Twenty foot tall white walls, that seamlessly seem to go up forever. Statues of women with straw skirts too wide for you to wrap your arms around. Figures with open topped vases as heads. This is what I was met with when I walked into the Luhring Augustine gallery in Chelsea.
At first, walking around felt intimidating. You’re confined into a series of two or three rooms with art merly standing by itself on the floor, some smaller, some taller than I. As I walked around, cautiously trying to not get too close to the art, a worker hovered over myself and the class. Even the walls themselves, the plain white walls, we were not supposed to touch. This feeling when trying to truly appreciate art is not one I enjoy. The art was dull colors with no huge “wow factor.” I realized that this gallery was there strictly for business, and not art that was meant to be enjoyed for the true everyday American. As I thought more about this as I walked around looking at the different sculptures, I felt as I could not truly enjoy the art, nor was the style of the art appealing. This feeling all changed when we went to the nearby Anders Wahlstedt gallery.
Upon arrival of the gallery, we were immediately greeted with both colorful and black and white prints that you could get as close as you wanted to and by the owner gallery himself, Anders Wahlstedt. The owner was someone who cared about the art for it’s being. He showed us a video of the making of the prints, thus furthering my appreciation of the different styles within each piece. Being someone who does not usually care much for art, Wahlstedt created an open atmosphere in which I did enjoy each print.
Looking at the prints themselves, I was amazed at the detail of the designs. The fine details were elaborate and clearly took much time and planning. The insider video showed the artist, Frank Stella, and his team, placing each cut out on the print to produce the final outcome. The prints were detailed with separate cut outs that came together. The colors scheme kept the pieces interesting, but the black and white prints were covered with the combination of detailed shading and textures. All the prints create a flow that leads your eyes from top to bottom. This is the type of art I can enjoy and appreciate.
