I missed the class visit to SoHo due to illness, so I got to explore the area on my own.  Prior to my visit, I looked up all of the galleries online to figure out where they were, what their hours were, what they were currently showing, etc.  Some of the websites really caught my eye because due to their unique character.  I was particularly drawn to the website for Deitch Projects.  It is, in one word, fun.  It is definitely one of the cuter gallery websites I’ve visited, complete with a menu of cartoon food buttons and a choice of two different soundtracks to enhance your viewing pleasure.  I was excited to visit these galleries.  Because I visited SoHo later than the rest of the class, the galleries were showing different exhibitions and several of them were in between shows.
            Since I live close by, I decided to walk to SoHo.  I’m really glad I did, because it was a nice day, and I feel that walking there gave me more insight into the area and its surroundings.  SoHo itself is quite trendy, full of not just art galleries, but numerous designer boutiques, furniture, and even restaurants that also have that mod deco aura to them.  However, I feel that the area is grounded by its close proximity to Canal Street, where you can buy knock-offs of almost anything you can imagine for as low as you can bargain.  To me, this stark contrast is what keeps SoHo from being too hip or pretentious.
            My first gallery stop was Visionaire Gallery which was currently showing an exhibition titled Visionaire 48 Magic, a collection of lenticular art, including works by several big names in the film industry such as Spike Jonze, Jim Jarmush, and Sofia Coppola.  Instantly, I connected these pieces of art work hanging on the wall to the world of motion pictures, and with good reason.  What makes these works so unique is that unlike most art that is often found hanging on a wall, these lenticular pieces are not meant to be viewed standing still directly in front of the work, but rather while shifting vantage points, thus causing the art to truly come to life.  Due to their very nature, pieces show motion in a way that typical two-dimensional art never can.  After making my way around the gallery walking back and forth in front of each piece, it occurred to me that I could actually get a clearer view if I stood several feet back, and so I circulated the gallery once more, thinking to myself how strange it was that when viewed from the traditional viewpoint, these images were actually rather distorted and confusing.  This exhibition was certainly a unique one, and I really enjoyed it, even if it took me a while to figure out the best way to view it.
            I also made my way to see Lukasz Skapski, Video and Photographic Works at Location One, and Josephsohn: Sculpture at Peter Blum Gallery, as well as works at OK Harris, which I was not quite as impressed by.  But my far, my favorite gallery of the day remained true to my website preference: Deitch Projects.  I was fortunate enough to see The Garden Party, a show which I had already heard much about.  This show was described by Deitch as not just an exhibition, but also a “performance program,” which I found to be rather accurate.  My first reaction upon entering the gallery was that the space had truly been transformed into a garden party.  Unlike most galleries I have visited, where works are generally hung on the walls, this exhibition really seemed to take over the entire gallery, the interior of which I later learned had been rebuilt to accommodate the show.  What really struck me was the way all of the pieces of art worked so well together that despite having been created by a wide variety of artists, they blended together, sacrificing their individual identities in favor of joining the bigger picture.  One thing I noticed about the presentation which I believe certainly aided the continuity was the lack of descriptions posted on the wall proclaiming the name and artist of each unique piece.  That is not to say that there were no distinct parts, but rather that each work had a responsibility first and foremost to The Garden Party, and second to itself.  Two of the many works that I particularly enjoyed due to their unique nature were ones which invited the viewer to participate.  A “Wish Tree” by Yoko Ono had a nearby table with blank tags, pencils, and instructions to right a wish to attach to the tree, which I did.  Upstairs, a recreation of Garden of Nirvana, an exhibition by Noritoshi Hirakawa previously on display at Deitch Projects, had a sign asking visitors to take off their underwear in the changing room provided and hang it from a chandelier-like object, which I did not.  Nonetheless, this was definitely one of my favorite gallery visits of the semester.