This trip took me down to the Lower
East Side of Manhattan to view the variety of galleries near Canal street. The
neighborhood in which the galleries are located immediately evoke a different
feeling than the Chelsea area. The buildings were old with dark colored bricks
while Chelsea appeared new with modern construction materials or re-purposed
old buildings made to appear new. This immediate difference in neighborhood
aesthetics made the Lower East Side galleries seem more approachable. The Lower
East Side reflected a sense that the galleries were catering to the every-man
while Chelsea is directed toward wealthy and affluent people.
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| Untitled Gallery |
The first gallery I entered, called
"Untitled" featured a single piece of work from many different
artists in a variety of themes, this is definitely contrary to the artists
featured in Chelsea where a commonality of theme could be seen in the space.
The artwork also appeared to express more experimental ideas and greatly varied
in its media choice. It was difficult to understand if there was any direction
or meaning behind the pieces, but they reflected an adventurous, cutting edge
artist, opposed to the delineated and well-established artists of Chelsea.
The large 'white cube' mode of was
present in all of the galleries I visited, reflecting the similar appearance of
the Chelsea area, except one the "Castle Fitzjohns Gallery". It had
wooden walls with spots of white painted cinderblock and temporary wooden walls
with a canvas covering. This presentation gave it an approachable feeling, like
I was inside an old/hip bar downtown, an old loft style building, or a large
brownstone with exposed walls. There was even a full living room set in one of
the rooms where the gallery proprietor was sitting, overall a more informal
feeling than the business-like Chelsea galleries.
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| BOSI Contemporary |
On of the last galleries I visited
was "BOSI Contemporary". This space elicited a different feeling from
the other two mentioned, with a direction of meaning and theme reflecting some
of the Chelsea galleries. It also showcased a single artist Dean Dempsey, and
one of the few galleries with an exclusive show. The street it was placed on
however, felt old and quaint with many Chinese shops surrounding it. This gave
a stark contrast to its white minimalist interior. The artwork was mostly
photographs and some photography related sculpture in the basement, all reflecting
a theme of dual opposites.
Overall there are significant differences
between these two neighborhoods in terms of their aesthetic qualities and also
in the content of the galleries. Speaking with some of the gallery proprietors,
they mention that their client base is mostly young people with a desire to
make a small investment into a piece of art. They spoke about a desire to make
an investment in the hopes that in their future it would be worth a lot. By
purchasing from a relatively unknown artist who works on the cutting edge of
art, they hope to be on the emerging trend of what is considered valuable
artwork.
Galleries:
BOSI Contemporary
48 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002
www.bosicontemporary.com
Untitled
30 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002
www.nyuntitled.com
Castle Fitzjohns Gallery
98 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002
www.castlefitzjohns.com
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