Two days with my Mom in NYC
A few weeks ago I stayed in New York City with my mom for a few nights. We had a fantastic time soaking up the sites, eating amazing food and walking around Midtown where our hotel was located. We stayed within walking distance of the Met and MoMA, so getting around to see famous artworks was easy. Best of all, my mom and I got some quality time together.
Since starting photography, I’ve taken renewed interest in all sorts of art, and I was fortunate to see incredible works by many famous artists. Around this time last year, I read Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith (a ~900 page beast of a book) so it was particularly special to see a number of his works. His charcoal sketch At Eternity’s Gate struck me harder than all of his more famous paintings combined.
Rather than trying to “pack it all in” during our short NYC stay, we focused our attention solely on art and I believe I came away with a greater appreciation for classical realism and impressionism. In addition to Van Gogh, I was also inspired by Dali, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas, Mone, Delacroix, Miro, Pollock, and others. We spent seven hours at the Met, then the next day around 4 hours at MoMA.
As for photography, I was pleased to find works by Dorothea Lange, Alfred Stieglitz, Ruth Orkin, Bernd & Hilla Becher and Wolfgang Tillman. Stieglitz’s Equivalents photos of clouds were smaller than I expected, but still very cool to get lost in.
The Dutch Masters’ use of space, light, and subjects simply blew me away. It’s easy to see how Van Gogh was so drawn to the pastoral scenes of his predecessors, such as Vermeer and Rembrandt.
I can’t say I recommend getting overwhelmed by art like this because it made me feel spiritually gluttonous, but it was certainly a unique experience. Next time, I’d like to spend even more time at both museums, and visit the Guggenheim, the Whitney and the Museum of Natural History. Since it would be impossible to describe how each piece impacted me, I’m keeping this post brief with mostly phone photos of the works I enjoyed.
We enjoyed one fancy lunch at an Italian restaurant close to the Met, and found a cool diner near our hotel. Getting this quality time with my mom was a treat. Since we live in different cities it was fun catching up, reminiscing and talking about life. We also encouraged each other to absolutely pig out.
[Notes added 10/27/22]
I think it’s crucial for creative people to experience art in all shapes and forms, including live music, but as a photographer I find particular value in spending quality time in the presence of visual media, famous or otherwise. I find it so easy to get stuck in my own world, with my own creative problems, that I forget the rich history of art and generations of artists whose lives and struggles can offer valuable insight into the creative life.
I’ve read about photographers who practice “photographic celibacy” - literally avoiding looking at photographs - for fear of becoming unwittingly influenced by them. I personally don’t believe in that approach at all. Most of my favorite photographs that I’ve made were undoubtedly a result of learning from, and finding inspiration in, the works of trailblazing and contemporary photographers. To me, that influence doesn’t even slightly diminish the meaningfulness I find in my own work. In fact, I probably never would have left the house many times had it not been for other artists, alive or dead, figuratively pushing me out the door.
We easily could have spent another few days in both the Met and MoMA, but I was satisfied with the amount of art we absorbed in just two days. When I arrived back home, I was happy to find quiet and serenity as I headed back into the hills and trees of East TN. It felt good to have a renewed appreciation for all the artists I had come to know a little bit better, and for the solitude I can access any time I need it.
Most importantly, it was wonderful getting to spend time with my amazing mom.
