I had a shoot at JP Morgan Chase's offices and then at a private event at the MoMa. The views from the 50th floor of 270 Park are stunning – I don't think I've ever seen the tippy top of the Chrysler building so close up! And looking at the streets below, especially the hustle and bustle of Grand Central pressed up against floor-to-ceiling windows – and literally beneath my feet – was dizzying and dazzling. Having access to some of JPM's private collection was pretty staggering as well. In addition to art, they have an impressive collection of historical items, including the two guns actually used by Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in their infamous duel. ie: the actual pistol that killed Hamilton two hundred years ago!
But the highlight was walking through the MoMa after hours with a cocktail in hand and no crowd. Viewing Starry Night and The Scream with no one else around, my nose just centimeters from the canvas was quite a treat. I was most taken with finally seeing just how thick the mounds of paint in each stroke are, and actually seeing the naked canvas in between the strokes. And to top it off, there were art historians at our disposal to tell us anything and everything we ever wanted to know about any genre, period, work of art, philosophy, etc. More than once I had to remind myself to "get back to work" directing the shoot, but happily the Directors were more focused (and more professional) than me.
A Monet Waterlily triptych I've seen from about 20' away, mostly because that's how the entire piece can be absorbed, but also because the regular crowd of museum visitors makes it difficult to get any closer. I finally got to see it in über extreme detail.
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