Post #1: Art Around Us

    I prefer to stand and look out the window on my daily commute on the 7 train so I can admire the graffiti on the roofs and sides of apartment buildings. The picture above is from the Elmhurst stop. I absolutely love and admire graffiti because it accurately represents the raw New York City scene as well as provides the city with vibrance and culture. Bloomberg had the graffiti mecca 5Pointz painted over, because to him, graffiti is a "sign of decay and loss of control". Much like the broken window theory, Bloomberg believes that once a building has been defaced by graffiti, the whole neighborhood will follow and soon deteriorate. While that may have some truth to it, graffiti should most definitely be considered an art - and i'll take graffiti over gentrification any day.

 I believe that street artists do what they do for the sole purpose of making their mark permanent in the world. Everything from their tag name to the font/lettering, and the colors are chosen to accurately portray themselves. Some street artists, however, choose to be political or try to send a message through their graffiti. When Banksy tore up NYC in November, it was kind of his way of telling us New Yorkers to get out of the house and stop being caught up with work and school so we can catch one of his installations (the vendor in Central Park). Banksy never publicly announced his whereabouts so we would have to randomly stumble across his work on a wall in an obscure location.

This piece was done by Banksy during his visit to NYC. The old school graffiti handwritten style used to show NYC's well-known gutter accent with the neatly italicized font-like writing underneath, is telling us that we often abandon our unique born and bred borough accents to conform and show professionalism to corporate institutions such as universities and businesses. 

A viewer should appreciate the color choices and style of text a street artist makes because they just want to inspire us with their individuality and boldness.

Blog #1

Blog # 1

Art is all around us, from graffiti on a wall, to a painting by Picaso, to a drawing by a five year old. Living in New York City I can see art in every street and every corner. Art can be found on the 14th street subway station, from the bucket drummer to the group of break dancers dancing insider the subway carts. Art is anything that can capture the creativity of an individual. Photography is my form of art. I can use my camera to capture something I find unique, whether its how the sun reflects on NYC buildings or capturing a special moment between two people.

Art can be found in many different forms. Graffiti for instance, can be considered art. Graffiti artist use spray cans to express their messages and creativity. Although their are some people that consider graffiti as vandalism, others consider it art and a way of expression. Five points in Long Island City in Queens was primarily a place where graffiti artist would get the opportunity to express themselves in a colorful way. Individuals can view art is severely different ways. While someone might describing a painting as abstract and complex another person might see the same painting as simple and basic. Art is a way in which we can express what we feel inside and is a way to let our imaginations wander into the impossible. 

Art is found everywhere I look. Every corner I turn, every piece of clothing I buy, and in everything I eat. There are all types of art. Just because it’s not hung up in a museum or being auctioned away for a large amount, doesn’t mean it’s not art. Art comes in many different forms and is made for a variety of reasons. Take this beautiful work of art for example:

 

This work of art was created on the outside of building. No fancy museum, no being hung in someone’s home. It was done outside, right in the open where every and anybody can see it. The first thing I notice when I look at this work of art is the bright red sweater. If I had to take a guess, I would say she created this work of art to give form to feeling and idea. Just by looking at the picture you can’t tell for sure exactly why she drew this work of art or what it means. But by just observing it you as a viewer create your own ideas and opinion about the painting. From this work of art I can see that the person in the red sweater must have a love for animals. The way she is sitting there with the jaguar and deer, usually the jaguar would be ready to attack but it’s just sitting there starting with this sad expression on his face. The deer looks like it has a little smile on its face as if the person with the red sweater saved him from the jaguar, and that’s probably why the jaguar looks so sad. The person had a flower in their hand, probably giving it to the jaguar as an apology for not letting him have his meal. This work of art stands out. It’s something you see when you’re walking down the street and you just have to stop and take a look.

 

-Rebecca Sidial

Blog HW #1

Growing up in a graffiti filled neighborhood, as many others here in NYC. Graffiti can not only be depictions of faces, characters, certain important life events etc. But it can also be just pure words. Although art is usually expressed through drawings, words can have a similar, if not equal impact on just about anyone who comes across it. It's also used to leave marks showing where one has traveled off to and just felt the need to leave a little bit of "themselves" behind through their art.

The picture above is of graffiti on a longtime popular neighborhood deli that was recently closed down. I, myself am not so sure what is being said here but when it comes to art, do we really need to know specifically? Before the deli closed, this graffiti was never there. In fact, the owner was strict on graffiti but now that she's gone, people feel the need to leave their marks on. Perhaps it's a sign of missing the deli. Or maybe even trying to be disrespectful. It's unknown to the world but the artist themselves. This can be found in 94th street, Junction Blvd. The picture was taken at night to show off the slightly glow affect of the graffiti.

Where do you see art around you?

      What a interesting question where do i see art? Well honestly i see art all around me buildings, flowers, but where i see it the most is in trees. I say this because if you look at a tree all you really think  is of "branches,leaves,trunk" but have you ever really looked at tree carefully? For example have you seen the way the branches grow the way some of them intertwine with each other. Have you ever noticed that not all trees are the same color that they have different shades of color and different texture .The image i chose was of a tree that i believe that is a piece of art. the color the texture and the way the branches intertwine is just beautiful to me. I feel this tree was meant to create extra-ordinary versions of ordinary objects. I say this because a tree is a ordinary object,its something you see on a regular bases but a lot of people don't just stop and look at a tree and admire the details and the life it has, don't notice the extra ordinary picture of a ordinary object. This is why i believe that you can see art every where you go you just have to have your artistic eye open at all times

Blog post #1

Lauren Melendez


Where I see art is every where if you sit and think what art is its not one main thing for me art is any thing  I can see someone express there self and truly show what type of work they feels art for them  like art is anything any type of art for any point of view is different if you a viewer feels a painting is abstract and another person may feel its impressionst you can never define with is the peruse of art. Art has many persposies and many values art is any different things to one person this may not be art an to me I find this a master pieces I can truly see that this person is showing pride and fear and showing that his culture is very big and important.



http://afritorial.com/tribe-the-unusual-mursi-of-ethiopia/ 

WHAT IS ART?

I ask myself what is "ART"? That is about as broad as a question can get. Art is using your creativity as a way to express yourself. Although some may not know it, Art is a part of our everyday lives. Art can be anything. Art does not have to be created on a canvas or a sheet of paper to be considered Art. The pattern sewed into your socks is Art. The table which you enjoy your dinner on is Art. The building you walk out of every day is Art. There are many different forms of art, such as, pyramids, building, shoes, clothes, statues and monuments. These different forms of Art can be created for different purposes, such as to create places for human purpose, or to give a solid form to feelings and ideas. 

For example, The 9/11 memorial is a beautiful meaningful place created for human purpose. It was created in  order to commemorate those who lost their lives on that unforgettable day.

This is a wonderful piece painted by a very close family friend, Ramon Peralta. In this piece Ramon Peralta gave solid form to his feelings and ideas. This painting was inspired by paper and the way it moves. This piece was shown in the Martin Arts Gallery at Baker Center for the Art, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA.

Blog Post #1 for Art and Society
Daniel F. Ambia
In America and especially in New York, there is art almost everywhere you look. In subway stations, on walls, on billboards and even on the sidewalk. Throughout the five boroughs artists have used a variety of cityscapes for canvases. I live in an interesting neighborhood known as Bay Ridge. Although I grew up one neighborhood away in Sunset Park, I didn't realize how lacking in artistic expression Bay Ridge actually was. Its a nice, quiet neighborhood with a lot of working class and upper-middle class residents but the only interesting art I could find were the buildings. Don't get me wrong there is creativity everywhere, and the architecture in the neighborhood is beautiful and interesting and while walking around I even considered taking a picture of a building and submitting it to the blog. But then I stumbled upon this piece of graffiti art painted on the side of my favorite coffee spot in the morning. I believe it is a stencil of the President with several additions from other neighborhood taggers. But what struck me the most was the message. I thought it was ironic that someone would put up a stencil such as this in Bay Ridge where the buildings are probably 99% clear of all graffiti. I also thought about the people I saw everyday trudging down the Avenue, walking into Bagel Boy to get coffee before going to work. I thought about how most of the neighborhood residents were blue collar workers, firemen and police officers and had probably spent the vast majority of their adult lives working forty plus hours a week. And most people you see on the train heading to work don't seem particularly happy and I even reflected on how much I fret over expenses and bills and worry if I will be able to adequately provide for my son in the future. So I chose this piece ultimately because it fit the scene and it made me stop and think for a second and reflect and I assume it does this for everyone who passes by, the solemn procession to the subway in the morning for the good ole nine to five.
 

Art is ...

Art is everywhere,I believe you can call everything that is created "ART" from the paintings, drawings ' sculptures,pictures to the clothes we wear ,the places we live in , the food we eat and so much more . Art is done for many reasons and it has many meanings. For example I enjoy drawing because it frees my mind and I can let out all my secrets in my drawings and only I will understand them.  Art is different for everyone, something that is interesting for someone to others it can be weird and unappealing but it is still art. A piece of art can depict a thousand things because no one will view it the same . There's is no wrong answer to what art is . Many don't appreciate or take the time to realize that we are surrounded by art. Art is and amazing thing because you can express your self through it, you can make a statement with it, you can have fun with it,there are infinite possibilities when it comes to art.  To me Art means to be creative, to add your own style or personal touch to anything you create or do. The greatest  thing about art  is that it will always exist.

Blog Post #1

By Street Artist: Banksy

I see art everywhere I go. Living in New York, our most famous form of art is graffiti. It is hard to miss a wall covered in letters we can barely read or paintings that have a deeper meaning. This particular art piece is by a well known street artist named Banksy (located in South Bronx). Graffiti is illegal, although many find it to be artistic, and is part of our culture in New York. Another well known location of graffiti art is a place called 5pointz in Queens. The walls are all covered in graffiti, and is a place where aerosol artists from around the globe painted colorful pieces. 5pointz was painted over not too long ago by the owners of the building.

The form of graffiti art attracts everyone. It gives the viewer a chance to see colors and gives the viewer a different perspective. This is what I think. Banksy's art can refresh our vision and see the world in a new way. In the picture above, we see what seems to be a little kid doing graffiti, and a butler of some sort holding the spray cans near him. We all know that since graffiti is illegal, the people who do graffiti are hated by the community for vandalizing their property. They are treated poorly, having them arrested or pay certain fees for their 'wrong' doing. In Banksy's art, it's the total opposite. He's portraying a different idea that graffiti artists should be treated like royalty. Thanking them for bringing upon us a more colorful city rather than looking at dull buildings and pollution everywhere. He's trying to show that artists should be treated with respect, and that people should appreciate creativity.

Banksy's art can have different reasons on why they're made. It could be to record and commemorate the artsits of New York, giving them the respect they deserve for their talent. A lot of his art also constructs meaningful images and forms. Banksy is known for showing a message to the public, a message that isn't clear in his pictures when you first see it, so it makes you think about what is he trying to imply. Is he trying to change the world? Or just want the people in it to see it differently? That's when you appreciate someone's art that it can actually take your mind to where the artist wants it to be.

By: Banksy

Around the world art.

In our life time we have learned that art can be expressed in many different ways and some painting may show you our history. This painting is a Taino Indian Mural at the museum of La Isabela. I visited this place about 3 years and it still speaks to me because it was around the time that Christopher Columbus was trying to take away land and claiming that he's the first person to find this land. Back in that time no one had cells phones to call or send an email about land. All we had was boats and tools to create and use our minds a bit to explore the world. La Isabela was founded by Christopher Columbus in 1493, named after Queen Isabela I. This mural shows that we had to struggle and fight for what was ours but Columbus was to strong to fight. Art can be shown in many aspects of life and shows history behind what life was like back than. We can learn so much from what is taken here because no one knows the fight they put to save there land. Artist make art like this to record and commemorate, to not forget where we came from and to be grateful for life as its given to us everyday. Never mix war when you can make peace and use each others minds to expand. 

Art can be also interpreted in how things can be made in forms that are unexplainable. The ABC No Rios the venue for art, activism, and raucous punk concerts. This can be miss called as a place that has been abandoned but there's much more to what you see. The outside view is not your typical view everyday but its something that can open your mind to want to find out what they are trying to tell us. Art is not just about color but the statement it puts out there for people to realize that art is very different in how you express it. We see the world in peoples art and to also show and respond to the outside world, to expand our vision not to judge but to acknowledge the wonders of art put in everyday life.

Art&Society 1st Blog*

Art may be a bit misconceived. Usually when hearing the word people think pictures, colors, designs. Suprisingly it goes beyond there. Ever stopped and thought about the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the karate classes, the dance classes? Would you ever categorize any of those things as art? Theres so many different categories. Such as Martial Arts, Musical Arts, Theater Arts. Art it isn't just visual, it's a feeling, a movement.


Sometimes when looking at a picture it can cause an emotion, bring back a memory, even a scent. For instance when looking at a picture of a baby bundled up, it may make you reminisce about what babies smell like, maybe a memory of when you were a baby and felt secure, it can remind you of  the sounds babies make. Art cannot be constrained as just visual it is way more than that. Art is a feeling it is a movement, it's something that sparks your mind and takes you further.
Art is a recorder of history like in photographs where you capture the moment, the scenery, and the events of public life. Art happens to be something that appears everywhere around us. In museums, train stations, retail stores, even in our homes on our televisions. It is something that has no right or wrong internalization. People overlook art everyday. From traveling, to studying. Heres a picture on the subway station, that caught my eye. I was sure that anyone traveling to school by train, had to notice this at Court Square.

                    

 

Art in Charity

       Art is everywhere around the city, whether it be in buildings such as museums or on buildings painted with spray paint, art can be everywhere and anything. For me growing up, I was encouraged to volunteer and help others in anyway I could and now that I participate in charity events or go and support them, you can see art is very much present. I support my community and this is just one of them many ways that I try to make a difference, because isn't that what art is about? Making a difference. On the left you see what feels like a familiar character to all of us, and you're right. On the left is Luigi from "Super Mario Bros"; you can also make out the famous power up mushroom that the Mario Brothers use after bumping that question block. What you may not be able to make out right away from the image is that this colossal structure depicting Luigi was made completely out of cans of food. That's right! canned foods. This charity event is called "Canstruction" where artists come and do their very best to construct these structures with cans.
                                                                                                                       This charity event is one of my favorites because going to see these amazing pieces is always breath taking. These structures were made not only to raise awareness for those who suffer from hunger but also to allow everyday people to become part of the art. You donate one can; two can, or as many as you like and the cans are used, after the event is over the cans are donated to local hunger relief organizations. These pieces of work were created for awareness and to form feelings and ideas and to also refresh our vision and see the world in a new way. Canstruction's mission is "To feed and inspire the world- one can at a time". On the right you can see a "canstruction" that my local teen group "S.T.A.R.T" created, accepting donations to help those in need. Pieces like these are in my everyday life and they are there to make a difference by inspiring people to do something for others and change the way we live our everyday lives.

Freedom Tunnel

Art is seen every day all around. But how do we define art and to what extent does it affect our common era today. Art influenced the style of the common era through various elements: Through performance, visualization, and thought process is a strive in our human culture. Media plays a big role influencing the artist’s creativity. From one visual thought shared with the other, then recreates a new and twisted meaning. 

Living in the heart of New York City I wonder along the sidewalk streets mesmerized by the city’s natural beauty. While much of the city’s graffiti has been deteriorating, some of the more provocative tags still exist beneath the riverside ground. My buddies and I discovered these spray-painted secrets on a recent trip to the Freedom Tunnel, a legend among street art underground urban explorers. Freedom was built in the 1930’s by Robert Moses and deserted soon after, the tunnel became a safe haven for the homeless who camped in the underground shelter. Pape’s “Coca-Cola Mural” contrasted the weathered face of a hobo, a la Walker Evans, with a cartoon of the American 1950′s family. I would encourage anyone to visit the Freedom Tunnel and see Pape’s work and other graffiti masterpieces. The tunnel is still used by Amtrak, so staying alert is crucial in case a train speeds by. Homeless people continue to dwell among the freedom tunnel legacy as well. Our biggest challenge and the most fun was the journey into the tunnel.  After climbing fences to find an easy  access towards the entrance, we were forced to squeeze through another gate, fortunately the second gate was an ease but ended up with minor scrapes and temporary muscle pain.

Freedom is about forgetting the dangers that might be lurking in the shadows (When the train is approaching). I bug out wondering underneath the city streets into a trip where you feel like the only person left on earth. Air vents let in subtle pillars of sunlight portraying a holy aura of Freedom. Much of the graffiti is visually placed beneath these shafts or columns, providing a dramatic lighting that any eye can envision in any gallery.

Week 1 HW

Being a New Yorker it is common for many of us to rush and never just stop. To just pause for a few seconds to admire the beauty around us. Now I know that New York City probably has the world's most dirtiest subway stations. However through the dirt and grime there are things to truly appreciate. Throughout our subway stations there are many pieces of art that go unnoticed. I can honestly say I never realized all the art that makes its home in our stations. On 103rd in Harlem there is a train station that has this piece of art displayed for everyone to see when they walk down to get on the platform. This piece of art struck my attention, because not only is it very diverse, but also I never really took the time to look at it! Realizing our stations are full of art has made me want to travel to different stations with an endeavor of taking pictures of all the different types of art. If I had to describe its form I would say it resembles something similar to a collage. There are all of these different drawings mixed into one piece of art. I don't know what other people may see, but personally the yellow guy on the right side reminds me of Spongebob. I think this art piece was made to bring beauty and diversity to such a dull and dirty place. I also get a feeling this drawing could probably be targeting a younger audience, because when I took a glance at it I couldn't help but see cartoon looking faces. I strongly believe that this piece of art was made to refresh our vision and see the world in a new way. Many of us unfortunately grow up and gradually put away childish interest and behavior. Someone who played with action figures or watched cartoons as a child probably finds those things pointless and a waste of time. But we fail to see that losing our inner child is like losing a part of us, a creative part. Looking at this piece of art made me reminisce of the times I used to come home from school and watch cartoons (specifically Spongebob). Don't get me wrong, I'm still very childish, however it's never really the same once you are given responsibilities. So if I had to label the purpose of this art I would say for me it was to give me a surprise'blast from the past' and I welcomed it with open arms, because I would never want to lose that part of me. The fact one piece of art could conjure different feelings and ideas to each individual is truly remarkable, to say the least.

Blog post #1 By Katia Lopez

I grew up in Bronx, New York and from the subway station abound with fascinating graffiti to the cluster of artist with a vaulting ambition to display their unique art in the streets, it is evident that art is in every direction. I have always known I was surrounded as well as inspired by art. I have learned that everyone is creative in their own way and the constant dynamic of art has given us a way to communicate without really speaking. Particularly, the is always someone either playing an instrument, singing or dancing underground in Grand Central 42 Street.

Rushing through the sea of people unintentionally I glanced over to my right and realized how art has its way on grasping my eye,  in a matter of seconds I was standing in front of a man declaring himself "The Can Man". He makes art out of empty soda cans. The Can Man was selling the small ones for $5 and the bigger ones for $10. The way he made their unique shape was incredible. I was thinking there would be a circumspect approach as to cutting the cheap but very sharp aluminum cautiously. To my surprise, his agile fingers had done the work expeditiously. In the end it's aesthetic form, making it hard to believe it was ever a can of soda, gave it vast opportunities for its use I say this as a result of asking a few observers to tell me what they liked about these particular pieces. Jerry, a former observer told me that "he can distinguish real art, art that can be used for good like recycling". A pair of tourist, Ada and her husband, Ettore form Italy, told me "they would put their new eye-catching candle holders in their kitchen". Beyond doubt, The Can Man is an artist, he created a peculiar but also marvelous piece of art out of a common can of soda. This artist is not only making a few extra money to get by but we have to be cognizant of the aesthetic those pieces are communicating; art is all around us