It’s the little things that make New York so special for me. Walking the street. Observing the people. Seeing the funny little stuff that make up a massive urban environment.  

I think of all the times I’ve been to the Big Apple and I never noticed the Diamonds on the top of poles in the Diamond District. While marveling at them I caught the food trailer en route to its final destination.  I followed the cart’s progress up 6th Avenue enjoying another image of it passing a bus. 

The food trucks are fascinating. It’s how New Yorkers eat I think.  

I couldn’t help but notice the polka dots this year inspired by  avant-garde artist, Yayoi Kusama on Fifth Avenue. She is  a Japanese artist in her 90’s. Very active professionally. When we were in Tokyo in 2019 we visited  her museum and later saw her famous polka dot squash on a dock on Naoshima Island.

It turns out she’s everywhere.  Everywhere that Louis Vuitton, the tony luggage and handbag company exist. They have engaged her and her images to promote their most recent collection. In Omotesando in Tokyo you can see a Yahoo Kusama robot similar to the one in the top photo on this blog post in New York City.

As you can imagine, it is controversial in the Art World while colorful in our world.

Art Encounter on Naoshima Island, Japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yayoi_Kusama

Polka dots popped up lots of places so if you want to be tres’ chic this year go dotty.  

It’s also a year to be colorful.  

All this color is contrasted to the piece by  Alex Katz at the Guggenheim. He captured the era of “The Little Black Dress.”

Or contrast this with the handprinted dress on the left side of the Bergdorf window. 

I like looking at storefront names. This trip two with the word Chicken in the name caught my attention. I think it would be fun to look for more on future trips.  I wonder if you find this funny?  I do.  

And then there’s the art work designed to be like a chicken? Or a turkey?

I might copy it for a centerpiece next Thanksgiving. That would give my guests a shock and provide a conversation starter.  I saw this at  MOMA. A woman admiring the art in that area struck me as someone who could pose as a sculpture. More about exhibits at MOMA in a future blog post. 

To end my random little survey of sights and scenes captured on my winter walk in The Big Apple, I can’t help but include a “New York Hug.” It’s happy time on Times Square as the tourists come back. I hope you are inspired to hug somebody today.