First The Gates, a large scale public art project, overtook
Central Park. Now, Ashes and Snow, a photography exhibit,
literally sits atop the Hudson River on Pier 54 near West 13th
Street. It is also the largest temporary exhibition space ever
created in Manhattan.

Built on an abandoned waterfront pier, the Nomadic Museum, a
67-foot-wide by 672-foot-long, privately-funded traveling museum
is made of 148 stacked steel cargo shipping containers. Designed
by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the exhibition, Ashes and
Snow, consists of portraits taken by Canadian-born artist
Gregory Colbert.

Elementary school teacher, Heidi Laudien, 38, said she plans to
bring her students to the sight.

"I love the idea of a museum made from recycled materials and I
want my kids to see that creative part of the exhibit and how it
illustrates the transience of the space," she said.

The exhibit and the museum will be displayed through June 6 in
the 45,000-square-foot temporary structure. Afterwards, it will
be dismantled and resurrected in Santa Monica, Calif, then off
to the Vatican City in 2006, as it continues on its nomadic
adventure.

Colbert is no stranger to traveling either. His work features
portraits of exotic animals and natives from his visits to
places like India, Egypt, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Ethiopia.

His sepia colored photographs are printed on leather looking
parchment paper and held up by wires and hanging on an invisible
wall along the lengths of the pier. The scenes depicted include
large animals like elephants, whales, manatees, eagles, with
much smaller mammals and children.

One photo has a child kissing a cheetah, another shows a man
swimming under water with a 55-ton sperm whale, and one has a
woman dancing near an adult elephant. These outrageous shots
have caused visitors to question how Colbert did it. A volunteer
at the museum said Colbert's process will not be revealed. In a
statement released by his foundation Colbert says none of images
have been superimposed or digitally collaged. He plans to add
new pieces to the show each time the museum moves to another
destination.

Lisa Schreder, 25, a Manhattan paralegal saw the posters for the
exhibit advertised on the subway and decided to come after work
with her boyfriend, lawyer David Sandler, 26.

"I'm as interested in the pictures as the museum itself. It
feels like a monastery, soothing and spiritual," said Schreder.

Sandler was impressed with how the photographs were displayed.
He said, "The presentation matches with the pictures and
lighting, the water underneath, continues the feeling of water
and motion that can be seen in the photos, it feels like the
whole thing is floating, like the suspended photos."

Besides the hanging photographs, there is also a 35mm film,
revealing Colbert's video photography on a big screen. Several
scenes include a woman swaying to new age music while bathing
with elephants.

Sylvia Wolff, 32, a dance student at NYU's Tisch School said she
liked the pictures more than the movie, because she said, "The
pictures are more suggestive and require more imagination."

Artist and clay sculptor, Stephanie Borgese on the other hand,
felt the opposite. "The film enhanced the artwork. It gave the
images a sense of motion and place," she said.

Borgese admits she was overcome by the artistic experience. "I
cried a few times," she said. "They are magical and breathtaking
images."

About the author:
Tara is currently going for her masters degree in journalism at
New York University and working in PR. She freelances articles
for tri-state publications and writes a daily blog, When Tara
Met Blog
www.tarametblog.com

Author : Tara Renee Settembre
Site : www.goarticles.com

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