5th Avenue

We went to 5th Avenue to get to the Museum of Modern Art today! The group decided to take an earlier stop on the subway station so that we could see the Rockefeller Center. There was a gorgeous floral topiary in the shape of a hippo. One eye was one the side of the face while another was in the front. It didn't make much sense, but oh well! We figured that it was that way for a reason. The street was lined with luxurious cafes and high end shops. In the center of Rockefeller Plaza was a mini resort. There were big umbrellas, a fountain, and many tables for people to leisurely dine. Still, I'm amazed at how New York City has such a good balance between the buildings, nature, and other little environments. The only thing that was missing was Alec Baldwin from 30 Rock! 

The walk to the Museum of Modern Art was a lot shorter than we thought. We got into the museum for free again because of our Columbia IDs. Instead of going from the first floor up, we went down from the very top. The selection of the artists on the fifth floor were all of the most famous artists in modern art. Dali, Van Gogh, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Picasso were some of the artists just to name a few. I was surprised that the original of  "Starry Night" was in the museum! I thought that it was kept at a museum in Europe. I liked "Starry Night" the most. It was intriguing to see the different painting styles. There were paintings with a thin layer of paint and others with thick blobs of oil. Some of the art was completely different too. There were wheels attached to stools and glued twine on display. 

Frida Kahlo

I didn't understand some of the art, but I'm sure that the artists had their own story for each of their pieces. I had to read some of the descriptions before understanding what the painting was. One of the simplest pieces was a wooden stick painted red. People must fight to get the work displayed in the museum, so there's probably genius meanings behind the pieces. The fourth floor had an interactive piece that we got to go through. It was supposed to be the birth process. We all took off our shoes, went through a pit of balloons, cover ourselves in a plastic canopy, and then trudge though rainbow balls and rope. I couldn't believe that the artist was able to come up with that herself. It was a strange experience, but interesting to say the least. This museum was a lot small than the MET, but it really focused on the modern art which created an extensive collection of pieces.