What was your overwhelming response to our Chelsea Gallery tour? Enlightenment or boredom? Why did you tire out before your ancient professor who could have gone on for another five hours? Is youth really wasted on the young?
The Arts in New York City
Professor Judell / MHC @ CCNY / Fall 2013
My overwhelming response to our tour is that I actually never knew there was a part of Manhattan that had art galleries randomly on the street. I never knew you can walk into places and just buy a piece of art for an amount of money that was probably worth more than my yearly income I earn from my job.. after 5 years. There were some galleries I enjoyed such as the gallery with the artist’s interpretation of the computer and anime or Andrew Chen’s gallery (lol). Though most pieces were vulgar or inappropriate for school, they made me think more about the piece than any normal piece of art because they make you wonder why the artist burst out of the norm and put offensive language or nudity in his piece. Was he just horny one night, or does it represent a deeper meaning behind what it means to let your computer have such a strong influence in your life?
As for my tiring out early, I had an intense leg workout day the day before and the weather was not on my side. Sadly, youth is wasted on exercise that makes the youth more tired and unable to compete to the stamina of an “ancient professor.”
Ah, there is a hint of morality sneaking into your response, which in a sense affects all of our judgments, often unconsciously. Who decides what comprises “offensive language”? Does nudity always denote the “horniness” of the artist? Isn’t the basic body a proper subject for a sculpture or a painting? And who teaches us to shun nudity? That isn’t an inborn trait. Did you ever hear a baby tell his parents to cover him up immediately? And will Yejoon hold the same sentiments ten or twenty years from now? I actually find myself growing more conservative as I approach my grave.
I found our class gallery trip quite the exciting experience. I have been to the Chelsea area, whether for food, for the piers, for the high line view, or for the shops, many times, yet I have never realized there was this subculture of art engraved in the neighborhood. It was interesting to go gallery hopping and to see how varied each artist’s works were from one another. Some exhibits were slightly horrifying, like the one Yejoon mentioned in his post, some were unique and creative, and some were classic art. Others were just plain silly – enough to make you raise your eyebrows and say “Really?” – like the priceless panels of white canvas we were not even allowed to photograph. Art is a form of expression and has pretty much no boundaries, but come on!
On another note, I found some exhibits truly grabbing, such as Irving Penn’s exquisite photographs. It was also nice that we were able to see these works of art for free – we all know none of us can afford buying the physical art. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
I rather enjoyed the trip to the galleries. However, Saturday was not the ideal time for such a trip, due to the many activities I have on that, one of which includes work. So after dragging all of my heavy books back home, I was coming home for the weekend and did not want to make a return trip to the dorms, I was demanded, by my boss, to show up for a four hour shift at work. But it was still a great experience overall. That day really proved that you do learn something new each day. During my summer vacation, I would spend a lot of time with friends and family at the Chelsea Piers. It was only that Saturday when I learned about the art district that was within arm’s reach during my summer vacation. Like everyone else who had commented before me, I was surprised to learn that there was so much art so close to me during the summer. I am not a person who can spend his/her time standing in front of works of art fawning and pointing out their subtle messages. However, these galleries were still a fun place to simply look at art and relax. It was also a good opportunity to see art that you probably would not see in a museum. However that one gallery that showcased the problems of becoming too engrossed with the internet was bit too bizarre for my tastes.