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Tagsnow, bursting with culture!
This past Eye Candy Friday, for example, I showed just a few shots I snapped at the MoMA. I went to the MoMA three times in two weeks (twice on lunch-hour “dates” with a friend, once with Jaax), and I now feel I know the museum like the back of my hand. It was fun taking photos of new favorites as well as seeing old standards. I also went to the ballet, an exhibit of crazy lace, and celebrated Chinese New Year—oh, New York!
This Klimt (without me in the foreground) is now the background on my phone.
If you’d lilke to see more MoMA photos, check out the MoMAproject in Flickr (of which I am a participant), which aims to give those who can’t visit New York the MoMA experience.
Yesterday, I met up with the Sit ‘n’ Knit group (hosted by Anne-Marie) and saw the Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting exhibit at the Museum of Arts & Design (I don’t know how long that link might work; apologies for anyone reading far into the future). It was . . . interesting.
You weren’t allowed to take photos in the gallery, but I’m a rebel and all, so I risked chastisement. Then I decided to go with honesty, so I asked if I could take photos, and was told No, so then I knew I was being watched. At one point I even tried to cutely plead with a kindly security guard, but he was firm, if totally smiley at me over it. The front hall had this enormous net funnel thing, in multicolors, and when you were at the lowest level you could stand right under it and look up through it–it was amazing! I wanted a photo of that view so badly. But alas, they were strict and vigilant, so you’ll have to go see it yourself. Is it worth the $9 cost of admission? Yeah, I guess so. (We had a group rate of $8, which was all the better.)
Many of the pieces were “lace” in a very loosely interpreted sense. Like the woman who uses an X-acto blade to cut intricate, lacy patterns out of solid bolts of fabric. Or the “knitted” fiber optic chandelier (my personal favorite). Did it open my eyes to the way artists use the principles of knitting for further expression? Yes. Did it inspire me in any particular way? Eh, no. Still, I’m very glad I saw it, and it was nice to go in the company of knitters.
Last night I had the chance to accompany a friend to the ballet, at Lincoln Center. My friend has a subscription, and the seats were in the first row of the 3rd tier–truly excellent seats. Here, too, I decided to flaunt authority and take a photo despite clear notice that photos in the theater were prohibited. Yes, I got yelled at.
The performance was three short ballets, none of which were stories. They were Klavier, with music by Beethoven and choreography by Chirstopher Wheeldon. It premiered Jan 24, 2006. I liked this piece–the constumes were sort of goth and there was a lot of sliding the women around. The second one was Russian Seasons, with music by Leonid Desyatnikov and choreography by Alexei Ratmansky. It premiered June 8, 2006. This one featured boldly colored costumes and kind of jokey moves that I didn’t really like much. The best parts had only the men on stage, doing powerful jumps. The last piece was The Four Temperaments, with music by Paul Hindemith and choreography by Balanchine. It premiered Nov 20, 1946. Some of it really didn’t seem “old” (not that I know what old ballet really looks like)–and it was clearly very technically complex. I still liked the first piece better, but this one was interesting. Why are the men costumed in bright white shirts, black tights, and shockingly white socks, though? They looked silly.
And this morning, I headed down to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year’s celebrations. I might save the bulk of these photos for Eye Candy Friday this week (no peeking at my flickr page if you don’t want to be spoiled!), but here’s one to whet your appetite and properly ring in the new year.
21 Responses to now, bursting with culture!
see! aint NYC grand?
so much to comment on, so I’m keeping it simple — do you know if that Klimt painting is on loan from the Belvedere gallerie in Vienna? I lived in vienna for a little over a year and had a years pass to the Belvedere. They had an amazing collection of klimt, and on bad days, I would just pop in to the museum and take in his beautiful colors and scenery until I felt better. That painting (what I can see of it) looks a lot like one they had on exhibit there. I love Klimt’s landscapes. They aren’t what he is famous for, but damn! they’re amazing.
Your post makes me yearn for the city… only three more weeks.
Even the backs of my eye balls are green with envy. I knew I wanted to live in NY! Maybe someday.
Very jealous of your culture! The black/white dress for the men was typical of Balanchine’s ballets – that’s what they wear in almost every piece he choreographed. The women usually wore black leotards and pink tights. He was very minimalist – didn’t want anything to distract from their movement. His pieces probably don’t seem very old because he was very much ahead of his time, and because most modern ballet (especially in the US) is a direct result of what he did 50 years ago.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Christopher Wheeldon is great too.
Mr S and I did a weekend in NYC this summer, and spent the afternoon at MoMA, and what I kept seeing was log-cabin possibilities. I guess it was in the thick of Mason-Dixon madness. I do love that museum, and could go daily and find some new treasure.
I’m so glad you are taking such good advantage of NYC’s unparalleled cultural gems. I’m quite jealous!
You are a PHOTO REBEL. Way to bring culture to the masses (and by masses I mean me).
You’re cultured *and* you rage against the establishment! Great photos.
If I recall correctly, Four Temperments is performed in classical ballet wear because the original costumes were too, hmmm, obnoxious is the word I would use. Balanchine felt that they took away from the dance, as all you could see were the crazy costumes (I forget who designed them) so he said forget the costume! And back into tights and leotards they went. And the white socks, well, that’s just old fashioned now, but now the choreography stands out wonderfully.
And if you are a Klimt fan, be sure to check out the Neue Gallery!
Love the title of your post! :-)
Thanks for sacrificing yourself (or getting yelled at) for the sake of your blog :) I really want to get up to the Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting exhibit.
such a cultured weekend!! look at all the fun that can be had in NYC if you are willing to brave the elements. i’m much more productive during the summer, that’s for sure :)
Now, I definitely know I am not getting enough culture! I have not been to the MoMa even though I have lived here for 7 years. The exhibit at the Museum of Arts & Design sounds very interesting. If only I can convince my hubby to go with me.
I missed out on the CNY celebrations in Chinatown! We went to a neighbor’s house for hot pot instead. I will not peek at your photos until you reveal them on Friday, so I can have something to look forward to.
It’s nice to see someone lead a cultured life. :-)
What a wonderful weekend. The museum. Lincoln Center! Chinatown. wow. Thanx for sharing the culture.
Get in my eyes, culture!
You need to get yourself a secret pen-size James Bond type camera!
Thank you for your rebellion! Great pictures and great review of the Subversive knitting exhibit. Thanks Minty!
I love the dragon. You are lucky to have Chinatown so close. I always love the dragon dance. I think I will go and eat some Chinese food for dinner.
A word about the costumes in Four Temperaments. Many of the early Balanchine ballets were costumed in “rehearsal clothes.” This was because the early City Center Ballet, which changed after the company moved to the newly-built Lincoln Center to the New York City Ballet, could not afford costumes. Of course, Balanchine’s early ballets were superb enough not to need them, especially the ones set to modern music. They could find money to costume ballets such as Firebird, Serenade and Symphony in C, among others, though.
Now my brain is bursting with something besides contract law! Thanks! :)
Seriously, those are great pictures. I love that Klimt.
That does it. We totally need to get to MoMA soon. We went to the Met last weekend and it was so much fun to see again. I haven’t been the ballet yet either. You may have heard my former teacher play. :)
That is a serious amount of culture! You’re probably going to be too sophisticated to spend time with this Rhode Island bumpkin the next time I’m in NYC.
It’s so weird what places allow photography and what ones don’t. You can go traipsing through the Louvre — the Louvre! — and take pictures of anything and everything, but you can’t take a photo in a theater with the curtain down. Sometimes I think people like to make rules just so they can enforce them.
It cracks me up that you had to be so radical and subversive in order to get any photos of that exhibition. Why have an exhibition on radicality and subversive behaviour and then have rules!?!