New Museum

This is the front entrance to the New Museum at the Lower East Side. It is probably the newest museum in New York City since it was opened only last year.

So how is your weekend?

Metropolitan Museum of Art Atrium

This is the atrium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located on the Upper East Side of New York City. The entrance to the museum is directly in front of me, behind the tall floral arrangement in the information booth. I was here to meet Sheryl of Astoria, Oregon Daily Photo, who was in town to celebrate her birthday last week.

So have you met any of the daily photo bloggers?

Look Down The Atrium

This was the view down the central atrium of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). I was standing on the 6th floor looking down on the furniture exhibition on the 2nd floor (left) and 1st floor (bottom right).

So how is the weather in your city. It has been drizzling non-stop since Sunday.

MoMA Garden

I went to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in midtown Manhattan yesterday afternoon. But after a couple of hours indoors, I saw this view from the 3rd floor of the museum and knew I had to go outside and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.

So is Spring your favorite season? If not, what is?

Graffiti City

Paris has the outdoor stairwell at Centre Pompidou and we have ours at 5 Pointz in Long Island City, New York. This converted warehouse, across the street from the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, is home to many artists who work in their studios here. These graffitis are part of their work and they are totally approved by the building owner.

So do you have a monument or place in your city that resembles one in another city?

Murakami Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum

I went to the Brooklyn Museum a couple weeks ago to see the Murakami Exhibition but it had already closed. All that was left were a balloon and a statue by the artist at the inside entrance area of the museum. The day wasn't a total waste though. I got a chance to visit an old friend and we explored the different neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Like the saying goes: when life gives you lemon, make lemonade.

So do you have a favorite quote or phrase to share with us?

Rooftop Art at the MET

This installation on the rooftop garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) is the Coloring Book by Jeff Koons. It is one of three pieces of work by Mr. Koons on exhibition here.

You can see my reflection and the skyline of Manhattan in the shiny surface. I know, I know, I need to lose a few pounds or so. I've been asking for steamed broccoli instead of french fries with my (oh the horror) turkey burger.

So do you have any other tips on losing weight and eating healthy?

Midtown Manhattan Vista

This composite photo of Manhattan's skyline was "stitched" together by combining 6 separate photos using the "stitching technology" in my point-and-shoot camera. [Click on the photo to see the large format.] The photos were taken on the rooftop garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) on 5th Avenue and 86th Street on the Upper East Side.

The museum abutts Central Park on three sides so you can see the green mass of trees at the near bottom of the photo. The buildings in the background is the skyline of midtown Manhattan, along 60th Street where Central Park begins.

So when was the last time you visited a museum?

The Atrium at the MET 2

Here is another photo of the atrium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notice the terrance on the second floor on the upper left corner? That was where I was when I took a lot of photos posted here.

No question today. I hope everyone has a good Sunday.

The Atrium at the MET

This photo shows the ceiling of the atrium right at the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The photo was taken from the 2nd floor terrace.

So what are you plans for the weekend?

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This impressive staircase is the central entrance to the 2nd floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side. The museum has a South Wing (Greek & Roman Art) and a North Wing (Egyptian Art). This central entrance leads directly from the front door of the museum to the back, where the American Art is located.

So when was the last time you visited a museum?

Self-Portrait at the MET

I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday and I saw this fascinating artwork by Indian born British artist, Anish Kapur who created a concave shaped dish made entirely out of stainless steel. Upon seeing my images on the reflective surface, I quickly took out the camera and started taking photos of myself.

So when was the last time you took a photo of yourself?

Malaysia: Fort Margherita

This is Fort Margherita, which has been turned into a Police Museum. Sarawak was a former British colony and was briefly ruled by the White Rajahs.

Am heading to Singapore next week.

Guggenheim Museum

I went to the Guggenheim Museum last Friday, which is located on 5th Avenue and 89th Street in the Upper East Side. The spectacular structure that houses the museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959 and today, it is still one of the most distinct and recognizable buildings in New York City.

The museum was undergoing an extensive exterior renovation so I was not able to get a good photo of the building because of the scaffoldings and wire nettings. However, I was able to take some great photos of the interior architecture. Photography of the art work was prohibited. In fact, we were allowed to use the camera in the lobby area only.

The permanent art collection at the Guggenheim Museum is fairly small compared to the other museums in New York City. It relies extensively on special exhibitions of selected works borrowed from other museums to attract its visitors.

Has anyone been to the New York City Guggenheim Museum? What do you think of it?

MoMA:Up in the Sky

This photo, taken while standing outside at the Sculpture Garden at MoMA, shows three distinct structures in the area. The triangle on the left is the Intersection II by Richard Serra and the triangle on the right is the roof of MoMA that extends out into the garden. The building in the middle of the photo is the highrise that abuts the museum.

This is a photo of the skylight on the 6th and top floor of the museum where special exhibitions are usually held. As you see, the MoMA is sandwiched between two highrise buildings. The building on the left is the same building in the first photo above.

MoMA: Richard Serra at the Sculpture Garden

This is a macro shot of Intersection II (1992-3), a gigantic structure by Richard Serra at the MoMA sculpture garden. It is made up of four identical bands of steel, each weighing 30 tons and measuring 13' high x 53' long and 2 1/8' thick. The structure is arranged in two parentheses formation like this: (( )).

Here is another shot of the Intersection II (below right) taken from inside the MoMA building. The other structure on the upper left is also by Richard Serra called, Torqued Ellipse IV.


Here is a link to more photos of the Intersection II on flickr.com by different photographers. They did a better job of capturing the image of the structure than I did.

MoMA: Monet & Pollock

Reflections of Clouds on the Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet (1840-1926) is one of the most spectacular works of art at the MoMA, not just for its sheer size (6' 6 3/4" x 41' 10 3/8" or 200 x 1276 cm) but its beauty and colors. The painting from the Impressionist movement, occupies the entire length of a gallery has three leather benches in front of it for admirers to sit down, relax and enjoy the scenery.

This painting by Jackson Pollock entitled, One: Number 31, 1950 is a perfect example of his drip and pour technique, which he popularized during the Abstract Expressionist era. The painting is 8' 10" x 17' 5 5/8" (269.5 x 530.8 cm) and is one of many Pollocks exhibited in the permanent collection at the MoMA.

When taking these photos, I was torn between simply taking a perfectly aligned photo of the art work only OR do I want to include museum goers in the picture. What do you think? Do you usually include strangers in your photo or do you make every effort to exclude them?

MoMA: Looking Up, Looking Down

I had a day off yesterday (Thursday) so I went to my favorite museum in the city, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue. The reasons I love MoMA best are because: (1) it is small enough to see all the exhibitions in an afternoon but big enough to have a diverse collection of art; (2) the new building, designed by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, is simply spectacular; (3) it is very easy to get to from my apartment; and (4) there is a wonderful fruit and vegetable juice cart right outside the museum for some post-museum refreshments.

The photos above show the views of the 5-floor corridors from the mezzanine (left) and the mezzanine from the 5th floor corridor. For the rest of the week, I will be doing a series of photos from my visit to the MoMA.

Do you have a favorite museum or place near your home where you can visit on your day off?

Brooklyn Museum of Art

Here is another photo of the Brooklyn Museum of Art and its collection of Rodin sculptures. The original museum structure and the second floor promenade can be seen through the glass ceiling of the new pavilion.

The Brooklyn Museum of Art has twelve pieces of Rodin sculptures. Auguste Rodin (Nov 12, 1840 - Nov 17, 1917) was a 19th century French artist who was best known for his bronze statues eventhough he was an accomplished painter. In fact, it was his work as a portrait artist in the 1870s that brought him financial success and recognition in the art world. Rodin's most famous works include The Thinker and The Kiss

I just learned how to use Flickr.com so here are more photos of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.