Recently I ran across two juxtaposed thoughts related to NY city; although they relate to a much larger picture. Peggy Noonan wrote an opinion piece for the online version of the Wall Street Journal today titled The Adam Lambert problem. She says “America is good at making practical compromises, and one of the compromises we’ve made in the area of arts and entertainment is captured in the words “We don’t care what you do in New York.” That was said to me years ago by a social conservative who was explaining that he and his friends don’t wish to impose their cultural sensibilities on a city that is uninterested in them, and that the city, in turn, shouldn’t impose its cultural sensibilities on them. He was speaking metaphorically; “New York” meant “wherever the cultural left happily lives.” I believe many across the US think this way; that NY is out of touch with me. But this would be wrong on may levels.
I told you there was a juxtaposition of thoughts, well the other thought isn’t really a thought but actually an art exhibition.
You may have heard of French painter Georges Rouault (1871-1958) but what about New York artist Makato Fujimura? The Dillon Gallery in NY (remember that city we don’t care about) has put together an art exhibit that puts these two artist together. And by putting their work together the Dillon Gallery has put together a meeting of two artists with very different styles but similar spiritual perspectives. You can find representations of redemption in their work and thereby not only redeeming the viewer they also redeem NY city. Since this exhibition ends on Dec 24th it’s probably too late to make plans to go see it but in a couple of days I’ll post the second best thing to being there.
