Monday, fun-day, with a touch of seriousness. Can you handle it?

Monday was one of my favorite days I have had this summer. It mixed many of my favorite things: art, architecture, design, exploration, and adventure. I traveled to Long Island City, Queens to visit P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, an affiliate of MoMA. One of my favorite teachers last semester told me that my summer would not be complete if I did not make the trip. I thought she might have been playing up the fact that her sister, Alanna Heiss, founded P.S.1 in 1971 as the Institute for Art and Urban Resources, Inc.

Well, my professor was not merely shining light upon her sister, because the museum has become a new obsession of mine. It could easily be my favorite, but in a whole different spectrum of museums. The building is unique, as it was the first public school in New York. The architecture and restoration were as mesmerizing as the interpretations of socio politics and culture of the 1960s, which is a current exhibit that is heart felt, gut wrenching, and leaves the soul wanting more.

My favorite exhibit that I saw is called "That Was Then... This is Now." Split up into three sections, flags, weapons, and dreams, an "international group of artists, spanning 4 decades mobilized art as a means of change."

"That was Then... This is Now, situates theses representations as central to artists collective aspiration towards progress, as it examines political hopes and the ambiguity of symbols meant to imply consensus."

Unless you have a media pass, no one can take pictures of the installations or anything in the exhibits for that matter. As I was sitting on the floor in awe of Controller of the Universe (picture at the left), a hanging sculpture consisting of old tools and weapons (some literally rusted and discolored and out of production), I notice a man taking pictures from every angle. I tried not to get annoyed, but it was seriously starting to bother my flow of thoughts. *Side note: I'm writing a paper on P.s.1 for my final project of the summer.* Anyways, before I decided to get mad, I see the P.s1 employee chatting with them about the piece. His accent was very strong and his English was somewhat broken.

A light bulb went off in my head and I figured it out. The man taking pictures was, Damian Ortega, the artist of the sculpture and not to mention a well known artist originally from Mexico. Once I put the pieces of the puzzle together I tried to "slowly" approach him (we were the only ones in the room), and ask him twenty questions about the piece.

The dream section of the exhibit was as if Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech had come alive. The reality that the power for equality and the right to vote was once a dream for women and African Americans has pus history in much more perspective. To see the feeling and passion as art is much more powerful than reading in a text book.
I took many deep breaths while I was in the room of dreams because what many of us, including myself take for granted, was once many American's dream.

The flag portion of the exhibit struck a few cords with me. Being raised in Southern suburbia America, I have been raised seeing the flag on a flag pole, raised above school yards, front lawns, churches, etc. All of which consist of thirteen stripes and fifty stars, with the universal colors of red, white, and blue.

Walking into the room I was faced with a police car hanging upside down from the ceiling, viewable from all angles. I turned to my left and see a flag made of aluminum foil. It still had thirteen stripes and fifty stars. Did it hold the same meaning? What about a water color that had dots painted for the stars, but all the colors remained true?
Or what about Lovett Codagnone's, Stripped, hand stitched cotton and satin flag which had thirteen strips was completely black?

Does the meaning of the flag change by an artists interpretation? It isn't my place to say it does or it does not, because I am only one person and can only speak for myself. But to me, the flag stands for camaraderie, freedom, courage, justice, heritage, achievement, and future perseverance.

Hopefully, you've all enjoyed my deep thinking for the day. Monday was really an awesome experience and I got to think a lot about art and America's history and I am very glad I took my professor's advice, because I would have regretted not going. Put it on your list next time you visit.
Even if contemporary art isn't your niche, the architecture is out of this world.