Michelle Andreano, Five artists in NYC

Of the many Chelsea Galleries we saw, my favorite was the Agora Gallery, at 530 West 25^th St. Of the many artist that had work hanging in the show there, my favorite artist was Pat Kagan. She had oil & rustoleum works on Paper, with bold black lines and strong reds. I loved the play of the black and red in her piece, Initial Crisis. It created a boiling out of control sphere in its strong black lines and red squiggles of action.

The most disturbingly odd pieces I saw were by Barnaby Whitfield, at Stux Gallery (also at 530 West 25^th St.). He had paintings and drawings of women and men, but in odd disturbing settings, or with odd props or animals. All the people he painted were very pale, but then had very reddish pink cheeks and highlights. The one painting had a naked woman holding a gun, with 3 squirrels sitting on the barrel and a background that reminded me of an american flag. On closer inspection, there was a pattern superimposed over the background of rabbits mating. The whole effect of all of the pieces was odd and confusing.

Also at the Stux Gallery was Phantom Landscapes: Installation and Drawing, by Penny Hes Yassour. I loved the installation part of the exhibition. There was what looked like a black fishing net that seemed to have been painted over with a rubber like substance, allowed to dry, and then peeled off; this was then run along the ceiling and hung down in such a way as to create a path for you to walk along and experience the drawings that were on the walls behind and next to it. The lighting used created great shadows through the painted netting.

At Cueto Project, at 551 W. 21^st St., had an exhibit of works by the late sculptor, Bruce High Quality. In it there was a photo of a great model of NYC, with 3 People in the background, obviously representing homeless people; one was sleeping on the 'ground' (ocean in the model) and two others were around a garbage can, burning parts of the model for warmth; in front of the Photo, there were 6 rows of knee high gas pump models All of the work there had a very political feel, commenting on the over development and monotonous design of the city.

At the Met, I gravitated more towards the sculpture and pottery areas in the museum; in the Ancient Greece wing, I found part of sculpture for whom they did not know who had made it, but it reminded me, just in the movement of it, of my own drawings and some of my carved ceramic pieces, and I think that is going to show as an inspiration in my vanity piece.