The Bronx Documentary Center

I visited the Bronx Documentary Center to view the words of different Mexican photographers. It was unlike anything that I had expected. The photos which were on display were dark in tone, but yet simple. The simplicity was because some photos were of simple everyday family moments. One photo in particular is with a guy who was playing some sort of instrument in the supermarket surrounded by numerous people simply buying groceries. The darkness which was conveyed was heart wrenching and very realistic and its dark nature. These pictures were all too real. They were centered around the drug cartel, which is a realistic but all too tragic reality which is being lived out in Mexico. There were also various iPods on the wall which were used to display photos of the dead bodies of the people who were victims of the trafficking reality. The quality of these photos were clear and displayed a quality that conveyed the message of pain far beyond the frame. Even the photos of kids being kids were brought about in a sad and haunting way. The photos were done by five Mexican and Mexican American photographers.  These photographers focus their lenses  primarily on the complex duality of their experiences and also on the United States in general. Clearly the message these photographers wanted to convey was the harsh reality that the Mexican people are facing each and every day which is a part of their daily lives.  The documentary center displayed these photographs in such a realistic way that even the lighting played into the mood of these photos. I left the documentary center with a sad feeling that the reality that we are living in America is blinded to. A blessing that we all take for granted in our daily lives. It makes me appreciate the blessing to be living in this country but also made me sad for those Mexican people.

My Favorite Scene

I am not really a movie buff.  But I find that when I fall in love with the movie, I fall hard, and I love it forever. One of the movies that I love, my all time favorite movie will forever be Pretty Woman. Pretty Woman, I am sure it is loved by most, but it is by far my movie of choice. I literally know the scenes word for word. The movies actors are Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Pretty Woman's plot is about falling in love in the most unexpected way. Julia Roberts character is of all things a prostitute who meets a businessman who took her to his hotel room where he is staying for the week. The movie takes place in Los Angeles, which he does not reside in. One of my favorite scenes is the bathtub scene. In the scene, Richard Gere's character (Edward) walks into the bathroom where Julia Roberts character (Vivian) is taking a bath. In this scene she is singing a rendition song of Prince (the singer).  She is clearly relaxing and enjoying the perks of the rich and famous while in this huge bathtub, just enjoying the moment. He walks in and is clearly enamored by her beauty. It is clearly not her voice because she is a terrible singer. He stands above her in his business suit, while she's there in her nude state covered with bubbles, eyes closed and into the music. He stares at her first while being on the phone. Clearly he is attracted, then proceeds to interrupt her with a business proposition. He asks her to be his for the week. And they pretty much negotiate an amount that he is willing to pay. What I like about the scene, is the way it flows. The scene did not really have a fast or slow pace. But what I like is the way it all came together. The negotiation, the singing, and the joy which they both had being in each others presence. It did not go through shot by shot, its flowed which works and was good for the person or persons who may have seem the movie today. This movie to me would be a filmmaker's dream. It has such a beautiful love story and the production and creation is truly amazing. There's so much I love about this movie but this scene is by far my favorite.

Nam June Paik

                My visit to the Asian Society Museum was primarily to see the Nam June Paik exhibit. The Nam June Paik exhibit was interesting to say the least. His creation was media-based which at the time that they were created was revolutionary. His art started to take form, and was introduced to the world in the late seventies throughout the eighties. Looking at his work today, which shows how media and television have extraordinary improvements, it (his work)  all seems to be so mundane. His art to me did not really seem like much. But I am also judging it from today perspective of how technology has improved in today's world. A lot of Nam June Paik's work was mostly at the beginning stages of wear media started from. Simple wires, old TVs, cameras, and a man made robot, which was created from televisions. This is the only piece of artwork that really captured my attention. The robot image that he formed was created solely from television sets that make a life size robot. The creation of the robot was definitely eye catching. It was by far my favorite piece of art that came from this artist. Although I was not impressed by this exhibit, I was impressed however by the way way this individual (Nam June Paik), was ahead of his time. Nam June Paik may have paved the way for other Asian artists or media majors to form an interest and pursue the media as a career on a whole. Although I was not impressed by his creations, I must admit I admire his creativity, and his imagination in a time where media was just starting off. Then June Paik exhibit is something that I would recommend seeing in today's time, simply because he was ahead of his time. It shows how far we have grown in media equipment.