Essay by Luke Foster
“I feel about bagels the way a tree must feel about birds’ nests.”
– Tom Robbins
I have been in Brooklyn New York for about a fortnight now and have done a lot less than I expected I would. The residency is fantastic and there are several painters, a play-write and a cellist. In another few weeks we have a salon in a large warehouse space and present our work to an audience.
I have been resting a lot and this is my second essay this trip since my last essay at Brisbane airport in Australia.
Yesterday I did a lot of drawing and today was hoping to go to IKEA to buy some picture frames for the salon or go to the big art museum the Whitney but ended up just resting and a bit of computer stuff to organise my coming art projects.
Because I became lactose intolerant, I thought I would be avoiding dairy this trip but I have been having a little milk in coffee at the local deli and a little cheese on bagels and veggie wraps without to, much discomfort.
What I have done includes visiting the Guggenheim, visiting MOMA and both are big art museums, seen a basketball game at Madison Square Garden between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers and had a social-drinks at the residency, a couple of bottles of non-alcoholic beer with popcorn and visited this place where artists can get recycled materials for free.
Future plans for the rest of my stay here include: seeing a Moulin Rouge show at Broadway next weekend, a lot more drawing, hopefully a few more essays and visiting MOMA Ps1 and the Whitney; both big art galleries. I am also hoping to organise a photographer/videographer to do a shoot via Sol the head of the residency.
One of the favourite artworks I have seen in New York is Van Goghs Starry Night painting arguably one of the most famous artworks in history which is in MOMAS permanent collection.
“The Starry Night is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village.”
Wikipedia
In conclusion you can live cheaply in New York if you find affordable accommodation and restaurants but I have a favourite corner deli. However, I spend a fortune on taxis as I have a terrible sense of direction to navigate the buses and subway even though the first time, I came to New York I caught the subway everywhere. This is my third trip to New York but hopefully not my last.