Paul Sharpe / photo by Randee Silv

Art & Life in A Changing New York

by Randee Silv

 

NYC Artist & Resolve40 correspondent Randee Silv caught up with
dealer Paul Sharpe at his Chelsea gallery and he gave us some of hid
thoughts on the subject...

Randee:

The viewing public keeps getting wider and wider. Megabucks and
gentrification continue to rise. Virtual galleries have accelerated.
Artists are searching. Galleries are searching. But, something feels
like it's missing. What are you sensing?

Paul:

I think that in so many ways our society is missing the idea of
elegance, politeness and manners. They're terribly important, because
the origin of manners, and why etiquette developed over time, was so
that no one would feel uncomfortable. It's the exact opposite of how
manners are perceived today. So, I think this goes through in a larger
sense to gallery presentations where there's oftentimes snobbery,
coldness. There isn't elegance, because elegance is always inviting.
There isn't an etiquette that you're appreciative of your visitors, of
curiosity, of people wanting to learn.

Randee:

Is it possible that galleries are on the brink of another big moment
in their evolution? I'm trying to imagine what that might look like.
Got any ideas?

Paul:
It's interesting because change is something that's either very abrupt
or very subtle. Warehouse neighborhoods in Manhattan are diminishing.
Chelsea will be another Soho in less than 10 years. I don't think
we'll have the luxury of a gallery district with large buildings of
20,30,40 galleries. Unfortunately what we experienced in Williamsburg
has proven that the art world, in terms of critics, curators, and
buyers, ultimately, don't want to go outside of Manhattan. So, if New
York maintains its presence of being a center for art galleries, it's
probably going to do so with some sort of dispersed or diffused art
world; and that leads to the question whether or not New York will
maintain it's hegemony as the world center for art galleries. Perhaps
it won't.

If you look at Europe, the gallery/art world in London has grown
dramatically, faster than New York. Paris, on the other hand, over the
last 10 years, has shrunk by a third, maybe due to the expenses that
are associated with Paris. So the question is, can New York continue
to produce as an environment with good artists who are willing to take
risks? Can the economy and economics support galleries that take risks
and show good art? As long as there's the edginess, it's possible, and
people are interested. If it comes to the point where it's just too
expensive for all of us, then what kind of decision do we need to
make?

Unfortunately right now, square feet are very expensive. Commercial
rents for appropriate spaces in offbeat neighborhoods have more than
doubled. It's become very expensive in terms of putting a roof over
the head of a gallery or a studio. Artists have been moving out of New
York to Philadelphia, Boston, and upstate; and that's a tragedy,
because if we lose the life blood, the raison d'être of the art world,
the artist, then everything else becomes an artifice.

New York is very concerned about losing its textile, garment and
fashion industry, because if the designers here don't have the ability
to produce clothing, at least for presentation, the creativity in New
York will take a serious blow. I don't think anyone wants New York to
be just a financial center. New York has always prided itself on being
into publishing, finance, fashion, art, and it's been a very well
rounded, sophisticated city; and it's not paying attention to the fact
that it has to pay attention.

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