The unseasonably cold weather and days of rain have kept us inside and a bit lazy. More time for reading and the occasional museum. Last week we paid a visit to the Jewish Museum especially for the Leonard Cohen exhibit, “A Crack in Everything,” which an acquaintance recommended.
If you’re my generation, then mention of Cohen’s name immediately brings to mind his song, “Suzanne,” which was popular in my college years. Cohen died in 2016, and the exhibit, a collection of videos, recordings, and film clips, is both a memorial and a testament to his work. Individuals have collected his music and writings in tributes, and in a room of beanbags with bands of color cycling on the walls, you can flop down and listen to more than twenty of his songs. I had not appreciated how wide ranging and extensive Cohen’s oeuvre was and was impressed with what was on display.
While there we also wandered into the permanent collection where there are both traditional self-portraits as well as more jarring contemporary works.
[Untitled] by William Anastasi
One example is the rainbow flag of gay pride with a Star of David embedded in it by Ross Bleckner; another is William Anastasi’s “jew” off center on a white canvas; and yet another is “Venus Pareve,” a colorful series of small sculpture.
“Venus Pareve” by Hannah Wilke, 1982-84
I also liked Louis Ribak’s “Self Portrait” from 1924.
DINING FIND
Sel et Poivre
This Upper East Side eatery has the feel of a comfortable shoe and seems to appeal to a neighborhood crowd. We were early for our reservation and it was already nearly full of diners. Wait staff are all male of a certain age (not young) and the greeting was pleasantly brisk. The 3-course prix fixe menu was reasonable at $34.95 with a nice selection of choices. The Chief Penguin ordered the green bean salad to start (best he’d ever had!) and then the steak frites. I tried the mesclun salad with a mustard vinaigrette (tangy in a good way) and the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. Both entrees were very good and the desserts, profiteroles and raspberry sorbet, also. We liked the overall ambience and will definitely go back.
Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is “Self-Portrait” by Anna Walinska (1928).
This year’s Fashion Institute exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is all about camp from the early days of dandyish gay men to its adoption by women in outlandish and outrageous gowns and shoes.
There’s low camp and high camp and camp that is somewhat subtle and that that is deliberate. This exhibit, with its rosy pink halls and its black gallery with mannequins in colorful light boxes, is exuberant, fun, and even silly. Everyone should find something to enjoy including in the background a recording of Judy Garland singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”
One man, a staff member perhaps, dressed in sweater and shoes to match the walls.
Is she dressed to emulate the lampshade? Probably.
MoMA will be closing in June for about 4 months for a slight re-do. We opted to take advantage of our membership and walked the 20+ blocks from our apartment. Since we like their café on level 2, we had an early lunch of paninis—an Italian one and the chicken with cheese one.
Opus 217…Portrait of M. Felix Feneon in 1890 by Paul Signac
With little in the way of special exhibits, we headed to the 5th floor for a tour around some of the permanent collection. New since our last time were some gifts from David Rockefeller’s estate including a whimsical, punchy one by Signac that caught my eye.
Portuguese Market by Delaunay-Terk
I was also taken with one by Sonia Delaunay-Terk as well as The Olive Trees by Van Gogh.
The Olive Trees
Also here are his Starry Night, some bathers by Matisse, and a gallery showing off Monet’s water lily panels. It’s a veritable treasure trove!
On First Avenue, this restaurant is small and a bit cramped in feel, but obviously popular as it quickly filled up. The roasted tomatoes (instead of the usual sliced ones) with fresh mozzarella and basil were luscious, and the pasta dishes very satisfying. The Chief Penguin tucked into gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce and walnuts (one of his most favorite dishes) while I indulged in an order of pappardelle in a beef chunk ragu. Thus sated, we appreciated the tiny plate of complimentary biscotti and cookies to finish. There are a number of wines by the glass including some special pricier ones.
Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo taken in Rockefeller Center.
Today, our last full day, was packed with economics, history, visual art and dance. Lourdes, dean of economics at the University of Havana, was our morning speaker here at the hotel. Like all the other individuals who have shared their insights with us, she was both spirited and informative. The Cubans we’ve encountered up close have been passionate about their work, candid about conditions in the country, and yet able to present them with a touch of humor.
From her, we gained a better understanding of how wealth, or more often the lack of it, is distributed in Cuba and how rich Cubans rely upon their relatives living in the U.S. or abroad to send them money or goods. For example, salaries for academics are low given their education, and one might make as little as 22 pesos a month. We all wished we’d had more time with her to ask more questions about the U.S. embargo on goods and about her own story.
Hall of Mirrors under renovation like much of the museum
After our economics lesson, we went to the Museo de la Revolucion. This is Cuba’s version of the events leading up to Fidel Castro’s takeover and what followed including the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Cuba’s engagements with Russia and the rest of the world through the 1980’s. Outside the building, several military planes and vehicles are on display including, behind glass, the yacht Fidel Castro and 81 others came in from Mexico in 1956 to launch the Revolution.
Lunch at Ivan Justo was across the street from the museum and upstairs (as many restaurants are) and began with the usual mojito. (I think it must be the Cuban national drink since they have appeared at every lunch but one and several dinners!)
Today, everything was served family style. An assortment of appetizers (shrimp ceviche, hummus, fried taro sticks), followed by platters of luscious lamb stew, chicken thighs, and grilled fish plus white rice and black beans. Dessert was a dish of rice pudding. Normally, I am not a fan of puddings, but this was quite good with the sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Appetizers at Ivan Justo
After lunch, we walked half a block to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. There our delightful guide, Aylet Ojeda, a student who gives tours as payback for her free university tuition, highlighted the work of Cuban artists from 1929 through the 1990’s. She shared how early artists were heavily influenced by famous artists from abroad and then over time created paintings that were more reflective of Cuban society and more political in nature. The header photo is by a Cuban artist.
Music and dance are important elements of Cuban culture, and we had the treat of a short performance by Habana Compas Dance, a professional troupe of female dancers. Their dance incorporates aspects of Afro-Cuban music as well as flamenco dance steps from Spain. They study five days a week and learn to play several types of drums as well as other percussion instruments such as the clava, washboard gourd, and castanets. The troupe is unique in having incorporated small side chairs into their routines as yet another percussion instrument. Bursting with energy and enthusiasm, their short program was a welcome shot of adrenaline.
This was the day that never ended. After a brief break at the hotel, we went out again, this time to a dance studio to learn more about the steps that inform Cuban ballroom dancing. Initially two pairs of dancers did an elegant dance, then the dances got more animated and erotic as more couples joined the floor.
Next was a short salsa demo, and then the dancers grabbed our hands (no weaseling out here) and we ladies lined up behind the lead instructor and the men behind one of the male dancers. With great patience, the instructor demonstrated the basic steps, then they were put to music, and we got a partner. Some of us excelled while others got by passably. It was a fun experience!
Then, on to our farewell dinner at a glass-walled contemporary restaurant, OtraManera, that would have been at home in La Jolla. We had a choice of drinks (I went for the house white wine) and a look at the menu to choose what we wished to eat beyond the shared appetizers. Appetizers included croquettes, ceviche, and a lovely avocado and tomato concasse.
The Chief Penguin ordered the grilled red snapper and I had the Chinese style noodles with pork tenderloin graced with a few cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets. Also popular with our group were several of the salads, one with green papaya, and the lamb entree. It was a lovely meal in a lovely setting, ending with Alfredo providing a summary of what we’d done over the past five days. He was complimentary about our group and said we were a group he would be sorry to see leave.
Tomorrow we all go our separate ways. I’ve made a new friend or two, and my head is filled with images of art and architecture in this “city of columns.” I was charmed by the individuals with whom we conversed. I am also armed with a better understanding of Cuba’s history and its relations with the U.S. along with the challenges and opportunities this society faces. For sure, I’ll be sharing the magic and delight of this trip with my friends at home—it’s hard to let go! Thank you, Marlon and Alfredo.
