Don't ask
I did go to a lot of museums, though, which was great. The never-ending variety of things to see is one of the best things about this mad city. Here are some shows that are up now-ish:
Gaultier at the Brooklyn Museum: Strange, elegant, lavish and cool. Half appallingly ugly fashion, half 'I want that. In my closet. Want.' The mannequins had moving faces projected on them. They all had underbites. A-.
I'll take one of each and some growth hormones, please.
War Photography at the Brooklyn Museum: Heartbreaking and very well curated. The photos were arranged by theme rather than year or place. I had to leave before the end because I was breaking down completely, but if you're not a complete softy like me it's highly recommended. A.
Surrealists at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: A lot of stuff from their permanent collection displayed together in the new annex. It has a nice feel, like seeing a bunch of old friends all together (which is what I did in Phila, so I might be conflating). The Dali paintings are getting darker by the year because he used some kind of non-archival lead white paint, so see them as soon as you can. B.
Marc Newson at the PMA: This guy is Mr. Slick. He's an Australian industrial designer who does everything from silverware to boats. Everything is bubbly and cheerful. It was impossible to hate, even the truly ridiculous chrome surfboard. I also liked to see the breadth of projects he got his hands on, since I want to design ALL THE THINGS. Not at all my taste, though I respect him. B-.
But, um, no. No. Absolutely not.
Vermeers Everywhere: There are a lot of Vermeers on the East Coast right now. I saw all the ones in NYC and Phila. And I was... Well they're nice, but I had no urge to flip out over them. The Girl with the Pearl Earring was engaging and pretty and... Man, I hate to say anything mean about a great artist, but I just did not get it. He's not fabulous at faces or hands, but his fabric and light is extraordinary. I think the ones that have traveled here are mostly of people with faces and hands. I feel like a jerk. B-.
This isn't Vermeer, but I visited him at the Frick anyway. He's so dreamy.
Ten Thousand Waves at MoMA: This is a multi channel, semi abstract video installation. I can see why a lot of people might find it insufferable, but it hit every single romantic and aesthetic chord in me and I loved it. There is a recurring shot of a woman in a white kimono flying through the air, and in a few sections it cuts away to the actress being filmed in front of a greenscreen, and it's still magical. The imagery is beautiful and the plotlines are just barely follow-able. I'm going to see it again before it comes down on 2/17. A.
The Armory Show at the NY Historical Society: Apparently this show caused a massive scandal 100 years ago. It's mostly modernist painting from both Europe and the US. Nice to see some of them in person. B.
Gilded Age Portraits at the NY Historical Society: Squishy babies, foggy pink women, and insufferable men. A few third rate Sargents. Rather than the overwhelmingly elegant portraits I was expecting, these were the the pale, feeble scrapings from an institution not known for its art collection. There were some better paintings in the study cases upstairs. There are some better paintings in diners. C-.
William Kentridge at the Met: A medium sized installation with a great creaky bellows and a black and white film wrapping around the walls. It's more live-action than a lot of his stuff, which I find detracts from the emotional impact. There are also some lovely drawings and prints in a separate gallery. I still like his pure animations better. B+.
I'm leaving out a couple, like the Whitney (mostly because the temporary shows left me completely cold) and the Museum of Natural History, because how do you review that? It's nice to look at art as a no-longer aspiring artist-- less stressful, and the enjoyment is more pure. I can also have loud opinions without sounding jealous. The Whitney Biennial is coming next month, and for once I am looking forward to it.
Just when I thought this term would be a little less stressful than last a couple of opportunities came along that will make it equally, if not more work intensive. I'm not complaining-- I seem to thrive best right up against the edge of what I can do. This is very much a fake-it-till-you-learn-enough-to-stop-faking-it situation, but I've done that before and it seems to be the way things go in this industry.
I'm going to spend tomorrow (last day of freedom) making copious amounts of freezable foods, cleaning my apartment, and generally readying for three months of enjoyable panic.
Oh who am I kidding? I'm going to have a nice long bike ride and go ice skating.
I should probably get used to getting up at seven again, so off I go.
Isis
