Art and Activism

This past Wednesday I had a meeting at Estee Lauder for a freelance project - so I had the opportunity for some mid-town art. And extra time as the meeting was moved out a few hours.
My first stop was The Museum of Arts and Design, which has changed its name from The American Craft Museum. Old news. But I have to say I liked the old name better. The never-ending debate over art vs. craft is a non-issue for me. I'm all about universality not exclusivity and atom splitting.
My last visit there was to the Ruth Duckworth exhibition and I mention this as a counterpoint to Wednesday's art experience in general. Duckworth's work is astonishing and exciting but one is left with a soothed soul, a feeling that "Yes, this is what it's all about." Perhaps it's the restorative essence of beauty, or - I've mentioned this before - my mood, but I think there is more to it than that.
A review of Art and the Power of Placement by Vitoria Newhouse in the summer issue of Art News points to how placement can effect the success or failure of an exhibiton.
The current exhibit at The Museum of Arts and Design is a collector's exhibition, so the variety of work makes for, I think, a difficult experience to begin with. I personally prefer to see the work of one artist or genre at a time. So my discomfort with this exhibition was a particularly personal one. There was just too much to look at for this already overstimulated artist.
So, I went for lunch and then popped over to MOMA, for what turned about to be one of the quickest museum visits ever. It was noisier in the museum than it was on the streets. Maybe it's the summer tourist influx, or the Cezanne/Pissaro , but the place was a madhouse. There's also the Friedlander exhibit.
I just couldn't take anything in.
I've been reading a lot about what's wrong with blockbuster exhibitions on other art blogs lately, and my vote against them is the sheer throngs of people. You really can't see anything. It's like a museum full of Mona Lisa's. Everyone crowded about a piece with no room for reflection of any kind, save that of the behavior of fellow human beings.
I headed for the Sculpture Garden which looked to be empty, only to find it was closed due to weather. I don't know why they close the garden when it rains. But I headed out to the street, with a new perspective of the noise of the city. Imagine finding sanctuary in the traffic on Fifth Avenue.
I then headed over to The Forum Gallery, where I took refuge in "Peter Krausz: Helen's Exile".
On my way, I passed a group of activists trying desperately to get the attention of self-absorbed New Yorkers who couldn't care less about water in Iraq. They started packing up and moving on just after these pics.
After my meeting I stopped by R!OT to take a few pics of "String Theory" on newly painted walls. They were so happy with the opening that they're going all out next Thursday night in celebration of the new exhibit of paintings by Dane LaChiusa. Check out Dane's Cafe Press offerings too.
What's up with the posts/pics? Haven't quite figured out how to line up text with the images. Bear with me. This may be technology but I'm an organic girl. Everything in its time.