Wonderful Town

New York, my port of entry, manages to keep up its rate of constant change... Great holes in the ground where old, that's 20 year old buildings have been torn down; the glossy edifice that replaces them goes straight on to the architectural death row with a 20 year reprieve.

Saw three exhibitions, Dargarism at the American Folk Art Museum

http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=1895

OK show with some marvellous work (Henry Dargar, Paula Rego and Grayson Perry) diluted by some that was not so good.

R. B. Kitaj Little Pictures at Marlborough 57th Street

http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/artists/kitaj/artwork.html

A terrific show of quick, urgent work which, on occasion, speaks to you like great literature... Below the radar, straight to the soul.

The Paula Rego show at Marlborough Chelsea

http://marlboroughgallery.com/artists/rego/artwork.html

A show that appears relaxed... Plenty of pictures on the walls (no reverential minimalism here) and Rego's mannequin/puppets scattered about like weird security staff
but all the tension lies in the work, specific, lively and not a wasted square inch.

Then in the evening on to "Curtains" on Broadway,

http://www.curtainsthemusical.com/home.php

David Hyde Pierce as a stage struck detective in this musical within a musical, noire, comedy whodunit... Which gives a clue to the problem, the scatter gun pot shots at a bewildering variety of targets lack focus; but Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk are worth the 150 minutes.

Now it's on to La Guardia to head South and start the journey proper.