New York Reflections

           For me, it wasn’t the skyscrapers and scenery of New York that stayed with me; it was what I saw at the               museums and galleries.

It was truly incredible to see artwork in the flesh that I had pored over in books and attempted to emulate in my own work. I never thought I would feel a physically emotional response to a piece of artwork, usually I don’t even cry at films. Yet, I found myself admiring one of Matisse’s paintings with a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. It felt really surreal. Some works of art are almost mythical to me, having loved them only through secondary resources. Seeing them in real life showed me just how tangible they are. It made them accessible somehow, but no less legendary.

Though I took many pictures of my favourite pieces, I chose this particular photograph because it was just a little statue they had placed outside of the women’s bathroom; I can’t even remember the name of the sculptor now but it was beautifully lit and I had to take a photograph. It just amazed me that even the adornments of the restrooms in the gallery were beautiful.

It’s incredibly stimulating being surrounded by all that art, architecture, fashion and food. It leaves your brain whirring at the pace New Yorkers go. New York is a city that that never sleeps, and it leaves you unable to sleep too.

Grand Central Terminal

I was also really struck by the awesome scale and speed of New York. From the top of the Empire State building you can see huge skyscrapers reaching up, the city stretching out towards the blue horizon; the roads are broad, the cars shiny and wide; as for the food – I often couldn’t finish my feast of a breakfast. I chose this photo as a demonstration of this overwhelming scale.

The large scale of New York seemingly matches the pace of the city. As a group, we were on our feet all day, rushing about, as our teacher called it, ‘in true New York style’.  In New York, everybody rushes about, dodging tourists and often clutching a coffee in one hand.

These are by no means criticisms , after all, the US is a relatively new country that has been built with the benefit of hindsight.  It is a relatively new nation built around the motorcar and modern living.

But when it came to Grand Central Station, the pace was calm (despite the heavy crowds). It was like people couldn’t rush through the hall. They had to gaze at the sidereal ceiling and linger in the luxurious gold interior.

I found the splendour of the hall quite captivating. I liked to think about the people that walked through the station years ago as it appears much as it was when in was rebuilt after the First World War.

I really like Grand Central Station because it is a permanent setting for people in a state of flux. Often it is the first thing people see when they arrive in New York and the last thing before they leave. I think that’s why it is held especially dear to us all and is a setting for scenes in so many films.