When I was thinking about what to do with my mask, I wanted to include things that were very important to me and my identity. My first idea was to paint the Indian flag because my Indian culture is a vital part of my identity that represents who I am in all aspects of my life. I also included a sun bindi and nose piercing as a representation of Indian culture.
I then wanted to incorporate something from Staten Island that represented who I was so I included the Verrazano Bridge. I used to live in Brooklyn where both of my parents work so I basically live on the Verrazano Bridge. I included flowers and a butterfly honestly because it was pretty to look at. I included charms of ocean stuff because I love the water and everything related to it. It is important to my identity because my family loves the water and we love to vacation and travel. Lastly I added my last name to my lips as a way of saying that my last name shares so much of who I am. My last name is my first introduction to the world and to show people who I am.
I enjoyed both Rent and La Boheme, but I personally enjoyed La Boheme better because I feel as though it stuck to the plot of the book more compared to the movie which was tailored for modern times. Both the opera and the movie shared many similarities such as the fact that both were based on people trying to figure out life. They both showed the characters finding their moments through the troubling times. They are both set in times where they are facing poverty in the big cities such as Paris and New York City. With that being said, the two pieces have their differences as well. La Boheme is set in the 19th century where one of the main characters Mimi is battling with tuberculosis which in the end leads to her death. Rent is set in the 20th century where Mimi was struggling with HIV and addicted to drugs and survived as a way to give the audience hope. The movie was modernized as a way to connect with the issues we face in our society.
The day at the opera was so fun because it was the first time I experienced an opera. We got to the Lincoln Center, which was beautiful and when we entered, I felt like I entered a different world. Everyone there was older than us, so it felt like I was a little out of place, but younger people should enjoy the pleasures of the opera as well. Once we got to our seats, I realized how far up we were which made it sort of difficult to see that stage. The opera itself was beautiful with the actors being so talented, the sets being perfectly put together, and the energy being just right. Overall, the opera was a great day in the city and I would do it again.
The Zoom call that we had with Rich Stremme was not only very interesting, but also very informative. It was cool to hear about the history of tattooing and how Rich started in this industry. I loved hearing about his experiences working in the Underground as well as his experiences working for Pat. Overall, I would say that it was very interesting to learn about tattooing from a guy who has been doing this for around 20 years. He seems very passionate about what he does and made me appreciate tattoos a little more. I would say tattoos are a type of art form because they tell the stories of a person, no matter what the tattoo is.
The night started off with us all meeting up in the macaulay lounge at around 4:40. I realized that I didn’t have my phone with me and was panicking for 30 minutes while I frantically called my mom from other peoples phone. We ate pizza which was really good then around 5:15 we boarded the shuttle bus. The bus was nicer than I imagined it would be and I was so comfortable that I fell asleep the whole ride there. Once we got there I was pleasantly surprised by how the museum looked. The entire macaulay class was in this theater where the dean and professor spoke to us to tell us what to expect for the evening. We were able to explore the fifth floor of the museum which was filled with many different art styles. I was not expecting to only be able to explore one floor but the floor was filled with plenty of art to keep us busy. We got back on the shuttle bus around 8:30 and got to campus around 9:10. Overall I would say I enjoyed the trip as it was nice to see all of macaulay under one roof and be able to bond as a class amidst the art.
On Sunday October 12th, we went to the Arpino Dance Festival at Joyce Theater. The trip there went better than expected because by this point I thought it was going to be pouring. We took the 12:30 ferry to the 1 train that led us to Joyce theater around 1:30. The show began at 2 but we entered the theater 20 minutes early. I did not expect to get front row seats and when we sat, I realized just how close we were to the stage. The theater was smaller than I expected but then again I haven’t really been to many theaters. I didn’t know what to expect going into it because I have only seen indian dance performances in my life. The performances were beautiful to say the least and just so mesmerizing. The first dance was my least favorite in the sense that I didn’t get the story the dancers were trying to portray. The second dance was a boxing match between two dancers and that one was hysterical and not at all what I was expecting. I felt afraid laughing in the theater because it felt taboo and no one was really laughing. The last two dances were my favorite because they were just so beautifully done and illistrated an amazing story.
After the show a bunch of us headed out to eat and it was the perfect way to end the day. This is when the rain and wind decided to pick up and it was a crazy walk to the bus stop. Almost got blown away with my umbrella in the process but we made it. The bus ride home took longer than expected but eventually we made it home. Overall I would say that I enjoyed the day in the city being able to watch the ballet for the first time.
This piece of political art is by Banksy called Jack and Jill (Police Kids). This piece was created in 2005 and is a representation of a old nursery rhyme that is twisted into a way to highlight over surveillance and over policing. Banksy is known for his anti-establishment views and uses this imagery like the nursery rhyme to convey his critique of authority and societal control. This art is meant to be interpreted in different ways but the main idea is how children do not have their innocence and freedom in this world like they once had. This piece very much connects to today’s society as gun violence in schools have increased drastically and children are not only losing their innocence but losing their lives. Gun violence is the number one cause of death in American children and teens. The bulletproof vest in my eyes represent kids being stripped of their innocence and as a way to show that kids are not as safe as they once were.
We attended the Art Open House Lab at Snug harbor on Saturday, September 13th for the 11am to 12:30 session. Luckily for me I got dropped off by my dad which was amazing because taking the bus early in the morning for a 1hr and 30mins ride was not something I wanted to do. Once we got there, I spotted the others from my group and we walked inside to sign in. There were a bunch of different art demos going on such as ceramics, bracelet making, painting, shirt decorating, and photos. I started in ceramics which was so fun because we got to make bowls but in reality we all just made our own things. The instructor really took his time with us showing us the simple steps of making the basics. I made a bowl with a snake on it or attempted to at least. Sadly we weren’t allowed to take it home unless we came back and paid for it to be fired. There was an art show going an as well which showcased art from the instructors and the one below is from our ceramics instructor.
Then I went to the dark room where the instructor told us the whole process of developing photos and the art within photo making and more so the science of it. This demo didn’t really speak to me because I just wasn’t really into the technical aspect of it and it just seemed all very percise. The instructor was very educated and loves what he does and it was so nice to see these instructors really interested in their craft. Lastly I went to the collage demo which was so fun because we had the freedom to do whatever we wanted. There was just so many magazines, and random pieces that covered the table that we could add to our collage. It was just a time to create our own art in complete silence and it was so peaceful.
After we were done, some of us went to go grab some icecream and that was just the perfect way to end the day. Overall I loved the experience and would do it again. Below are some pieces that I loved from the art showcase.
On Sunday, September 7th we headed to the city to explore the Whitney Museum. The commute to the museum went very smoothly where we took the ferry and right after hopped on the 1 train to the museum. The city is a foreign place for me and I’ve only been to the city twice without my parents so being able to go with friends was a fun experience. The weather was gloomy and rainy but that didn’t stop us from walking 12 minutes to the museum. Once we got there me and a couple others got some overpriced food and drinks and waited for the rest of group to come. The tickets were free for people 18 and under so that was a bonus so once everyone came we entered this magical oceanic elevator to the top floor.
The 8th floor was Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night exhibit that was drawings, paintings, and visual representations of the deaf community. The floor was filled with paintings and drawings that represented ASL and different perspectives of how deaf people view the world around them. This piece specifically spoke to me because it encapsulates what deaf people have to go through in their day to day lives.
The 7th floor was named “Untitled” America. This floor spoke to me a lot because there was a lot of beautiful pieces that were just amazing to look at whether or not I saw the true meaning within them. Many of the paintings had a lot going on within them with different textures and colors that made them mesmerizing to look at. These ones below really caught my eye with the designs and their colors.
The last floor we really explored was the 6th floor that had so many more physical sculptures and more visual pieces that were based around nature. There was this one sculpture that reminded me of Moana that was just so beautiful and like nothing I’ve ever seen.
At the end of our museum tour, we headed to the first floor where there was this vending machine with mini paintings where we got our keepsakes for the trip. I got the green central park bench and I felt like it was perfect for me because I love green so much. After that thanks to Khadijah, we went to koreatown for some goood food and we did karaoke. After that we parted ways and I was able to take the SIM bus home all the way to the front of my house which was just the perfect way to end the day. Overall the day was such a success as the museum was actually interesting where each floor had a different theme trying to convey different messages and we were able to bond as a group in NYC.
