This past tuesday, my group explored the Chelsea galleries on 20th and 21st street. Although each piece was beautiful and unique, there were two galleries that really stood out to me. The first one was similar to O’Doherty’s “white cube description. On a blank white canvas were two eye catching drawings. Both were created by Romare Bearden and were named All the Things You Are, 1987, and Blues for R.B.,1981. The name of the gallery is ACA galleries and is located on West 20th street. What made these paintings capture my attention was their sharp contrast to the background. The colors were popping with shades of yellow, orange, and red. Also, the depictions of saxophone players made the paintings even more artistic and beautiful. Despite how beautiful the painting is itself, I believe the true beauty of the piece is derived from its surrounding environment. There seems to be a glowing aura around the paintings while as you go farther away, the lighting gets more dull. This may be done to keep the viewers attention on the piece, but I think it adds another element of depth. This gallery was truly unique to me, and it was unlike any other I have ever seen. That is the main reason I decided to research it further and analyze it today.

After we saw visited the first gallery, my group went on to find some sculptures that would contrast the artwork we had previously seen. We came across a Japanese art gallery on 20th street and decided to go in. It was named Sato Sakura and focused on a type of Japanese art style called Nihonga. Essentially, Nihonga is a concept created “in response to the widespread influence of Western painting (or “Seiyoga”), which first made its way to Japan during the Meiji Era” according to the gallery. I found it so fascinating so I decided to walk around. After looking for ten seconds, I found a piece that was jaw dropping. Unfortunately I didn’t get the name or the artist or artwork, but I still chose to write about it due to immense beauty. Essentially, it was a white precious rock with a reddish purple rock sticking out of it. While it may not represent anything, its beauty is undeniable. Additionally, it is placed in a glass cube and the rock is put upon a white pedestal. That contributes to the grandeur of the work and makes it a focal point. Lastly, there is a beam of light shining on one side of the rock. This creates a dark and light side, adding a further dimension to the piece.

All in all, while these pieces both have white backgrounds, they couldn’t be more different. The first shows actual people and objects, while the latter is simply a part of the world. Additionally, the paintings seem to pop out of their environment, whereas the rock makes the environment . One thing is clear to me however. Despite all of their differences, the two pieces of art are equally beautiful and meaningful.