Gallery space acts as the backdrop for works of art featured in it. While we direct most of our attention towards the works of art themselves, the space around them helps set the tone of the artwork. In some cases, the space around it is even more critical in that the artwork would not be complete without its environment to complement it. Depending on the features of its gallery, a piece of art can be perceived differently.

The DC Moore Gallery on 22nd Street in Manhattan features a collection of contemporary and 20th Century American art. It has a shiny, wooden-plank floor and blank, white walls.

Most of the work in the galley like Yvonne Jacquette’s paintings of Daytime New York is spaced substantially apart, allowing the viewer to observe each painting in isolation. Daytime New York, in particular, is relatively isolated, situated at the edge of one of the walls. The white background doesn’t offer anything to the painting and allows the viewer to focus solely on what’s on the canvas: a skyscraper under construction, most likely in downtown Manhattan. Aside from another building bordering the right of the painting, the main skyscraper stands tall and in isolation–a similar dynamic to the painting in relation to the rest of the gallery. In this way, the painting is physically and virtually an accurate depiction of a skyscraper.

Another of Jaquette’s Daytime in New York paintings features a view of the Brooklyn Bridge coupled with some auxiliary buildings. Here, the white background forces the viewer to fully appreciate a snapshot of New York City’s environment in singularity, without any outside influences. The irony of the painting is that NYC is typically seen as a very busy area, with a lot of activities going on at once, but in the painting there is none–no cars, no people, and no seagulls flying across the river. In this painting, it appears the sun is setting and the city is settling from its usual hustle-bustle pace. The slight amber glow of the painting exudes comfort and relaxation.

Although most of the galleries we visited employed white backgrounds for the paintings, the JoAnne Artman Gallery on 22nd Street contained a section in the back featuring a yellow background. In this case, the artwork was ingrained with its background.

For instance, America Martin’s 2 Feathers in Violet and Beige blends well with the yellow background and is even accompanied by a soft, yellow sofa. Yellow exudes tranquility and comfort, and the relatively large size of the painting gives viewers the impression that the woman in the painting is watching over the entire room. She has a calm, motherly gaze that fits well with the overall mood of the painting. The fact that the area is dimly lit gives the impression of the painting being a familiar setting: late at night, at home, relaxing on the sofa.

Within the same area is Matt Devine’s a x b #3, an aluminum sculpture covered with a yellow powder coat. This sculpture does not fit with its background as well as 2 Feathers in Violet and Beige. While their only similarity is their matching colors, however, there may be a deeper reasoning behind this. a x b #3 can be classified as abstract art, since it’s not immediately obvious what it represents. Perhaps the anomaly was meant to blend in with the yellow backdrop, symbolizing how strange things appear in life, if we go looking for them. It’d be easy to miss this sculpture if it wasn’t being looked for. Or maybe Devine simply wanted his viewers to think hard about what his creation is.