Scribbles and Photos

The Approach Crack is Wack! , by Keith Haring , sits in the shadow of the Triboro Bridge. On a sunny Memorial Day morning, the site was quite deserted, a far cry from the busy street corners and plazas that usually "host" public art in New York City. There was only a young teen bouncing a basketball and a homeless man sitting near the art, shopping cart close at hand. Across the street, a car dealership and down the block a MTA bus transit center. There is something special about art that sits exactly where the artist created it. Particularly true for a piece like this that is as much social message as it is art. RIP Keith Haring RIP. Crack is Wack! - Snake Side Crack is Wack! - Close Up Crack is Wack! - Skeleton Side Triboro (RFK) On Ramp Homeless in NYC

Madison Square Park is hosting a site-specific art installation,  Red, Yellow, Blue , by NY-based artist Orly Genger this summer.  It's worth a visit and, although no climbing is allowed (apparently you can inch up on your back as demonstrated by the second photo below), one can sit (or lie) quite comfortably in the valleys of each of the three undulating rope sculptures.  Depending on who is doing the talking, the piece is art, a great place to sit, or enough rope to cover the island of Manhattan.  It's a wonderful addition to the park and I, for one, will be sad to see it go come early September. Art Sofa Rope

Remembering our soldiers. American Flag, Times Square May those who gave their lives in service of their country rest in peace.  May we do a better job of supporting our veterans now and in the future. A Peony for My Grandmother

Just Hanging There were some photos that did not involve flowers during my walk in Central Park today ( Rainy Day Garden ).  They allow for a bit more focus on the rain drops themselves. Reflections in a Drop Bedecked in Raindrops Bedecked in Rain Drops II

Rainy Day Iris I took a walk in Central Park today.  My feet got sopping wet and my umbrella was too small but the park is SO peaceful on a rainy day that getting a little (while, a lot) wet was totally worth it.  I was reminded, as I always am on cloudy damp days, that the sensor in my camera is too small.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Olympus -- it's just that it does not do so well in low light.  The little bit of research I've done to date suggests that I should switch brands when I upgrade my camera.  I'm in no hurry because for most of what I do, my trusty Olympus works just fine.  For sure I'll need to upgrade if I ever set out on another trip to see the northern lights! Most of these were shot with my macro lens (a Zuiko) -- it was the only one that I had a reasonable chance of keeping dry under the umbrella (the too small umbrella to be exact).  Since I am a little bored with iPhoto (not many bells and whistles when it comes to edit...

It's been over six months since Super Storm Sandy blew through the Northeast ( After the Storm ) -- causing untold damage to the East Coast.  In downtown New York, where I work, the sounds of construction still abound.  And although our office building is fully back online with the restoration of Verizon service to the neighborhood, the retail space on the ground floor remains unrented.  Sadly, this is not so unusual in downtown Manhattan these days. At this time last year, on a night like tonight, South Street Seaport would have been bustling with tourists, office workers, and residents all enjoying the soft spring air.  The basic clean up has been done and there are hopeful signs that rebuilding is underway but the Seaport is, for all intents and purposes, a ghost town these days.  It's hard to know when it will be back.  For now, stores and restaurants (with a few lonely exceptions) remain abandoned -- mere shadows of their former selves. ...

Just a Mannequin Sporting a Mohawk I It would appear that #theMannequins that star in the Bergdorf Goodman windows (#BGWindows) are easily transformed.  Seems like just last week they were appearing in the #BGWindows Follies .  And, wasn't it only yesterday that they served as simple foils for the fashions of Dior ?  Now playing?  A homage to the Punk:  Chaos to Couture  show at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute . Just a Mannequin Sporting a Mohawk II The punk #BGwindows are staged better than the Costume Institute show although, in a move unusual for Bergdorf's, a bit of merchandising has crept into the mix.  Each window features a helpful little list of the clothing on display and where a particular piece can be found in the store (if they are on sale that is -- some pieces are not).  It's a tangible reminder that Bergdorf's is a department store -- a purveyor of fine goods as it were -- and that the windows are just an...

#punkexhibit #punkchaostocouture #themet #themetropolitanmuseumofart #punk #couture It's spring time in NY and fashionistas, actresses, and NY glitterati descended on the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week for the annual Costume Institute Gala .  Despite the open invitation to dress punk, not many guests took up the challenge.  Madonna was the most daring in her Givenchy jacket accessorized with a fish net body suit and pink pumps. Sara Jessica Parker sported a Mohawk ha t by Philip Treacy.  Most of the other attendees were a bit of a snooze -- choosing pretty (and conventional) red carpet gowns over punk rock style. Why punk you may be asking?  The gala marked the opening of the Costume Institute's 2013 show -- Punk:  Chaos to Couture -- an examination of punk's influence on couture.  It was an interesting -- not great -- show.   Like  ALL  Metropolitan special exhibitions, no photographs were permitted.  Given my current obs...

I have been practicing isolating a single tulip so that it pops out which is not as easy as some photographers make it look.  And, yes, this is another post with not many words (that first sentence sums up the photos quite nicely if you ask me).  If you are on the hunt for a meatier post this week (more prose, less photos) -- check out my musings over on GeriPal -- That Place between Youth and Scattered Ashes . Unintentional Isolation Lots o' Zoom Fringe White on White Mellow Yellow Layering