Falling For New York
Taking a Artistic Bite Out of the Big Apple

Story and Photos by Irene Sperber

Central Park shows off its sculptural aspects on a wet autumn day

Don’t you just love it?   New York in the fall is a cornucopia of cultural events: the 2007 –  2008 season is an explosion of ideas and concepts. If you can manage to get your brain around one more show after the onslaught of Art Basel, I have a few that are in the Manhattan “Don’t Miss” category.

Museum of Modern Art—Georges Seurat: The Drawings
This is a stunner.  Seurat’s rarely seen 135 conte pencil drawings on paper leave you breathless.  His understanding of shadow and light are unprecedented. Seurat died at age 31; shockingly, this prolific output occurred during his brief career spanning essentially 11 years.  Through January 7.  Also at MoMA, catch Martin Puryear‘s  exceptional  retrospective. Forty-five sculptures, primarily wood, are beautifully displayed in Moma’s “faboo” new-ish space.  Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53 Street.  moma.org.

The Goethe Institut

The Whitney Museum—Kara Walker
The Whitney Museum is featuring a favorite of mine since she came on the scene in the early 1990s:  Kara Walker. I have witnessed her pieces many times as well as seen her speak.  I found this exhibition particularly moving. Ms. Walker cuts complicated silhouettes out of black crepe paper depicting the diaspora of Southern slavery.  Her scenes are so powerful, often you feel as if you should not be looking at them—Walker addresses the Civil Rights Movement, feminism, poverty and education; as well as the conflicts and confrontations inherent to these issues.  This soft-spoken young woman has a vibrant voice as she carefully works her craft. Through February 3.  The Whitney Museum, 945 Madison Avenue at 75^th Street.   whitney.org.

Falling leaves

The Goethe-Institut—Talents II : New Photography From Berlin
This is a sleeper. Located in a beautiful Manhattan brownstone building, the Institut’s goal is to introduce the American audience to contemporary German photography. The exhibition is an informative foray into the observational reporting of Berlin’s modern photography “scene” (ick, hate that word, but you know what I mean).  The images are displayed in slide form, just so you know. The Goethe-Institut, 1014 5th Avenue at at 83rd Street.  goethe.de/newyork

The Museum of Arts & Design—Prick: Extreme Embroidery
And not be left out in your tour:  The Museum of Arts & Design’s Prick: Extreme Embroidery.  This show follows last year’s clever Extreme Knitting Exhibition, for those of you who can’t imagine needlework being controversial.  Forty-eight men and women from 17 countries are participating artists. Through March 9.  The Museum of Arts & Design, 40 West 53rd Street. madmuseum.org