Hauty Museum Guards Ruin Visit

 The top photo looks like an abandoned beauty salon, right? But the second picture is the reality, it's a tiny diorama of the scene. Such are the exhibits you'll see at the Museum of Art and Design near Columbus Circle. My advice is to see this exhibit, if you care, on their website.

Here's why: the museum "cops" will ruin your day. Thursday I went by myself and enjoyed the exhibits enough to bring my husband back a couple of days later. That first day, I was careful to ask both men guarding the art if photography was allowed. They said yes but not with flash. (For a summary of the archaic notion that flash lighting will eventually destroy the art world, see Flash Bulbs and Artifact Preservation: Myth Debunked! ). But that was not the issue. I took a lot of pictures that day, as did others around me. I mean the whole point is that these tiny sets were made to be photographed. The only glitch in that first visit was being asked to point out my admission button to prove I had paid to get in. I was wearing it on my purse shoulder strap.

The second visit with my husband along, one of the Men In Black stopped me to point out that this particular artist did not want photos taken at all. 

Now to my thinking, the only reason an artist wouldn't want photos taken of their work is that it's too easily duplicated. The second point I would like to make here is that if photography is allowed in the room except for one piece, then the Guard Dogs should make a point to explain to the patron that there is one artist who is too insecure to have pictures taken of his work.

Moments later, a second Black Dog Guard made a point to peer at us as we were walking around and look for our admission buttons.

I totally felt like the museum guards were there to intimidate and embarrass the patrons. They were just that bored. Stay away from this museum if you want to have a good day in New York.

Is this a dark hallway in a dungy hotel?

No, it's this.

Is this the scene outside a Harlem high rise?

No, its this.

Is this a Jackson Pollock creating a famous painting? No. Jackson Poll0ck is dead..