The Elegant East Side (East Side Part 2)

The Met, also known as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is more than I ever imagined. I could have spent the whole day there! According to the Blue Guide, (BG, 326) “there is far too much to see in a single visit.” It also states that the building is approximately equivalent to 31 football fields. Every collection of art one could imagine can be seen at The Met from Greek and Roman art, French and Italian art, medieval art and Modern art, to musical instruments and arms and armor (BG, 327 – 364). Below are some artists, and works of art that amazed me during my Met experience:

·         Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch, (1853-1890) – I was captivated by Irises (One of my favorite flowers), 1890.

·         Paul Cezane, French, (1839-1906) - Rocks in the Forest, an oil painting, reminded me of one of my activities, hiking.

·         Richard Prousette-Dart, American, (1916-1992) – Symphony No.1, Transcendental (1941-42), to me is has many expressive elements very much like a symphony.

·         Jackson Pollock, American, (1912 – 1956) – Pasiphae (1943), was very much like Prousette-Dart mentioned above, however there was more detail, and according to the work’s description represented are arcane symbols, a novel practice for Surrealism.

·         Mark Rothko, Russian-Born American, (1903-1970) – No. 21, is one of many works where one could see and feel many degrees of emotion in his “multiform” style.

         ·        Robert Rauschenberg, American, (1925-1908) – Canyon, 1959, is a multi-dimensional piece that includes, wood, fabric, metal, cardboard, and a bald eagle among other things. Brilliant.

After our tour through the major artists, the professors encouraged us to visit one exhibit to explore. Fascinated with anything green thriving in the city, I immediately suggested to some of my classmates go to the roof garden.  The view from the roof top was breathtaking and it was such a great feeling to be able to identify some of the buildings we passed on the street from what seemed like eye level.  On this ‘green’ floor we found steel sculptures by British sculptor, Anthony Caro.  There were four enormous pieces on display named, Midday, Odalisque, Summer and Blazon, from 1960 – 1990. The girls posed around his latest work, End Up, of which the artist states he tries “to eliminate references and make truly abstract sculpture, composing the parts of the pieces like notes in music.”    
    
   We then went outside to wait for the rest of our group and to our pleasure; we were able to witness a true New York Experience, live street entertainment by a quintet, 4 voices and an upright bass. We listened and sang along to “Duke of Earl”, “I’ll Be There”, and “Barbara Ann”, “Doo-Wop Style”. 

               

                As a Beatles fan, it was very important for me to walk through Strawberry Fields in Central Park and to see the Imagine mosaic memorial, a gift from Naples, Italy (BG, 292). Being there was surreal with the homeless looking character arranging the shrine to a colorful vagabond walking and shouting outside the Park. We stood in front of the Dakota where John Lennon was gunned down in 1980 (BG, 290 & 414). I wished I had more time to contemplate my present moment.

                Going into FAO Schwarz was like letting 20 overgrown children loose in a…toy store. My favorite toys were the Teddy Bears, Doll Houses, and of course the “Big” floor piano.  What is almost as fun as a Teddy Bear? Jewelry! We left FAO to do a quick run through the last leg of our trip. We quickly passed through Tiffany & Co., which people may or may not know was founded by the son of Louis Comfort Tiffany, designer of the Tiffany lamps and stained glass in many churches (BG, 272). On foot, we sped past the Trump Tower, and the Fred F. French Building, New York’s first flat-topped skyscraper (BG, 215). We then found ourselves in St. Patrick’s Cathedral where most of us lit candles and said prayers.

                Our last stop was the perfect end to the perfect day, The New York Public Library (BG. 207). What I enjoyed most about this location was the exhibit on the first floor. There were so many topics of interest in this exhibition from music to poetry, to science to history. This is another location I would like to return to for some of my personal Civil War information and of course my Music Therapy.

                Lastly, after most of my classmates left to go home, the professors, Alex and I found a piano on the terrace occupied from a woman who was running her fingers up and down the keyboard. Hoping to be able to put on a quick performance we waited, then decided to go to Bryant Park when it appeared she wasn’t leaving the piano. We walked through Bryant Park and decided to call it a day when we couldn’t find a piano.