Chelsea Galleries Reaction

          Investing in a piece of art could be beneficial in terms of making a profit years later. While perusing the Betty Cuningham Gallery in Chelsea, Rackstraw Downes’ exhibition immediately caught my attention. Downes paint hyperreal paintings, meaning his paintings resemble a photograph. The first painting “Duarte Square,” is a long rectangular piece measuring about 1.7 feet in height and 5.3 feet in width. Shadows were painted to give the piece a more realistic appearance. The details are so minute, especially in the background where people, cars, and benches are basically tiny compared to the overall scale of the painting. The windows are even smaller creating an illusion that light is glinting off the glass, also adding to the effect of hyperrealism.

            The second painting by Downes, “Outside Dance Floor, Presidio TX, from the Bandstand Looking South (Study)” is also a hyperrealistic painting. It measures about 1.1 feet in height and 3.3 feet in width. Downes creates an illusion by painting shadows projected from the trees to authenticate that realistic aesthetic. Investing in this artist’s paintings would later be beneficial because, hypothetically, selling these pieces would make a profit. Homeowners often buy landscapes to display in their houses. It invites a cultivated tone to homes that art appreciators usually seek.

            Investing in a piece of art could on the other hand be an encumbrance. In the Lyons Wier Gallery, I found Andy Mister’s exhibition to be superfluous, which isn’t ideal in terms of investments. The first drawing “Bremen #2,” has a hyperrealistic effect, yet I don’t find it aesthetically pleasing. Essentially, it’s a group of men who appear to be drunk at some gathering, most likely at a party.

            The second drawing by Mister, “Anti-Social Personality Disorder Live!” is obsolete. The piece consists of a man who appears to be wearing an undergarment singing with a significant amount of angst into a microphone. There’s a limited scope of buyers who would be interested in investing these pieces, therefore limiting the potential profits of selling the pieces. I would rather hang landscapes in my house than hang drawings of men engaging in superfluous activities.

Citations:

Rackstraw Downes

“Duarte Square”

oil on canvas
2009

Rackstraw Downes

“Outside Dance Floor, Presidio TX, from the Bandstand Looking South (Study)”

oil on canvas
2008

Andy Mister

“Bremen #2”

graphite on paper
2012

Andy Mister

“Anti-Social Personality Disorder Live!”

graphite on paper
2010