Well, you can take the girl out of Oklahoma, but, well, you know the rest. I've been fleeing Oklahoma most of my life. Early on it was the provincial aspects. In 1972 there wasn't really any great art - not according to my limited 22 year old perspective. It wasn't until eons later I realized the wealth of Native American art the state possesses. Gilcrease, in my hometown of Tulsa, is a small museum dedicated to Native American art and is considered one of the finest in the country. The ballet was (and is) woeful, and the theater offerings not much better. Most cultural events still arrive and leave sometimes after giving only a single performance.
Perhaps that longing to see the great paintings of the world and to watch great dancers and actors live is one of the reasons I've been so delighted to live in NYC. This Saturday we are headed to the New York City Ballet to see a performance of 'Jewels', a famous ballet choreographed by George Balanchine. He's probably the most well known ballet choreographer of the 20th century.
All of that aside, what utterly amused me is today I wore a sweater in September. It was 55 degrees when I took off for the store this morning at 8:00 am, and even as hot natured as I am, that was distinctly chilly. Growing up in Tulsa, it was often chilly in the mornings in late September. (This was prior to the warming trend that is currently assailing all of the continent.) That chill is the reason none of my schools were air conditioned. School didn't ever start until the Tuesday after Labor Day, and if you sweated the first few weeks, well, kids could just suck it up since sweater weather was just around the corner.
If I'm wearing a sweater in September before my birthday, I'm beginning to comprehend my daughter's comment that I was going to need 'over the ankle' snow boots for the coming winter. I think I'm in denial. The last time I experienced WINTER with a capital W was when I lived in Oklahoma while at college. Believe me, Norman (home of Oklahoma University) wind chill hovered below freezing for way, way too many days. Man, was I ever glad I owned a 'maxi coat' - a short lived fashion trend of the early 70's in which winter coats hit your ankles. These long coats were the only really practical solution to problem of winter temps and mini skirts. {Aside: To those too young to remember, a proper mini skirt hit just below your butt curve, and cold air would cause goose bumps in unexpected places. FYI mini skirts fueled the take off of panty hose.}
There was certainly never anything even remotely approaching winter in either Houston or New Orleans which were our homes for about 20 years. Shoot, there wasn't even four distinct seasons in those towns - just horribly hot and humid and mildly hot and humid. It wasn't until we moved to Hurst, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth) that I even saw a turned leaf. There are four seasons there - but winter lasts one month. Not snow boot weather.
In New York you walk everywhere, or at least walk to transit to get to your destination. I can see that waterproof is going to be a necessity since I've already seen 4" deep water at the intersections during rain. I've been investigating. Apparently, there are 'rain boots'. These are waterproof shoes - Sperry has been making this type of shoe since rich people started boating. These shoes have sort of slopped over into urban wear. They can be low cut or above the ankle. These also come in the snow boot variety which is different from rain shoes in that there's a faux fur or flannel lining. There are also galoshes which are all rubber boots similar to the child's version. Basically, they just keep your feet dry except when they sweat because, well, they are rubber.
My plan is to try on snow boots some time next week at the DSW, and then decide. Naturally, this will be torturous because of my damn feet. Hopefully, I can find something round toed that doesn't cost a zillion or even half a zillion dollars. I don't want to be stuck with a pair of shoes I MIGHT wear once a year after this grand adventure comes to a close.
So, one more thing to be fascinated about up here in NY - the weather which is the result of a different weather pattern than what I'm used to. At least I'm not having to keep an eye out for tornadoes, and the ragweed is mild rather than virulent. Always a silver lining.
P.S. UPDATE: I bought calf high, waterproof, faux fur lined snow boots with a zipper down the side for easy on/off. WOW! I can't believe it.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Coney Island
As you can see, Coney "Island" is now a misnomer. It was divided from the Brooklyn mainland by a slender creek which was continually accumulating silt. Gradually, the slender sliver of water between the mainland and this western most barrier island of Long Island became a land fill. Coney Island became not an island at all, but a peninsula which hangs off the south end of Brooklyn like a dangling foot. The island was discovered in 1609 by Henry Hudson, the English explorer who spent much of his exploration time looking for a sea passage across Canada and the northern United States to China. Geography of the Earth was a little sketchy in the 17th century.
However, it was the Dutch who originally settled the New York City area, and the name 'Coney' is thought to be a English corruption of the Dutch word for rabbit. Truthfully, though, no one really knows this for a fact. Today, Coney Island is a Brooklyn neighborhood of about 30,000 people. The southern shore of the island has been a seaside destination for all of New York City since the mid 1800's.
The Coney Island heyday began in 1880 and continued until post WWII. Coney Island amusements represented the change in the leisure activities of Americans. People immigrated from overseas, or left rural areas, and flocked to the cities. 19th century/early 20th century urbanites had no desire or even ability to 'sit on the front porch' during their limited leisure hours. Huge numbers of the New York City population were desperate to escape their tenements, especially during the hot New York summers. Large urban parks as well as large mechanized amusement parks showcasing electric lights, and other marvels of the roaring Industrial Revolution were constructed all over the country in response to the thirst for leisure entertainment.
The three amusement parks (Luna, Dreamland, & Steeplechase) on Coney Island represented the pinnacle of amusement parks of the era. Adding the seashore into the entertainment mix made Coney Island a 'must go' destination. Completion of the Brooklyn Bridge as well as electric trolleys and finally a subway line opened up Coney Island to all of New York City. A boardwalk system was completed in order to disperse the large crowds flocking to the island. We walked along the Rigelman Boardwalk completed in 1924.
The post war suburban flight together with expanded leisure opportunities sent the Coney Island amusement parks into a long slow decline. Today, there has been a recent revival of the amusement parks on Coney Island due largely to a new minor league baseball stadium as well as the revamping of the New York Aquarium. The beach looks well clean, groomed, and it's even handicapped accessible. And, there's lots of neon and fast food opportunities all along the boardwalk.
 |
| Luna Amusement Park |
 |
| Drake standing on the Boardwalk looking out over the Atlantic Ocean |
Of course, we had to eat here. Drake went for the hot dog, which is a recipe devised by Nathan's wife in 1916, and still made exactly to that recipe today. The french fries were fresh cut and the onion rings perfect. No wonder these folks are still in business. Each 4th of July there's a 'hot dog eating' contest which is baffling and nauseating to me, but it's wildly popular. The current champ ate 71 hot dogs this year. (Barf!)
This is a fascinating place. You can feel the 19th century working class marveling at the wonders in the amusement parks and the excitement of the side shows, the barkers, the moving pictures, and the carnival atmosphere which was available any day you caught the trolley to the island. Today, the atmosphere is more sedate and in many ways less exciting, but it's still like a carnival, and it's still available any day you catch the Q or B Subway lines to their southern terminus.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Broadway
There's no finer live acting in the world than on Broadway from drama to comedy to musical theater. The trick is to get tickets which don't require you to sell one of your children. There's a thriving business based on getting 'discount Broadway show tickets', so you don't have to choose a child to sacrifice.
In 1955 the cost of a balcony ticket was $2.30 and an orchestra seat was $4.90. Of course, gas was $.23 a gallon, and the average income was $4,137 annually. The average Broadway ticket this year is $122. The 2019 median salary for men was $51K (while women only earned 80% of that). If you do a multiplier...., well, a Broadway ticket in the orchestra should cost about $50 a ticket. However, if you want to see Jeff Daniels in "To Kill a Mockingbird" expect to pay about $400 a ticket.
Today, we went to see a Broadway show which debuted in 1943: "Oklahoma!". It ran for five years and grossed $7 million dollars. The show was revived this year, and it is an electrifying re-imagination of this ground breaking show with book and lyrics by Rogers & Hammerstein. "Oklahoma!" kicked off a collaboration between those two men which dominated Broadway throughout the 1950's.
The 2019 show included Tony nominated artists, as well as cornbread and chili served to the audience at the intermission. Agnes DeMille's breathtaking choreography in the original version, which included ballet in the middle of a musical, was also re-imagined. The re-imagination paid homage to Ms. DeMille, but also had a modern edge which worked. This show ran THREE HOURS. Unheard of in this day of 90 minute attention spans. Basically, this was a wonderful performance in a venue which enhanced it. (Circle on the Square Theater).
We managed to get half price tickets by taking the subway to the seaport ticket booth of TKTS yesterday. These are the NY people who market tickets which haven't sold by the day of the performance. You can get some incredible tickets if you are willing to attend the theater the same night you get the tickets or the next day matinee. We paid 'half price' for our tickets - just about the price they should be according to the multiplier.
I know many people feel we are doing something with our lives which they don't understand. (Believe me when I tell you there are days we don't understand why we are doing this.) Our kiddos can certainly afford to pay for child care, but we are committed to getting our grandson off to a good start. You only get that kind of care using someone who actually has a stake in the child's welfare.
As a perk of doing this incredible upheaval to our lives, we've decided not to miss all the opportunities which New York City offers. Broadway shows are one of them.
In 1955 the cost of a balcony ticket was $2.30 and an orchestra seat was $4.90. Of course, gas was $.23 a gallon, and the average income was $4,137 annually. The average Broadway ticket this year is $122. The 2019 median salary for men was $51K (while women only earned 80% of that). If you do a multiplier...., well, a Broadway ticket in the orchestra should cost about $50 a ticket. However, if you want to see Jeff Daniels in "To Kill a Mockingbird" expect to pay about $400 a ticket.
Today, we went to see a Broadway show which debuted in 1943: "Oklahoma!". It ran for five years and grossed $7 million dollars. The show was revived this year, and it is an electrifying re-imagination of this ground breaking show with book and lyrics by Rogers & Hammerstein. "Oklahoma!" kicked off a collaboration between those two men which dominated Broadway throughout the 1950's.
The 2019 show included Tony nominated artists, as well as cornbread and chili served to the audience at the intermission. Agnes DeMille's breathtaking choreography in the original version, which included ballet in the middle of a musical, was also re-imagined. The re-imagination paid homage to Ms. DeMille, but also had a modern edge which worked. This show ran THREE HOURS. Unheard of in this day of 90 minute attention spans. Basically, this was a wonderful performance in a venue which enhanced it. (Circle on the Square Theater).
We managed to get half price tickets by taking the subway to the seaport ticket booth of TKTS yesterday. These are the NY people who market tickets which haven't sold by the day of the performance. You can get some incredible tickets if you are willing to attend the theater the same night you get the tickets or the next day matinee. We paid 'half price' for our tickets - just about the price they should be according to the multiplier.
I know many people feel we are doing something with our lives which they don't understand. (Believe me when I tell you there are days we don't understand why we are doing this.) Our kiddos can certainly afford to pay for child care, but we are committed to getting our grandson off to a good start. You only get that kind of care using someone who actually has a stake in the child's welfare.
As a perk of doing this incredible upheaval to our lives, we've decided not to miss all the opportunities which New York City offers. Broadway shows are one of them.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
One World Trade Center Observatory
Back to our old touring ways. C is in upstate New York with his parents on a week long vacation. He went hiking and swimming today, so he's in high cotton.
Drake and I are also ecstatic! We get a week off - after our first time to keep C overnight, and for the weekend.
We thought about taking a cruise to Bermuda, but that's four days on a BOAT and three days on land - not my idea of a good time. We also thought about going out onto Long Island, but instead we decided to play around Manhattan. Believe me, you never, ever run out of new things to do.
Monday, we just rested and puttered. Today, we took ourselves off to TKTS - the discount ticket outlet for Broadway shows. There's one at the Seaport (far south Manhattan island - the Battery area). It's also the World Trade Center area where the 911 Memorial and the Observatory on top of One World Trade Center. We'd already been to the Memorial, so we decided to take in the Observatory because it was a bright and sunny day.
The Observatory is 1200 feet up. 100 stories above the street.
We thought about taking a cruise to Bermuda, but that's four days on a BOAT and three days on land - not my idea of a good time. We also thought about going out onto Long Island, but instead we decided to play around Manhattan. Believe me, you never, ever run out of new things to do.
Monday, we just rested and puttered. Today, we took ourselves off to TKTS - the discount ticket outlet for Broadway shows. There's one at the Seaport (far south Manhattan island - the Battery area). It's also the World Trade Center area where the 911 Memorial and the Observatory on top of One World Trade Center. We'd already been to the Memorial, so we decided to take in the Observatory because it was a bright and sunny day.
The Observatory is 1200 feet up. 100 stories above the street.
There were wonderful views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
as well as the Brooklyn Bridge
Of course, the observatory is all about the views of Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn.
Check out the pictures:
Oh, and we scored half price tickets to Oklahoma! at TKTS. The show is a hot musical revival on Broadway.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Off to the Met
We got a day off from this new job, and thus, we hightailed it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art since there were some wonderful new exhibits - including quite a bit of Oriental art. The great thing about the Met is you go to see one thing, and something else pops up which is better than what you went to see.
This time that honor goes to "Essential Korea". We just sort of wandered into these galleries on our way to the Kyoto exhibit. It turns out the South Korean government sent some national treasures. And, Korean art created in the 12th century looks like something turned out in 2019. The clean, modern quality of this country's art was striking.
We began with the moon. The Met has an exhibit focusing on moon photography in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United States landing on the moon. Prior to satellites, the best photos of the moon's surface were actually taken by a couple of Frenchmen in the early 20th century. Those pictures were interesting from an historical point of view.
What was really amusing was the 1969 'console TV' in which Armstrong's first step onto the moon was being played in a constant loop. People were sitting around and watching that TV just as people did 50 years ago. I was working the graveyard shift at the nursing home the summer of 1969 and just by chance, the day/night of the moon walk was my day off. Remember how dramatic it all was, and how it took hours and hours for that 'first step' to happen?
I also wanted to see the new contemporary art exhibition called "Epic Abstraction - Pollock to Herrera". And, once more, something unexpected. There was this absolutely phenomenal pink granite statue which was nine interlocking pieces held together by two pins. Drake speculated the pins had to be on the bottom. Pins sunk into the floor would hold the sculpture steady, so it wouldn't fall over.
I saw a new artist, Sam Gilliam, (well, he's new to me), who attracted my eye with his color palette.
And, to my delight there was an enormous piece by Louise Nevelson. (She's one of my fav modern artists.) She was a native New Yorker who took 'found art' to a new level. Her pieces are instantly recognizable - they are all painted flat black and are assembled pieces of wood (and other stuff) she has 'found'. All major museums in the United States own at least one of her pieces. This piece was about 15' x 15' and incredibly intricate. It took her 13 years to complete it, and she thought of it as her crowning masterpiece. Upon her death, she willed it to the Met. Her art is surprising and fun.
What I thought would be the number one exhibit was basically the history of art created in Kyoto - the ancient name for modern Tokyo. This exhibit was one superbly beautiful object after another including more priceless treasures sent over by Japan. Here's one of my favorites
This is a document box from the early 1700's. My picture doesn't really do it justice.
This time that honor goes to "Essential Korea". We just sort of wandered into these galleries on our way to the Kyoto exhibit. It turns out the South Korean government sent some national treasures. And, Korean art created in the 12th century looks like something turned out in 2019. The clean, modern quality of this country's art was striking.
We began with the moon. The Met has an exhibit focusing on moon photography in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United States landing on the moon. Prior to satellites, the best photos of the moon's surface were actually taken by a couple of Frenchmen in the early 20th century. Those pictures were interesting from an historical point of view.
What was really amusing was the 1969 'console TV' in which Armstrong's first step onto the moon was being played in a constant loop. People were sitting around and watching that TV just as people did 50 years ago. I was working the graveyard shift at the nursing home the summer of 1969 and just by chance, the day/night of the moon walk was my day off. Remember how dramatic it all was, and how it took hours and hours for that 'first step' to happen?
I also wanted to see the new contemporary art exhibition called "Epic Abstraction - Pollock to Herrera". And, once more, something unexpected. There was this absolutely phenomenal pink granite statue which was nine interlocking pieces held together by two pins. Drake speculated the pins had to be on the bottom. Pins sunk into the floor would hold the sculpture steady, so it wouldn't fall over.
 |
| Noguchi - "Kouros" - 1945 |
I saw a new artist, Sam Gilliam, (well, he's new to me), who attracted my eye with his color palette.
 |
| This is called "Whirlirama" |
 |
| Mrs. N's Palace |
There were several screens, but my favorite was this one:
From this angle, there's a slight optical illusion. It looks like you could 'walk across' this golden bridge.
There was also an exquisite kimono filled with hand embroidery. Not surprising I was enamored with this piece.
There are also some odds and ends of American decorative art. as well as Drake posing in front of a set of baseball cards which he swears he owned as a child. (These priceless cards were tossed in one of their many family moves, and is, on occasion, still discussed.....)
As always there are tons of pictures
Saturday, July 20, 2019
I'm Standing Up
My platform is small. The number of people who will actually read this silly blog is small. However, unlike many I DO have this small platform. For some time now I've been inching closer and closer to the realization we are running concentration camps at our Southwestern borders. We call them 'detention camps', and we don't deliberately exterminate anyone. However, if, let's say, children die in our custody; well, that's just their bad luck isn't it?
We've allowed an economic and race issue to overwhelm our societal moral compass. Well, hey, it's REALLY about border security not economics and race, you say? OK, I accept your premise. Now, how do you justify the conditions in the camps?
The President and the Vice-President tell us that everything in the camps is just fine. Well, it's not. People are being held without adequate sanitary facilities. People are being held packed into locked rooms so tightly that everyone in them can't even lay down to sleep. Even if they could, there's no bedding. People are being held without access to shower facilities for weeks. Then, there's the children. How are they about border security? How is denying children basic living conditions ever OK? And that's on top of separating them from their adult caretakers.
Well, obviously, "these people" (let's be sure and make them 'other' - not 'us') should just stay in their own countries. My question is this: How terrible must their living conditions be in their own countries to risk themselves and their children to come here. In this day of instant access, do you think these immigrants seeking asylum don't know about the camps? I guess even these deplorable camps are preferable to starvation, rape, torture and death, so they must not be so bad. If you don't think so, then you haven't used your 'instant access' to hear or read about the facts. Here's your chance:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/elections/2019/07/16/migrant-detention-centers-described-2019-us-government-accounts/1694638001/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/07/border-patrols-oversight-sick-migrant-children/593224/
Did you just skip over those links? OK - fine. Don't read about the camps. Pretend not to know about them. Here's another consideration. Are we a religious nation or not? We tell the world we are. Most of us believe in God. Most of us identify with the ethics espoused by the big three (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) when asked. I am a Christian. More specifically, I'm a Methodist. My brand of Christianity speaks out against injustice by action. This is my action since UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) isn't being allowed into the camps to bring relief even though they have been involved in humanitarian crisis around the world since post WWII.
I refuse to be silent and by my silence endorse the conditions at detention camps. Stand up. Tell your friends. Ask your Congress person why they are letting this happen. Stand up in your church and ask why are we letting this happen. If you believe all the media is corrupt and with an 'agenda', well, here's some media it's pretty hard for a Christian to dispute:
"For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.
They also answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
(Matthew 25:42-45 - New International Version)
If you choose to do nothing because after all, you're only one voice and can't make a difference, then, so be it. I don't believe that. I stand with Edmund Burke: "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
We've allowed an economic and race issue to overwhelm our societal moral compass. Well, hey, it's REALLY about border security not economics and race, you say? OK, I accept your premise. Now, how do you justify the conditions in the camps?
The President and the Vice-President tell us that everything in the camps is just fine. Well, it's not. People are being held without adequate sanitary facilities. People are being held packed into locked rooms so tightly that everyone in them can't even lay down to sleep. Even if they could, there's no bedding. People are being held without access to shower facilities for weeks. Then, there's the children. How are they about border security? How is denying children basic living conditions ever OK? And that's on top of separating them from their adult caretakers.
Well, obviously, "these people" (let's be sure and make them 'other' - not 'us') should just stay in their own countries. My question is this: How terrible must their living conditions be in their own countries to risk themselves and their children to come here. In this day of instant access, do you think these immigrants seeking asylum don't know about the camps? I guess even these deplorable camps are preferable to starvation, rape, torture and death, so they must not be so bad. If you don't think so, then you haven't used your 'instant access' to hear or read about the facts. Here's your chance:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/elections/2019/07/16/migrant-detention-centers-described-2019-us-government-accounts/1694638001/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/07/border-patrols-oversight-sick-migrant-children/593224/
Did you just skip over those links? OK - fine. Don't read about the camps. Pretend not to know about them. Here's another consideration. Are we a religious nation or not? We tell the world we are. Most of us believe in God. Most of us identify with the ethics espoused by the big three (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) when asked. I am a Christian. More specifically, I'm a Methodist. My brand of Christianity speaks out against injustice by action. This is my action since UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) isn't being allowed into the camps to bring relief even though they have been involved in humanitarian crisis around the world since post WWII.
I refuse to be silent and by my silence endorse the conditions at detention camps. Stand up. Tell your friends. Ask your Congress person why they are letting this happen. Stand up in your church and ask why are we letting this happen. If you believe all the media is corrupt and with an 'agenda', well, here's some media it's pretty hard for a Christian to dispute:
"For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.
They also answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
(Matthew 25:42-45 - New International Version)
If you choose to do nothing because after all, you're only one voice and can't make a difference, then, so be it. I don't believe that. I stand with Edmund Burke: "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Give a Girl a Day Off...
We took a trip to the Guggenheim. This is the first 'weird' museum ever built. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the man who was the first American to collect modern art. Guggenheim wanted a venue which would break all the museum building rules. Well, he got one. You either love this building or you hate it. Here's what I mean:
 |
| Exterior of the Guggenheim |
 |
| Looking down on the six levels all interconnected - a gigantic wheelchair ramp |
 |
| Looking 'up' from the bottom floor |
 |
| The sky light ceiling |
We headed there to see an exciting new exhibition. The Guggenheim asked six artists, who had previously exhibited at the museum, to dive into the collection and pick paintings and sculptures to exhibit using any criteria they wished. Each level of the museum hung the choices of one of the six artists. One floor was paintings hung 'salon' style of famous artists. The catch was the paintings hung were not in the style for which each artist became famous. For example: Representational landscapes by Kandinsky (the first abstract artist).
You could see this exhibition in two ways: You can gradually walk 'up' the six levels, or you can take the elevator to the top level and walk 'down'. We chose 'up' because it's actually easier for me to walk up than down, especially if we are doing the walking in a leisurely manner. ("Down" puts too much pressure on my fake foot joint.)
After touring the Guggenheim, we walked 500 feet down the street (in the pouring rain) to the Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design. This is actually a Smithsonian museum, and it always has fascinating exhibits. We were not disappointed this trip: The museum was exploring design in nature. This was an interesting concept. One which captured my attention was the 'body burial suit'
The dead body goes into the 'suit', and instead of a coffin, the 'suit' is buried. The suit is sewn with some type of mushroom fungus which helps decompose the body. The picture below shows vividly what happens after burial in the suit. This seemed to me to be an excellent idea, but I'd like my burial suit to be RED.
If the day wasn't thrilling enough, we then took the subway during rush hour from the Upper West side of Central Park to Crown Heights in Brooklyn. (Crown Heights is our neighborhood.) If you think you see lots of different people on the streets, well intensify that by a power of ten and you have the subway. There's no telling who or what you might see on a subway.
We managed to score seats early, so the trip of about an hour was pretty fascinating. I kept thinking about all those movies of the 1950's (think Judy Holiday) where crowded subway cars are prominently featured. Subways are the niftiest way to get around town. There's one major exception: Don't be on a subway during a New York blackout. Actually, just try to be home during any major blackout - like we were last week when the blackout of 42 years ago was recreated in quite a bit of Manhattan - and not in a fun way. We were lucky. Our tickets to the Lincoln Chamber Music concert was the day AFTER the blackout, so we were unaffected.
I'd say we made proverbial hay with our day off. As always, pictures links below for anyone who's interested.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jF7x2s1fiVfcM3Yi8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/T82LQQpPSZvLEeWe6
We'd seen work by only one of the six artists - a Chinese guy who uses gun powder to 'paint' his pictures. We actually saw a small exhibition of his work in Italy.
 |
| A Cai Guo Qiang 'gunpowder' picture - he was the only artist of the six to hang some of his own work in his area |
Another artist chose abstract expressionist paintings from the 1940's, '50's and '60's. The modern female artist chose to display female artists from the Guggenheim collection. Another picked collection pieces done in black and white. Did I like every picture? Nope. Were there some jewels I'd never seen before? You bet. Some of you will not even bother to look at the pictures, but I urge you to do so. There are some brilliant pictures and sculptures.
After touring the Guggenheim, we walked 500 feet down the street (in the pouring rain) to the Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design. This is actually a Smithsonian museum, and it always has fascinating exhibits. We were not disappointed this trip: The museum was exploring design in nature. This was an interesting concept. One which captured my attention was the 'body burial suit'
You have to admit it's a novel idea.
Without a doubt the goofiest exhibit was the one in which a man created artificial limbs for himself which ended in goat hoofs as well as an artificial stomach which could process grass. Then, the joined a goat herd for three days; in essence, he became a goat. Then, he wrote a book.
 |
| I'm so intrigued about this guy; I'm going to read his book! |
And, finally, I got to see an entire room of hand done French embroidery from the 18th century. I was in heaven. I got so enthused, I gave an impromptu lecture about hand embroidery to a group of total strangers touring the exhibit. I'm sure they thought I was a nut bunny. They didn't run away, but I felt like an idiot afterwards. Here's an example (not of my idiocy) but of the displayed embroidery.
 |
| This is a piece of fabric pre-embroidered by hand. It's meant to be cut into a vest to be worn underneath a waist coat |
We managed to score seats early, so the trip of about an hour was pretty fascinating. I kept thinking about all those movies of the 1950's (think Judy Holiday) where crowded subway cars are prominently featured. Subways are the niftiest way to get around town. There's one major exception: Don't be on a subway during a New York blackout. Actually, just try to be home during any major blackout - like we were last week when the blackout of 42 years ago was recreated in quite a bit of Manhattan - and not in a fun way. We were lucky. Our tickets to the Lincoln Chamber Music concert was the day AFTER the blackout, so we were unaffected.
I'd say we made proverbial hay with our day off. As always, pictures links below for anyone who's interested.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jF7x2s1fiVfcM3Yi8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/T82LQQpPSZvLEeWe6
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)