This weekend unintentionally challenged my visual thinking. From a visit to an Art Gallery on Saturday to a picnic in Central Park on Sunday, I walked out of both with a new view of this world. I was surrounded by details that forced me to see what was before me in a different way. Hard to explain, but what I saw was inspiring for me and it got me thinking angles, color palettes, and a different vision-- someone else's vision. See below! :)
Saturday
I was excited to go to the New Whitney Museum of Art. The line was out the door and around the block, but luckily I was able to head straight inside with the help of membership benefits. It was glorious to skip the line, but that didn't mean it wasn't crowded inside.
To be honest, I don't do as well when there's a large crowd of people walking in front of what I'm trying to absorb, so I will definitely be going back at an earlier time of day, where it will hopefully be less crowded.
Hands down, the most intriguing display were these colorful chairs. It's by Mary Heilmann and she calls this "Sunset." I probably spent the most time sitting and walking around that area. I loved that I could touch and see. I can feel time passing by before my eyes. I probably could sit there until sunset, too.
"Sunset" by Mary Heilmann
I didn't take too many photos of the other artworks, but there was an entire section called "America is Hard to See" and it literally was a reexamination of art in America.
From how the circus became a popular means of entertainment to a photograph of a boxing match post World War II, I couldn't believe how disgusted I was. Nearly six decades later and we have not changed. Ironically, I saw this post- WWII painting of two boxers (Firpo and Dempsey) in a ring the same night of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao match. Why is violence so entertaining? There is hype and we find excitement in a contained human beating. Who can take a punch or a nasty uppercut? It's televised, and the victor will be famous. Oh-- and let's not forget the $$ that comes with that KNOCKOUT fist.
Boxing isn't my cup of tea, so I'm not condoning those who love it! I just did not walk into the Whitney expecting to come out thinking about boxing and violence, but the exhibit did a wonderful job in showing me how so much and so little has changed in America. Art documents history and preserves that time period for the future to understand and reevaluate. America. It's not perfect and it's definitely not all glory and dream-like.
Sunday
Sunday was literally a walk in the park. I had a calm and peaceful picnic in the Cherry Hill section of Central Park. I love how enthusiastic my friends are about keeping the visuals pleasant and sexy to another's eyes. In this age of social media, it almost seems like you have to post a photo to prove to the world how "interesting" and "awesome" your life is. Well, not going to lie, we did out best to show our "friends" on social media just how pleasant our day was, but it wasn't entirely our only intention-- at least not mine. I just wanted to enjoy spring and take as many photographs as possible, the really pretty kind you'd find in a magazine.
This display was a team effort, and I loved seeing how their brains worked. I did the cucumber sandwiches, but let me tell you...they did the rest! Floral arrangement is a skill, but can you plate meat/cheese/crackers from scratch?
So we took a few photos...
Or maybe we took a lot more than we led on...
We take Food Photography very seriously... ;)
Don't worry, we didn't take photos of what it looked like AFTER because there was nothing left to take. We devoured it all.
The bottom line: I've been mind blown with great visuals this weekend. I saw what others created and here I am showing you what were in my visions. Afterall, Art is not what you see, but what you want others to see.
Love,
Laura <3
The earth without "art" is just "eh."