Visual Art

Girl on cell: So I bought this air conditioner for my living room, and it’s entirely too large for me to install by myself, because it weighs 78 lbs. No, seriously, I cannot even get it out of the box. I know – for the time being I’m just referring to it as a Duchamp “readymade.” Ew! Don’t you call me bohemian!

–19th & 6th

Art professor: You should look at Picasso and Matisse. These people will be more important to you than your family. Cousin Philly. I had a cousin Philly, and I loved him very much. But he’s dead now.

–Pratt Institute

Overheard by: traPt

Lawyer to friend, about Vincent van Gogh: You know, I could have gotten him disability.

–Van Gogh Exhibit, MoMA

Woman, discussing gallery: It was all modern stuff – but not, like, the kind of modern art that children can do.

–20th & 5th

Tourist boy: You can see his penis! It’s not art if you can see his penis!

–Petrie Court, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Drunk girl: I just love a cock in my mouth! It is a fact of my life, like Blair and Tootie. I want to be carnivorous. I will eat fish if it’s the only thing on the menu, but I really just want some meat! I’m not fishiverous!

–Party, Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria

Overheard by: likes steak AND seafood

Girl to friend: Surely if she was ever in possession of a penis, then on merit she would inherit the family lobster farm?

–28th & 7th

Ginger: Garibaldi… That is so weird. That is the name of the California state fish. I wonder if the statue is named after the fish.

–Washington Square Park

Overheard by: camillo cavour

Man to wife: That’s too much calamari, even for a homeless guy.

–East Village

Guy, looking at Greek marble sculptures: Hey, did you ever notice that a lot of these guys are missing their penises?
Girl: I think that has to do with early Christian sanctions on pagan idols.
Guy: Oh. (pauses) I thought someone out there just had a really big dildo collection.

–The Met

Professor guy: You see, anamorphic art is all about perceptions; if you look at this image in the right way you’ll see a skull.
Dude: I don’t believe you.
Professor guy: Well then, I suggest you come and try to discover it yourself; it’s like finding the G‑spot, kids.

–Manhattan College

Overheard by: Boconnor

Hipster girl: I haven’t seen any of your Facebook pictures, and I’ve been your friend for like a year!
Hipster boy: Really? You should.
Hipster girl: I’m checking them right now.
Hipster boy: Let me warn you, though — there are a lot of pictures of my penis on there.
Hipster girl: Oh, I’m used to that.

–Apple Store, 5th Ave

Girl #1: No, I gave it up. I don’t paint at all anymore.
Girl #2: No?
Girl #1: I never got anything at all out of it, whatsoever.
Girl #2: That’s too bad.
Girl #1: Yeah, it’s one of the most tragic things in my life.

–Manhattan‐bound L train

Overheard by: Rick

Ticket seller: The statue is permanently closed, sir.
Tourist: What does that mean?
Ticket seller: The statue is permanently closed.
Tourist: For how long?
Ticket seller: Permanently.

–Battery Park

Guy: I think this museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Webber.
Woman: The playwright?
Guy: This is not art. I’m asking for my money back.

–Guggenheim Museum

Art store guy #1: No, I don’t know where it is…Hey, does anyone know where there’s an art show this weekend? This guy on the phone wants to know.
Art store guy #2: Tell him SoHo and hang up. 

–Utrecht, 4th Avenue

Overheard by: Jason 

Older gay guy on cell: In the 60s, you didn’t need to have passion or talent to be an artist; you just needed to have a van, because no one else was going to haul your shitty art around.

–7th Ave & 14th St

Overheard by: Miss C

Girl reading sign at Frank Lloyd Wright museum: Oh… He was an architect!

–Guggenheim Museum

Overheard by: Antartic

Mom to little girl: If you look at too much art in one day, you’ll turn into a statue.

–MoMA

Guy on phone: Yeah, she said she didn’t think I would want to go, but why the fuck not? I’ll go to a fucking museum if I fucking want to. I’ll look at some paintings and shit.

–Downtown Brooklyn

Overheard by: Mark McLaughlin

12‐year‐old boy, looking at Picasso paintings: This is totally my thing, man, it’s like free porn.

–MoMA