An artist friend just yesterday noted that the Huffington Post has done a “green” story http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/08/five-fabulous-green-roofs_n_268638.html on building roofs that are planted with all sorts of grasses and gardens. Rockefeller Center here in New York has one that’s pretty traditional — a formally structured set of garden rooms high in the sky. Also mentioned in the article is my favorite, the top of the new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Open since October 2008, this extraordinary complex is the natural history museum for our time and replaces the old aquarium in Golden Gate Park, sited just across from the beautiful new DeYoung Museum. When I visited on a weekday in late January, it was packed, still very much a hot ticket for locals as well as tourists.
There’s the dolled up one, presented here http://www.newsweek.com/id/214124 by Newsweek in late August. Then there’s the face I saw when she came to New Jersey City University one Sunday afternoon last fall to open her Imagine Peace show in a couple of the school’s galleries. She drew every celeb-watcher in Jersey, and their cameras. The show itself was beautifully presented, full of photos of Yoko and John playing in the spotlight of the world’s attention 40 years ago and asking for peace in much the same way artists of all kinds could and should be doing right now. Viewers were invited in one gallery to take an “Imagine Peace” stamp, get some ink on it, and stamp the words on any of several maps. I put “Imagine Peace” on Australia, where I’ve got a friend who went home recently after 40-plus years in America. As one might expect with her years of experience, Yoko is expert at moving through a crowd, even as the shortest person in the room. At 75 or so, she’s forever young.
I recently dropped in at the National Academy Museum, on Fifth Avenue at 89th Street, to view “Reconfiguring The Body in American Art 1820-2009.” On view until Nov. 15, it features 160 works grouped by themes and concerns. Self-portraits, portraits, sculptures, etc. I got lots of ideas of things to do with photography from some of the most recent works. Anyway, it’s against the rules to photograph anything in the galleries, but the statue of Diana that graces the rotunda is fair game. I forget who sculpted her, but another casting is in some mansion somewhere being enjoyed by the people who own it. I couldn’t resist. So along with a recommendation that you can see lots of shows elsewhere that don’t equal the one currently up these stairs, you get a peek at Diana.
Florence Pape, director of development for the Hudson Theatre Ensemble and one of its frequent leading players. You’ll see Florence frequently on these pages, as she embodies my philosophy of photographing actors who are working today: Show Me Your Faces!
A heartfelt message from John Crittenden:
I’ve loved the theater as long as I can remember being alive! And I’ve been taking photographs for almost as long.
So welcome to my world, as I’ve seen it so far, up to this very minute. Have fun exploring, and if you need a photograph of yourself or someone you love, get in touch…
Show Me Your Faces!