Only Seven Days Left! Two Must-See Exhibitions in NYC!
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Issue 121 September 2015 A NEWSLETTER OF THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY Only Seven Days Left! Two Must-See Exhibitions in NYC! N ATALIA K ETARE N September 7 sees the end of two wonder- figure-hugging silk, to boldly woven silk Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960-1971 ful exhibitions in NYC. The first exhibition brocade, structured into ornate shapes that A far cry from Ms. Ono’s first unoffi- I saw and will speak of, was the highly pub- sculpted the body into a work of art. One cial exhibition at MoMA in 1971 titled, The licized China: Through the Looking Glass particular Yves Saint Laurent gown, with Museum of Modern F(art), this compilation housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art images of a dragon against a backdrop of of Ono’s work is much more traditional, (Met). The second, equally enchanting and bright red sequins, had me stop in admira- amassing 125 of her sculptures, paintings, moving, was that of Yoko Ono: One Woman tion, not only at its beauty, but, in apprecia- music, interactive performances, and vid- Show, 1960-1971 presented at the Museum of tion of the time, effort, and patience it must eos. Modern Art (MoMA). An exhibition curat- have taken to create such a beautiful object. As you enter the exhibit, it’s almost ing the artist’s work during her early years Each gown, coat, trouser, and suit I saw, befitting that you should be welcomed by (1960-1971), years that defines her as the art- aside from the historical communist uni- a wholesome, green apple. A symbol of ist and figure we see today. forms, were brightly colored in the colors knowledge and also a symbol to many, of I most associate with China: red, emerald, her association with John Lennon and The China: Through the Looking Glass canary yellow, and, of course, iconic blue Beatles. (May 7 - September 7) and white. Even black garments shimmered The space itself is not too large. Many I had known about the exhibition first with fine beading or sequins, or were bor- pieces seemed to almost sit on top of one from social media sites and fashion maga- dered with the brightest shades of contrast- another. However, I found myself com- zines. Many designers were previewing ing color. pletely absorbed by what I saw. I loved how Chinese style influences in their Spring/ Alongside the gowns are accessories so so many pieces were interactive. Many of Summer 2015 collections. Needless to say, I finely crafted you can’t help but pause. I us learn by doing as much as by seeing and was excited to view the exhibition after see- couldn’t step away easily from the delicate listening, and by being a part of the art, we ing all the beautiful dresses and accessories craftsmanship of the shawls, embroidered can better relate our own emotions to it. from this year’s Met Gala. with scenes of lavish gardens and busy I found myself greatly moved by her The exhibition is focused on China’s towns, strewn with peonies and color- performance pieces and her videos. A vid- influence on Western art, fashion and de- ful animals. Each shawl must have taken eo of John Lennon smiling in slow motion sign over the decades. As I entered the ex- months if not longer to perfect, the product was captivating, you couldn’t help but smile hibit, I was welcomed into a dimly-lit space so meticulously constructed, so luxuriously back, that being the intent of the piece. The and, in the background, the soft sound of designed, would leave Persian artisans in description roughly translated, was that music. Imposing mannequins stood singu- awe. this particular piece is a way for us to focus larly or in small groups, each dressed in an As I traveled through each room, every on an object of happiness when meditat- elaborate gown, rich in detail, ranging from painting, every object, every film reel was ing. Many of us find it difficult to switch off delicate hand embroidery and cascading captivating. It is a truly mammoth exhibi- to meditate, especially in this age with so tion, spanning numerous rooms within the much technology and distraction to over- Met, over three floors. It wasn’t surprising whelm our senses. It’s such a clever idea that the run was extended past its August to have your mind focus on something so end date. There is so much more here than gentle as a smile, when trying to focus on just beautiful objects, there is a true ap- betterment. preciation of a culture so enchanting, that One of her works that caught me by sur- it inspired so many people to create such prise was Bag piece. It was one of the most amazing works. I highly suggest, before moving and relatable pieces of art I saw September 7, you take a walk around the there and really, that I’ve seen since mov- beautifully curated exhibition, which is ing to New York five years ago. The interac- China: Through the Looking Glass. tive performance piece involves one or two individuals encasing themselves in a large, black, velveteen bag, whereby they undress Evening gown by Guo Pei. Photo: Natalia Ketaren and redress inside the bag. The emotions 1 What one sees from inside the bag is solely how one thinks people see and appreciate Editorial Board things, and what one believes they have to EDITORIAL BOARD give people around them. The concept be- hind Bag piece is that without physical inse- Jim Keller, Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor curities, without judgment of what you look Peng Kate Gao, Copy Editor, like and how you express yourself, how do Assistant Managing Editor you feel about yourself? How do you feel Aileen Marshall, Assistant Copy Editing about who you are? And what would you Manager do? It’s a truly beautiful and confronting Susan Russo, Copy Editor, Distribution piece. Jason Rothauser, Production Designer The simple message of love and hap- Qiong Wang, Copy Editor, Webmaster, piness resounded in all of her works. The Public Relations Manager sweet video of both Yoko and John during Performance of Bag piece. Photo: Natalia Ketaren their in-bed protest was a pure display of selections.rockefeller.edu [email protected] love. It showed people, that we shouldn’t be of the people inside the bag are said to be afraid to show our love for others, especial- first of confusion, some humor and then ly when such a violent and selfish world sur- two amazing exhibitions currently running self-consciousness, as they can see the audi- rounds us. I highly suggest, that if you are in NYC. Hopefully you’ll have time to enjoy ence react to their being in the bag. How- in Midtown, drop by and check out Yoko one or maybe both of them before they end ever, soon they realize that inside the bag, Ono: One Woman Show, 1960-1971 before it on September 7. And if you do, hopefully their emotions and their physical form is ends September 7. you’ll feel a little lighter and happier at see- completely hidden from those they can see. So there you have it, my two cents on ing such extraordinary works of art. ◉ Who was Lila Magie? A ILEE N M ARSHALL Who was Lila Magie? while he was away. HR was a good fit, since she had a reputation of During the summer months, I try to use the campus walkways to being well liked by everyone. As Isiah Curry remembers her admir- go between buildings, rather than the tunnels. Recently I was walk- ingly, “She was Human Resources.” ing along the East Walkway, behind the Student’s Residence, near There was a dedication ceremony for the garden this past June, Bronk. I stopped when I noticed a sign I hadn’t seen before: “The Lila led by Marnie Imhoff, Senior Vice President of Development. Dur- J. Magie Garden, In recognition of Lila’s outstanding service to The ing the ceremony, she talked about how when Magie retired, the Rockefeller University from 1950 to 1991.” I wondered, who was Lila J. University community put together a scrapbook of messages to her. Magie and why did the University name a garden after her? There are entries of numerous people who knew and worked with It turns out that she was a well-liked, long-term employee who her, including David Rockefeller, Brooke Astor, Christian de Duve, left her estate to the University when she died on December 23, 2012. and Joshua Lederberg. The entry from Dr. Lederberg reads “Dear She was a native New Yorker, born in 1927, who went to Washing- Lila – The stories we could swap… but don’t dare put to paper...” ton Irving High School. Magie received a degree from the Purdue When The Rockefeller University learned that Magie had left her University’s School of General Engineering in Liberal Sciences and entire estate to it, it was decided to dedicate a garden to her, since she started at Rockefeller in 1950. Her first position was as a stenogra- was known as an ardent gardener. Rockefeller’s horticultural consul- pher in the business office. She then moved up to secretary in that tant, Lulu Leibel, chose from a list of flowering plants with Magie in office, then moved to personnel. She became responsible for staffing mind, which also do well in the shade. There is a pink flowering dog- from 1954 until 1987, when she was promoted to the Director of Fac- wood tree in the garden.