(For the Artsy online article by Abigail Cain, click here)
On October 2, 2018, our class embarked on a visit to two art galleries located on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan—the Luhring Augustine gallery and the Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art gallery. While I have been to art galleries about a dozen times before, I have never gone to a gallery to apply a critical artistic perspective when analyzing an artwork.
While the general rules and norms of proper gallery etiquette seem self-evident, it was intriguing to hear Professor Eversley describe the rooms as “white cubes” since the gallery’s white walls remove potential visual disturbances and focus the viewer’s attention on the detailed elements of the artwork. She continued to mention how it is a respectful norm to ensure your body and items don’t touch the walls and taint the intellectual atmosphere contained within the walls. Additionally, white gallery walls have become a trademark over the past several decades due to visual and symbolistic factors such as neutrality and purity. Out of curiosity, I did a quick Internet search about the origins of the white cube trademark of the art industry and was directed to an online article written by Abigail Cain, a former associate editor for the online art platform Artsy. According to Cain, museums and galleries in the United States began experimenting and implementing the usage of white walls as a background for artwork during the early 20th century. However, Cain notes how the epoch of Nazi Germany was when “white became the standardized color for German gallery walls.” As a result, other art institutions throughout Europe began adopting the standard of white walls, resulting in the dominance of white cubes partially credited as a Nazi innovation. However, it is important to note many art institutions, like the National Gallery in London, are beginning to resist white walls and utilize dark colored walls instead as the new trend in displaying art.
At the Luhring Augustine gallery, it was fascinating how the displayed sculptures were methodically placed in the two rooms. Some sculptures were placed on top of tall, wooden cylinder pedestals, others were freestanding with apparent massive straw skirts, and some were even set on the floor! These ceramic sculptures were created by Simone Leigh, a now prominent female artist with symbolistic references to African culture, feminism, and ethnography. As noted in the New York Times article about Leigh, the artist intentionally omitted particular facial characteristics, like the eyeballs, and included African features, like the nose and lips, to resonate the theme of African art with a degree of abstractness. The jug-shaped heads of the sculptures intended to “fuse the black body with a tool,” as Leigh stated according to the NYT article. This sculpture characteristic reminds me of how African women traditionally perform various laborious tasks and endure numerous hardships throughout their lifetimes.
I found the sculpture in the above image interesting because of what appears to be a polished wood material instead of ceramics, and the rounded torso structure. Looking at this sculpture conveys a sense of triumph as the polished wood defiantly reflects the bright gallery lights, illustrating the sculpture’s ability to withstand difficulties. Additionally, the rounded torso instills the idea of how this individual had to overcome a mountain of struggles and oppression to remain on top. However, according to the NYT article, “The torso echoes the bullet-shaped domed houses of mud and grass that were the traditional dwellings of the Mousgoum communities in Cameroon.” This aspect of the torso’s structure dramatically differs from my interpretation and represents the more in-depth symbolic attribution of the sculpture, but also shows how various interpretations of artworks can form. While Leigh’s work may seem bland and too abstract at an initial glance, a more in-depth analysis of the artwork will expose the beauty and significance of the pieces.
At the Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art gallery, we saw the intriguing artwork of Frank Stella’s selected prints from his Moby Dick series. Now, to be honest, I had an unfavorable initial impression of the paintings because they appear incredibly arbitrary and similar to street graffiti with the bright, sporadic colors and patterns. Stella employs an art form called Abstract Expressionism where emotional intensity and subtle themes are expressed through apparent spontaneous, unusual designs. Once I saw the title of the artwork was related to the story of Moby Dick, I began to see some of the hidden elements of the composition. Along the edges and implemented in the center of the image are distinct wavy lines and shapes illustrating the violent waves that attacked Captain Ahab’s ship in the story. Additionally, the chaos of the distinct design highlights the chaotic fight between Moby Dick and the sailors. The best part of visiting this exhibition was a spectacular brief film showcasing the strenuous process of creating these artworks with interview comments from Frank Stella. The film was generously presented to our class by Anders Wahlstedt himself, and he gave additional insight about Stella and the remarkable aspects of the pieces. Learning about the incredible process of creating and copying these paintings significantly increased my admiration and wonder for both Stella and his work. It is impressive how the paintings are similar to enormous puzzles with unique parts culminating to form a powerful image. I want to say thank you to Mr. Wahlstedt for allowing us to visit the gallery, presenting the film, and answering our questions about the remarkable pieces.
It was an educational and thrilling opportunity to visit these galleries to witness some of their inner workings and to understand the significance behind them. Admittedly, while the experience seemed dull initially, later reflection of what I saw and learned has made me better appreciate the ability to explore these galleries and discover insights about the artwork, the artist, and myself. This first-hand approach to studying and understanding art is more impactful and favorable than sitting in a stuffy classroom and receiving a lecture. Additionally, visiting these galleries has partially opened my mind to respecting these specific types of art forms I otherwise wouldn’t have since I tend to dislike contemporary art. Progress is in the spirit of the beholder.
—Patrick Perrigo
