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The beauty of art is that it can be anything, depict different things for different people, and be seen from all types of viewpoints and angles.  That in itself is what makes art so compelling and each artist original. Barry McGee, a San Francisco born artist, proves just that with his work, his origins and his viewpoint on his art and art in general.  

In high school Barry was a graffiti street artist, who loved the freedom of tagging and the thrill he got from beating the system with his street art.  Slowly but surely Barry began to make a name for himself with his tagging and artistic graffiti art abilities.  Although he does not see himself as a graffiti street artist any longer he feels that graffiti belongs to an art world of its own.  His work was first noticed for the hobo’s, misfits, bold patterns and intricate detail.  He believes that art can infuriate people and create chaos which is what art is supposed to be about right?  Raising emotion within the observer with the strokes, colors, and detail of art in any form, paintings, sculptures, drawings etc.  

Becoming more and more serious about his artistic passion he attended and graduated from San Francisco Art Institute.  Soon after graduating his work began to appear in New York Galleries such as, Drawing Center & Deitrich Projects.  Then in 2013 he joined Chelseas Chiem & Road. Set to have his very first solo show of drawings, paintings, and sculptures he has come a long way from his street art beginnings.  However, Barry, still holds true to his roots when asked to compare street art with gallery shows.  He still stands by the fact that street art allows you to break the rules and have a certain kind of freedom with art.  Where as gallery shows tend to have a structure and rules along with them.  When asked what he prefers as an artist he simply said both. Isn’t that perhaps one of the truest statements that could be made.  I mean think about it.  For most of us some days you are ready for the rules and the structure they provide and some days you need a little freedom and to rebel.  What is definitely for certain is that Barry McGee is a talented and unique artist with much to offer the art world, especially here in New York.  His visions and viewpoints that he depicts through his work as well as exudes as a person is beautiful in itself.  Quoted as saying “ Compelling art to me is a name carved into a tree. Sometimes  a rock soaring through a plate of glass can be the most beautiful, compelling work of art I have ever seen”.  There is true talent to be found in someone like Barry McGee.  An individual, and artist that can find the beauty in all objects and proves that in the end, it’s all about perspective.

Art can be found anywhere the eye can see.  It can be found as graffiti on buildings and walls, as exhibits in local parks, to even the wall of gum found in Seattle.  Art can also be created by different materials other than your standard paint, canvas, and clay. Some of the most extraordinary are actually made out of some really odd materials.   

For example artist Jason Mecier has created beautiful and unique pieces of art from materials such as yarn, makeup, pills, jelly beans and pencils to name a few.  Although some may not be a fan of his artwork it holds so much originality and intricate detail there are many who seek to own his work.  He has made such pieces as, a picture of the King Of Pop himself Michael Jackson out of different colors of pills, and Jerry Seinfeld from breakfast cereal! Another artist who steps out of the box of traditional art materials is Erika Iris Simmons who created a series of pieces “Ghost In The Machine” out of old broken cassette tapes! Her creations are flawless and beautiful, with so much detail!

A personal favorite of my friend, Darwin from Cure All Plumbing, is that of Duck Bong Kai’s work.  Maybe it’s because Darwin works with pipes all day or maybe it’s because this artist’s sculptures are truly amazing, whatever the case his sculptures are sites to be seen.  Crafted entirely out of PVC pipes his series of sculptures look as if they are “Constantly in Motion”.  Duck Bong Kai has said that the idea behind his work is “to capture this absurd desire we have for speed”.  He further states that in the end of it all we are constantly trying to race each other in this thing called life and that all it does is create insecurity in people.

His sculptures are meant to connect with the viewer on a deeper level and challenge the viewer to pause in motion and really view the sculpture.

Another talented artist is Helle Jorgensen, not only is her work unique and made out of crazy material, it also speaks volumes and has a higher purpose.  Jorgensen takes plastic shopping bags, one of the ocean’s greatest dangers to sea life and makes yarn out of them.  She then crochets sea creatures and incredible colorful coral reefs out of the yarn.  Her message is that if we continue in our wasteful and careless ways we will lose the precious sea life we have! What a powerful piece of artwork!

There are so many different types of art to be viewed and enjoyed.  Art is a creative expression of one’s self and deeper thoughts.  While artist’s often create for themselves by using imagination and vision they also are creating to engage others who see the same views.  The great thing about art is that it is decided what is seen by the eye of the beholder. It speaks to all of us individually.  What i do know is that I love all different kinds of artwork and the imagination and creativity that is brought to life by different artists!

What started out in New York as illegal unwanted graffiti has now turned into one of New York’s best showcased art.  In the past years graffitti art has become a well accepted staple of what makes New York, New York.  With well known artists painting murals, contemporary bubble tags and conceptual pieces on buildings and walls throughout the cities of New York, graffiti is evolving and here to stay.  With many known murals and pieces sought upon to see by visitors, and the population of the cities in general there a few that stand out more than the others.  A couple that are exceptional to see are

 

• The Audubon Mural Project- Created by the Audubon Society, they along with a Art Gallery in Hamilton Heights strive to  commission street art murals around Upper Manhattan.  These aren’t just any kind of murals though.  Instead these works of art depict birds that are being threatened by climate change.  They are artists with a purpose!

• Bronx Wall Of Fame- Located in a South Bronx neighborhood this ws has unofficially been deemed the Wall of Fame.  Depicting many different pictures from a variety of artists, there are plans for the wall to be torn down to allow for the build of affordable housing developments.  Many wish to make this ‘Wall of Fame” a landmark so that it may be protected and preserved when building commences.

• The Bushwick Collective- It started in 2012 when a life long Bushwick resident Joseph Ficalora dealing with great sadness sought out to find inspiration.  In doing so he assembled friends to begin covering the walls of these local blocks with murals.  Wth Eclectic collection of murals to be seen the Bushwick Collective is a destination sought by many roaming the streets of New York.

These are just a few of the magnificent pieces that make up the graffitti street art that

helps make New York what itis.  There are many more beautiful murals and suc to be seen through different parts of the city.   

Art can be found anywhere and everywhere, from Museums, to Art exhibitions, even in parks.  Art in the Park which was first founded in New York City in 1967 will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year!  What exactly is Arts in the Park? It is a program that is part of the NYC Park system.  NYC Park system currently oversees more than 30,000 acres of land throughout New York City.  If we are talking numbers that is about 14% of the entire city.  Their job is to create and sustain thriving parks, public spaces and recreational amenities.  They are also responsible for building and sustaining a park system for both present day and future generations.  In doing so they have brought to life the Art In the Park Program.  This program allows for the collaboration of a diverse collection of art organizations, and artists to join forces and display experimental and traditional art in many public parks throughout the city.  Art is displayed in prominent flagship parks, your neighborhood parks and playgrounds and other public spaces.  The exhibitions last for a little under a year usually ranging in display for 3 to 6 months.  In celebrating their 50th anniversary  this year they will have displayed more than 2,000 works of outdoor art across the entire city.

So as you can see art can be found virtually anywhere.  The beauty of art is that it speaks to each person individually and can be interpreted differently by everyone. Art in the park allows for nature and the beauty of a nice park to coincide with the creative talents and beauty that is brought to life by local artists.  A stroll through the park observing the beauty of different art pieces is an enjoyable date for just about anyone.  With no cost to the observer it is one of life’s simple pleasures and moments of beauty.  Way to go NYC Parks!

There are many of us who would love to stroll in corridors, observing pictures and paintings on the walls and maybe trying to learn from it or just wondering how it would have been if it was real. There is a strange, unique and peaceful joy in visiting an art museum, it works like a time machine which might take you to past future or even in to a different space of another’s imagination. Such is the beauty and mainly the power of an art gallery.

However, the joy of it depends on the masterpieces one museum is holding. Few of the best art galleries are located in New York City, where visitors as well as locals do not miss any chance to visit them.

Here are few art museums of New York City that are worth a visit:

Museum of Modern Art:

Museum of Modern Art, also known as MoMA, is one of the largest museums not just in America but rather in the whole world. It has the collection of both modern; as the name says and contemporary art pieces. Typically a museum in confined to art pieces like sculpture, drawings and paintings, however MoMA has more than this, such as architectural design, photography and electronic media etc. The library of the museum has the collection of 300,000 books as well.

The museum was opened in 1929 and is located in Midtown Manhattan; which is home to many art pieces by famous artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet etc.

Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Located in Manhattan, Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) is the most visited museum in the world. The largest museum of America has seventeen departments in which different cultural artifacts are placed such as of Africa, Egypt, Asia and modern America, etc. The museum has almost 5000 years old of more than 2 million collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings, costumes and music instruments etc.

The museum itself can be called an artifact as it was founded on 13^th April, 1870 and now dates back almost 147 years. The purpose of its establishment was to encourage Fine Arts and its education.

Whitney Museum of American Art:

Established in 1931, Whitney Museum of American Art is another museum located in Manhattan, New York. It was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, after whom the museum has been named. The museum consists of more than 21,000 artifacts by 3,000 artists of the 20^th century. The main focus of this museum is to focus on living artists and young talents and thus its exhibitions are focused to display art pieces by youngsters. Whitney Museum of American Art gives a platform to lesser known artists to exhibit their work as well.

Frick Collection:

Comparatively a small museum, but the Frick Collection has an amazing interior with Roman atrium and garden courtyard. The Frick Collection is located on the upper side of Manhattan and was founded by Henry Clay Frick. The museum has a huge collection of old masterpiece paintings and also sculptures and porcelain structures constructed by famous European Artists. It also consists of antique Rugs and Furnitures.

After Henry Frick’s death, his daughter Helen Clay Frick made a library in 1920, named as Frick Art Reference Library as a memorial for her father. The library has one most researched work based on the field of Arts.

These are the few mentioned and a must to visit museums in New York to witness the beauty and the importance of Arts and Artifacts and culture and history of the world.

Art has no limit, as the writer Thomas Merton said ‘Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time’. Art is peace and solace for mind and society, in fact, the Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist; Victor Pinchuk has quoted, ‘Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics’.

Music is one form of Art that is being enjoyed and embraced by a large population in the world. There is an amazing sense of relief when one listens to it. Every one of us has our own favorite genre of music which according to us, understands and suits us the most.

The limitless and no boundaries society of New York City with so much diversity in culture has led the emergence of many art forms and styles in this most famous city. Especially when we talk about Music, then many popular, world renowned and used music styles have been born in no other place but New York only!

Let’s discuss a few of them here:

Hip Hop:

One of the most popular styles used not just in Hollywood, but in many other music and film industries all across the globe. This style comprises of four elements rapping, Deejay, graffiti writing and b-boying. The music styles consist of chanting words in rhythm and they should rhyme as well.

The culture of hip hop was evoked by African Americans living in the south side New York, where they used to live in depressed society due to unemployment and poverty. And thus, Africans and Latinos, also Americans living in New York started with the trend of hip hop music in neighborhood parties.

Hip hop singers, disregard to the music styles are the leading singers in the whole world. Today’s most popular Hip Singers are Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Jay Z and the list will go on. As you note, these singers and also, most of the hip hop followers prefer keeping their nicknames as their identity rather than their real name.

Disco:                                                                                

One of the most enjoyed music style that has the main focus on dancing. The genre has ingredients of other music styles such as funk, soul and Latin music. The targeted people who have welcomed and still want this music style are the ones who go to clubs. Disco, alike the hip hop, has broken its chain and is being popular in many other regions. As a matter of fact, this 1970s music style has been very popular in Bollywood (Indian film Industry) as well.

Also, apart from Philadelphia, Disco shares the birth place in New York as well. The legendary Michael Jackson was himself the Disco singer and dancer. His famous Disco Songs are Beat It, Rock with you and many more. Apart from Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Barry White and Madonna are other popular singers who have gained fame in this genre.

Salsa:

Shocked? But yes, Salsa has been born in New York as well, and it would be completely wrong to say that Spain is the place. However, it should be noted that Salsa has Cuban music which is inspired by Spanish and African music with the additional spice of New York culture.

Famous Salsa musicians and Singers are Jennifer Lopez, Oscar Emilio León Somoza, Marco Antonio Muñiz and many more. Their well known salsa songs are Lloraras and No Me Ames etc.

These  are one of the few mentioned styles of music that were emerged by the people living in the New York City, freestyle, bebop, and punk rock etc are another forms of music belonging to this land.

 

 

 

 

 

When we state the word ‘Art’, it is not only confined to the scribbling and/or painting on a canvas, but it is the way how a human expresses and shows his creative mind through drawing, painting and also writing, sculpting and dancing etc. Art is vague, open and full of liberty, in terms of creating and as well as interpreting. The great Russian writer; Leo Tolstoy has beautifully quoted, ‘Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced.’

One of the earliest form of arts is three dimensional art. It dates back to the almost prehistoric era. By three Dimensional Art, it means sculpting. Sculpting has not only been a form of art, but religion for many. However, we are going to discuss how sculpting has been one of the most beautiful and more importantly, a significant form of art, especially in New York City.

A sculpture of humans or animals of almost life size human, with a significant concept is called a statue. Adding more, a statue is a sculpture, which comes in the category of public art and has some meaning underlying it, mainly according to the culture or society of the place where it is standing. The New York City has many significant statues in its land which has been famous and inspirational all around the world.

But we are mainly going to talk about the most remarkable statue in the world, which is none other than the gift of France; the Statue of Liberty, given to the United States of America in 1886. The statue is located in Liberty Island, in New York City, in the United States, and is the design of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and was built by Gustave Eiffel, who has also built another famous world class piece; The Eiffel Tower.

The statue is actually a representation of the Roman Goddess, Libertas. The name itself has been derived from the word Liberty. To make it more symbolic, broken chains are lying around her feet, which reflects freedom, liberation and mainly the independence of the United States of America from England, on 4^th July, 1776.

The statue is holding Tabula ansata (famous Roman tablets with dove tails handles), which has the date of independence inscribed on it with Roman numbers, while on the other hand, there is a torch held up high. The torch is the symbolism of enlightenment, which lights the path towards liberty, as a matter of fact; the statue was also called the “Liberty Enlightening the World”.

The symbolism of enlightenment can also be seen on the statue’s head as Libertas is wearing the crown with seven spikes that firstly indicates the Sun, which is the largest star and illuminates the brightest. Plus, it should be noted that the number seven is not representing the lucky number, but the seven seas (Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea) and also the seven continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia).

The huge 93 meter copper figure was brought from France in 350 pieces, shipped in 214 crates. The inside of the statue has staircases so that the visitors can climb inside it and reach till the crown.  And many visitors travel to especially witness and appreciate the magnificent statue.

Basically, the Statue of Liberty is the representation of America, as Elaine Chao truly stated, ‘As I looked up at the Statue of Liberty, I thought at that time, ‘What a wonderful country.’

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