The Art of Looking

August 6th

I realized today that in only one month, this project has modified the way I approach walking my normal routes around town. I'm now constantly on the lookout for the next interesting topic or something "blog worthy". Today I took this photo:


Of the group taken on the 6th, it seemed the most arty. I also thought there might be something funny and potentially disgusting to say about the meaning of "Sassy's Sliders" or whether or not the "health giving" and "vitamin packed" papaya drinks really compensated for the $2 hot dogs consumed at Papaya King. So I wrote the skeleton entry in my head and put my camera away for the day.

But at 11pm on my subway ride home from trivia night, I passed this billboard and snapped this shot:

First of all, I don't get this ad on the left. The Ruben Museum was started by some super wealthy Asian art collectors, the Rubens, who spent a fortune turning an old department store into a cultural destination. According to their mission statement:

"The RMA is a cultural and educational institution dedicated to the art of the Himalayas. Its mission is to establish, present, preserve and document a permanent collection that reflects the vitality, complexity and historical significance of Himalayan art and to create exhibitions and programs designed to explore connections with other world cultures. "

So what does this crazy old lady with the statement "I think my inner Tiara is pink" have to do with Himalayan art? Me thinks that museum needs a new PR firm.


And then the ad to the right confused me even more. It took me a minute to realize it was an ad for something... about animals... um...doing something... (Rick, is this part of the Bronx Zoo ad campaign?) that had been pealed back to reveal an old subway map. In this state, it actually looks like the animals are using the map to navigate around the city. Perhaps the MTA can use this promotion for the subway system. (Rob, be sure to pass that message along to your boss and get me a finders fee!)

Anyway, even though these are not stellar photos or totally amazing topics, I hope that through my new found powers of observation, I can bring you a little bit of New York City weirdness this year.