walking back to Tribeca I felt a thirst come upon me and hunted around for a bar. If I have one criticism of New York it is that eating and drinking establishments are very tightly delimited. This is to say that one cannot easily pop ones head in and see if it is the place for you. Instead you enter and are greeted and if you are not careful are seated having had a menu thrust into your hands and a glass of ice water delivered. Many bars in Tribeca appeared quite up market and though one woman assured me she had beer, it all seemed to much hassle. Eventually I spied The Patriot on Chambers Street and entered. Obviously this was a bar for Americans. Dark inside, the ceiling was hung with various paraphernalia such as a surfing crocodile and miscellaneous women’s braziers. Presumably to present the idea that the nights in this place were wild and raunchy though the rag tag bunch of T-Shirted men belied this image.

However the semi naked young woman behind the bar was pleasant and served me an excellent Steller Artois. This is a positive change in America. In the past most available lagers have been pretty bland but Stellar appear to have broken through even to bars like The Patriot. Somehow I got the feeling that the becaped cliental of the Patriot would choke if they realised that they were drinking French lager.

01
Jun
10

Tribeca

Building Art

Building Art

Arrived in Tribeca, Manhattan yesterday from Hoboken. Hot and humid like they always say that New York should be. The area was surprisingly uncrowded as it was Memorial Day and New Yorkers like to get out of town when they can. Surprising to me as I thought that a bank holiday would be an ideal time to enjoy New York. Had a drink in Ward 3 on Reade Street where they had some interesting art work.

Then moving on near the Petrarca restaraunt we passed a building on Church Street owned by a local artist named Steven Rand. The windows constantly changed colour and effect was reminiscent of stained glass in a church.

The New Yorkers yearning to escape was my ticket into the Macao Trading Company restaurant on Church Street where it is usually difficult to get a table. The Macau is a theme restaurant based on the Portuguese colony of Macau. Great décor and the food was good though the choice of beer was slightly odd to a British eye. OK, a couple of Chinese beers but then Sam Smiths bitter? The tables on the upper floor appeared like cages intended to reflect the Chinese brothels in Macau and downstairs there were erotic paintings.The menu presented in the style of an old ledger was a nice touch.

Walking back I noticed that the Americans have started stacking their cars on top of each other on strange metal contraptions and that the vents to the subway had been raised a few inches so that when the streets flood with water it does not all slosh down onto the trains creating an aquatic theme experience in the subway.

New York Parking

New York Parking

23
May
10

Solar Queen

The Los Angeles Times reports that  the International Contemporary Furniture Fair has just occurred  at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Probably the most important work to be unveiled was the Solar Queen. This is a model of the British Queen Elizabeth II from Kikkerland with a waving hand powered by a miniature solar panel atop her black handbag. This is not to be confused with the Solar Queen Series of Science Fiction novels by Andre Norton.

solar queen

solar queen

16
May
10

Ice Sculpture and a happy egg – Brighton festival 2010

New Road

Ice Sculpture on Hove Promenade

Ice Sculpture on Hove Promenade

Have been a little remiss and not seen much of Brighton Festival so far. However, I walked into town on Saturday and saw an ice sculpture on Hove Promenade. About the size of a large washing machine the block of ice had been embdeded with various items. As the ice slowly melted the item were revealed. Roses, some post cards and shells were in evidence. A note on the ground proclaimed: “This is a place to contemplate the passing of time as this giant block of ice melts to reveal the secrets that are hidden within it.” The work appeared to be a group named Beyond.

The Happy Egg - The Myst

The Happy Egg - The Myst

Further along was The Happy Egg. Your corespondent understands that as part of The Brighton Festival The Myst band will be living inside a 14ft egg on Brighton Seafront for a week. The egg had been surrounded with tree branches and attached to the branches were wishes written on luggage tags. Most wishes were for peace but one I saw was for The Myst to go all the way to the top.

03
May
10

A year of finding faces

I saw this image on Flickr today. It seems that photographer captainbonobo has a project to find faces where there are none. ie in ordinary objects or odd juxtapositions. It’s a great idea and he started this in February 2010 and intends to find one face a day for a year.

Check out other faces by captainbonobo’s at his web site at: http://captainbonobo.tumblr.com/

Frankensteins tow-bar

Frankensteins tow-bar

01
May
10

77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno at Fabrica

The Brighton Festival has kicked off and the centre of Brighton was pretty busy today. Fabrica has an installation entitled 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno.

77 Millions Paintings at Fabrica

77 Millions Paintings at Fabrica




谈胡说

Images

In the Red

chairs

the meeting place

trees & sky

runner

worthing beach

east croydon station

jen colin & devon in chip shop

jump

legs

More Photos
Watch videos at Vodpod and other videos from this collection.

 

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