charlieottaway

[charlieottaway]

Ways of Seeing: New York

Expectations vs Reality 

The expectation of New York was daunting. It is a place that appears so familiar yet it’s so alien. I expected to walk down a street I have already walked down before, through film or a video game. However, I can only experience something by being there. Looking at a building or street in a painting and photo does not compare to the real New York atmosphere - I became accustom to. The promise land, America’s home of art. Reading the Great Gatsby has made me feel like I’ve already experienced the buzz surrounding the iconic city, one quote has always remained clear in my mind from reading two years ago.

“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.��� – The Great Gatsby

The beauty of a city full of promise and opportunity, fuelling the American Dream. Many migrants entered the city in hope of becoming rich, they believed in the city to find themselves and become someone they were not. Perhaps this echoes the way I wanted the city to produce a striking image for my art. I wanted to take 1,000 photos to fill a hole I have always wanted an unlimited bank of material for my artwork. Compared to London, the way I saw New York before even being there was incredible. From reading about it, seeing it in art, films and photos. It presents itself as the place to be Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Edward Hopper all made themselves there. 

On arrival, in JFK, what struck me most was the fact I was in America. Considering I have only been to Paris and Spain I found it crazy I was in America; it still doesn’t feel like I’ve been there. On the first night I experienced walking around, night-time, Times Square. Strolling along the illuminated street was surreal, however once I’ve looked at it for a couple of minutes I am just staring at the same screens of advertisement for a long time. The experience was something from an episode of Black Mirror. Advertising consumer products, suffocating the eye. The lights hit every part of the street, forecasting unnatural shadows from the false lights everywhere. Effecting every part of the avenue, when I looked away, I was drawn back like a moth to a flame.

The empire State was incredible, but I somehow felt like I had already experienced it before. As I had already been to the top of the Eiffel Tower – although there was a big difference. New York was much denser; the skyline was claustrophobic and condensed. Whenever I have seen London’s skyline it has always appeared spread out.

Brooklyn was very different and perhaps a regret of mine that I never fully experienced it by walking around the famous New York Borough. Even though, I was staying in the heart of Manhattan. Brooklyn felt as if I was in a living environment – it did make me feel more attached to the people of Brooklyn.

Chinatown was another experience I think I will struggle to achieve again. The cultural difference is colossal, we left one street and entered another country. From the Asian market stalls to buildings – Chinatown is an area of New York I am very glad I experienced. It was busy, compact and densely populated. On the same day I visited Soho. The streets were long, clean and the sky was blue. Incredibly, it felt like I was in an American sitcom. Furthermore, it was comparable to parts of London. It wasn’t until I entered the Nike Store, and everyone spoke in American accent - I remembered where I was.

Walking on 49th street was interesting because it was so lit up at 10 in the morning, it felt very Americanised. If I went at night, I could have easily visualised the nocturnal street as a painting. Walking downtown from the northern side of Times Square was bizarre, as I was so used to seeing it pointing

north. I could see a hint of lights in the long distance on 7th avenue. The moment which has stuck with me the most was visiting the 9/11 memorial museum. Walking around was very eery. It was silent, the museum managed to bring people together in a mutual respect. It was very emotional, listening to the witness’s stories and felt very personal – everyone knew someone who was affected by 9//11 and I felt like an intruder listening to their stories.

The last experience was the ferry to see the statue of liberty and it fell flat. I was excepting an impressive towering statue and the iconic skyline to be situated behind, but everything seemed so small. Perhaps the irony is because everything in America was so big, the burgers, milkshakes, skyscrapers, lorries, trucks, roads and cemeteries. To compare them to such an historical landmark is a weird remark and perhaps an American insult but I found myself more taken aback by the size of the lorries, rather than the size of the Statue of Liberty.

New York museums was one of the biggest attractions to New York for me. Along with the skyscrapers dictating the horizon and streets. The galleries and exemplary museums are renowned for holding such prestigious artwork. The first museum was the Met. However, my experience was cut short and felt very rushed. Luckily, I managed to find 3 of Edward Hopper’s artwork and really study them. ‘From William’s Bridge’ was the first piece brought to my attention. The work of art depicts an unembellished façade of four apartment buildings tiptoeing the glimpse of steel (attached to the bridge which gives the piece a name). By just a small hint he has given the still image noise and life. The bridge connects Brooklyn and Manhattan – the image of the 4 apartments buildings is now manipulated by the constant noise of a train flying through. Rocking the lives of those who are so close to perfection. They appear high in the sky without trouble, but the building looses being the main character when I spotted the small figure in all white. Now the sitting buildings just become a home for the isolated figure and it creates sympathy – empathizing her alienation in urban life. Although just walking past the piece, it could become unnoticed in such a large museum the piece carries so much meaning. The shadows are what interested me and made me focus my photos to capture the effect of light and dark in cityscapes. The other two paintings I saw was ‘The Lighthouse at Two Lights’ and ‘Table for Ladies.’ The later coveys an image which I feel Hopper creates beautifully in his artwork, to capture a moment. The painting is of a waitress leaning forward to adjust the vividly painted foods at the window. In my opinion, the action of the waitress could be pulled from any situation, someone at a grocery shop or supermarket. The lady could be anyone but because Hopper paints her in the waitress uniform, she is immediately given this role. At the time he painted this the importance of where Hopper has situated the three different ladies has showcased a social comment. One a waitress, one a cashier and the third as a couple. Although, they appear weary and detached, these two working women hold jobs newly available for female city dwellers outside the home. Before then, if a woman was seen to be dining by herself in public she would have been classed as a prostitute. The paintings ability to create such a symbolic message indicates Hopper’s brilliance and why he is such an adored American Great.

‘From Williamsburg Bridge,’ Edward Hopper, 1982

‘Table for Ladies,’ Edward Hopper, 1930

Two days after the MET, I visited the MoMA and it is easily the best museum I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe I was standing looking at some of the most famous pieces of art. There was a strong influence of American Pop art, consisting of Andy Warhol’s incredibly famous ‘Soup cans,’ Keith Haring’s mural-esque work ‘untitled,’ Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock. Furthermore, I just casually strolled past the likes of Barbra Kruger, Wolf Vostell, Janet Sobel (an influence in Pollock’s work), a whole section dedicated to Picasso and Henri Matisse. I was amazed at finding Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait, as it’s an image which has been used in popular culture so many times as an image for feminism, it was interesting to witness how small it is. The same could be said for Salvador Dali’s ‘Persistence of Memory.’ Seeing Dali’s work was amazing, having seen the image so many times previously I was shocked to find the piece was so small. 

‘Campbells Soup Cans,’ Andy Warhol, 1962

The last room I properly explored included such symbolic artists it is hard to showcase this through words. Firstly, James Ensor’s piece ‘Masks Confronting Death.’ It is a piece of work I would never have expected to have seen, after I studied the artist in GCSE, I grew fascinated by the way he produced his horrifying artwork and to see it in person was amazing. Next to his work was Seurat, Edvard Munch and lastly Vincent Van Gogh. The two pieces of Van Gogh’s artwork was his ‘Portrait of Joseph Roulin’ and ‘Starry Night.’ To see ‘Starry Night’ in person made me speechless, It was so amazing because it was so famous, I have never been obsessed with Van Gogh’s artwork and would rather visit a piece by an artist I actually adore however to see his art was memorable. Considering people race across Europe when an exhibition of his work opens, it was astonishing to see it in the flesh.

‘Masks Confronting Death,’ James Ensor ,1888

In the MoMA I did see another piece by Edward Hopper, ‘New York Movie.’ The Painting was produced in 1939, the same year the first movie was made in colour. The movies during this period was to become engrossed by the whole experience of a cinema. What become apparent is how sparse the cinema is. Hopper’s style is distinctive, as he has managed to use an area which is associated to an emotionally joyful place. Typically, busy and compact, Hopper has reversed the expectation into a deserted and virtually unpopulated space. No one has any interactions, similar to all of his art. The screen is marginalized and ignores the happy experience but emphasizes the isolation to create a melancholy atmosphere.

Viewing Hopper’s work in the flesh is incredibly important for my FMP. His work isn’t as vast as I expected but rather, they appeared small and very rough textured. The paint work is what surprised me the most. It was thickly painted, there was patches of white in certain points where he hadn’t completely covered the canvas. In response to this piece, I wanted to understand a New York cinema and see the changes from Hopper’s painting. Additionally, seeing the artwork made it obvious of the theme focusing on isolation, detachment and capturing a moment. Visiting New York certainly lived up to my expectations, the longer I was there the more I want to come back. Leaving the apartment become a drug, just to catch a glimpse of the New York lifestyle and experience.

‘Tables for Ladies,’ Edward Hopper, 1931