Birthdays, Brooklyn and Beer

Passing/Posing (Female Prophet Anne, Who Observes the Presentation of Jesus on the Temple, 2003), Kehinde Wiley

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. I celebrated by dragging my roommate, Joey, to the Brooklyn Museum in the slightly rainy and unseasonably cold conditions. While I had visited the Botanic Gardens (and the museum’s lobby) before, it was my first time viewing the museum’s collection. I was excited for the Kehinde Wiley pieces, as I had just seen his works that were part of his World State: Israel collection at San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum. While there weren’t as many Kehinde pieces as I’d hoped for, I was still glad that I got to see his work. I’m a huge Kehinde fan and his large depictions of urban men in heroic stances in front of ornate, often brightly-colored floral backgrounds. His style crosses traditional portraiture with modern iconography, Old Master/Renaissance/French Rococo bourgeois with street scene hip-hop, and offers figurative representations of young black men in positions of power. They’re visually encapsulating and present a commentary on contemporary culture.

Seated Cat, bronze hollow cast, 664-342 B.C.E.

Another noteworthy exhibit was “Devine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt.” The NYTimes just published this article yesterday about the collection (currently on view until December 2014). The article discusses the exhibition’s 30 pieces compiled from the museum’s Ancient Egyptian collection, the Egyptian’s fascination with cats, and the link between life on earth and the supernatural thereafter. The Ancient Egyptians did not worship cats per se, but they created their god with cat-like physical features. In the first millennium B.C., cults of feline-goddesses became widespread and increased the demand for votive sculptures for offerings. Priests bred cats specifically for this purpose and examinations of mummies concluded that, at certain temples, kittens were killed (usually by having their necks snapped) and inserted into sculptures which were then sold to pilgrims. Ancient Egypt’s patriarchal society gave way to the belief that goddesses (and women) were unpredictable and dangerous (like cats) and played the dual roles of ruthless killer and nurturing mother.

After the museum, we ventured into Park Slope to Bierkraft, a foodie’s paradise offering an expansive selection of craft beer, artisanal cheeses, gourmet chocolates, and homemade ice cream sandwiches. I sampled the Salted Caramel and Oatmeal Raisin sandwich, while Joey had the Malt Vanilla and Chocolate Chip.

In the evening, I headed to Manhattan to meet my friend Anna in K-Town (at our very favorite bakery, Tous Les Jours) for some bubble tea and pastries. I ended the night with Annie Hall and a 2012 bottle of Domaine la Voltonnerie Sancerre. All in all, a solid birthday.