Here’s why the the G train is the best: It connects Queens and Brooklyn.
From my new pad I walked to NUTUREART, a gallery on 910 Grand Street, and then in a matter of 15 minutes, thanks to the G (and L) train, I was in L.I.C where I visited Space Womb Gallery and PS1/MOMA.
A digression that might lead to a point or not….About a year ago on a manhattan crosstown bus, I overhurd a girl tell her friends, “there’s no ‘G’ train.” I cringed and maybe shed a tear or two. The bloody ignorance in their own city. Aye dios mio! But, in some ways it’s true. The MTA/Bloomberg has destroyed the G line over the years. After many sprints to catch the shortened G train I learned where to stand to enter the ‘back’ car door. Just recently the train was shortened once again. After laughing with the dude standing next to me we both jetted to the middle of the train station get in the first available car. How does the MTA decide the importance of a train line? It can’t be need, can it? It seems that the Queens/Brooklyn connection is more vital then ever, and the number of passengers waiting to get the G train suggest the need for its existence. SO why the lack of service/trains and cutting the Queens route? I want my G train to take me to continental again. Sometimes it feels like a conspiracy against hard working people, people of color and immigrants being able to UNITE and the shitty service makes workers dependent on the teet of the tiniest of the five boroughs. Anywho.
Back to PS1/MOMA. Caught the last day of New Art in New York and in general felt like I saw some good shit there today like David Benjamin Sherry’s work (especially like, Lament for Atlantis) and Rashaad Newsome’s video. Rashaad put together images/videos from rap videos and juxtaposed them with remixes of fortuna and primo vere. What the f*ck! Love it because it captures part of my essence as a first generation, Paraguayan-American who grew up in Jamaica, Queens. Also really appreciated Franklin Evans, Time Compression Machine. Generally not the type of art I’m into but in thinking about all the energy that must have gone into creating the space and even conceiving of it, pretty impressive. My fav part was the stack of books in the corner. Two titles spoke to me, one being Mexican Muralist by Desmond Rochfort especially because yesterday at MOMA I was captivated by David Siqueiros’ Collective Suicide and learned that Siqueiros founded an Experimental Workshop in NYC. I am compelled to learn more about Siqueiros and now have a book to start with! Thanks Franklin Evans! Thanks PS1. Thanks L.I.C. Thanks Queens!
