Wednesday, March 28, 2012

March Blossoms

Crabapple tree blossoms at 70th Street between First and Second Avenues
Sixth Avenue at Herald Square
Crocuses in Central Park

Crocuses in Central Park
With a string of record-breaking mild days, this could be the warmest March on record in the New York City area. Spring flowers seem to bloom ahead of schedule all over the city.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Sanja Ivekovic's “Lady Rosa of Luxembourg" at the Museum of Modern Art Atrium


This is “Lady Rosa of Luxembourg,” a sculpture installation by Croatian artist Sanja Ivekovic that is now on display at the Museum of Modern Art's atrium. It consists of a Classical obelisk atop which balances a life-size statue of a very pregnant Greek-goddess figure, and the base of which is imprinted with a jarring combination of epithets and historic catchphrases (Whore, Kitsch, La Résistance). The sculpture was named for the Marxist philosopher and activist Rosa Luxemburg, who was murdered by Berlin police during the thwarted German Revolution of 1919. Sanja Ivekovic's art is conceptual in style, photo- and performance-based in approach, political in motivation, and feminist. The installation is part of a retrospective, covering more than 35 years, called "Sweet Violence" at the MoMA.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Ganesh Hindu Temple (or Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam, or the Ganeša Temple)

Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam (or the Ganeša Temple) in Flushing, Queens is one of the most impressive and historically important Hindu temples in the North America. It is the first Hindu Temple in North America composed of largely imported materials, and constructed by artisans from India. This beautiful temple is located at 45-57 Bowne Street in the heart of Flushing.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

"BRAZIL - Gardens in Paradise" 2012 Macy's Flower Show Opens



This year's Macy's flower show is being held in a block-long tent across the street from the flagship store in Herald Square. Taking on "Brazil - Gardens in Paradise" theme, the tent's 5,000 square-foot space is converted into a rainforest, with rooftop gardens, fountains and town settings. Unlike previous years when the show was held inside the store, the tent space provided an opportunity to build a huge environment, to build a mini-Hollywood set, to light the theme theatrically, to do music, and water. The display includes a winding path through the rainforest which includes several birds of paradise trees and a huge bird made of flowers. Events planner Jes Gordon will be creating one of the Bouquet of the Day installations in the store windows along 34th Street next week.

The flower show which is free opened this morning at 10 AM. Visitors can catch the 38th annual Macy's Flower Show on Broadway Plaza across the street from Macy's Herald Square through April 7 from 10 AM to 9 PM.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Posing with Tourists for a "Donation" in Times Square


Roaming Times Square, the top tourist attraction in the United States are street performers, buskers, as well as men and women wearing costumes of popular TV and movie characters. Pictured above are some of these costumed individuals who pose with tourists for a "donation." Some people question whether these costumed characters break the law and dilute the brands of companies like Disney and Sesame Street.

Friday, March 23, 2012

AUKS ONE Truck Graffiti

The graffiti artwork on this truck is by “Auks One”, an artist who draws much of his inspiration from Chicano tattoo art, cartoons, skateboard graphics, and later Hip Hop culture and high Renaissance drawings. He is a self-taught artist who has worked diligently over the years to refine his skills in every form of artistic expression. He is best known for his graffiti inspired illustrations and murals and his work has inevitably spread to the gallery circuit. The photo of the truck was taken at Union Square.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Union Square Greenmarket (Farmers Market)


The Union Square Greenmarket is a farmers market in Union Square in Manhattan. It is held every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM. The market is served by a number of local farmers and is visited by thousands of city dwellers especially on Saturdays. The farmers market boasts just-picked fresh fruits and vegetables, to heritage meats and award-winning farmstead cheeses, artisan breads, jams, pickles, a profusion of colorful cut flowers and plants, wine, ciders, maple syrup and much more.