Art for The Room Where It Happens
Selections of artworks yielded from conversations inside the galleries
Good morning! There is a particular feeling I chase every time I walk into a New York art gallery and have never heard of the artist. It is the feeling of standing before pure possibility and the chance to be absolutely stunned by a practice I knew nothing about five minutes ago (please see the giant artwork below made of ballpoint pen). That feeling is why I started this newsletter, so that I could share these discoveries and maybe your socks will get knocked off too.
One of the things I care most about in my work is making that feeling of discovery accessible, not just to people who already know the rooms, but to anyone curious enough to walk in. I think that curiosity is already forming into something larger: a visually fluent generation that wants to live intelligently with contemporary art, and I want to help shape how that instinct becomes discernment.
It’s why Casey Monda and I created Viewing Rooms (also on TikTok and YouTube), an educational video series designed to give people the language and confidence to engage with contemporary art: how to ask about pricing, how to talk about an artist’s practice, what actually happens in those installation conversations. And it’s why I film videos about the artists I curate at People’s: to lift the veil a little and to show the work being looked at and talked about in real time.
I’ll admit it openly that I have not heard of every artist (I mean has anyone??). But I am always curious to know more, and I think that curiosity is exactly the right approach to bring into any gallery or space for collecting art. My hope is that this newsletter functions as one of those rooms, welcoming, specific, and worth sticking around in. I highly recommend checking out two of the longest paintings I have ever included - one is 105 inches and one is over 171 inches! Don’t make me name names, I know those of you who need a piece above your couch.
As always, please reply with interest and questions (let’s dig into that Kirlian photograph!). Paid subscribers also have an invitation below to a jewelry showcase at People's, and next week will be this month’s free issue with all the images and pricing available. Consider becoming a subscriber to always access weekly featured artists and artworks.
