Heart of India

Tonight for dinner, I went to “Heart of India” in the East Village, 72, 2^nd Ave. (bet. 4^th and 5^th St.). As soon as you walk through the door, the atmosphere is very appealing. During your dinner a sitar player plays classic Indian music. Everyone is very polite and your water glass is never left empty. I had samosa as an appetizer and for my dinner I had chicken tikka masala, both very delicious and what I was craving for the evening. I mean, what is better than a delicious sauce over rice? To me, nothing. The manager, Mohammod, took a real interest in me and my tattoos. He took such an interest in me he gave me free desert (rice pudding) just to keep talking to me. He told me he wanted a tattoo but he was afraid to go through with it. He told me he wants a snake on his forearm. He talked to me for a half hour if not longer and before I left he gave me his card. I would most defiantly go back for dinner again not only for the meal but for the company as well.

-Alex Miller

Daniel Ridgway Knight

Of all the great paintings I've seen, from the old masters to contemporary works, one painting in specific somehow seems to have cast an enchantment me. Daniel Ridgway Knight's The Shepherdess of Rolleboise has been dancing him my head for days already. The woman gazes off to a point in the near distance as the blue gray tones create a cool crisp environment. Juxtaposed, I can feel the very warmth of her closely tucked elbows and heavy draped coat as heat fleets from her soft neck and hands.

Artist: Daniel Ridgway Knight, American 1839-1924 

Medium: Oil on canvas
Dates: 1896
Dimensions: 68 x 50 1/2 in.

One of the things I enjoy most about this work is the depth in which Knight achieves. The fuzzy purple background and faraway mountains with the sharp finely detailed thistles and bramble in the foreground excite my senses and help to put me in the image with the young woman. I can feel the weight of her hand resting atop the wooden tool and her hand underneath curling into a comfortable grasp to defy the gravity pulling it down as the sheep freely nibble away on grass.

I think I will always find myself captivated by this dreamy romantic painting not only for its skillful technique but also its mood and narrative.

-Christina Nurczynski

From Zero to Hero: Ground Zero and St. Paul's Chapel

After our touristy excursion over the Brooklyn Bridge, Marc brought us to St. Paul's Chapel, one of the Trinity Churches in New York City. This church served as a hospital site after the events of 9/11, where many lives were both lost and saved. Today, the chapel no longer serves as a regular church, rather serving the community as more of a remembrance site. Inside, the chapel walls are lined with exhibitions of memorabilia that once decorated the outer gate of St. Paul's while it served as a hospital in the months following 9/11. If I correctly recall, when all the cards, photos, wreaths, etc. were taken down from the gate after many months, the materials filled 250 boxes, which the church then archived.

   In terms of my own experience, even before I entered the chapel, I could feel chills running down my spine. I could feel all the heartache well up inside of me as I experienced each bit of history -seeing faces and names of those who had fallen in the line of duty, notes from families and friends, uniforms preserved from the ruble- but what truly brought me to tears was this one short letter written by a young girl from California. This girl didn't know anyone hurt, have any relatives in the area, or had even visited the Big Apple before; but her letter, written to all those affected, captured the innocence and sincerity of a child reaching out to her fellow countryman and woman.

   As we proceeded to Ground Zero from the chapel cemetery, where many from the Revolutionary War era lay, I thought about how we all are soldiers, whether we are buried with a flag beside us or not. We all have been affected by tragedy in some way, shape, or form; and we all battle with it in our own ways. But when we can fight alongside each other, sharing the burden, not worrying about glory or renown, that is when we are true heroes.  

East Village

The East Village has anything a person could desire, from expensive restaurants, to the best hot dog joint around (or so says Julia Child) along with various kinds of shops. Ranging from exuberant to very affordable, there are trendy high end boutiques to hip punk stores. Two of my favorite punk stores, Search and Destroy and Trash and Vaudeville, are on St. Mark's Place.  Trash and Vaudeville in particular helped to make St. Mark's Place a destination point in which people could enjoy these unique stores. To this day the owner can be seen wearing the original punk punk style from decades ago. Down the street there is even a Bettie Page store, just in case you're ever interested in looking like a 1950’s pin-up girl. After a stroll through the shops, I went to get ice cream in which I came across one of the best names for an ice cream store, “Big Gay Ice Cream.” I recommend the “Salty Pimp” which is vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, and dipped in chocolate.

-Alex Miller

Pulse and Pool Art Fair

The Pulse Art Fair is a major art fair in NYC. There are usually no students at these kinds of events because the tickets are usually quite expensive. Not only did we get to go, but we had VIP passes thanks to Anna from Mike Weiss Gallery.  There were two floors at the fair, the first floor being galleries from all over the world and the second, up and coming artists new to the scene. Overall it was a new and interesting experience.

After, we went to Pool Art Fair which was not set up like any fair or art fair I have ever seen. Inside Flatiron Hotel between the fifth and third floor, artwork was set up inside the hotel rooms hanging on the walls and beds. Some artists even had their work in the showers and windows of the rooms with food, wine and music. The intimate experience in which the art was displayed and and time with artists was a new way to see art and one I won’t soon forget.

-Alex Miller

Museum of the American Indian

We went to the National Museum of the American Indian located in The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in Battery Park. There were three main exhibitions. One was about contemporary Native American musicians from a variety of genres of music.

Then There was a permanent exhibition that had historical artifacts. Similar to the other art exhibitions, it showed how nature inspired design and patterns. Several objects on display were accompanied by a description of their rituals. In particular, there was a woven basket that was followed by an explanation about how personal possessions were destroyed at burial. I am interested in learning about their burial practices because it seems to resemble modern day practices, especially with the symbolism of personal objects.

The final exhibition was about contemporary art. I believe most of  it was related to the genocide, life on the reservations, and the revival of past traditions. I was mostly impacted by the map that was hung outside of the gift shop. It showed how much land they had compared to how land much they lost in the small time frame. This museum works with the theme of the other memorials located in Battery Park. Each one is a dedication to a group of people that have experienced suffering.

Art Fairs Galore!

Today we went to two art fairs, Pulse and Pool. The art fair experience was new to me, as well as the rest of our group, and it was an exciting one. The first show, Pulse, covered two floors of a large building in Manhattan, with each gallery represented in an almost studio space-like setup, in size and shape. Viewers were free to wander the multitudes of exhibits at their own leisure, in a pleasant and relaxed environment. The low rumble of show goers provided a fitting soundtrack to the wide expanse of space. There was an incredible amount of interesting and beautiful work to look through, from a technical drawing of a disassembled X-wing, to fabric sculptures based off of traditional (Japanese) folk tales, to one particularly fascinating piece composed of two flat topped pyramids protruding out of the wall, and expertly painted to look as if you were moving around the painted room as you moved in front of it. While those showing work were obviously hoping to sell their work as in a traditional gallery setting, this had a more relaxed atmosphere, and I did not feel as pressured as I often do elsewhere. 

After the polished and extensive Pulse, the slightly less “spectacular” Pool was quite a change. Rather than being in any sort of traditional exhibition setting one might expect, this took place in the Flatiron hotel with each artist  or gallery displaying their work in a hotel bedroom. Work was hung on mirrors and windows, propped on beds, placed in drawers, and some shows  even extended into the bathrooms. Taking over a good portion of three floors of the hotel, the styles of work again varied greatly. Though I have shows I was particularly drawn to, my favorite aspect of this fair is the intimacy of the whole event. In larger groups or even just in larger settings I often do my best to hide in the background and rarely ask questions or bring attention to myself which is unfortunate in the long run. However in this situation the spaces were for the most part quite small, and I was at most in a room with two other people at any one time, making blending into the background fairly impossible, thus forcing me to make conversation. I’m very glad for this overall. I learned some interesting facts about individuals work, as well as gained valuable insight into the minds of artists of all ages often confirming my own thoughts on things in the art world and life of an art student. For example, one artist and I agreed that abstract painting must always be done at ridiculous hours of the night after achieving a delirious exhaustion in order to achieve anything effective (when you lean towards representational art at least.) Overall, I had a fantastic time exploring these two extraordinary events, and possibly returning to visit again before the season ends. 
-Aubrie Nelson

Armando Romero

Miki Taira

Patrick Hughes- Miro in the Mirror (front view)

Patrick Hughes- Miro in the Mirror (side view)

Long Island Outing

It’s amazing how one piece of artwork can change your entire view of a movement. I honestly have never been a huge fan of the abstract expressionists. Most pieces I’ve seen, whether by the “masters” of the time or not, have come across as clunky and crowded, even messy and I honestly have not seen the worth in them that others do. However this opinion has begun to change. I recently viewed an abstract expressionist show on a day off at the Nassau County Museum of Art. There were some of what I’ve known before, but one piece in particular, stood out. It was Time: 3:30 by Norman Bluhm from 1959. This painting is light and inviting in presence. It has the perfect balance between exposed canvas and swatches of color that are just thick enough to have a commanding presence but at the same time let the viewer take control. This painting evokes feelings of freedom and absolute joy and I could stare at it’s bright forms, reminiscent of tropical birds in flight for a lifetime and never tire. 

After connecting with something like I did this painting, I’m looking forward to looking at more art with fresh eyes and a new opinion. 

-Aubrie Nelson

Michael Wilson

Because of our visits to the Chelsea Galleries, I am beginning to have a higher respect for contemporary art. However, I still find myself struggling to understand it. On Wednesday we had the honor of meeting Michael Wilson, the author of the new book: How to Read Contemporary Art. It gives brief descriptions of contemporary artists from various backgrounds and mediums. He gives simplified explanations of the works and the artists' purposes.It is the ideal book for young artists or those who are not as familiar with the art world. I have not read the book in its entirety, but I am already learning about more artists.

At dinner our discussion revolved around writing about art. He described his process of writing and editing, there is a lot of editing. He gave us his opinions about how the different museums or galleries should explain the art on display. I agreed when he said that a statement about a piece should be based on fact, not just a subjective view. A person should be able to form their own opinion about the art.

Even though writing can be tedious for many of us, it is a beneficial skill to have as an artist. After I complete a painting it is difficult for me to explain my intentions in words. Something that has been private has to be revealed to the public in a specific choice of words, and that can be intimidating. Our meeting with Michael Wilson gave me ideas of how I want to present my work in the future. I am now thinking about my writing style along with the actual techniques of painting.

                                            

                                                        Thanks for signing our books!

                                                   

... And our Egyptian Dinner

Pulse Art Fair

Today we had the pleasure and the privilege of attending the Pulse Art Fair of 2013. Being able to tour the Pulse Art Fair as students was an honor that none of of will soon forget.

After flashing our VIP passes to got into Pulse we all went our separate ways to enjoy the our very first art fair on our own. 

While it was difficult not to become overwhelmed by the immense amount of art before me, I decided to slowly drink in the experience. I went from booth after booth soaking up the whole experience while looking for art that caught my eye or intrigued my mind and found several pieces I fell in love with. 

The Pulse Art Fair is an enjoyable maze of art and around every corner is always something new and exciting with different people to discuss the art with and learn from.

My favorite pieces were William Betts beautiful acrylic paintings at the Richard Levy Gallery location.

Untitled 2:56pm William Betts

 I also really enjoyed the first booth we got to look at with large busts of famous composers made out of old  literature and other cultural texts such as art magazines and textbooks. They were both visually and mentally stimulating with the skilled craftsmanship as well as the deep conceptual meaning behind the pieces.

Bach Long-Bin Chen

Detail

A great opportunity the Pulse Art Fair presents is the ability to talk to such variety of people including gallery owners, dealers, collectors, and the artists themselves. A few of us had the opportunity to speak with one of the artists represented by Ethan Cohen Fine Arts Michael Zelehoski. Having the ability to talk to the actual artist is important to anyone who appreciates art because it offers the ability to hear the artists thoughts and motives behind a piece of art. Had I not had the chance to speak with Zelehoski I may have walked past his pieces without knowing the meaning and motives behind them. Zelehoski made me take a second look at his pieces and take not the they were actual shelves and wood from discarded objects arranged on the canvas to resemble the objects they were made from like a bench or a chair.

Intersecting Planes Michael Zelehoski 

I can't wait to take full advantage of our VIP passes and return to the Pulse Art Fair soon.

-Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey

A Day Off- Bronx Zoo

Midway through our trip, we were given a few days off to go explore and do things on our own. The previous week, we had mad a trip to the Bronx Zoo. I could not have been more excited, as I was waiting patiently to go and it happened on my 22nd birthday. The zoo was flooded with children, and I will admit, I was just as excited as they were. But, the Bronx Zoo was so large we could not make it through in one day, so Renee and I decided to return on our days off, along with a visit to Central Park.

                                         Central Park

Being an animal lover my entire life, I could easily spend every day at the zoo and be happy. This was one of my favorite things so far living in Brooklyn, and I am beyond happy I went back. The first thing Renee and I did the second time at the Zoo was ride a camel. Now, this may sound easy, and being an equestrian for 12 years I thought it would be, but it was still scary. I knew camels were tall, but I never thought it would be so hard to stay sitting on one! It was an amazing experience, even if it was just like a pony ride, I would do it over again.

The Bronx Zoo was unlike any other
 zoo I had been too, the animals were
 so close and we were able to get such
a great look at them all. Many of them
 actually interacted with the people
through the glass. One of the Baboons was sitting right up against the glass with his hands on it, watching everyone go by. I have added a variety of photos to this blog post so I can share part of the great experience that I have had. I was able to combine my love for photography and animals in the same day, and I would do it all over again.

-Kate Gott

Being a Tourist

After the opening of our show, we were given a break for a few days. We had time to rest and then explore the city on our own. I spent the first day of break in Central Park. The weather was perfect to enjoy the scenery. I was even inspired by John Singer Sargent's paintings to bring my watercolors with me. 

Balto

For the remainder of break my family came to visit. After hitting the hotspots in Dumbo, Superfine and Front Street Pizza, we explored Lower Manhattan. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to go to the Seaport Mall. 

The annual bike tour was held on Sunday. It was a spectacle to watch until we had to cross the street. I even saw someone from my hometown participating in the race.

We navigated through Chinatown to find my favorite gluten free bakery, Babycakes. 

Went to Battery Park City to see the Irish Hunger Memorial, created by the artist Brian Tolle. 

And a family visit is never complete until your parents take embarrassing photos of you. 

Although we all had fun on our days off, we were glad to all be reunited again because that meant more group dinners.