Summer Art

"USA. New York City. Little Italy" Leonard Freed (1956)

While my busy schedule this summer caused me to miss some art exhibits (Kara Walker at the Domino Sugar Factory), I did manage to sneak in some gallery and museum visits. Here are some of the things I saw.

The late Magnum photographer Leonard Freed had a lifelong love affair with Italy and its people and an exhibit at the Leica Gallery New York showcases some of the many images he took over a period of 50 years in Milan, Naples, Rome, Sicily, and New York's Little Italy. His photos wonderfully depict everyday people going about their daily lives—working, playing, celebrating weddings and religious holidays—perfectly capturing the essence of a place and culture. At the Leica Gallery through August 9, 2014.

"Actress Sophia Loren in Italy" David "Chim" Seymour (1955)

Contact sheets give viewers insight into a photographer’s creative process and the recent “Magnum Contact Sheets” exhibit at the Milk Gallery was a photography fan’s dream with examples from some of Magnum's greatest photographers on display including Rene Burri’s iconic images of Che Guevara, David “Chim” Seymour’s shots of a sultry Sophia Loren, Eve Arnold’s behind the scenes images of the doomed cast of The Misfits, and one of Elliott Erwitt’s famed dog shoots. The exhibit is sadly over but if you have the money to spare, you can purchase the book, Magnum Contact Sheets.

"Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Royal Portuguese Reading Room)" Caio Reisewitz (2004)

One of the current exhibits at the International Center of Photography is devoted to the work of Brazilian artist Caio Reisewitz who creates large-scale colour photographs of locations in his country that are stunningly beautiful. One of my favourites is of the interior of the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura; it's so big you feel like you could step right inside. Also included in the show are small photo collages where urban scenes are found within the wilds of the Brazilian forest. At the ICP through September 7, 2014.

"A Certain Slant of Light" by Spencer Finch on a Sunday afternoon. Photo by Michele.

“A Certain Slant of Light” by Spencer Finch is just simply beautiful. With 365 films of colour placed onto the glass walls of the Morgan Library and Museum’s Gilbert Court and with additional ones hanging on glass panels, the result is a daily change in light patterns. Inspired by the library’s collection of medieval Books of Hours, the films have been arranged strategically to correspond with the changing seasons and the red panels symbolize important birthdays of such people as Emily Dickinson. This is an exhibit I plan on seeing again on multiple visits. At the Morgan through January 11, 2015.

"Balloon Dog (Yellow)" Jeff Koons (1994-2000)

The large Jeff Koons Retrospective at the Whitney Museum is the museum’s last major exhibit before they move to their new space in the Meatpacking District next year. While I’ve never been a big Koons fan there is much here to like: his oversized balloon dogs and giant hanging heart are delightful and there’s his sculpture of Buster Keaton and of course Michael Jackson and his monkey, Bubbles, in full porcelain glory. But then there’s “Sponge Shelf,” which is literally a stack of kitchen sponges, and pieces from the “Made in Heaven” series featuring Koons and his then wife, the former Italian porn star La Cicciolina, that just leave me shaking my head. At the Whitney through October 19, 2014.

The Bells Are Ringing

Chelsea is a neighborhood synonymous with art in New York. Yet on a recent morning, when I wanted to visit a musical art installation I had read about, I found myself climbing the steps not to a building but to a park that winds through the air 30 feet above the ground—the High Line.

A former elevated rail line built in the 1930s, the High Line was in disarray when a group of Chelsea residents suggested a novel recycling idea—turn it into a space that the public could enjoy. And so the High Line was saved and reborn. 

Black-eyed Susans growing amongst the tracks.

Strolling along the High Line.

Currently running from Gansevoort Street to 20^th Street, the High Line is like no other park in the city. Wide wooden paths are bounded on each side by sturdy plantings that grow amongst the original rail tracks. On one side, visitors can get close-up views of architectural features hard to discern from street level while views of the Hudson River open up between the buildings on the other.

"The River That Flows Both Ways" by Spencer Finch.

Besides the art of the park itself, there are installations like the amazing “The River That Flows Both Ways” by Spencer Finch. Composed of 700 panes of glass, each pane represents the color of the water during a 700-minute boat trip on the Hudson.  No matter how many times I visit, I always find myself stopping to gaze at the variety of colors and marvel at the great beauty that water holds.

But my interest that day was in the newest installation, “A Bell for Every Minute” by Stephen Vitiello. Every minute, speakers in the tunnel near the 14th Street entrance play a different bell that Vitiello recorded from around the city, culminating on the hour with a combination of select bells. From the lush peal of the Trinity Church bells to the tiny ting of Cara’s bicycle bell from the Upper East Side to the apropos closing bell of the Stock Exchange at the 59^th minute, the bells remind us how much their sound contributes to the heartbeat of the city. I have always loved the sound of bells, especially church bells, and so I sat and listened to them all, amazed at how even the tiniest clang can be completely beautiful.

If you go, try to visit in the morning before it gets too hot. And when you’re done, don’t forget Chelsea Market located nearby. The former Nabisco factory has been converted into a home for a variety of restaurants and food shops; it’s the perfect place to stop and grab some lunch. And if you listen carefully, you’ll probably hear a bell ringing somewhere.

Photos by Michele.