Art in Le Marais

Around the Place des Vosges and on Rue de Turenne are a string of small independent galleries that features some unique pieces. In one gallery was an exhibition focusing on Mickey Mouse. Paris, much like New York with the SoHo and Chelsea areas, have wonderful smaller galleries that you stumble across while walking the streets. It is always amazing to turn the corner and see this level of quality art. 

Regarding Warhol, The Met Rooftop and Some of my Favourite Paintings in the World.

On the last Monday of my time in NY I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue to see their special Regarding Warhol Exhibition. The exhibition featured many Warhol pieces, many on loan from the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh as well as work by artists that have been influenced by Warhol. There were many pieces from the likes of Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murikami and Jean-Michel Basquait. Unfortunately as it was a special exhibition no photos were allowed. Afterwards I popped over to see my favourite impressionist painting including the below pieces by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.

 

While there I also went up to the Rooftop to see the installation by Tomas Saraceno titled Cloud City. The rooftop has amazing views over Central Park and the Manhattan Skyline. It was a perfect last Monday in NYC.

Andy Warhol Museum

One of the most famous people born in Pittsburgh was the leader of the Pop Art world, Andy Warhol. In Pittsburgh lies the greatest collection of his art anywhere in the world. The museum doesn’t allow photos on other levels except the ground floor but as you can see from these few photos it features a huge range of his work.

Installation Art at the Mattress Factory

The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh is a museum that is one of the best in the world for installation art pieces. The museum is spaced over two buildings and over 3 levels. A great two room work involved mirrored rooms with one in ultraviolet lights and the other with normal lighting both using spots. 

One level featured a completely dark experience with different rooms using darkness and light to create images that seem different in their dimensions as shown in the final photo. I had never seen anything like that and was truly impressed. 

If you have any questions about what the work was in any of the pictures please comment below. 

National Museum for Crime and Punishment

Around the corner from the American Art Museum is the National Museum for Crime and Punishment. The museum holds a wide variety of artifacts from America's crime history including Bonnie and Clyde's car and John Wayne Gacy's clothing. Tickets are $21.95 plus tax. I am not sure it was really worth it compared to the other free museums in Washington DC that are actually better. I would probably pass unless I was really interested in crime. 

The Nation's Capital. DC

I went to DC last week after getting return bus tickets for $2.5 with Megabus. If you book early enough they have fares starting at $1 plus 50cent booking fee. I arrived at 6am into Union Station which is just to the left of the Capital Building and the start of the National Mall.

I walked along the National Mall past the National Gallery and Smithsonian Museums. I had been to them on my trip last November so didn't revisit them again even though at that time they weren't open.

The Washington Monument is at the end of the National Mall. The Monument was damaged by an earthquake that occurred in 2011 which I actually felt when I was in NY. It is known as the Virginian Earthquake.

Last time I was in DC the reflecting pool was being repaired and was empty so I was rather excited to see it had been fixed and reopened. The reflection with the National Monument is really amazing.

The Lincoln Memorial was were Martin Luther King Jnr gave his famous I have a Dream speech. The Lincoln memorial features a museum below the statue that details event surrounding that speech.

From there I walked up past the infamous Watergate Complex from Richard Nixon's presidency to the White House. In this light it doesn't look that white but at night it is extremely white. Previously I had seen Secret Service forces on the roof. 

Right next to the White House is the United State Department of Treasury. Finally I walked past Ford Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.