Keith Haring is a NYC artist who rose to fame in the 1980s with his simple, but unique style in the graffiti scene. He would draw these human figures and lines in just seconds in the subway and on the streets. Although these art pieces may seem just simple and vague, Keith Haring was very prominent in fighting social injustices in his drawings. He combatted Aids, Homophobia, Racism, Apartheid, Drug abuse, the Berlin Wall and etc. However, he is most known as an important figure in the Aids Crisis in the 1980s, with him passing away from Aids himself in the year 1990.

– Donobant Sarmiento

The object I selected that represents my background is my Poncho. Although, this isn’t a ecuadorian poncho, but instead a chilean poncho. Poncho are found all across the Southern American countries by the Andes Mountains. These Ponchos predated the Columbian times, as it was wore to keep the indigenous people warm from the strong winds and harsh weather. So whenever you go to festivals of any of any of these Southern American countries, you can always find someone wearing these ponchos. This poncho doesnt just connects me to my ecuadorian ancenstry but also to my indigenous ancestry that many other people in those countries share as well as me. Additionally, i love wearing this whenever its cold inside my apartment, I feel like a big fluffy bird.

– Donobant Sarmiento

An Icon in my definition, is an object or individual in nature that a majority agree on being of high status or being remember over time. An icon does not exist if it does not have a legacy. Originally, I was thinking about the Freedom Tower, however I realize it’sfairly new, and for a legacy to happen, a good amount of time must be passed for an object, or in this case this skyscraper to achieve an icon status. However, it’s still a very notable symbol of New York and of the United States of America. For the object I will be selecting, it will be the Empire State. The Empire State is a 102-floor goliath of a skyscraper, even in modern times, ever since it was constructed in 1931. This steel framed skyscraper has dominated the New York City Landscape for a long time. From being the Tallest Skyscraper in the world for 41 years; before the World Trade Center North took its place in 1972. To being memorize as the tower King Kong was on, to being sold in a plethora of New York City Tourist Shirt, to being in the title of a classic New York song.It would be definitely wrong to not consider the Empire State as an Icon of our beloved New York City. For a skyscraper to be built almost 100 years and still succeed, proves how New Yorkers defy obstacles to create a tall skyscraper finding loopholes in the system to create a massive skyscraper, and successfully profit off the skyscraper for many years, due to its office space categorization, observation deck, and broadcasting revenue.  

Jawara Alleyne, “Ensemble”, 2024, caught my eye from the moment I enter this fascinating exhibit. Although I wasn’t expecting a wide varation of different fashion statements and outfits. This one outfit stood out to me. The outfit to me seem very punk style because of its very punk nature with its distressing, safety pins, and patches of cloths. However in the object label it says that he found inspiration in which islanders in the carribeans customize their clothing, repurposing cloths, fabrics, and safety pins. Also the outfit gives off naval unifroms in a very distorted view of a normal naval uniform. The way the clothes are repurposed reminded me of how the Japanese use the traditional patching technique of “Boro” of patching fabrics together and also of how the punk era of “Vivienne Westwood” and the “S** Pistols” had many patches and distressing, for it to seem edgy and eye catching to the normal outfits/style of the time which in this case was a different way of seeing a naval outfit.