Massiel and her Views.: Chelsea Galleries Reaction

It’s funny to realize that not only is art considered a hobby, a pastime, or an ordinary interest, it is also a luxury to own. There price varies from slightly inexpensive depending on the artist, to hundred thousand dollars if you are very well known. When visiting The Metro Pictures and the Barbara Gladstone Galleries I found works that as a consumer I would definitely purchase and another that I’d prefer to just look at where they are currently.

The Metro Pictures gallery had work from an artist named Cindy Sherman. Previously I have seen her work and was slightly interested just because I feel that if I was an artist my work would be almost identical, solely portraits of myself. One of her pieces “Untitled” 2010/2011 portrays here in what seems to be the country in a crop field, yet she is dressed semi formal. As a consumer, Cindy’s work would be something I would enjoy having in my home, even if it is of another person. The other artwork i would purchase as a consumer is "Untitled" where she is standing by a tree with a nice nature background and she is yet again dressed formally. Sherman’s work also has a sense of humor in them that makes them even more enjoyable.

The Barbara Gladstone Gallery starred an artist named Anish Kapoor. In the gallery there was a 22 part piece named Ga Gu Ma. They were pretty large in size which automatically made me think I would not want it in my house. Also, as I read, since art is expensive you should choose something you ultimately enjoy looking at, and these sculptures were quite the contrary. The sculptures have a way of making you stare at them to try and figure out what exactly they are. It’s like one of those scenarios in movies where they are scared but are still going toward where the noise is coming from. With the sculptures I was confused but couldn’t look away.

Art is a luxury that not everyone can afford which is why it is available for everyone to see. Because of their prices you must think long and hard if it is something you want to own forever, because you wouldn’t want to sell it cheaper than what you originally paid for. Therefore, a person’s own taste comes strongly, if not the only consideration, when buying a piece of work.