Essay # 2

If I had to describe the Chelsea galleries trip in one word, it would be exciting. It was not my first visit to an art gallery, nor was it my first time in a Chelsea gallery, but the memories from that day will stay with me forever. It was an absolute pleasure to be around so many people enthusiastic about art! Furthermore, lets face it, we often take for granted the amazing art and culture at our fingertips being mere residents of New York City. What I found to be most interesting was just how accommodating the galleries are. We were a large group of students, yet we were not turned away except for the one Picasso exhibit (which I DID check out, and it was incredible!). It just goes to show you that even though galleries are of course in the business of making money, they still understand what a piece of art is all about, and that is to be viewed and appreciated. What better way is there to spend a random Friday afternoon?? Here are a few of my personal favorites from the first hour of our trip:

  

Transformation by Wu Jian'an was a breathtaking exhibit. I literally have a half dozen or so of his works that will be taking turns being my new screensavers lol. 

I love that we followed the Metropolitan Museum of Art trip with the Chelsea one. Every piece of art that we saw on Friday was created recently, by artists that are alive and relevant right now. That is important for the casual fan to see, because the vast majority of people simply believe that a piece of artwork is often only valuable AFTER the artist has passed away. It is a terrible lie that plagues the industry, and in my opinion, discourages quite a few would-be artists from pursuing their dreams! "What's the point of creating art, if it will only be worth something after I'm dead and gone?" I am paraphrasing a bit here, but I have heard these questions quite a few times in my life, and it's unfortunate. 

The biggest "connection" that I had with an artist on Friday would have to be during the Takashi Murakami exhibit. I could think of literally a thousand ways to describe what I felt, but most important to me was the emotion behind the work. I love the artist's use of vivid colors, and his own special way of adding Japanese culture to his pieces. While Takashi's sculptures were incredible to see, the work that touched me the most was the one that stretched the entire wall of the main room. I took a panoramic picture of it with my phone, and pasted it below for you all to see:

In the end, I found the experience of the Chelsea galleries to be wonderful. I hope to go back and visit some of the ones that we missed, but will probably wait till the weather gets a bit warmer. As young art lovers, I feel it's our responsibility to share these experiences with our friends and families. Chelsea is a hidden treasure, and it deserves to be seen by everyone. 

I hope to see you all again there soon :)