adminThe mind can be a powerful thing, especially when looked through the perspective of James Fuentes. James Fuentes was always interested in art from a young age, however he didn’t have the accessibility to the art world like he does now. When he was younger he had taken no art classes, had no idea on the change the art world goes through over the years, and no access to art besides what he could see from afar. All he wanted was to be apart of it anyway he could.
At first the only way that James Fuentes was able to be apart of the art world was through security for an art museum. Even with a slow set art within the art community, he didn’t stop moving up or working his hardest to achieve his goals. He did want his pieces to be shown within galleries but was able to instead own his own gallery and join the art community through showing other’s artworks.
Here he was able to connect with artists even with the current changes due to the pandemic. With the current pandemic artworks are still being displayed with visitors from all over the world through a virtual setting. Although James Fuentes didn’t want to participate virtual it made it easier during quarantine. People were able to see artworks from their favorite artists, view past shows, and articles that have been written on numerous artists and the gallery itself.
Nonetheless, there is still no substitute for experiencing artwork in person. The appearance with texture, size, color, and composition is never the same as when its viewed online. The texture cannot be seen, the brush strokes forgotten, the color hue changed, the size changed to a tiny thumbnail, and so much where the pieces are changed with one click of a camera. Even the lighting provides the pieces with different color and the set up not as appreciated as when in person.
For James nothing beats experiencing art in person it’s a completely different feeling, being able to walk around the pieces get close enough to see but not close enough to touch, just out of reach. The ability to walk in the room experience the lights and open space around the pieces with the white walls enhancing the color of the pieces. For me he is right nothing does beat seeing all of the pieces in a room of just art, there is nothing like it. The new way with virtual galleries and show openings is not the same, the emotion viewing the pieces are not as extreme, and not as eye opening.
From not having any foot within the art world to owning his own gallery, a well-known gallery from the lower east side 14 years ago to where he is now a few blocks from where he grew up.