On Tuesday, 10/15, I was whisked away on a bus from CSI to the Brooklyn Museum for Macaulay’s traditional Night at the Museum event. There were various pieces of art that I found intriguing, but ultimately the experience itself was more interesting.

I thought that these images were interesting because while they are all the same person, the photo on the left seemingly represents them in a more feminine manner, due to the absence of facial hair, as well as the presence of longer hair. These are features that are typically associated with femininity. The photo on the right contrasts this, and shows the subject with shorter hair and a mustache, which are features heavily associated with masculinity. In the image in the middle, it is revealed that the images around it are portraying the same person. Half of the person’s image has these feminine features, while the other has masculine features. This could be commentary on the duality of humans as individuals and how conventional preconceived ideas of gender may not be an accurate description for individuals in society as a whole. It could also be commentary on how perception can impact one’s perspective and there are multiple different angles to look at not only images, but also situations.

I felt that this was interesting to me because the calligraphic nature of the piece exemplifies how we as a species have developed over time, in aspects such as language and communication. There were multiple pieces similar to this one, and I found it interesting that this illustration-like form of communication is believed to have had clear meaning in the past, when art is generally seen as something that is up for interpretation, and carries multiple messages depending on the perspective of the viewer.

The experience of being granted the ability to explore certain areas of the Brooklyn Museum with my Macaulay peers was an interesting one. At first, I thought it would be easier to move around since the museum was closed off to the rest of the public. However, I ultimately found it difficult due to the large number of students. I feel that this event was a great opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation regarding the art and other exhibitions with both like-minded peers and peers who had completely different interpretations and ideas regarding them. I feel that having these conversations was helpful for us to get to know each other’s mindsets and ideas better, which is important for us to further or knowledge and learn more from one another, even if we disagree.

To reiterate, this experience, though not particularly what I anticipated, helped to enrich my understanding of my peers as well as view some works of art and exhibitions that I have not encountered in the past.