Like many things in the world art can be viewed in many perspectives. During my visit to The Museum of Sex i observed how Bill Bernstine the nightlife of 1977-1979. While there on display i got to see through his eyes how multiculturalism was embraced both sexually and socially by the disco scene of New York in an exhibit titled Night Fever: New York Disco 1977-1979. Afterwards I went and views the exhibit titled NSFW: Female Gaze. This article was a collaboration of art works from aspiring female artist and depicts how these female artist view living in a male dominated world. My trip to the Museum of Sex was an interesting experience and helped me view the world through the eyes of other people to get a better understanding of the past and how we arrived to where we are in 2017.
Bill Bernstein’s display “The nightlife of 1977-1979” gave me the opportunity to see through his eyes how multiculturalism was embraced both sexually and socially by the disco scene of the late 70s. While at the exhibit I got to experience the sounds from the era with the help of a live DJ playing hits from back then. Also got to drink some retro cocktails from the bar. There was even disco balls really had you feeling what it was like in the late 70s. After getting some background information on the exhibit I found out that, Bernstein's fascination with disco began after an event at Studio 54. For the next two years, he documented the wild party scene at some of the city’s best clubs, like GG’s Barnum Room, Le Clique and Xenon. One thing I got from this exhibit was about how everyone seemed to get along in these places. The also seemed like places where everyone was liberated and you got a sense of pride. After viewing this exhibit I came to a conclusion on how the club scene foreshadowed the evolution of society.
While riding on the train many of times i saw advertisement for an exhibit titles NSFW: Female Gaze and it always caught my attention however i'm not really the “museum type” so I decided that i also wanted to visit it. I mean hey it must be good right. The exhibit showed what women are faced with everyday in a world where they are viewed as just objects to please male’s sexual desire. With this exhibit you got to see the role women played in history as objects of inspiration for men. Got to see how females view being used as canvases for art from a different lense. They also took the time to break away from what society deems appropriate for the female form at times which i found was unique. This was evident when I seen viewed Taira Rice pieces one was of a female with tattoos who has on a crop top type of shirt hanging off one shoulder and her hair looks a mess, another was of a nun with her gown pulled up exposing her panties. These two along with her other drawings seem to poke fun at what we view as the norm. The nun exposing her panties was titled “God Loves All”, was easy to connect to the class. That is because in it the top shows how many cultures feel like women should be covered at all times but the bottom shows in my opinion how women would rather be with out being stigmatized. Seeing Taira Rice art work made me want to see more of her pieces so I then went to look her up. I found out that like her art work she too is one that goes against the grain. I say that because she is a seventeen year old self taught artist. Reading into her i found a piece that quotes her saying “ I strive to depict not just the physical, but also the complex.” it then goes on to say “She often depicts her subjects as monsters or aliens in order to satirize traditional ideals of femininity. To flip expectations and long held ideas about women on its head, she incorporates unexpected elements into many of her pieces.”
A trip to The Museum of Sex is something i would now recommend everyone do. This trip showed me a different way to view the world. It also gave me a new aspect of society, from how the club scene changed things in the late 70s with Bernstein and the ladies at the NSFW exhibit.