Last week I saw two outstanding shows in New York City. Both of them are by Anish Kapoor (Gladstone Gallery on 21st Street and 24th Street).
The works are effortlessly graceful with plenty of formal delights and profound weight. It’s great to see his bold yet delicate methods let the
materials flow and glow in their own rights.
One show has multiple towers of cement (Gladstone Gallery on 24th Street). Take your time and walk among them. You start to see character
in each tower and you realize that they are not just random piles. Then you start to see the vision of the artist who let these strange
magical towers appear (here is an article about the interesting making process).
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 24th Street 2012
The other show places a large round steel structure that fills up a large open space (Gladstone Gallery on 21st Steet). You get the “wow” feeling
as soon as you walk in the room, and as you walk around, you just tell yourself “wtf”. It’s also fun to see how people react to the piece and
interact with it. It’s great to see people being so happily awed and overwhelmed by the piece. It gives confidence to anybody who loves and believes in art.
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 21st Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 21st Street 2012
Anish Kapoor at Gladstone gallery, 21st Street 2012
There was one more thing. My friend and I walked in one of the churches on our way to the galleries
(St. Thomas on 5th avenue). Ah, what a space to get away and immense yourself in the quietness with the church organ.
Everything just stopped and my mind was reset, at least for the moment.
A city needs a place like that or great art to make you feel that you are connected to something big and mysterious. A great city
like New York has both.
Saint Thomas Church