GR Gallery

It is hard to deny that the spontaneity of New York City is one of its best qualities. Even being here for such a brief period of the year, I have discovered that there is absolutely never a lull in events for city-goers to involve themselves in.

Though I check the schedule on NY Arts Beat religiously, I happened to spontaneously stumble upon the opening of GR Gallery's newest exhibition-DysPOPia- when I was wandering around Bowery prior to going out with some friends. Aside from the obvious excitement that accompanies a free glass of wine following a long work day, I was instantly intrigued with the pieces after a first glance. The exhibit title really summarized it excellently: these three artists were curated together because their work sought to reshape the way in which the audience viewed icons in popular culture.

Truthfully, I admire Belin, Tommaso Bet, and Adam Lister's art equally. Each brought a redefined perspective to figures I see so often in my everyday life- cartoons, politicians, fashion, and more. The attention to detail was immaculate, so despite their heavy use of abstraction, everything seemed to fit together perfectly.

While a particular artist didn't stick out to me, one piece certainly did. I have zero experience with Grand Theft Auto, but Tommaso Bet's interpretation of the game's notorious logo was easily my favorite painting. In the midst of colors that were practically bursting off of the canvas, Bet was making his own political statement with police and signs of NYC's infamous Wall Street (my mind instantly jumped to the Occupy Wall Street movement-- which, shockingly enough, I was involved in during my teenage years... it's a VERY long story).

All in all, it was almost as if I spent my evening exploring a completely remodeled version of all of my childhood memories, but in the best way possible. Totally a 10 out of 10.