Chelsea and “Lungs of Gold”
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Chelsea has always been a foreign place to me that I always associated with the artistically inclined and talented; it was this preconceived notion that had intimidated me and consequently kept me away from experiencing this neighborhood. Now that I actually had the opportunity to visit Chelsea, I am surprised that it was not as intimidating as I had originally thought it was. This neighborhood upon first glance does not appear as “artistic”-looking as I had initially believed it to be; it seemed oddly industrial, with its many concrete edifices and asphalt streets accompanied by the noisy highway. What did stand out, however, was that it was situated by the water and therefore the air smelled of salt, which I liked. Seeing art in this environment has not affected my experience of the works themselves. Although the atmospheres of the galleries contrast greatly from the atmospheres of museums, I do not take the atmosphere into account when I am examining a work of art, and therefore my opinions of the art were not affected.
I am uncertain as to why all these art galleries are situated at Chelsea. I can only assume that one person or maybe a group of people had originally displayed their art in this area, and in light of one of their successes, more artists flocked to this part of Manhattan, seeking successes of their own and discovery. I believe that it is for this reason that a neighborhood such as this can spring up and continue to exist.
THE ART
The work of art that impressed me the most was Lungs of Gold from the Large Field Array installation by Keith Tyson. Lungs of Gold is a sculpture that features the human lungs free of the lobes, exposing the respiratory tree that is comprised of the trachea, the bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli; supporting the whole sculpture is the human stomach that is connected to the esophagus that runs parallel to the trachea. The whole sculpture is spray-painted in gold, lending it a metallic and luminous appearance. What had initially attracted me to this sculpture was its golden color that had easily caught my attention despite the fact that it was placed on the floor below eye-level. I was further drawn to this piece out of curiosity – I did not immediately register what it was supposed to represent. It was when I realized that the base of the sculpture was actually the human stomach that I understood that the sculpture was of the exposed respiratory networks of the lungs. Being a biology buff, I was intrigued by the piece and was amused to see these noteworthy organs coated in gold, as if to appreciate the importance of these organs. I was reminded of one of my high school’s colors and what it represented: “gold for the Sun that is essential to the chain of life.” Depicting the lungs in the same golden color as the Sun lends them the same importance, and for good reason; without the lungs, we would have no means to acquire the oxygen necessary for life and we would therefore perish. By default, although the piece is entitled Lungs of Gold, a “stomach of gold” supports the entire sculpture. In effect, the stomach is also given value and appreciated for its vital role to life: it aides in the digestion of the food we ingest, providing our bodies with the energy needed to carry out our life functions. Through this sculpture, Tyson succeeds in highlighting and emphasizing the importance of these two organs to our lives, a message that I was receptive to and grateful to have seen exemplified through his remarkable artwork.