Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s sheep sculptures on Michael Shvo’s Getty Station is a striking combination of urban and rural: so bourgeois yet so unexpected. It’s hard to decide whether the grazing sheep intruded upon the gas station or if the gas station is paving over the pasture. Really, the grass was there first, but it’s hard to imagine grass dominating over something industrial in the city. One would not think to combine the two, yet upon seeing it, the two work in perfect harmony together. One similarity between the two seemingly opposite, a gas station and a meadow, is their usefulness. Gas and technology is what powers most of us through our days, yet we don’t stop to appreciate the equally important role that plain fresh air plays in our lives. This public art display is a creative way of expressing the “go green!” motto, and capturing the attention of anyone who passes by. Or, reminding people of the good old days when gas was still less than $3.

Pieter Hugo, in his art exhibit at the Yossi Milo gallery, Kin, focuses on the racism and disadvantages that black Africans face in South Africa. While apartheid may have ended, the discrimination hasn’t. He explores the pitiable Africans’ homes and lives making us wonder how the whites can let the Africans survive day-to-day like this? When race permeates every aspect of society for the worst, so does the question of how to handle it. In one picture, a young boy is seen begging on the streets of South Africa where his skin, caked with dirt, actually looks silver. This is probably the epitome of poverty from the eyes of a New Yorker; however, it’s commonplace in South Africa. The hopelessness in his eyes combined with the blurry outline of Spanish-tiled roof houses in the background magnifies the striking injustice and destitution that the Africans face, where all-powerful whites are but a mere fraction.

Even for a self-proclaimed artist living in New York City, Manhattan’s Chelsea gave me a serious case of culture shock. There is art behind glass doors, art seen through windows, art on intimidating white walls, and art on the streets themselves. The Chelsea Galleries are a series of intimate yet intimidating spaces which barely recall their colossal cousins the MoMA and the MET, but that makes it all the more exciting when you find yourself drawn to a particular piece/exhibit (I guess I like the thrill of the hunt?).

Dormitory, Model 1:5 by Martin Honert (http://www.artnet.com/artwork/426285836/706/martin-honert-dormitory-model-15.html)

I found myself particularly enthralled with one of Martin Honert’s pieces at the Matthew Marks Gallery,  Dormitory, Model 1:5. My attraction to this piece begins with my affinity for dioramas, as I love the implied nostalgia and sense of wonder such little worlds create. Honert’s dormitory model is heavy with eerie nostalgia; the bareness of it recalls the unreliability of even the strongest memories, and the light which emanates from the furniture adds an interesting paranormal effect.

(http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/comma-21-martin-honert/)

Additionally, a close up proves that the piece is gorgeous in its own right. Honart’s rendering of the wooden surfaces and manipulation of the material into dimpled cushions is impressive and elevates the piece from simply a diorama to fine art.

In the Martin Honert exhibit, we saw several mind-boggling sculptures, created from negatives from pictures of Honert’s teachers. This exhibit was very interesting and somewhat cryptic, and also felt like it could be a great setting for a horror film (Night at the Museum 3: House of Wax?). The way the eyes are positioned for each sculpture, it seems as though they’re all taking turns glaring at you, no matter what point of view you look at them from. This made the piece feel vivid and life-like, as if one of the sculptures was going to reach out and grab me. Once we all got into it though, it was fun to fool around with the exhibit a little bit.

Afterwards, at the Pieter Hugo exhibit, the art was more realistic, like everyday life, and had photos of people in interesting poses or intriguing situations. There were several depicting naked people in intricate positions but we’re all children, so I’m not posting those. Some of the exhibit also featured many African American subjects with a sort of hopeless demeanor, so they may have been influenced by Apartheid or civil rights or perhaps discrimination/racism in general. This picture reminded me of the lady from Insidious though…

(Totally didn’t steal Lawrenzo’s idea)

The third exhibit was almost exclusively dedicated to Vladimir Lenin, which was exciting for me since Lenin is one of my favorite historical figures and second-most favorite Russian leader (first is Stalin). There were pictures of idols made in his image, as well as a statue of him wearing a golden chain of his own head, alongside a similar sculpture that lacked a head. I think this was very interesting symbolism on the part of the artists. There were also portraits of Lenin, looking very Leo DiCaprio-esque, adorning the walls of the exhibit.

The piece of art “Group of teachers” by Martin Honert was located at the Matthew Marks Gallery. I found this piece very interesting and very different from the other types of art that were in the gallery. the group of teachers definitively stood out because they were at the end of a big room and the light of the room was mostly focus on them. This could represent Honert’s childhood experience at boarding school and also the impact and influence the “group of teachers” had on him. The light could represent a memory from the past, and how this memory remains in Honert’s life even thought these people are not longer close to him. Although the characters are smiling, there is something that made me keep away from them. Maybe because their face expressions or perhaps the feeling that they were watching me was scary and it made me feel uncomfortable when I was in front of them.

While I was walking i saw a little piece that really caught my attention. I never thought that i was going to find such a beautiful piece on the street. When i saw this i was so in love with it because i thought it was really cute and also very creative. I immediately began to think to whom the idea has occurred  and also what was his purpose by drawing this on the street. After i saw this piece i was very happy because it reminded me of my little brother and the drawings that he likes to do.

Out of all the galleries we visited in Chelsea the Yossi Milo Gallery with photos by Pieter Hugo was my favorite.  Two pictures caught my attention and this was the first one.  Situated near the entrance of the gallery this photo depicts a man having a cigarette.  I could not help but  compare it to the famous “The Kramer” painting from the hit television series Seinfeld.  The resemblance is very interesting, but with that aside I really liked this photo because of the realistic simplicity of it.  It’s just a man having a cigarette and there is something about that simplicity that makes the photo very easy to understand.  The man has wrinkles all over his face, possibly suggesting his struggles in life, yet he has a double sided smile when enjoying the cigarette. One could say it is a neutral expression or even slight smirk of content.

The next photo that caught my attention was one of a tree and a man, which was in the back of the gallery.  At the end of the gallery viewing it was explained that a possible influence for these photos was the Apartheid in South Africa (where these photos were taken).  Unlike the first photo, this one below spoke to me as being influenced by the Apartheid.  The South African man is joined to the tree at the base, possibly holding on to it because it is bound to him in some way.  As I observed him laying there prostrate I thought of how the White man subjugated the South Africans into segregated communities during the Apartheid.  The picture really brought this to life for me because the tree being blown in one direction is representative of the inequality present during Apartheid.  Since the tree is on the opposite side of the African man it is in favor of White dominance. Yet the man holds on, hoping that the tree will soon cover both sides and he will not be treated unfairly anymore.

My favorite gallery was the Yossi Milo Gallery, which displayed many photographs by Pieter Hugo.  Here are some of the pictures that I took there:

Our tour guide pointed out that this collection of photographs, which were  taken in South Africa, was probably influenced by Apartheid.  Once she highlighted this angle that the pictures were taken from, I was able to better understand my emotions relating to the collection; right from the first picture, I felt a sense of desolation and despair.  I think the above picture of the tree is really in line with this idea.  The fog in the background, the single tree in the landscape, and one man laying alone under this tree, are all synthesized in one picture to perfectly capture a sense of haunted loneliness.  Also, the picture next to it spoke to me of chaos and destruction, which is symbolic of the political undercurrents of South Africa during the time of Apartheid.

In addition, many of the photos were of human beings, mostly Africans.  Most of them were posing with blank-looking stares and faces devoid of hope:

I especially liked how Hugo chose to comment on Apartheid through the point of view of the Africans, as opposed to the white’s.  Most of the photographs were designed to show the viewers the terrible political and social situation the country was in through the perspective of the Africans.  Seeing the pictures, I instinctively empathized with them and wished that they didn’t look so hopeless and feel so much pain.  In general, I really loved the tensions and emotions displayed in this gallery and the way they were able to evoke such emotion in me.  I think it’s a mark of Hugo’s skill and creative vision that he’s able to take these pictures and display them in such a way that the viewers are engaged and emotionally invested.

The first thoughts that come to mind while walking around Chelsea Piers would not have been art. Sure, the buildings are fancy and hi-tech, the Highline is a fascinating historical treasure in itself, and the Getty Station is eye-popping, but I never truly saw the art in Chelsea. The art world of Chelsea, however, is eminent if one chooses to seek it. It is the inconspicuous nature of the galleries hidden between the office buildings and the stores, that make Chelsea the treasure trove for art lovers everywhere.

At the Yossi Milo Galleries, many South African themed photo by Pieter Hugo were put on display depicting lifestyles and tensions in South Africa, things Hugo was very familiar with. However, this photograph stuck out to me. At first glance, the work reminded me of something seen in Greek or Roman era, where the marble used brought me back to learning about art in prior history classes. However, after taking a closer look, the humans portrayed in the piece did not display the usual theme of white supremacy. Rather, it displayed the complete opposite, where the club-wielding bald African men dominated the bearded white men, who were on the ground with agonized facial expressions. It also shows the tension in South Africa during apartheid and post-apartheid. The photograph most likely depicts some of the emotions and thoughts of Africans who suffered during that time. I particularly love this piece because it shows a perspective of those oppressed, a perspective that is spoken about frequently, in a new and creative light.

Samantha Chiu

Personally, I found the Chelsea Galleries a bit disappointing.  The galleries were non-conventional and the art pieces were difficult to understand, if understandable at all.  There were many times when I questioned whether the art even had a meaning.  Nevertheless, I liked the variety of the galleries as well as the fact I had to utilize neural function to analyze the pieces.  For example, in the Matthew Marks Gallery, the Martin Hornet exhibit contained a group of old teachers (sculptures) in the far end of a plain white room.  I thought this represented the long path to a dismal future being plain and dreary.

Despite the difficulty understanding the galleries, I enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and finding art pieces everywhere.  One of my favorites was crushed under unaware NYC residents.  It was on a crosswalk near the High Line.  I found this piece cute and abnormal.  The yellow stood out on the grey road.  I needed a picture of it, which is a bit dangerous considering it is in the middle of the street.

The Lambard Freid gallery had what I thought to be an extremely wasteful exhibit: multiple 18 karat gold chains with 24 karat gold pendents of Lenin of the Communist Revolution.  Knowing that just a couple blocks down there are homeless people who do not know where their next meal will come from, I could not appreciate the exhibit.  Other than that issue, I did appreciate the pictures and paintings in the gallery.  One of the paintings reminded me of a Pokemon.  I am biased because Pokemon was a very important part of my childhood, so when I saw this picture, I was immediately filled with nostalgia.

(Photo on right: http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2010/336/f/5/mudkip_coloring_by_alltehgoodnamesrgone-d343k49.jpg)

Despite the difficulty understanding the many exhibits, I do not think it was a waste of time.  I was exposed to many new art pieces and as the cliche goes, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”

This piece entitled “Group of Teachers” by Martin Honert was in the Matthew Marks Gallery. The sculptures are made of Polyurethane, sand, glass, textiles, and oil paint. This was the first gallery we went to, and it helped me appreciate Honert’s style of contemporary art since I could come up with stories the people may be linked with. Despite their smiling faces, the teachers have an intimidating, watchful expression on them; for instance, the blonde woman’s eyes seem to be following you. There is a very eerie vibe to the room. The lighting is focused predominately on the figures.These six figures could represent Honert’s own teachers from the boarding school he attended. The teachers are an example of how the past is always lingering, and an image could stay vivid in one’s mind forever. I think it is very interesting that Honert created this bunch based off of negatives of photographs. Additionally, I think it is interesting that he kept the teachers entirely in bland, dull colors. They could parallel the dull, washed-out feelings one gets as they age. The characters look so real, and one can get a sense that they are being judged as they stand in front of them. The fact that Honert’s parents were of the Nazi Era may be of import. During this time period, the youth had a conflicted relationship with adults. This could affect his portrayal of adults in general. The room was very spacious and the group of teachers definitely stood out. The long, narrow room of emptiness could represent the empty path one feels that they travel until they obtain a career. To the masses, having a steady career such teaching equates to success. This contemporary piece leaves an ambiguous message on the viewers, which I love.