Chelsea Galleries Reaction

In my recent visit to some of the galleries in the art district in Chelsea, I saw various exhibitions which were remarkable. One of theme was"New Paintings" by Brice Marden, that was on display in Matthew Marks gallery. The other exhibition which I enjoyed was "London Pictures" by Gilbert and George, presented in Sonnabend gallery . One important aspect that I noticed was that all the artworks were excellent and really suggestive, yet some of them were difficult to consider as an investment because of their explicit content.

In my walk around Matthew Marks gallery, I discovered the artist Brice Marden and his exhibition "New Paintings."  Most of the artist's artworks were paintings in oil and graphite on marble, one large oil on linen and one ceramic glazing. His artworks in marble were focused in reflecting the light and the landscape of the island Hydra in Greece, which the artist accomplished notably. His artwork "First Square" for example, was one of the pieces that transmitted the calm and beauty of the foreign place, since the strong  marble stones, their shapes and vibrant colors created an atmosphere composed by sun, ocean and sky. Therefore, another piece of work that I found interesting was "Ru Ware Project" in which nine small panels of ceramic were painted in different tones of  pale blue, in  reference to the colors of the sky. The artist's artwork was  inspired in the ancient Ru ware Chinese pottery that is considered the finest and rare pottery ever made.
However, I was surprised for my own choices.  I never imagined that I would be interested in investing on marble pieces that resemble the coasts of Greece, or a big panel inspired on some Chinese pottery that looks like a piece of sky. Somehow I made a connection with these pieces of art, and for sure I would love to have them in a spacious room with big windows and natural light, so I could read, relax and meditate comfortably.

On the opposite, the exhibition "Gilbert and George: London Pictures" on view in Sonnabend gallery, consisted in a series of huge photographs and graphic design that exposed some of the contemporary issues in London's life. Black, white and red were the chose colors of the exhibit that  presented some controversial themes. Money, murder, religion and sex may are taboo in many societies, yet in the headlines of some newspapers appear everyday as any other common event, so this exhibition has taken some titles and phrases from the most important news to recall people's attention. These works of art are loud,  raw and intend to create some conscious about how dangerous are the streets of our cities. One of the works called "Hell" describes some happenings in which life seems to be a hell, a nightmare that ends, or stories that involved people in negative situations. Other  photograph called "Banker" refers to crimes that are related to people who are professionals in that market institution, and are guilty of murder and rape. Nevertheless, the artworks in this exhibition are interesting, and although they contain an important message that all viewers can appreciate I would not invest in them because displaying these artworks in my environment won't be beneficial for me. These words are charged by a negative atmosphere of violence and reading those photographs constantly could make me feel annoyed.

To sum up, to invest in an artwork to display at home or any other personal environment requires an objective decision. We should consider how the piece of art will look in our space,  if  is something that would ad harmony, and most important, we must observe how that piece of art make us feel.

Brice Marden
First Square
2011

Brice Marden
Ru Ware Project
2011

Gilbert and George
Hell
2011

Gilbert and George
Banker
2011

Art 21: History Reaction

Glenn Ligon is an abstract expressionist artist, who is concerned with the American black history. In his artworks, he examines the cultural and the societal identity of this nation by looking into photographs, literature and historical episodes such as slavery and the civil right movements in America. He uses oil crayon, painting, neon lights and literary texts as a media to reach the attention of the public. The reason why the artist does not uses his own words in his artworks and takes quotations from literary sources, is because he is more interested in reading what people have to say about the issues in respect with the american black community. However, Glenn Ligon's photographs, neon lights, childish drawings, jokes, texts and paintings are created with the aim of discovering  what America is, and how the society has evolved through the pass of history.

Sculpture Center Reaction

The interaction between art and space plays a significant role in an exhibition.  The Sculpture Center in Long Island City is an industrial building that currently exhibits "Bill Bollinger: The Retrospective." The installation, which was a former trolley repair shop, seems to be the perfect place to arrange and show some sculptures made of  industrial supplies. Moreover, there is an  harmony within the space and the artwork, so the outcome of this rare installation is reinforced.

The sculpture "Cyclone Fence" was located in the building's first floor. This large aluminium wire mesh was arranged with a particular shape that challenged gravity and resistance. It considered the dimensions of the space where was exposed because the sculpture interacted in accordance whit the architectural materials of the building, where high ceilings, glass, metal columns and cement floors created a balance between the sculpture and its surroundings. All those elements made the fence to be appreciated as an original sculpture in its natural space. The industrial building and the rough materials of the sculpture, created a positive environment for the installation.

Another artwork  located on the main floor of this interesting venue was "Graphite Piece," in which this carbon derived mineral covered most part of the floor's room. This material is generally used for drawing on paper, but the artist challenged the use of  this dry media, and created a piece that had a correlation with some of his works on paper. As paper holds media, this cement-grained floor held a great amount of graphite creating this dark shade. However, material and space were the concepts of this artwork that were enhanced by the atmosphere of the specific place, and which had a realistic view of how the trolley repair shop could have look when it was active.

On the other hand, "Oil Drum" was presented on the basement of the building. An oxidized drum filled up with water was arranged in one of the isolated rooms downstairs. The room was reduced, the air felt humid and dense, and lights were low. The atmosphere of the wet- cemented space, the rustic look of the bricks and the stares did have a significant influence in the artwork, as well the artwork did have a sense of belonging to that particular space.

To sum up, because of its architecture, dimensions of the space and arrangements of the artworks, this venue was the perfect place to exhibit Bill Bollinger sculptures, so the installation was enhanced by the atmosphere of the ex-trolley repair shop.

Bill Bollinger
"Cyclone fence"
1968

Bill Bollinger
"Graphite Piece"
Graphite powder
1969

Bill Bollinger
"Oil Drum"
Oil drum, water
1968