This is that part of New York where everybody who is anybody goes to shop and spend fortunes on unnecessary clothing.  This is where the Trump Tower is.  This is a part of the city I’ve never really explored, and I’m pretty sure there’s a good reason why.  Not that I have been consciously avoiding the area, but more so that I’ve never had a real reason to visit it until this class.  This is not an area in which I feel particularly comfortable, not because I feel in danger or threatened, but more so that it is generally inhabited by people who are quite different from me.  That is not to say that I don’t respect their lifestyles, because that is not at all the case, but merely that I am well aware of the character of this area and my own personal character.
            I find all of these grand, upscale buildings somewhat intimidating, and if I were to choose an area to explore on my own, it is quite unlikely that this would be it, but I figure it’s worth trying everything at least once.  So I try to not let the fancy lobbies and desk attendants get in the way of my art experience.
            That being said, I rather enjoyed some of the art I saw in the ritziest part of town.  I thought I Love My Scene: Scene 1 on display at the Mary Boone Gallery was quite interesting.  I was pleasantly surprised not just by the range of mediums, primarily photographs but also several installation pieces and a handful of drawings, but also by the range within the medium, as in the difference between portraits of beautiful women in fancy dresses and crime on the gritty streets of New York City.  I also really enjoyed hearing the story of Mary Boone and how she came to be.  It takes a lot of courage to be able to not only know exactly what you want and how to get it but to also be able to follow through with your plans and refuse to give up until you get what you want, especially, for Mary Boone, in a time when the art world was certainly not a women’s world.  I very much admire her for that and take comfort in the magnitude of her success story and knowing that she’s still doing exactly what she wants to be doing so many years later.
            Another show I enjoyed was Tim Davis’s Illilluminations at the Greenberg Van Doren Gallery.  In France last summer during a visit to the Louvre, I started taking particular notice of shadows and became quite intrigued by them.  It’s really interesting to notice what kinds of objects cast different shapes; they’re often not what you would expect.  Throughout the rest of my voyage through Paris and all of its magnificent art, I paid close attention to shadows.  However, I had mostly forgotten my love for the funny things the light does until viewing this exhibition.  Seeing Davis’s work and how it was based around a subject which captivates me was not just reassuring but also quite interesting.
            In conclusion, I’m pleased I finally had a reason to experience this part of New York.  It was fairly painless, and I was fortunate enough to view several exhibitions which I really enjoyed.  I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this opportunity.