ArteBA

Remember when I said this would be a chronicle?  Well, this chronicle isn't going in chronological order - sorry.  Regardless, I wanted to tell you about ArteBA.  Picture some of the coolest galleries in the world coming together under one roof and exhibiting some work from their best and most current artists.  Hundreds of galleries showing some of the most interesting and fresh contemporary work in one place - sound like a culture shock?  Well it was.  When thinking about the gallery setting, there are a few things that factor in: first, the location of the gallery.  There's a reason why Chelsea galleries have more clout than a gallery in suburb-ville, nowhere - while that does not speak to the art at all, it is just the first thing to consider because the environment draws a particular crowd and a particular type of work.  Second, one must consider the interior space.  What type of wall does the work hang on?  What are the floors and ceiling like?  Who is siting behind the counter greeting people?  All of those questions speak to the atmosphere of the gallery - some spaces can be very different than others and that is usually an indicator of the type of work displayed and the concept that the gallery focuses on.  Lastly, the work itself is different from gallery to gallery.  Imagine all different atmospheres, different types of work, from all different locations - it's a massive influx of artistic information.