This August, five groups of Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) ventured out into New York City to take in some culture.  After attending a Thursday performance, everyone wrote reviews, then reconvened the following Tuesday for a discussion and workshop.  Our work is published here in the first of a five part series featuring writing from the Summer TRaC!

Summer TRaC Session 4 visited the New Museum to see exhibits featuring Rivane Neuenschwander, Brion Gysin and Amy Granat.  Check out the excerpts and full reviews below….

“When you look at a bubble, you think it’s just a freaking bubble, but if you look at it long enough you begin to think of it as more, you give it a personality of some kind, it becomes a part of you.” – Cynthia Dunston

Read CYNTHIA’s full review.

“Hanging from the ceiling were buckets filled with water that had a little small dropper on the bottom.  It was called “Rain Rains.”  […] If you stood in the middle of it, you could hear all the buckets dripping water at different times.  […] like you were in a shed with holes on the roof.  Each droplet would maybe fall into pans, bowls or whatever you could find to store the water.” – Joleyne Herrera

Read JOLEYNE’s full review.

“[…] “Involuntary Sculptures,” displays of little “creations” made absentmindedly by people during conversations at restaurants.  It was so simple—bent straws, cherry pits on a napkin—but it just went to show that art is sometimes totally unintentional.” – Rebecca Seidel

Read REBECCA’s full review.

“Granat’s “Light 3 Ways” is a video projection showing different ways light can be perceived accompanied a sound piece.  […] trying to watch the projections, listen to the sounds, and read the description of the artist and piece in a narrow corridor where people are passing by makes it difficult to focus on the piece for a long length of time.” – Hyesun Yi

Read HYESUN’s full review.

“The title piece of the exhibit – the Dream Machine itself – is a cylinder of flashing light meant to be experienced by kneeling six to eight inches in front of it with closed eyes and listening to a song he selected through the iPod audio guide.  It’s a rather psychedelic experience […]  To me, though, it was very calming – I was ensconced in a moment of peacefulness that I had not anticipated.” – Lily Shoretz

Read LILY’s full review.

“Blank canvases and barren sculpture populate much of the modern art circuit—it is refreshing to see a piece that is serious in execution, but does not take itself seriously.  […] While methodical and unequivocal, it lacks the constriction common in avant-garde, Dada works.  This non-rigid approach, however, does not imply interactivity.” – Sharon Mizrahi

Read SHARON’s full review.