Hello, it’s Jacque with my first official post! I have lived in New York City for a little under a month now and with Grad school not starting for another week, I have done my fair share of exploring. Today I will take you around the city, from the posh galleries of Chelsea to the relaxing outdoor vibe of the Highline. I will share some of my favorite pieces at the Met, introduce an amazing artist & take in some of authentic New York street art. So, here we go.
First to the Chelsea Galleries. Most of the big name galleries are closed for the summer preparing for their big blockbuster fall shows but the few that remained opened offered playful art and clean airy spaces that you can only find at the huge gallery spaces in Chelsea. My favorite was the BitFall which I could watch for hours. Check out a video I made of it here. 
Koji Enokuro, Untited 1970/1986 @ Gladstone Gallery in Chelsea
Mason Williams, Bus 1967, at David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea.
Julius Popp, Bit Fall 2006 @ Eyebeam in Chelsea
Every time I go to the Met I end up staying for hours longer then I expected. The summer On the Roof: Cloud City exhibition, offers a dizzying optical experience, high above Central Park that you can climb into like a jungle gym. From a distance Clinton de Meneze’s Procession looks like nails on a wall, forming some type of topographical landscape but once approached its revealed that the nails are actually miniature human figures. It’s a powerful piece of migration and impact. The Contemporary and Modern Art Galleries is belittling. The giant walls hold some of the largest works by all the greatest Modern painters. Jackson Pollock’s huge Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), Andy Warhol’s Mao, numerous Chuck Close’s and the lovely Spectrum V by Ellsworth Kelly. To have so many commanding works in one enormous room, I always start to smaller and smaller, the works inevitably take over all my being. It’s glorious.
Tomás Saraceno, Cloud City 2012 on the Roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Clinton de Menezes, Procession (Exodus) 2008-2010 @ the Met.
Clinton de Menezes, Procession (Exodus) 2008-2010 (Close-up)
Ellsworth Kelly, Spectrum V 1969 @ the Met
The New York Highline is easily my favorite zen spot in the city. The restored railroad tracks offers serene paths lined with wildlife and tons of hidden art and experiences. It’s consistently changing everyday which makes it feel like an actual living organism of the city.
Tomoaki Suzuki, Carson 2012 @ the Highline as part of the exhibition Lilliput
JR on the Highline in NYC, as part of the global Inside Out Project.
Somedays I choose just to wander the streets exploring the neighborhoods. Nearly every time I leave my apartment I encounter colorful street art and it’s quickly become my favorite part about living here.
Graffiti by Jeannie in Williamsburg
Space Invader Graffiti in Chelsea on 23rd st.
Graffiti in Chelsea
Graffiti @ Pier @ North 4th st. & Kent in Williamsburg
and finally I take you to the Whitney Museum of American Art, where my favorite artist Yayoi Kusama is having her first American Retrospective. For the occasion the Whitney re-installed Fireflies on the Water, a beautiful environmental installation that consists of a square room lined with mirrors. The floor is filled with water, except for a tiny platform and hundreds of LED lights hang from the ceiling reflecting off the mirrors and water creating a wondrous sense of infinity. Only one person is allowed in the room at a time and you get an entire minute to yourself, obliterated by the fireflies. She also has an installation down by Pier 45 of her dot motif that has always invaded her world.
Yayoi Kusama, Fireflies on the Water, 2002 @ the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Yayoi Kusama, Guidepost to the New Space, installation at Pier 45
I wore my polka dots for Kusama.
That’s it for my tour. I hope you guys enjoyed this little peek of the city. I will be back next week with more art stuff. It is lovely sharing with you guys and I hope you visit me over @ thedreambeing, until we meet again!
