Monday 30 April 2012

Flowers




Meanwhile, in the U.K., a bijoux Art Nouveau village hall in North Stoke.




bright spring colours on a grey, windy and very wet day.
















Saturday 28 April 2012

Museum of Modern Art, NYC





Museum of Modern Art in New York. Packed out - far too many people to chill out and enjoy, but still, not to be missed




We looked at the 20th century exhibits of the permanent collection and two temporary exhibitions, one of Diego Riviera's murals and one of Cindy Sherman's photographs.




Five floors, packed with art and with people enjoying the art




Situated at the entrance, these 'gentlemen' turned their head sand followed you with their gaze as you passed.




In this post I want to concentrate on the sculpture garden of the museum.




A fantastic space very condusive to relaxing




The King Playing with the Queen, 1944, Max Ernst





Man in the Open Air, 1915, Elie Nedelman





Family Group, 1948-49, Henry Moore




Moonbird, 1966, Joan Miro




the fact that it was sunny and 25oC also helped immensely




Floating Figure, 1927, Gaston Lachaise




Entrance Gate to Paris Metro Station, c1900, Hector Guimard




Daphne, 1930, Renee Sintenis




The Back, II (1911-13),  III (1913-16), IV (1931) , Henri Marisse



the pool was very Mies Van Der Rohe




Frances Adele Lewis




The Mediterranean, 1902-05, Aristide Maillol




Alberto Giacometti




She-Goat, 1950, Pablo Picasso




Water Tower, 1998, Rachel Whiteread.



Friday 27 April 2012

Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Building, NYC

Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Building, West 43rd and Fifth Avenue, originally the Chase Manhattan building, designed by Gordon Bunshaft and completed in 1954.



Now a Joe Fresh store, I have decided not to include a picture of the way the building is now, covered in posters and adverts, but to download a picture from the Internet of the building in its heyday.  It was revolutionary in its time. Earlier glass walled buildings were opaque reflecting the surrounding structures. In this building, exterior and interior were conceived as one thing, unified and inseparable, to be seen and experienced as a continuous experience.





This was a glass box featuring the dramatic display of the bank's vault behind the glass facade.





and a closer look




Inside the building Harry Bertoia created a site specific architectural screen which served as a divider between the public and private portions of the bank. It spans 16 feet in height, 70 feet in length, and 2 feet in depth and contains more than 800 separate forms placed in five different vertical planes, anchored both to the floor and the ceiling.




"To me inagination is an active thing. I like sculptures that can be touched, that move in the wind."




The sculpture is made of steel and then molten brass was poured over the steel. The lustre is incredible.




It is like a living thing, which changes as the light strikes it.





It is like a massive collection of jewellery.




It is awesome.





The Cloud piece, also by Bertoia, created specifically for this site.




Bertoia said that the inspiration for this piece came from looking at silver fish in the river.

Both pieces are related, one has a sky feeling, while the other is grounded in the earth.








Thursday 26 April 2012

More Manhattan snapshots





Broadway, the Financial District




World Trade Centre 1, what will be America's tallest building on the Ground Zero site




The Statue of Liberty, as seen from Staten Island ferry




View of Manhattan as seen from Staten Island ferry





Battery Park




Broadway, Financial District




Hell's Kitchen Flea Market




Chelsea Hotel, on West 23 Street, known for its history of notable residents which have included Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop. Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: Space Odyssey while staying  there, Dylan Thomas died of pneumonia while being a resident there. Hotel Chelsea no longer accepts new long-term residents.




Antiques Garage Flea Market, 112 West 25th St




ajother flea market we discovered a bit further down from the previous one




Ha! Ha! Ha! I thought that was hilarious. And what about those masks?

Canal Street, Chinatown




Canal Street, Chinatown




Orchard Street, Lower East Side




Tenement Museum, Orchard Street, Lower East Side.




Enjoying Sunday brunch




Little Italy




Chinatown




another truck




5th Avenue - I love the reflections on the glass




and a closer look



Madison Avenue, Uptown




Uptown, off Madison Avenue




Uptown




Uptown




Madison Avenue, Uptown




Madison Avenue




9th Avenue, Hell's Kitchen. The red bits in the picture are the cranes that they use to lift/lower the cars in position.




Madison Avenue




Madison Avenue.