Weird Music

Remember the Green Day album American Idiot? The one that came out way back in 2004 that sent teen punks into waves of headbanging frenzy? Well, it's back. But, in the form of a Broadway musical. I haven't quite formed my opinion as to whether I find this to be a really cool adaptation of music that helped form a generation...or an odd abomination of faux punk music put on by faux punk actors. Generally, I am swaying toward the later opinion. The production almost seems to be a commercial and capitalistic venture, since the album came out back in 2004 and, as far as I know Green Day has been somewhat dormant. It seems to me to be a money maker. I do commend the whole business for being rather innovative, as best described here, the show has its definite upsides and can be quite powerful. I just haven't fully warmed to the idea. Though, I think plenty have. It would be interesting to hear from a true Broadway affection-ado and a true Green Day fan, who feels betrayed and who is exhilarated?

Treat yourself to a Street Fair

This morning, I woke up and casually glanced outside my window like I do every morning. I do this mostly to check the weather or idly watch a stranger walking their dog. But today, as I peaked out the window facing 8th avenue, I found a street fair. I am always pleased when I happen upon a street fair, but never actually think about tracking them with a schedule. But as I meandered through the fair smacking my lips and devouring corn, crepes, and fair lemonade, I decided I might just become a follower. Why not? The food is tasty and the novelty of casually strolling in the middle of the street is almost too good to pass up.
I have become even more appreciative of the fairs after learning that some may be cut as part of Mayor Bloomberg's budget. I've decided to enjoy a street fair here and there while I still can. I just hope they don't cut the extra good street fairs, like The Feast of San Gennaro Festival. Even with the cuts, street fairs are a huge part of city life and they add that little perk to waking up and finding your street has been picked to host. It is almost better not to follow the schedule and leave the whole business up to chance.

Role Play: Museums

This week, The Rubin Museum of Art Teen Program took a trip to a Hindu temple in Flushing, Queens. This temple is situated in a vast American Indian community, and we observed the worshipers feeding, anointing, and speaking with their deities. It was an amazing sight to see the statues we have at the Rubin in their original and everyday context. It is important to let viewers understand the context of the art.

Museums have historically come into play within a community as an informative institution enlightening its audience on their own culture, as well as other outside cultures. This idea of museums has changed a bit, allowing for a more commercial look, but, I think that it is still the museums main role to educate. To educate, the museum must be open to making its art accessible and informative to all.

I once read in an article on colonialism, that colonizers wanted to impose a sense of community among the people to ensure revolts would not happen. One of the ways in which the colonizers imposed a sense of false community, was by creating museums for those who were colonized. This insured the colonizers safety by showing the colonized, in false pretenses how wonderful their own culture was. Though this particular instance shows the museum as a forced institution, this is not always the case. Museums help us understand the context of art in our society in a very real way.

The one thing I have noticed while working at the Rubin Museum of Art is that it is not enough to simply view the art as it stands in the museum. This is especially because of the museums quality of art and its roots in the world. People really want to understand what the deities and tapestries meant to the people who created them and the people who still use them in ceremonies. Some of the historical context can be provided by the wall text, but at some point the simple use of words as an explanation fails us. I think that it is extremely relevant to keep art in museums grounded in some sort of real world context, or the museum will lose its audience.

As for the larger museums of the city and world, it is astonishing, to think about the money and power that are poured into these institutions. It is an amazing thing, but only if the main purpose of the museum as an intuition of education is being honored. If the museums exist only to complete business transactions, something is amiss. I understand the need to generate money, but it would be an amazing thing if museums could do this, while still upholding their main purpose. This was my problem with the Tim Burton exhibit, for example. As I was walking through it, I felt the industry lurking very thinly beneath the surface. I love Tim Burton as a moviemaker; having grown up with many of his animations I cherish his work. However, the exhibit was far too gimmicky and aimed at simply selling tickets.

It is hard to distinguish what constitutes cultural context and how a museum should display this work. Because my two main problems with museums seem to be that some are inaccessible, while others, like the Tim Burton exhibition are aimed at tourist marketability and irk me. However by aiming at this general crowd isn’t that keeping a museums art within the context of society today? I think that there must be some happy medium in between highly sensationalized art, and that of the lofty and inaccessible art, which requires extensive research to comprehend.

Living in Chelsea has its ups and downs. On the upside, the community is rich and wonderful. I have my favorite places and people. On the downside, I'm stuck in the dorms. Though I do reside in the Penthouse, I suffer messy roommates, clogged sinks, and ant infestations.
I try to make use of my neighborhoods amenities, and as such I often find myself strolling through the 25th street Garage Flee Market. The idea of a market, in general, is an old favorite of mine. It appeals to my collector sensibilities, and is much more intimate than a store. When I am home in Buffalo, I often spend Saturday mornings at the farmer's market, collecting fresh fruit for the week. So it only seems natural that I would hit the 25th street antique market, because it combines things that agree with my disposition. The market contains several different stalls, all offering something fun. Some vendors are high end collectors and others offer costume jewelry and knick knacks for a fair price. Many flock to this spot, because it is known as a hot spot for fun and collectible things to look at. If you aren't in the market to buy antique chandeliers, maybe something as simple as a pin for 5 dollars will suffice.
The antique garage is a venue worth trying on a lazy Sunday in Chelsea. The reviews are pretty positive. However, if you are not into antiques, or collecting things, you will probably be turned off. One problem I have when I visit the antique garage seems to stem from fatigue. I am overwhelmed with so many things within the first few minutes, that I experience sensory overload. I would go when you have enough time to browse freely.

Madison Square Park Jumpers

I am extremely affected by the weather. This weekend, it cooled off, leaving me to squeeze my sun burnt legs back into tights. My sister decided she should visit me this weekend. Being at a loss for what to do with her in the wake of the cold weather, I let her lead me around on a seven hour shopping adventure.
We did pause in a sunny spot in Madison Square Park. In the shadow of shake shak and the massive line it accumulates, we ate our street vendor hot dogs and looked at the neighboring buildings on the skyline. I pointed to a few statues I saw standing atop buildings surrounding the area. I had heard about the show, but was unclear how to feel when perceiving it. The show is called "Event Horizon" and features statues of the artist himself, Antony Gormley perched around the flatiron district. The show has been a little controversial, only because people may perceive the statues as potential jumpers, ready to fall to their deaths. The statues, when I first viewed them are slightly eerie, if not for their jumper quality, for their looming presence on the skyline, as if the statues are watching the city. However, Gormley says the event is meant to be a celebration. It did seem to have this effect. As I was looking at the statues, I saw several other people stop and point up, realizing their environment, as Gormley stated "and quite quickly they would register their environment in a way they hadn’t before".

This weekend, as the weather has warmed up, leaving me very pleasantly surprised, I have turned to a different kind of collecting. This weekend, my bottle and rust collections were cast aside, museums were not considered, as I turned all my attention to the outdoors.
I have become preoccupied with collecting parks. I cannot possess them, but I can certainly spend all my time in them. With the onset of 70 degree weather, I headed to my original favorite, my default: Washington Square Park. Each city park has its individual charm and charisma. Washington Square Park was the park I fell in love with first. I was living on 13th street last year, and would often walk to Washington Sq while it was being renovated. Even though the fountain was closed off, I was able to enjoy the benches and boccie court. This fall, the fountain was opened, and I was able to enjoy the park to its fullest. For me, Washington Square Park is a wonderful place to listen to music, while not being completely removed from the city. I love the architecture surrounding the park, and I tend to film the musical acts I see there, keeping a digital collection of ragtime to doo-wop. Washington Square Park has a dark history, it has been the burial grounds of yellow fever victims, as well as hanged criminals. But to me, the park is located in a wonderful neighborhood and brings together a nice eclectic mix of people. I don't even mind the looming NYU territory I am encroaching on. I love watching the college students mix with the old timers in the park, some enjoying jazz, while others enjoy acoustic guitar.
Already having visited Washington Sq, I headed to Madison Square Park, which boasts Shake Shack and is located in the chic and fun Flatiron district. This year, because I am living in Chelsea, I take my friends up to 5th and 23rd, and show them the clearing in between the buildings. When I showed my boyfriend the spot, he thought I was lying until he saw the top of the first tree. The squirrels in Madison Square Park are the highlight of these adventures. We have decided that because of the nature of their foody surroundings, the squirrels are extra friendly. All you have to do is give a quick click-click with your tongue, and the squirrels will climb in your purse and shoes. Being satisfied with my hot dog and squirrel conversation, I moved on down the street to the highline.
The highline is my newest discovery, having just opened it's the most fun to explore. The highline, an elevated train track turned park builds a community above ground level. The area is interesting and fun, as it runs through buildings, gives a beautiful view of the water, and the statue of liberty. The highline is a beautiful mix of architecture and park-like benches and greenery. There is a certain lack of vegetation, as everything is still being cultivated, but the area is a great spot to bring friends who are visiting. The highline is only a few blocks from the Chelsea Market, which is also a wonderful place to enjoy the atmosphere of Chelsea and its historic architecture and charm.
This weekend is only the start of the warm weather, and as I place my material collections on the back burner, there is no limit to my exploration. These are only a few of the city parks I appreciate, but I am sure I will find more.