The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden
April 28, 2009–November 29, 2009 (weather permitting)
I teach an art course for undergraduates at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY. The class is primarily a studio class, but I try to infuse as much art history into the lessons as I can. My students are extremely bright, and catch on to concepts very quickly. However, when it comes to basic art history they always seem one step behind. I guess I can't blame them, I don't recall knowing all that much about Willem de Kooning and Clifford Still when I was their age and I have always been an artist. So whenever I get the chance I drag my class to the local museums in New York and we get an eye full. I always believed that you could never really "get" these concepts until you saw the real thing. You can paint your whole life, but if you never stand in front or a Rembrandt, you will never see how much color you can put into dark spaces. If you never sit and stare at a Monet, you will never appreciate how much you can do with color and light.
Last week we went on a field trip to see the Modern and Contemporary wings of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I won't bore anyone with the play by play of how my students reacted to the work there. All I will say is that I think the majority of them really enjoyed themselves and got a lot out of it. Something that was unexpected and truly wonderful was the exhibit on the roof of the Met: Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom. The work surprised us all and we ended up spending most of our time enjoying the beautiful fall weather, the spectacular view of Central Park and the exciting and sublime work of Roxy Paine.
The exhibition consists of a large, multi-part sculpture made out of stainless steel piping and bars. The piece is 130 feet long and 45 feet wide and evokes the root system of plants, tree limbs or other organic life. This juxtaposed with the highly polished stainless steel materials and the view of the park creates an interesting dialogue with the urban environment, natural forms and the history of landscape painting, sculpture and installation. The work comes alive as you walk through, each angle and passageway between the "branches" unveiling new ways of seeing the work. Before I knew it I was deep inside it, tangled in it and looking at the world outside it in a new way. Some straggling limbs shoot out off the roof beyond the wall and seem to stretch longingly towards the park below. Like the tin toy of a tree wishing it could run and play with its real live brothers and sisters below. Other parts of the sculpture sit heavy and anchored to the roof floor, ominous, powerful and unwilling to let go of their perch.
The work is up until late November and I think it would be worth it to see the sculpture in different times of year. See it against the back drop of the full green park and then as the trees change color and finally drop their leaves. Paine's piece remains unchanging against this ever-changing environment; an organic shape cast in steel. Catch it now before the winter chill comes and the roof closes.
The roof of the Met also has a great bar. Enjoy a cocktail while enjoying the art and the view.
All photos by Jessica Guerrette
