It's not really part of our European adventure but a side track by MB.
New York is amazing arriving once again to see how big and busy it is,especially comparing it to some of Europe's largest cities which we have visited this year.The traffic is non stop and it's expensive.I got 'taken for a ride by a supposedly genuine taxi at the airport that I learnt cost way more than it should and on top demanded I pay 20% tip.
I stayed at the Hotel Surrey,great position off 5th Ave.
Next morning I met our art curator Sima.She had arranged a busy day visiting first the Warhol exhibition at The Met.I could not believe that of all the times I had been to NY I had never visited this great museum.They have recently spent a fortune on the Islamic section,it is unbelievable,not only the what they have in the collection but the construction of beautiful Islamic interiors.
The Warhol exhibition is outstanding,many works of his I had not seen before and there were quite a few other artists representing work of the same period.
I then had to find some fishing lures for my Amazon trip.There were a couple of really good tackle shops one knowing exactly what I needed.
Next stop was Chelsea to visit art galleries and artists studios.There are so many galleries you need a guide.Sima explained that in 15 years that about 50 galleries,this has grown to 2000 in NY.Luckily we are only visiting about 5.They include the ones that represent great young Contempery artists as Furnes,Bradford,Alsoudani,Muniz,Tal H etc.
We visited Barnaby Furnes's studio where he is completing his latest Moby d*** whale paintings and drawings .
We went to dinner at a really great restraunt in Halem 'Red Rooster'.Very crowded ,good southern US cuisine.
Next day we visit the 911 memorial site.We were lucky to get there early as there was a huge line when we left.The memorial is erie but magnificent.Where the sites of the twin towers were are now two large ponds with waterfalls flowing into central black holes.All the names of the dead are written around each pond.Six new towers and a museum are being built around the rest of the site.
Then we go to meet our great contemporary artist Ahmed Alsoudani at gallery Haunch where his latest exhibition is,we were lucky to acquire one of his paintings.These outstanding works are very figurative and represent conflict in today's world especially in Iraq where he was born.We had lunch with him and a great discussion about his work.
We visit several more galleries then Cameron Martin's Brooklyn studio where he explains his extraordinary technique of constructing his painted landscapes.Sima and I could not fully comprehend this.We go to dinner with him at a new very popular modern Asian restraunt 'Ma Teche'.
Next morning I am off to to visit Brad and Amanda Nelsen in Austin.
Mick.