Mariya Morgaylo’s Cover Statement

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Assignments, Portfolio: Cultural Passport § No Comments

Throughout the last five years I have done art, acting, creative writing, design, photography, dance; and as a result I have considered myself an undeclared artist. Undeclared because amateur scribbles in a notebook move no one. I wrote for the Arts section of my school newspaper for two years and I don’t think I wrote a single article that the reader could connect to. Mundane writing is a waste of time, so I stopped and assumed I would never again have to write about something I knew nothing of. The extent of my art trickled to nothing but doodles along margins.
When I was asked to write about the arts again, my first instinct was to write about paintings, an old favorite of mine.  But even in the Metropolitan Museum, I was compelled to look at exhibits I had not seen before, namely of modern art; and this small step of trying something new, embracing the unfamiliar, began to change my attitude. I became eager to try new things, and more importantly, understand the motive behind them. This portfolio marks my first attempt to write about modern art, foreign film and comedy. It holds the details that stood out to me, trifles that a reader might find appreciation for: white-gloved hands, bejeweled groping the floor for loose change, changing the personal insecurity of a performer into foreign fear, a foreign perspective of what I had considered home.  These are just snippets from the creative views I produced as a result.
My writing has become a lot more focused, I picked details that stood out to me and attempted to bring them to life rather than providing an impersonal, comprehensive account of an event. I began to see writing about the arts as an art in itself, it is a reflection of my experience and my attempt to articulate it the best I can. I suppose I still worry about whether a reader will get anything from my responses, but as I continue to pursue the arts, I’m sure my voice as a writer will gain resonance.

Mariya Morgaylo

Mariya Morgaylo’s Reflective Essay

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Assignments, Portfolio: Cultural Passport § No Comments

On the first day of Interdisciplinary Studies class, I was asked to write about my Bali Hai. I wrote about a song, Lateralus, that encourages drawing way outside the lines, embracing the random, trying something new; and ultimately exploring unclaimed territory. In retrospect, it feels like an epigraph to a semester of exploration and discovery, both as a writer of the arts and an artist. In addition to the broad spectrum of shows I saw with the class, I used the cultural passport project as an opportunity to try new forms of art, in particular modern art at the Metropolitan Museum and foreign film.
I selected my trip to the Jeff Koons exhibit on the roof of the Met as a starting point for this reflection because it captures the beginning of my development in relation to the arts. I set off to the Met, initially hoping to look at the impressionist art exhibit. The blurred details, beautiful colors, outlines of nature are so easy to relate to when I remove my eyeglasses. Monet did not just capture the world around us; he painted to world I see on a daily basis. But before I had a chance to reach that section of the museum, I saw a sign inviting me to see a giant glass balloon animal on the roof.
What began as purely experimental became an unexpectedly moving experience. It was the end of September, and still warm enough to get away with leaving the jacket at home. Surrounded by the foreign language of tourists, I looked at my reflection in the Koons’s “Coloring Book” and saw some of my dearest personal philosophies captured on painted stainless steel.  There was no definite form, no harmony or balance – overlapping layers of pastels that reflected the New York City skyline, and me. The myriad of perspectives with which the same reality is perceived was embodied in this statue and I, for the first time since pre-school, could appreciate drawing way outside the lines. For the first time, I could appreciate asymmetry and the abstract.
At that point, I thought to change the focus of my trip to the Met. I sought out the Modern Art exhibit, looking for innovativeness, perhaps merely to be avant garde.  I saw some pieces that showed great originality, but none had moved me as I had hoped. The seed was sewn, as they say, and I developed the urge to re-experience the feeling of connecting with something I could have never hoped to understand.
One might imagine that an independent foreign film might not be too great a step from a Hollywood flick, minus the special effects and recognizable plastic faces. Even on a basic level, however, the cinematic experience was completely different. The reason why I had never sat through a foreign film before was because I’d always reasoned that I don’t watch a film to read subtitles. Half of the details are bound to be lost in translation. Once again, quite unexpectedly, “I Served the King of England” turned out to be a pleasant surprise. On a thematic scale, the screenplay employed satire beautifully. It got you to laugh at prostitution, Nazism, and greed, and recognize how ridiculous it all is.
Similarly to Koons’s exhibit, this film left me with a new perspective, this time about greed. It mocked the fact that greed touches everyone, from a lowly waiter to rich investors to classy ladies, to a point that they bend down on all fours at the sound of coins hitting the pavement. Furthermore, wealth didn’t seem to change the protagonist, although it is a common saying that money changes people. This absurdist insight on human nature: that it’s laughable rather than terrible was most memorable at all because it’s so applicable to real life.  A lyric from Lateralus suggests that over-thinking and overanalyzing withers our intuition and is overall detrimental to our beings. To think that you could just laugh off the adversities you face, to think that wealth and poverty are miserable in their own rights.
There is an old piece of advice that goes, “Write what you know,” and generally I’ve tried to follow its wisdom. This semester I was pushed into a variety of media I had never encountered before (partially by the Honors Program, partially on my own initiative). I realized that just because you don’t know something, doesn’t mean that you can’t write about it, it’s all the more reason to explore it. Embracing the random, the undiscovered, I just may go where no one’s been.

Mariya Morgaylo

Renelle Lawrence: Cultural Passport Portfolio

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Assignments, Portfolio: Cultural Passport § No Comments

Cover Statement:

            I have lived in New York City for almost all of my life. Before taking this Arts in New York City Interdisciplinary Course, the city was just bright lights and an energetic source of entertainment. Diversity and culture came from music, food and the people themselves. But I failed to realize that this city possesses so much more. Art is all around us. The graffiti lining the subway walls, the sculptures in our parks, and the dancers on the sidewalks are all art in different forms.  I have also been exposed to art forms beyond what I see in everyday life. On my own I ventured to museums such as the Modern Museum of Art and I’ve even gotten the chance to hear a presentation from a real Director.

            Every time I sat down to write my cultural passports I was forced to look at my experiences in different ways. For the first time I was able to actually think about what art meant to me and contemplate the lessons I’ve learned from it. I would have never guessed that someone’s art could affect me in any way, but it did. I’ve learned so much from other people’s visions and outlooks throughout this semester. From now on whenever I visit a museum or watch a performance I will not only enjoy it visually but I will also take into consideration it’s meaning.

            My portfolio is a gradual look on my progression as a person. Each cultural passport contains the knowledge I’ve learned from each event or artwork I have come across. I’ve not only learned to appreciate other people’s visions even if they are not the same as my own but also I’ve learned life lessons. This portfolio is very important to me because it is written proof that I am steadily developing intellectually and opening myself to new experiences.

 

Reflective Essay:           

            Two events stand out very clearly to me. It was difficult to figure out how they related to each other because one has to do with architecture and the other was a conversation with a film director. But what I realized is that these two, although completely unrelated in topics, both taught me a great deal about life. They made me aware of the conditions of our world and even just lessons on how to be a better me.

            Tadashi Kawamata is the artist behind the Tree Huts at Madison Square Park. These tree huts struck me in an unimaginable way. While sitting and admiring Kawamatas’s work, a sense of nostalgia engulfed me. I remembered my childhood days and how much I wanted a tree house. These huts, in the middle of the city that never sleeps, provided a childhood aspect to it. Businessmen and women in their suits speed walk past Madison Square Park only stopping to grab lunch at the Shake Shack. Everyone has been forced to grownup so fast that their childhood is just a blur. For a few moments while waiting on line for lunch in the park, Kawamata has given us an escape from this world. We are allowed to delve into our hearts and memories and grasp the child in all of us. My view of the tree huts is one that represents innocence and purity. The tree huts provided a vision where life does not have to be industrialized to be fun. Fun can be simple and your imagination can offer you an experience more enjoyable than anything technology. Our society is forcing children to grow up too fast and we should realize that sometimes innocence is not such a bad thing. Kawamata’s work allowed for this realization to occur within me and I am grateful to him for that. To me the most meaningful of art is the ones you learn from.

            The second event that I went to, I learned even more from. It was a common event at the Macaulay Building. A film director David Holbrooke was there to discuss with us the movies he had made and the ins and outs of the movie business. At the beginning Holbrooke showed us different works from different artists. While doing this he gave a commentary on the work and the meanings that the artists were trying to portray. At this point I was extremely bored. I thought, I could’ve just gone to a museum for this. But luckily for me Holbrooke then proceeded to show us clips from three documentaries that he directed. One of the films was about global warming and another was about religious fanaticism in America. Both films were surprisingly entertaining but the third film that he showed us was one I will never forget. It centered on an eccentric man, Speed Levitch, who gave New York City tours on the double-decker buses in NYC. Speed loved New York more than any one else. He knew everything about it and could tell you wonderful stories about every city block. But the part of Holbrooke’s presentation on this film that struck me the most was the story he told about Speed. Speed was a strange man to everyone around him. Even Holbrooke admitted that Speed was bizarre but what Holbrooke loved about him was his uniqueness. Speed had no home. He crashed at different peoples houses and lets life take him to where ever he should go. The problem with Speed is although he was in love with New York, in a way; New York did not love him back. He had suffered from many hardships because of the way people had treated him. They did not understand him therefore they ridiculed him. Holbrooke stated that people like Speed are the true artists of our time. His lesson was that people should not care too much about other people’s opinions but instead we should stay exactly they way we are. Holbrooke’s message spoke to me and led me to realize that I should not be hindered by criticism but instead try my hardest to be the best at what I do.

            My portfolio as a whole is a reflection on the education that art provides.  If some one were to read my portfolio I would want to encourage them to go out and not only view art but to also consider its message. It may not be flashing right in your face but its there hidden and waiting to be discovered. 

Cover Statement

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Portfolio: Cultural Passport § No Comments

Although I was born and raised in New York City, a place known internationally for its theater, film, dance, and other types of visual arts, I took for granted the resources I had around me. The only type of cultural performance I attended before my entrance into college was a Broadway production of Walt Disney’s The Lion King. I have never been interested in the arts because I did not consider myself a creative person. I have no artistic talent (I cannot even draw stick figures) or musical talent (I learned the piano for a few yeas and ultimately gave up because I did not make any progress). I stayed away from museums because they bored me. The only type of theater I would go to was a movie cinema. Taking this course, however, changed my perspective and broadened my horizons.

I have probably gone to more cultural events this term alone than all the previous years in my life. I experienced my first taste of dance and opera. This course also forced to me think about the performances on a much more intellectual level. Previously, I simply watched something and either enjoyed or disliked it. Never before have I been asked to judge the lighting, sounds, or director’s decisions. Never before have I been asked to think about why a performance conveyed particular emotions in me. My biggest accomplishment in this course is learning how to interpret and critique a piece of work creatively yet still manage to keep my own “voice.” I have made sure to show that voice in my Cultural Passport Portfolio reflective essay and cover statement because it not only shows what I am like as a writer, but a thinker as well. My voice allows people reading my work to connect with me on a personal level.

Attending shows both with the class and on my own has allowed me to develop a small but keen interest for the arts. I still cannot draw, nor can I play any musical instruments, but I would probably be interested in going to a museum or a theater performance for non-academic purposes. If there is one thing this course has taught me, it is that I should always be open to experience new things; something that I reject could potentially turn out to be life-changing. This Cultural Passport Portfolio marks the beginning of my appreciation for the arts in New York City.

Carissa Dech

Reflective Essay

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Portfolio: Cultural Passport, waterfalls § No Comments

Prior to this course, I never knew a theater world existed outside of Broadway. I did not know that Off-Broadway existed, let alone Off-off-Broadway. Unintentionally, I found myself focusing my monthly Cultural Passports on theater productions. From September to early October, I went to Broadway musicals such as A Tale of Two Cities and Legally Blond. From late October to November, I ventured outside the Broadway Box and explored Off-Broadway shows such as Fuerzabruta and Break Out. Besides the disparity in ticket prices and number of seats, Broadway and Off-Broadway did not prove to be much different for me. I go to performances to be entertained and I enjoyed most of the productions, with an exception of one of the above.

Although I had been told that in Fuerzabruta, the audience was part of the performance, I expected an event show with a plot. Needless to say, I was disappointed. It was very interactive – the cast members came down from their platforms and engaged themselves with the audience – but Fuerzabruta was simply not for me. I very much prefer watching actors perform completely separated from the viewers.

I felt that Fuerzabruta was not only pointless, but harmful to the environment. One of the skits involved Styrofoam and pieces of paper. After dancing on a platform for a few minutes, the actors proceeded to break up all the Styrofoam boxes, filled with pieces of paper, on stage. Because that was not enough, every few minutes, a block of paper would fall onto the actors’ heads and burst into little pieces everywhere. Then, the cast members left their platforms and hit some audience members with a few more Styrofoam boxes filled with paper.

After this, the DJ sprayed people with water as they danced. Many audience members screamed with enthusiasm; the wetter they got, the more excited they got. Even though I made sure to stay clear of the water, I also absorbed the music and started dancing with my friend. Despite the fact that I had an enjoyable time, I was annoyed after Fuerzabruta ended. There were tiny pieces of wet paper all over the floor. This show is performed many times a week and the wasted water and paper accumulates. Killing trees and using up our limited supply of water for entertainment purposes is not exactly my idea of fun.

Ironically, when I attended Break Out, I expected a show without a plot; I thought the production would consist of dancing. This time, I was wrong. The storyline consisted of a group of prisoners that run away from jail. They would also start break-dancing or beat-boxing spontaneously from time to time. Nonetheless, the set designs, and not the actors, were the aspects of the performance that entertained me the most.

A large book is seen on the stage before the show begins. Its cover is the same as the one belonging to the mysterious text that magically drops into the prison while the group is fixing a car. (Apparently, that is the task that one would do in jail.) Such a strange occurrence inspires the protagonists to escape and witness all the other wonders of the outside world.

On the first page, there is a rectangular cutout for the car that the group is working on. As the group runs off the stage, the pages turn and the backgrounds change. Now, there is a miniature maze that represents the tunnel that the group manages to dig through. To add a comedic effect, as well as to put everything to scale, the actors attach little stuffed bodies to their heads, which are the only parts of their body visible in this scene, to show how the group struggles to crawl out of prison. More pages turn to become a hospital and a church. The last page of the book is blank. Overhead projections are used to show the group members frolicking on the beach. I believe this was done to make the ending open to interpretation. It is never shown whether the protagonists were sent back to jail.

Fuertzbruta and Break Out are examples of productions in which the audience should expect the unexpected. They break from the tradition examples of theater. Although I know that there will still be performances I may attend and not enjoy, I am now more inclined to watch something I have never experienced before. From what I was told, there are performances that are even more obscure than Fuertzbruta. Now that I have seen both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, it is time for me to explore the world of Off-off-Broadway.

Carissa Dech

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