Located on 25th Street, there were three galleries in particular that caught my attention with their distinct uses of gallery space: Gallery Henoch, the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, and the Marlborough Gallery. All of these were traditional white cube gallery spaces, but the differences in lighting, organization of the artwork, and the unique floors and ceilings all fabricated a unique, independent experience of the pieces displayed.

To begin, the paintings in Gallery Henoch were displayed on conventional white walls, but the ceiling of the gallery was open, featuring the brick layout that the building was made of. Lining the high brick ceiling were silver beams connecting individual light bulbs that shone a spotlight on each separate painting. The contrast of the white walls and the deep brick made the space feel bigger and cozier, complementing the warm theme in all the pieces. The floor was a cream color, softer compared to the sharp white of the walls, and it had a glossy finish that, due to the spotlight, reflected the paintings hanging on the walls. Interestingly enough, many of the paintings depicted either bright lights, shining reflections, or even had a similar glossy coat over the canvases. In particular, Sunghee Jang’s Floor displayed a close-up of a waxed wooden floor with the light reflecting off of it. This painting, reflected on the gallery’s own glossy floor, added to the interaction of the piece because the viewer can view Floor from the canvas itself and the floor’s reflection, adding a new dimension to this gallery experience.

The glossy floor of Gallery Henoch creates new art through the reflections of the paintings.

“Floor” by Sunghee Jang

Amsterdam Gallery exhibited colorful, vibrant paintings on the backdrop of a standard white cube gallery space. There were secluded sections of the gallery dedicated to paintings of similar themes, some of which were different perspectives of the Eiffel Tower, portraits of famous celebrities made of music scores, and abstract thread paintings. The benefit of harboring corresponding works in an enclosed sector of the gallery in this way is the fixated attention and intimacy that it provides the viewer. The viewer can analyze and compare works of the same medium and theme without their attention being redirected by other pieces. For instance, the paintings of the Eiffel Tower by JS Renand were grouped together hanging on one wall. All of these rendered different viewpoints of the Eiffel Tower at different times of day. The viewer can experience the many atmospheres the Eiffel Tower creates before moving on to the next set of paintings. It is a strategy that immerses the viewer and makes them feel as if they are seeing the structure in person. Thus, the seclusion of similar paintings, as well as the plainness of the rest of the gallery, hones in the viewer’s focus to maximize their interaction with each set of pieces.

JS Renand’s Eiffel Tower exhibit

“Sparkling Eiffel Tower” by JS Renand

Lastly, Marlborough Gallery was able to transform the viewer’s experience with a particular piece of art through its position and physical display at the gallery. There were two main exhibits in the Marlborough Gallery: 100-Foot-Long Piece by Joe Zucker and A Requiem for Paul Lynde by Jim Krewson. The use of space of A Requiem for Paul Lynde was exceptionally interesting because the exhibit was hung from the ceiling by a string. The project was a wedding gown that had been painted with various neon watercolors layered with photos of people from mass media sources, perhaps questioning this new era of publicity. However, the gown itself was only part of the display; a light shone from the corner, casting a shadow of the slowly rotating dress on the opposite corner. The entire exhibit was tucked away in a small room at the end of the gallery, startling unsuspecting viewers that turn the corner to be confronted by such a dramatic piece. The eerie display of the hanging gown along with its slow spinning shadow creates a bold, almost frightening experience to viewers compared to if the gown was merely pinned to a white wall.

 

“A Requiem for Paul Lynde” by Jim Krewson

A light cast an eerie shadow of the dress onto the corner of the exhibit room.

On the whole, I had a different experience with all three galleries that I visited. Henoch Gallery was able to complement the reflective, illuminating paintings by using the glossy floor as another canvas to view the artworks from. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery isolated pieces of the same theme, allowing the viewer to fully absorb the meaning behind each group of artworks. I enjoyed A Requiem for Paul Lynde in the Marlborough Gallery the most because of the ghostly, mysterious tone it emits throughout the entire space. The space of each gallery prompted a different reaction to the artwork it presented, keeping me on my toes and anticipating the next surprise.