So what does one do when contemplating action on a free Sunday in New York City? Well the beauty of living in new york is that you have a multitude of options. Of course, you have to pay for those options, in rent, and so forth. But that is why us suckers they call "new yorkers" put up with the outrageous rents and high prices for various forms of entertainment. Because we love having those options.
On Sunday, January 23rd I had one of those free Sundays where I decided to brave the cold weather and explore a little bit of the city on my own. I wouldn't say that I was exploring per say. I am a native new yorker and pride myself on knowing the city pretty well. My first idea was to hop on the L train and head towards Williamsburg. I wanted to see an art show that just opened at Sideshow Gallery call "It's All Good Apocalypse Now." This show features over 500 artists from the NYC area and includes some big names in Contemporary art. You get a feel for a certain sense unity in the art community here, and a definite leaning towards abstract expressionism. But these are the work that are most interesting here. I made an attempt to at least take a look at every piece, which I failed undoubtedly because of the amount that I had to look at. Overall, the show did not provide too much inspiration perhaps due to the claustrophobic feeling of all the work jam packing the walls. Although it was good to see the variety, there seemed to be a lack of appreciation almost for the art in the set-up which left me a little baffled and uninspired.
I ventured away from Williamsburg back on the L towards Manhattan's Chinatown, where I stopped over at Canada Gallery. I took the opportunity to ask the gallery attendant if he had any Michael Williams paintings in the backroom. Sure enough he took the time to pull out 4 paintings which I was grateful for, because I got to take a good look at the painting's all by myself wrapped up in plastic. I didn't really respond much to the Joe Bradley paintings in the Gallery which I saw as somewhat of a bore fest, although that artist is certainly putting this interesting NYC gallery on the map as far as progressive galleries are concerned of which I find that there are only a handful currently. The Michael Williams inside peak was a good look into an artist who's process I find interesting and he's one of the up and coming artists of my generation. I was also told to expect a show of his in NY late March.
After going to Canada, I took a peak in the New Museum in the east village of which I only glanced through a show called "Free." This show had a couple of interesting photographs but overall, did not get my aesthetic juices flowing. I then headed over to the Angelika Theater on Houston street to check out the movie "Somewhere." This movie is very good, although I think you have to know a little bit about the director and her history to really understand her motives as a filmmaker. The story is a simple, but the acting and cinematography make the movie. The story is about an actor who is kind of caught inside his own skin, unable to express himself emotionally in any way. When he begins to take care of his daughter for an extended period of time (he's divorced,) he develops a sense of passion for life and gains insight into himself as a person which he has been lacking for sometime. At the end of the movie, he has a breakdown which results in a chance to start over. The film was a nice one and the first I've seen in the theatre's for a long time.
After the film, I head over to Chinatown to meet my girlfriend and some of her work friends to engage in some oriental hot-pot. This meal was beyond my original expectations as I was able to eat a seemingly enormous amount of food for a set price. You cook your meat and veggies in a chili broth which makes your mouth sizzle for hours. Needless to say, it was an experience and we were the only customers in the whole place.
These are the highlights of a free Sunday in New York. New York allows you the freedom to improvise, be inspired, be filled with outrageous food for reasonable prices, and immerse yourself within the culture our society has created for itself. These are the moments I live for, wherever I am in the world. These are the moments that defy the weather because they allow you to focus on the memory of the moment as opposed to the bitterness of it.
On Sunday, January 23rd I had one of those free Sundays where I decided to brave the cold weather and explore a little bit of the city on my own. I wouldn't say that I was exploring per say. I am a native new yorker and pride myself on knowing the city pretty well. My first idea was to hop on the L train and head towards Williamsburg. I wanted to see an art show that just opened at Sideshow Gallery call "It's All Good Apocalypse Now." This show features over 500 artists from the NYC area and includes some big names in Contemporary art. You get a feel for a certain sense unity in the art community here, and a definite leaning towards abstract expressionism. But these are the work that are most interesting here. I made an attempt to at least take a look at every piece, which I failed undoubtedly because of the amount that I had to look at. Overall, the show did not provide too much inspiration perhaps due to the claustrophobic feeling of all the work jam packing the walls. Although it was good to see the variety, there seemed to be a lack of appreciation almost for the art in the set-up which left me a little baffled and uninspired.
I ventured away from Williamsburg back on the L towards Manhattan's Chinatown, where I stopped over at Canada Gallery. I took the opportunity to ask the gallery attendant if he had any Michael Williams paintings in the backroom. Sure enough he took the time to pull out 4 paintings which I was grateful for, because I got to take a good look at the painting's all by myself wrapped up in plastic. I didn't really respond much to the Joe Bradley paintings in the Gallery which I saw as somewhat of a bore fest, although that artist is certainly putting this interesting NYC gallery on the map as far as progressive galleries are concerned of which I find that there are only a handful currently. The Michael Williams inside peak was a good look into an artist who's process I find interesting and he's one of the up and coming artists of my generation. I was also told to expect a show of his in NY late March.
After going to Canada, I took a peak in the New Museum in the east village of which I only glanced through a show called "Free." This show had a couple of interesting photographs but overall, did not get my aesthetic juices flowing. I then headed over to the Angelika Theater on Houston street to check out the movie "Somewhere." This movie is very good, although I think you have to know a little bit about the director and her history to really understand her motives as a filmmaker. The story is a simple, but the acting and cinematography make the movie. The story is about an actor who is kind of caught inside his own skin, unable to express himself emotionally in any way. When he begins to take care of his daughter for an extended period of time (he's divorced,) he develops a sense of passion for life and gains insight into himself as a person which he has been lacking for sometime. At the end of the movie, he has a breakdown which results in a chance to start over. The film was a nice one and the first I've seen in the theatre's for a long time.
After the film, I head over to Chinatown to meet my girlfriend and some of her work friends to engage in some oriental hot-pot. This meal was beyond my original expectations as I was able to eat a seemingly enormous amount of food for a set price. You cook your meat and veggies in a chili broth which makes your mouth sizzle for hours. Needless to say, it was an experience and we were the only customers in the whole place.
These are the highlights of a free Sunday in New York. New York allows you the freedom to improvise, be inspired, be filled with outrageous food for reasonable prices, and immerse yourself within the culture our society has created for itself. These are the moments I live for, wherever I am in the world. These are the moments that defy the weather because they allow you to focus on the memory of the moment as opposed to the bitterness of it.
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