NYC: A Trip to the MET
New York City Skyline
During my Freshmen year, I went to New York City for Spring Break. I remember being excited to be welcomed into the city that never sleeps. The three days, we had spent in the city, were unforgettable and the days were filled with sightseeing and touring the city. Along the way, we saw many notable sites; such as the Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick's Cathedral, but the most influential was The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I had always dreamed of going to New York and experiencing even a shred of the city life, that my rural upbringing had failed to provide. My dream of visiting a number of art museums and peering out of skyscrapers to look at the New York City Skyline was a goal that I thought would never come to fruition until it did and I found myself standing at the entrance of the MET.
A Place: A red banner that reads "THE MET" hangs between two pillars.
The red banner with the words "THE MET" emblazoned in capital letters brought my dreams into reality. The contrast of the red against the grayish-white marble that lined the building's architecture made me realize that I was standing in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York itself. The MET had quickly become synonymous with New York and by arriving at the staircase and seeing the pillars that were holding up this palatial museum, I had arrived in a sense to the heart of New York City.
A Face: Me (Grace Watson) standing in front of the MET
I beamed at the camera as tourists sat on the steps conversing with their friends and family members that were battling the cold March air for a chance to see famous artworks from around the world. The sun had partially washed out the MET's features, but nothing could have erased the magnificence of its place on the Museum Mile. I, too, felt the sun shined on me, but nothing could dim my smile.
A Place with Faces: Visitors to the MET
People began to make their way into the iconic building; there were those that were still sitting for one more photo. Shadows created harsh lines between the dark and light with the sun casting the pillars in gold and causing the chéneau (ornamental gutter) designed by Richard Morris Hunt for the Museum's Fifth Avenue facade to illuminate the features of the goddesses who guide those wanting to learn and experience art in all of its forms: painting, sculpture, architecture, and music.
Interior of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
As we enter the MET, the color changed to reflect our mood. The outside world slowly faded away as we were met with the imposing structure of a modern-day Parthenon that was dedicated to the arts and art education. The group scattered to be able to cover the five floors and more than 2 million works of art. As I explore the exhibits on display, I was on a mission to fulfill one more dream to see the works of one of my favorite artists: Vincent van Gogh.
Faces in Places: Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat by Vincent van Gogh Date: 1887 Medium: Oil on canvas
And that dream came true too. In a city that never sleeps, dreams are just a figment of a reality that has not yet materialized. This holds true as shown by the words of Vincent van Gogh,
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream."
This Places2Faces assignment was adapted from Bridgewater University professor, Dr. Kelley Crowley's web assignment. The idea of the assignment was to tell a story in 6 pictures with each picture detailing a part of the story; such as the place, a face, a place with faces, and faces in places as well as 2 additional shots that make sense with the story.
The first photo should establish the location of your story – what does it look like? color? texture? geography? architecture?
The second photo should establish a face that is central to your story – who lives/works/exists here? what do they look like? how does the place show in their face?
The third photo should fill the place with some faces – interior? movement? uses of the space? how full? empty?
The fourth photo should show your face in the place – shift the focus. how do faces interact with the place? how do the faces reflect the place? the place the face?
This was originally via Adobe Spark Webpage.
Comments
Post a Comment