Art study trip to New York - November 2006

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Touch-down at JFK was a jolt. Several, in fact, so great that that most hardy of men, Seb Hans, was heard to audibly squeal with fright. Still, it shook some cobwebs away after the seven hour flight.

We marvelled at yellow cabs. Traffic signs astonished us. That most easy-going of dialects, the New York accent, greeted us at every turn. And all before we left the airport.

And so the 2006 Art Trip to New York was under way. Travelling in impeccable style to the hotel, on the subway, the culture shock, the almost unbelievable fact that we were actually in New York shook us out of our jet-lag, and we travelled through Manhattan on foot towards the hotel, passing the illuminated pinnacle of Art Deco stylishness, the Chrysler Building, on the way.

Later that night, we headed a block away from the hotel to Grand Central Station, amazed at the scale and spectacle of the place, and amazed yet further at the gargantuan subterranean food court. It seemed fitting that such a remarkably decadent building should house something as mundane as a train station - our first taste of New York’s flamboyance.

As awe-inspiring as Grand Central was, it was nothing compared to Time Square, which, in the now copious rain, shimmered and steamed with more neon than a Dan Flavin retrospective in a hall of mirrors. Soaked, tired, yet exhilarated, we returned to the hotel, and bed.
The next morning, at breakfast, Mr. Fentem’s highlight of the week arrived in the shape of four pancakes with the size of a face and the depth of the Penguin Paperback edition of The Great Gatsby, along with six rashers of bacon, two eggs (fried), and enough syrup to take a bath in.

From here, we headed to our first gallery - the Museum of Modern Art, home of works by the most notable and influential artists of the 20th Century, including Picasso, Mondrian, Pollock, Rothko, Hirst and Shrigley, and also site of the discovery of Mr. Fentem’s artistic genius, a genius so profound, we have not even been allowed to see his works, although we are told he can now colour up to the lines.

That evening, we caught the ferry to Staten Island and back, travelling past the Statue of Liberty, and looking back on the remarkably sedate New York skyline, reflected in the water below.

The next day, we followed in King Kong’s large footsteps and headed to the top of the Empire State Building, where we were met by a view of all of New York, so breathtaking it is simply impossible to describe.

From here, we caught the subway to Brooklyn, took in the view of Manhattan from across the Hudson, and dined in the city’s best pizza restaurant. From here, a walk across Brooklyn Bridge was in order, and from here, the Subway again to the Metropolitan Museum in Central Park. Imagining the V&A, British Museum, National Gallery and the Tate all housed under one roof can only go some way to describing the breadth of works on show, which ranged from Greek antiquity to 20th Century Pop Art.

Exhausted after such a full day, we arose late the following morning, and after a copious and delicious breakfast, it was up Fifth Avenue, to the Guggenheim, perhaps the most distinctive building in New York, to a fine collection of early 20th Century Spanish art, and unique interior architecture which provided rich inspiration for sketching (even Mr. Fentem joined in, liberally applying Picassoesque daubs of finger paint to his sketchbook and the surrounding area).

A wallet-evacuating afternoon was spent shopping on Fifth Avenue, before a return to the hotel, and a final night treat; limousines delivering us in style to the heart of Time Square, where we enjoyed the famous singing waiters and waitresses of Stardust Diner. It was a sensational and unexpected treat, topped by a trip to the top of the Rockerfeller Centre, with panoramic views of New York at night, taking in both the Chrysler and Empire State Building, and the general dazzle of the city.

On our final morning in New York, we headed to Greenwich Village - Old New York - embarking on a tour of the old brownstones, where, among others, Edward Hopper and Jasper Johns had their studios. Halfway through the tour, Mr. Fentem got The Hunger, and declared we were heading immediately to the world famous Katz’s Deli, where Pastrami on Rye was the order of the day. Feeling at last like real New Yorkers, we were sad that it was time to leave.

A subway from Grand Central back to JFK, and suddenly we were boarding the plane back to Manchester.

Many thanks must go to the staff - Mr Downey, Miss Black, and Mr Fentem, and, in particular, the group leader and trip organiser Mrs Hollingworth, for arranging visits to and shepherding us around galleries, restaurants, hotels, subways, and skyscrapers.

The trip was memorable, inspirational, highly productive (not to mention great fun throughout), and has given us happy memories to hold for a lifetime.

Andrew Jones (U6JL)

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