Beyond the opportunity of seeing this collection of artists, the gallery space itself offers a rather unusual experience. Unlike most contemporary galleries (including the original Shapolsky gallery in SoHo) that primarily consist of medium to cavernous rooms painted white, this space is rather like seeing art in someone�s home. A definitive sense of intimacy is established which is established by the smaller rooms as well as the inclusion of furniture and other objects. While
Al Kotin and Joseph Fiore at Anita Shapolsky Gallery
this makes it difficult to see larger paintings, small to mid-size work is better served and the atmosphere is a refreshing change from the typically more sterile gallery environment. As you
move throughout the rooms you encounter a number of pleasant surprises such as a Louise Nevelson sculpture done up in bluish-green rather than in her signature black. This beautiful piece gives you pause to wonder if she did other work in color and if not, why not? In a room upstairs a large Briggs painting initially commands your attention but then you are suddenly aware of a Lassaw sculpture right there in the middle of the room. It is in fact the largest he ever produced. Lassaw�s work presents an architectural esthetic that carves up space into containers of air in a
