Last week I was in New York and as I was strolling down Madison Avenue from the Guggenheim, I kept seeing banners for a gallery show featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat and Georg Baselitz. I had a little time, so I looked up the address for the gallery, which is called Skarstedt. I had never been there.
Well, the gallery is quite spectacular, in a beautiful building--a mansion, really--on East 64th Street. When I opened the door, I was so awed by the imposing architecture that I timidly asked the young women at the front desk whether the gallery was free for viewing. They said yes, so I entered and wandered about, flanked by a friendly security guard the whole time.
I was most delighted by the Basquiat paintings. His painting Early Moses especially amused, with Passover is coming up.
Basquiat's work has long intrigued me with its combination of apparent messiness, glorious color, frequent humor, and persistent interestingness. I found the Baselitz work only moderately appealing in comparison, though I could see some commonalities.
I haven't spent a lot of time browsing galleries in New York, but I may do it more in the future. So many treasures!
Well, the gallery is quite spectacular, in a beautiful building--a mansion, really--on East 64th Street. When I opened the door, I was so awed by the imposing architecture that I timidly asked the young women at the front desk whether the gallery was free for viewing. They said yes, so I entered and wandered about, flanked by a friendly security guard the whole time.
I was most delighted by the Basquiat paintings. His painting Early Moses especially amused, with Passover is coming up.
Basquiat's work has long intrigued me with its combination of apparent messiness, glorious color, frequent humor, and persistent interestingness. I found the Baselitz work only moderately appealing in comparison, though I could see some commonalities.
I haven't spent a lot of time browsing galleries in New York, but I may do it more in the future. So many treasures!
