Punk rock in the present-day is incredibly diverse due to its regionality and tendency to change with the political landscape, so I was curious what exactly we would be learning about the genre/culture during this seminar. I was somewhat involved in the punk community in my high school, but had just barely scratched the surface of what being punk meant.

Because of the subversive nature of punk, the word itself seems to come with a negative connotation in the mainstream. Many seem to associate punk with delinquency, but I view it as an exercise of free thought and expression, which is inherently anti-authority. Every person experiences punk in a different way depending on the demographics they fall under. For instance, the Mexican kids that Rich met in El Paso saw the punk community in West Texas as a place where they could be accepted. 

Furthermore, I find that punk is more than just rock, it can be any form of expression, as long as that expression is anti-system. Graffiti and verbal protest are some very outstanding examples of this, but the ideals of punk apply to smaller actions such as the repurposing and repair of items, since not purchasing items new goes against the consumerism that is constantly being pushed onto us. This also goes to show how punk has evolved over time to address modern issues.

One thing that Rich mentioned that I found very interesting was that many of the few girls that got involved in the hardcore/punk scene during the 80s and 90s started off as photographers for shows, because that is exactly how I found myself going to shows in which my friends were performing. I also believe that the gender ratio at these shows has since shifted due to an increasing number of female artists in the scene.

I did not know what to expect out of this trip, especially since I had never been to the Macaulay building before, yet I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned from both the playwright and actors involved. The overall tone of the play seemed to change in this cast reading. It felt more serious with the way Mary’s lines were read out; I believe the live version more accurately embodies the message conveyed about the expectations of women during the time. The inspiration for the play was much different from what I had originally inferred. I like how the playwright used an originally lighthearted hoax to create a much more serious work that explores themes of gender roles and the treatment of women in 18th century society. I agree wholeheartedly with what Steve said about the growing inaccessibility of theater and admire his grassroots organizing of productions, which not only reaches out to the general public, but also smaller artists in the field.

More than the discussion of the play itself, I found the tangential advice that the actors gave about pursuing art while having a career in another field to be very insightful. I love creating art, but chose to major in biology because I knew when applying to college that art is not a financially viable path for me to devote myself to. It was refreshing to hear that everyone involved in this production also had a day job either related or unrelated to theater since there is often this expectation to commit to your art as an artist. That being said, I still am pursuing a career in biology for the love of the subject, and this discussion reassured me that balancing my interests in both art and STEM is possible.

I had never visited the Brooklyn Museum before this trip so I had only a vague idea of what it might be like. I was also a bit confused as to why we were supposed to be there in the first place, but I was content knowing that I wouldn’t have to commute there myself. 

The contemporary art on the 5th floor turned out to be much more interesting than I had anticipated. The gallery had a mix of all sorts of different styles and mediums; it was influenced by dozens of different cultures. My initial thought was that the mix of all of these different styles was disorganized and visually overwhelming, but I came to realize that the gallery itself is a reflection of the melting pot of cultures in NYC. One piece in particular that stood out to my group was The Arm Wrestle of Chip & Spike; aka: Star-Makers by Oscar Yi Hou.

This abstract artwork created with vibrant oil pastels greatly contrasted the traditional earthy-toned oil paintings surrounding it. The piece also stood out in its lack of a physical frame compared to its neighbors. Instead its frame is part of the painting. The greater realism and detail in the faces of the two subjects draws the viewer’s attention to their somewhat worn expressions, while the background is much more vibrant and surreal.

Aside from the artwork, I’m glad I got to catch up with some of my friends from high school who are in Macaulay at Brooklyn College. Also, my group accidentally ran into the videographer about 7 times that night, and he kept following us around to shoot b-roll 😭😭 

Nevertheless, being able to visit a museum with my classmates is an opportunity that I rarely get and I’m glad that I got to be there to experience it. However, I was less glad to be waking up for my 8 AM class the next day…

I had never heard of The Counter before this trip. The only hint we were given regarding its plot was an advertisement outside of The Roundabout Theatre with the quote: “IT WAS AN ORDINARY DAY UNTIL IT WASN’T.” Upon receiving the playbill I was even more confused. There were only four characters in the cast, one of which doesn’t even appear onstage, and only one setting. The stage itself looked like an IKEA display kitchen (second time drawing a comparison to IKEA in my blog). 

One thing I also noticed immediately after sitting down in the auditorium was the age of the other audience members; most of them were much older than us, so I began to wonder how this play might attract such an audience. 

The play started off pretty slow. The main characters Katie and Paul were cracking jokes, so I was put under the impression that maybe it was a comedy. As the show progressed, I kept wondering when the ‘turn’ was supposed to happen; when did it stop being “an ordinary day”? Even in hindsight I can’t seem to figure out where exactly the turn happened. Was it when Paul asked Katie if they could become closer friends? Or when Paul asked Katie to poison him? Or when Katie received a new voicemail? 

I really enjoyed the way the script was able to convey both Katie and Paul’s development as they learned from each other. They discussed the reality of depression and its impact on relationships, which are seldom mentioned, especially in relation to the older generation. It was this theme that made me realize why the audience was older. However, while the topics discussed in the show seemed to target an older audience, I found Paul’s fear of ending up in the same nursing home as his mom and brother to be very relevant to me since my family has a history of Alzheimer’s disease. In its later stages, individuals essentially require around the clock care, so nursing homes become an unfortunate reality.

Most of all, I really liked the way that the set was designed to use lighting as part of telling the story. The overhead lights fading to black represent the cycle of day and night. This notifies the audience of a change in scene when the whole play is set in one place. The separation of scenes is especially important in this case because the director intends to convey that Paul and Katie’s development happens over the course of many days. Additionally, the golden light cast through the frosted window in the diner indicates to the audience that Paul is always there unusually early, supporting the mentions of his insomnia. I admire how the frost on the window serves multiple purposes. It both obscures the view of backstage, and provides a strong visual of this wintery upstate New York setting, where characters come into the diner shivering in heavy coats.

This was one of several posters created during the 1980s, encouraging civilians to boycott goods that were produced by non-white South Africans under the existing apartheid state. Protest art in South Africa during this time period often came in the form of posters, calling people to action to join in marches, boycotts, or anti-apartheid organizations.

The Apartheid was a set of policies in South Africa instated by prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd, which segregated white and non-white (Black and Indian) people. Non-whites were forced to live in different areas, received less education, were restricted from voting, were banned from interracial marriage, and were exploited for labor. Corporations like Del Monte profited off of the slavery-like conditions that non-white South Africans were forced to work under. This particular piece depicts a very gestural image many Black South Africans working in cramped quarters at a Del Monte food processing plant. They lack defined facial features, showing how corporations simply saw these workers as a means of production rather than individuals deserving of rights. They didn’t want consumers to view workers as human. The women in the center of the image is drawn with detail and a concerned expression to remind the viewer of the people behind the production of the goods they consume.

On Saturday (9/14) I very reluctantly visited the Banksy Museum on Canal Street since I was already heading to a dentist appointment three blocks away and knew I wouldn’t make it back to Snug Harbor in time for the Art Lab Open House. I hated the idea of paying $26 ($30 without student discount) for a ticket to an exhibit of replicas of artwork from an artist who is strictly anti-capitalist. This seems to be the majority opinion as the museum was EMPTY except for a family of French tourists. The museum curators seem to be operating on this motto stenciled on the wall:

The museum layout oddly reminded me of an IKEA with blue tape arrows on the floor guiding visitors through a maze of plaster, stucco walls, and brick wallpaper. Of course, the employee at the ticket counter made sure to inform me to follow the blue arrows all the way to the end at which I would find the gift shop (yayy 😑). 

There was an attempt at making each room give off the vibe of the setting in which certain pieces were located, such as with the telephone booth and the vinyl sticker manhole covers in the UK section of the exhibit, but the look didn’t seem to be maintained very well over the past few months that the museum has been open. 

Additionally, the “immersive” experience that the museum advertises is hindered by the yellow-and-black tape on the floor in front of each piece. Street art is made to be exposed to the elements, but here it is protected by a piece of tape that tells the viewer ‘do not touch,’ and creates a facade of this art being expensive and/or exclusive when they are really just replicas printed or painted on wallpaper.

Of course the small French children in the room with me did not seem to care for the tape and went ahead and touched the walls anyways…

This piece to me stood out as cheaply replicated with its strange spackle texture that is not present in the original (or on any wall; fr whose idea was this??). I like the message conveyed by the artwork, but I think my enjoyment of it visually is affected by this odd texture.

There were also minor spelling/grammatical errors in some of the plaques, such as this misspelling of “Neptune Avenue.”

The entire visit I couldn’t help but feel ashamed that I actually spent $26 on this. For a museum that not only betrays the original intent of the artist, but also profits off of their work. And for a museum that features replicas of Banksy’s many anti-capitalist works, you’d think that they would try to mask the irony better. This piece in particular was comically ironic considering the price shown is the exact same as the standard ticket price for this museum.

Although I left with an overall feeling that I had wasted my time and money, I did enjoy some of the little details such as the small graffiti rats scattered around the museum’s hallways and staircases. I thought they were cute and demonstrated the museum curators taking inspiration from Banksy rather than simply putting replicas up on the wall with a plaque. 

I do have to commend the museum for dedicating a section to Banksy’s work in Palestine and maintaining a sympathetic view of the Palestinian plight. They even recreated a room from The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, which was designed and financed by Banksy and other artists to promote peace in the West Bank. While the real hotel is currently closed due to the escalating conflict, this recreation carries on its original message. I say this about this piece in particular and not other parts of the museum because the hotel room was the most immersive experience out of all the replicas I saw. It was clear that whoever designed this particular part of the exhibit cared that it looked like a real hotel room and that viewers understood Banksy’s intention by having an informational video play in the background as visitors looked around the room.

 

Purely for the convenience of transit and the fact that both my mom and sister also had free access to the museum, I chose to visit the MoMA. Unfortunately, I did have an appointment to get two of my wisdom teeth removed that morning, but this would not stop me from completing my mission (I did not have time to go any other day 😔).

Nevertheless, my mom, sister, and I made it to West 53rd Street and by sheer coincidence caught my high school marching band performing in the Labor Day Parade.

Leading up to this trip I was a bit skeptical about bringing my mom with me since she has never really expressed her interest in art, yet I found that she had the most insightful commentary to offer on certain pieces. Most notably, she was enthralled by the displays of kitchenware in the 5th floor gallery. “I like it; it’s beautiful because it’s practical.”

“I want to have these in my kitchen” she said about a set of forks and spoons that I believe look utterly unergonomic, but I guess that shows a difference in our perspectives. Her argument in support of the sideways-bowled spoons is that you hold the spoon parallel to your mouth when you eat, thereby making them easier to use. While I strongly disagree with my mom’s love for these pieces of silverware, I realize that it reveals a little about her relationship with art as someone who never really interacted with art during her education and had instead prioritized learning English and making a living. My mom cares for practicality and that made the MoMA’s architecture and design exhibits really speak to her. 

Personally I enjoyed Monet’s water lilies the most, primarily due to the way each painting portrays a different time of day and lighting through subtle differences in color. Sadly, the photos do not accurately represent these colors and it was very difficult to take photos in such a crowded room.

My mom, on the other hand, called Monet’s paintings a “mess.” We soon realized that this was because she forgot to wear her glasses and could not actually tell that there were water lilies depicted in the paintings.

The asymmetrical face of this portrait really spoke to me and my own lopsided, swollen face in the moment.

Before we left, my sister stopped at the gift shop to buy a couple postcards that depicted artworks that she thought “matched the vibe” of each of the friends she intends to send them to. In this way she transformed the meaning of the original artworks.