Art Weekend

It was a beautiful weekend, not only weather wise, but art wise.  It all kind of started on Saturday, when my husband and I decided to metro into town to see "Song 1" at the Hirshhorn.  We actually lucked out, because they extended this showing a week more.  It was so popular that people have seen it multiple times.  I think it probably is worth seeing multiple times, but we only saw it once.

The Hirshhorn Museum is a round museum, with flat concrete sides.  The artist for "Song 1" projected movie like images on the whole museum, so it was all in the round.  There was music which was "I only have eyes for you", while each "character" sang or spoke lines from the song.  Each person was presented along, except for the obvious singers, who actually looked like they were singing alone.  Some lip synced, and others just spoke.  There were some famous people in it, Tilda Swinton, Devendra Banhart, and a few others.  The whole piece was 35 minutes.  There were lots of colliding images, and repetitive patterns.

I really enjoyed it, you can actually watch it online here.  It's different then watching it on the building.  But you get the general idea.  I noticed that it had a drive-in movie type feel when I was watching it, and then all of the people walking, cars beeping, traffic, sounds of sirens, definitely played into the emotion of actually watching it on the Hirshhorn.

Sunday was filled.  I mean it FILLED!  My friend Vicki and I ventured to New York City.  For the day.  We got up super early and took the Bolt bus to NYC.  It was actually pretty easy, and uncomplicated.  We got off at Madison Square Gardens and made our way to the Whitney Musem by foot and subway.  The Whitney as a Biennial, where contemporary artists are chosen to install, present, and show their artwork.  It interesting, because there are also performances, and art making happening while you're there by the artists themselves.  They'll even talk to you.  I however, didn't have my camera.  Which totally stunk, because I only got a handful of pictures on my phone.

It was interesting, it seemed like a quieter display.  When I think of other Biennials I've been too you can see some pretty outlandish, scary, disturbing, explicit stuff.  BUT, of course, a lot of the work is extremely conceptual, and there are lots of meanings behind the symbols... so I probably didn't "get" all the work.

There were a few that stood out, and I'll have to post them later.  I want to research them a little more, look them up, and then talk about them.

I loved NY.  It was a perfect day for walking.  I think we practically went through almost all of Central Park, most of Time Square (can do with out for the most part).  Lots of interesting people, lots of interesting stuff just out to look at.  A great lunch of crepes at some French place, some amazing cappuccinos (my first coffee in months).

It was pretty rushed, but possible.  I think we spent a total of 6 1/2 hours in the city and almost 9 hours of traveling.  If you have a goal in mind, and traveling within the city isn't a hassle and you know what you're there for, it can be done.

Here are a few highlights from my phone, from this weekend (wish I had some better pictures, but my camera isn't working at the moment:

Song 1

Sun is set.

"Song 1"- Man singing and standing alone at wall

One of my favorite parts.  2 characters in a denim factory.  They're lip syncing, maybe thinking the song in their head

Denim factory becomes pattern!!!! YES!

No words, just music and figures dancing within the figures.

Eyes for you.

Lyrics

Multiples images city and figures, buildings.

Playing with color, pattern and light.

Pretty Fire Escape around 48th and 7th?

Subway, off we go to the Whitney.

Organ playing music (not recognizable) and also part of the piece is scattered throughout the entire museum.  The artist took apart a book about the universe, and placed the illustrations of the book all over the Whitney.  I don't think we managed to see them all, but the ones I saw looked like the Milky Way.

This was in the same room as the organ and missiles.  It is said that these are abstract paintings of an organ.  I love the composition and the brightness.

This artist made tapestries.  LOVE MAZES!

Central Park, Children's Zoo.

Bus home, someone tagged the seatbelt guy.  AHHHHH!