For this gallery visit, I chose a contemporary gallery called Gallery Nine 5 located between the trendy parts of Soho and the Lower East Side. These galleries are known for great works of urban and upcoming artists. The gallery showcased an exhibit for two artists named Luca Bray and Agnes Pezeu, both with unique styles and creativity.
When I first entered the gallery I felt a sense of relaxation from the atmosphere. There was soothing music in the background with large canvases of artwork posted along the raw colored cement walls. I first got a look at Agnes Pezeu’s work, which was quite odd looking and abstract yet so simple at the same time. There were 25 pieces of work by Pezeu all sharing the same style and concept. Some used 3 colors while others were solid white canvases with one color. The major theme in her work was human figures in a state of metamorphosis. Since the human anatomy can be expressed in so many different ways, I find it interesting that Pezeu has found a way to translate them into artwork using her own style. Rather than using a traditional paintbrush Pezeu pours the paint on freely while letting her mind guide the outcome. The canvases were about 4 feet wide by 8 feet long.
The first piece I glanced at had a solid color background with three simple colors of oil paint. The paint was to be poured on spontaneously yet it was structured. As for the colors of the figures, each color distinguishes a different pose or movement. The pose was left to the viewer to interpret. My friends and I each had a different idea of what the figure was doing. I had the impression of a women giving birth but my friend says it’s a person in pain emotionally and physically. Maybe Agnes Pezeu might know for sure but I find it wonderful that Pezeu left it to the viewer to come up with his or her own interpretation of her work.
Towards the back of the gallery is the work of Luca Bray. Bray’s artwork consisted of abstract composition of shapes and colors flowing into one another. Like Pezeu’s , Bray’s work was consistent with each other, sharing a similar concept. His mixture of colors was most interesting to me. I’m not sure of his technique but it seemed to be oil paint as there were various shades of the three simple colors he used, which were blue, gray, and red. There was an assortment of shapes corresponding to one another in a subtle mood. Each piece had a different combination of shapes that took up all of the large canvas leaving the viewer to wonder around. I felt that his work was a puzzle to decipher. Each abstract shape led to another and I was a bit confused as to what point Bray was trying to bring across. I did enjoy his use of color coordinating and I felt it matched well with the shapes he used.
This contemporary art is new to me and I think it relates to the saying, it doesn’t have to make sense to be art. But after seeing some of the work in this gallery, I rather wish it made sense. Other than Bray’s work, I enjoyed Pezeu’s method of leaving the viewer to come up with his or her own impression of her work. While one can say the same for Bray’s work, I think one must be more exposed to his kind of work to understand it the first time around. With that said I’m on my way to exploring more kinds of this work.