Pretty in Pink

It was a beautiful weekend in New York City. Spring. It's official.

Early Spring

 Carl Schurz Park

 East 82nd Street

A Brief Glint of Winter

 The lovely Carl Schurz Park in my neighborhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

A Trip to the Met

The Whitney Biennial takes place every other year and highlights the most innovative, forward thinking, and impressive artists and their exceptional works, all of which were created in the United States during the past two years. It is a study and a celebration of all that is relevant and/or just simply inspiring in the art world at this moment. The Biennial featured 50+ pieces that ranged from minimal to dense, sedate to chaotic, understandable to unbelievably puzzling. Every piece a delight.


I have been wanting (ok, dying) to see a Whitney Biennial for years. I've bought old copies of the exhibition catalogues on eBay, I've made NY friends go the Whitney and buy me the catalog and ship it to me; I've been obsessed. So, to finally be in NYC during the Biennial was a dream. And it delivered. From the sculpture to paintings to video installations, it all left me inspired in one way or another. That is what I love about art. From one moment to the next I never know how a piece will make me feel. Even a work I've seen many times over. 


The Whitney has another exhibition currently called Collecting Biennials presenting important pieces that were on exhibit at previous Biennials. This was terrific. It was a great opportunity to see some of the best works by 20th century artists such as Jasper Johns, Edward Hopper, Matthew Barney, Mark Rothko and two of my absolute favorites Robert Rauschenberg and Julian Schnabel. This exhibit was the icing on the cake to the  2010 Biennial.


If you ever have the chance to explore the Biennial, it is well worth your time. It is a terrific snapshot of the world in that moment. And it makes you feel as if you are truly witnessing something special which, let's be honest, you most certainly are.


A few of my favorites from the Biennial: 


Kate Gilmore: Standing Here (2010)
(video installation)
Stuck inside a column of sheetrock, the artist attempts to kick and punch her way out, whilst wearing a proper dress and heels. I thought it was a great juxtaposition of the struggle women endure to be tough yet ladylike. 


The Bruce High Quality Foundation: We Like America and America Likes Us (2010)
There is so much going on in this installation. "A video projected on the windshield surveys a contemporary culture defined by YouTube clips, Hollywood movies, and news media. The voice-over describes an ambivalent, yearning relationship with the United States, as if the country were a dysfunctional family member or abusive lover." 
The title references a historic 1972 performance piece by German artist Joseph Bueys, "I Like America and America Likes Me" in which Bueys was flown to America, driven into NYC in a Cadillac ambulance, and staged in a performance space for three days -- alone with a coyote. Ah, modern art. 

Sundays in the Park...SPRING!

Ah, Spring. Who knew I would be so thrilled at the changing of seasons? Was I in California for that long? Apparently so because it seems that all memory was melted away (probably from all the hot hot sunshine) of the joy to be had watching the snow melt, the temperatures rise, and the rains turning the trees technicolor green and the flowers a veritable ROYGBIV explosion. Oh, and its only just begun.

After working for the past few months I have not been able to spend much time in the park. But I am now finished (for now) and spent yesterday there roaming around. It is such a great place. I am always amazed by how much is going on at any particular moment. One minute you're walking a quiet little path through the Ramble and the next you're listening to a Jazz band belting out some of the best music. A little further down the road baseball games are in full swing (sorry but that just works), kids are learning to ride the bikes they probably got during the holidays, and everyone is chipper, myself included.

Needless to say it was a lovely Sunday in Central Park. Every single day since I have moved to this grand city I have felt so grateful to be here. Through the epic Winter, the job search, the torrential rains, a rather tedious new show, my subway line being shut down, the total change of lifestyle, etc etc - I still love it. Honestly, this is the best city in the world. This place delivers!

Here are a few photos I found interesting. The Winter photos I took the day of one of the big storms we had in February and the Spring photos are from this past weekend. I just happened to have similar shots in the same locations. What a difference a few months makes. Enjoy!