Art In America
Sheffield Admin Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 5:10AM My friend Paula is visiting. She's a sculptor. We spent the day yesterday engaged in one of the best activities available in New York City---no, not going to the Guggenheim, not going to the Empire State Building, and certainly not going shopping, even though we'd both love to do our part to help out the economy. Instead, we went to the galleries in a neighborhood called Chelsea. This neighborhood is not much to write home about---you have to cross 10th Avenue, which is a popular thoroughfare for trucks and buses, all belching their truck and bus fumes. The area seems perpetually under construction, too, and has autobody shops and gas stations. I mean, if you didn't know you were going gallery hopping, you'd think you were going to get your car repaired.
But then, across 10th Avenue, there are about six blocks, from about 21st Street to about 27th Street, that are filled with galleries.
We nosed around. The best thing about this activity is it is absolutely free---unless of course you buy something, in which case it can cost like $40,000. The good news for us was there was nothing that even would have tempted us had we had the money. It was all very conceptual and much of it not anything you'd want to live with.
So this got us onto the topic: what is art? How do you choose something to hang on your wall, or to display on a shelf in your living room? And if you're a designer, how do you work with a client to decide what art to bring into a room?
That's what I 'd like to know from you, my faithful readers.
Art
Reader Comments (2)
Your article makes one wonder! What is art? Well, art is basically a product of pure expression and creativity.
In order to have a desirably visual composition, the design elements fall into play: color, line, space, shape and texture. Some artists use one or more unconsciously..through the emotional compassion to create.
Art, in a sense, is in the eye of the beholder. What is visually pleasing to one, can be horrid to another. We have all spotted an abstract or piece of contemporary art, that may not make sense to us. Modernists enjoy the freedom to experiment; whether it be the medium they use, design element or overall concept of the piece.
Art selection can vary between individuals, due to the wide variety of expression and style out there. When selecting a piece for decorating purposes, interior designers collaborate with their clients about function, style and color to pull a room togethre. Some artwork is selected for pure shock value, while others may be used as a focal point or accent piece in the overall design.