Sunday, September 30, 2012

"Regarding Warhol: 60 Artists, 50 Years" - Exploring Andy Warhol's Influence on Contemporary Art


A new exhibition called "Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years" recently opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibit shows the enormity of Andy Warhol's influence on contemporary art. Forty-five works by Warhol are juxtaposed with one hundred works by some sixty other artists. The exhibition depicts how the other artists responded to Warhol's pioneering work. The exhibit runs through the end of 2012.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Brooklyn's BARCLAYS CENTER Arena Opens


Barclays Center is the newly built Brooklyn sports/entertainment complex that is now a landmark of the borough. It is the home of the Brooklyn Nets. It officially opened last night with a Jay-Z concert. Jay-Z is an investor in the Brooklyn Nets. The center was designed by SHop Architects. The arena's exterior is made of steel components purposefully covered in rust. The front space is dominated by the "oval oculus", a 360 degree LED marquee screen. Architect Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP said they wanted a juxtaposition between grit and glamour: "The idea was to use raw industrial materials, a certain kind of grittiness extended in a sensual way." The weathered steel arena has a capacity of 18,000. The opening of the Barclays Center was also punctuated by protesters with signs about unfulfilled promises of the center's developer.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Campaign for Wool: Bryant Park Transformed into Woolen Wonderland

A flock of sheep grazing freely at Bryant Park's lawn was the centerpiece of an installation called ‘WOOL UNCOVERED’ earlier today. The installation is part of the launching of the Campaign for Wool, an effort by HRH Prince Charles to promote the wool industry in the U.S. The famous Bryant Park Fountain was filled with wool and the terrace was transformed into a lavish Wool Salon with richly colored carpet and a stunning wool bed. The back rest of some lawn chairs were covered with wool fabric. The sheep were brought down from a farm in Upstate New York.

Peacock Chair and the "Carlton" Room Divider - from the Modern Design Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Highlights from the Modern Design Collection (1900-2010) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art include the "Peacock Chair" (2009) by Dror Benshetrit and the "Carlton" Room Divider (1981) by  Ettore Scottsass.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

It's Time For Clocks In Manhattan

Flatiron District
Trump Tower, Fifth Avenue
Louis Vuitton Flagship Store, Fifth Avenue
The Sherry Netherland, Fifth Avenue
CNN, Columbus Circle
72nd Street
Tiffany Flagship Store, Fifth Avenue
Lincoln Center
Grand Central Terminal
Digital Clock, Water Street
Tourneau, Columbus Circle
72nd Street and Columbus Avenue
Grand Central Terminal Information Kiosk
Herald Square

Second Avenue Deli, Upper East Side
Times Square
Lenox Hill Hospital, Upper East Side
Maiden Lane and Broadway, Lower Manhattan
Maiden Lane and Broadway, Lower Manhattan
Tourneau at 57th Street
Fifth Avenue, midtown

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
“O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.”

- W. H. Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening”