Gagosian — Attraction in New York

Did you know that there are three Gagosian art galleries? Two I have been to in a span of two days. The third one is undergoing renovations. Today I went to the gallery on West 21st Street to view the Takashi Murakami exhibit. The paintings, both large and small, were infused in color and rich detail. It was enjoyable and I looked at several paintings with delight. The famous fish poster is being sold for $100. It wouldn't fit in my apartment but I can visit Gagosian and see this fine exhibit till July 11th. The front desk kindly kept my backpack so I could go around unfettered. Water bottles are to be put in bags before viewing. There were many visitors here today...

Takashi Murakami's exhibit was truly extraordinary. My photos fall short of capturing how wonderful the pieces are in person. It was fascinating to see such large Hiroshige's woodblock prints, the very same art form that heavily inspired Van Gogh, who amassed a huge collection of Japanese prints. While most landscapes are horizontal, Hiroshige was inspired by traditional Chinese painting, where landscapes are vertical so you can paint upwards to allow foreground, middle ground and distance. It’s a shame that all the pieces will be dispersed especially as seeing them united was such a gift. It was also fun to find Murakami’s mark on each print like an...

One of the most hostile security I’ve met. He chased me down the gallery and kept on harassing me— even calling me names for standing near the wall. I stepped away and he was still lecturing me and proceeded to call me rude and “I am talking to you. It is rude to walk away. Leave the gallery.” Wow. I didn’t know he had that type of authority— which he doesn’t. And he was making a big scene but was scrolling on his phone for a while, while suitcases were roaming across the gallery floor. He’s really bad at his job I guess. The ego and entitlement of this uncouth man on a weekday morning is diabolical. Especially given I am a collector...