Taking in the Arts in NYC

We had a chance to view two very unique exhibits this week, both in their last few days.  We made it a point to squeeze them in given how unique they are.  The first one was at the Park Avenue Armory, a huge building that is combination elegant mansion and airplane hangar. Just to give you a sense of the size of the hangar space, they had historical pictures of various events held there and one was of a sit down Christmas dinner for 10, 000 people  (yes ten thousand) hosted by the Salvation army during the depression. The facade of the building you enter on Park Avenue is a stately old building, and the mansion is the first part you enter into. It's fallen into some disrepair but the intricately carved painted ceilings and walls certainly speak to a time when it must have been outrageously lavish. The building is well over 100 years old.  The exhibit we went to see is Peter Greenaway's Vision of Leonardo's Last Supper (see these links for more details/pictures of the armory and the Peter Greenaway Leonardo's Last Supper Vision exhibit-- The Armory is a really cool exhibit and performance space: www.armoryonpark.org/index.php/   and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kisa-lala/peter-greenaway-spices-up_b_791593.html  ) It was so breathtaking on such a large scale and with multimedia (video, audio (music and narration), sculpture, lighting, change of space, multiple screens changing at once and being surrounded on all sides by the exhibit.  You were pretty much swallowed up into the experience . We had never experienced art in such an all encompassing manner.  The visuals were so detailed, massive and fragile all at the very same time. The way he changed the focus of the lightening from the windows featured in the Last Supper painting was amazing--giving the impression of day turning to night. Greenaway also featured the Wedding at Canaan during this exhibit and gave a narrative and history of the painting and speculated on the interpretation of what historical event might have really been depicting (i.e., Christ's own wedding) given the configuration of those in the painting.  I feel like I learned so much going to this one exhibit. If the show ever is exhibited where you can see it, definitely make it a point to experience it.

Last night we went to the Museum of Modern Art (very quickly becoming my most favorite museum in NYC) for a more whimsical art experience. We went to see (as quoted from the MOMA website) "the artists Jennifer Allora (b. 1974) and Guillermo Calzadilla (b. 1971) present Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on Ode to Joy for a Prepared Piano (2008). For this piece, the artists carved a hole in the center of a grand piano, through which a pianist plays the famous Fourth Movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, usually referred to as “Ode to Joy.” The performer leans over the keyboard and plays upside down and backwards, while moving with the piano across the vast atrium. The result is a structurally incomplete version of the ode—the hole in the piano renders two octaves inoperative—that fundamentally transforms both the player/instrument dynamic and the signature melody, underlining the contradictions and ambiguities of a song that has long been invoked as a symbol of humanist values and national pride."  

The pianist was so focused despite the crowd of people surrounding him, taking pictures and just trying to following his piano playing from his perspective. It was such a fascinating performance to watch, it had everyone smiling and grinning widely.  The kids really loved it because it was so non-traditional and experimental and they could get so close to the piano and had the most fun constantly backing up as the piano slowly came rolling towards them as the pianist inserted in the middle of the piano walked it around the huge atrium. Quite a performance on so many levels. Here is a picture of it but it doesn't show the crowd surrounding the pianist. 

You can check out a video of it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuJdI8S01-k  but again, it doesn't show the crowds' reaction to the piece and interaction with the piano and pianist which I feel is as much a part of the art exhibit as the performance itself. The video makes it seems like a bit of a sterile experience which was anything but sterile. It was joyful, whimsical, fascinating, and provocative. It was one of those experiences you had to be there to "get it."

While writing up this post I took a short detour and bought an annual membership to MOMA and their film series. I am excited now to have unlimited access to the museum. It's about a 15 minute walk from our apartment and has a really lovely outdoor fountain and reflective pool sitting area that will be a wonderful respite in the summer for sure. I am finding that I much prefer modern art to classical art. I love having so much more exposure to the arts in general to actually be able say what my preferences are in a more definite manner. I also get $5 guest tickets for up to 5 guest for each visit. Pretty good deal.

We are trying to catch up on our movie viewing before the Oscar nominations are announced. We went to see Blue Valentine last night with Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. Very sad but so humanly powerful movie.  The depiction of the intimacy and love that marks their early relationship and the deteriorated state of their current relationship is really heartbreaking. The performances are so well done and so much chemistry between the two lead actors. If you get a chance to see it--go!  Today we will see True Grit and the King's Speech............and YAY!!!! tomorrow we go to Blue Hill at Stone Barn Farms for our celebratory dinner of selling our house.  My mouth is watering already!