So, we're beginning to wonder whether we are meant to be cultural explorers after all! Given our trips to PS1 in a blizzard and the Brooklyn Museum of Art in a monsoon, it would seem that the powers-that-be are sending us a clear signal to stay home. Either that or we're being forced to prove our commitment to the arts up-front. If, and only if, we are not graded on our appearance or ability to navigate the weekend subway fracas, it's safe to say we've passed that test...
Greater NY
We nearly paid the ultimate price in our quest to check out Greater New York on March 24th at PS1. Outside of the subway station in Queens, we were blown out into the street by our inverted umbrellas (Liz's cowboy boots quickly transformed into unwanted ice-skates and Tracy refused to part with her favorite umbrella despite its disfigurement). Then, we were nearly flattened by a possessed Zamboni clearing the road. Picture the Sno-Cat in the last scene of The Shining, only instead of driving us to safety it was on our heels as we crawled out of the way. Terrifying.
Finally arriving at PS1, soaking wet and rather traumatized, Liz refused to let us visit the bar until after we took in the show (probably a good idea given our white wine swilling at MoMA's Thomas Demand opening that resulted in embarassing crudites consumption and a lost blazer but not so much art appreciation). With so much to see and our eyes still thawing from the cold, the show was a bit overwhelming. Still it's well worth the trip and lots of fun. Just don't go tired.
We've seen Ian Burns' sightseeing machines (our moniker, not his) before but on a smaller scale, where the viewer stands still and the structure travels behind a stationary screen, the shadows turning clumsy construction into a scenic picture show. In Greater New York, he creates a moving car that allows viewers to ride inside of his installation. Although the view was an interesting one, we did feel a bit foolish riding around in the very slow, halting and noisy contraption, particularly with the guards flowing in from adjacent rooms to gawk. Actually, it was just one of us who felt foolish while the other walked beside pointing, laughing, taking pictures, and heckling. 
(See a frightened Tracy below).
LD: At first, I found myself walking around - super impressed with myself - thinking, "wow, I have exceptional knowledge of the NYC art scene." That was until it dawned on me that anyone who spent some time at the Armory, frequents galleries and reads the NYTimes (don't we all?) will find few surprises at Greater New York. While there are many solid pieces (Justin Faunce, Dana Schutz and Guy Ben-ner offered predictably strong work), it's disappointing that most of the artists in the show are familiar. Maybe I was expecting the wrong thing but I was hoping to see new and exciting, undiscovered artists pushing the limits. Instead, there seemed to be strong showings by fairly established, well reviewed and already represented artists.
TN: It took every bit of self-control - plus the very real fear of prison and/or excommunication from the art world at large - not to pocket one of Yuken Teruya's delightful luxury shopping-bags-turned-trees. I also loved Dasha Shishkin's delicate drawings of cats-gone-wrong but am grateful that my pet, unlike those in the drawings, doesn't have access to spears. As for the lack of new faces, anyone with a crayon has representation these days (with all of the galleries, art fairs and independent dealers), making the task of finding undiscovered talent all the more challenging. Given this, I think that the show would be more effective if it focused on a more select group of artists. This would allow a greater number of submissions per artist, providing us with a stronger sense of his or her work as a whole.
Brooklyn
We've been putting off our trip to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Basquiat exhibition - waiting in vain for spring to arrive. Alas, we became impatient and decided to go last Saturday, despite the dreary forecast. Again, our umbrellas broke from the gale-force winds and we arrived cranky and soaked. The coat-check line was not, at that point, too intimidating so we eagerly dropped off our belongings and headed up to the 4th and 5th floors.
We were both annoyed and pleased at the substantial crowd - annoyed that it was crowded but excited that so many were interested in the show. Despite the rather blah installation, it's a solid group that covers the high points of Basquiat's short but prolific career. Somewhat surprisingly, many of the pieces came from the same few collections, most notably that of the Brandts in nearby Greenwich, CT. Other private and institutional collectors - as has been widely noted in the press - were not quite so generous and the show suffers as a result.
The paintings, both humorous and poignant, offer puzzles and icongraphy that can hold your attention for hours. The crowds and guards, however, prevented any thoughtful observation. For example, the glaring silver tape (disco, anyone?) on the floor kept us at a too-safe distance from the work and crated bottlenecks at key pieces. In addition, the guards seemd convinced they were working at the state penitentiary. God forbid yoru foot should graze the aforementioned tape boundaries while you try and squeeze past a pack of perfectly disheveled hipsters with strollers. Also, no photos allowed - even without a flash. 
As such, we were forced to be subversive, taking pictures in the gift shop and the million-people-long queue to pick up our still soaked coats. 
If you strain your eyes, you just might be able to see a more valuable piece of the show.
Patting ourselves on the back...
We did our part for the NYC art community by volunteering for ArtTable on Saturday morning. We graciously stuffed more than 700 gift bags for their upcoming gala on April 7th. Believe us when we tell you it's way more than you think.
This week is ArtTable's 25th Anniversary Conference entitled Looking Back - Moving Forward: 25 years of Women's Leadership in the Visual Arts. The conference has incredible programming and we look forward to participating.
