One piece of art that definitely left a mark on my experience at Club 57 was Cosmic Closet by Kenny Scharf. This piece of art was the most interesting one in my mind because you are instantly entranced by the bright neon colors, random objects, and surreal environment this piece creates. This piece of art is not simply a painting or something to look at but it brings you into the experience. A room, coated in neon paint and covered with objects ranging from chairs to headless dolls, takes you out from the real world and brings you into this extraterrestrial-like world within this room. All of the absurd objects in this room come together to create a kid-like curiosity within the viewer. When you walk in, you can really feel the happiness that Kenny Scharf had when creating this piece. This piece captures the feelings, lifestyle, and energy of New York even in todays day and age.
This piece represented what life was like in New York city in the 70s and 80s. In my eyes, the neon colors represent not only the excitement of life and energy that New York had but the excitement of being an artist as well. When you walk into that room, you really feel as though you are transported to another world and I believe that Kenny Scharf was trying to do exactly that: capture the moments of his life as an artist in the 70s and keep that energy, feeling, and passion encapsulated in this room for people in the future to feel what it was like to live during this time, to be alive. This piece absolutely belongs in this exhibit because it challenges the definition of art, much like the rest of these pieces. It makes art, something that many people deem serious and perfect, into something full of energy, joy, imperfections, and alive.
