Metal Sculptures and Gold Watches

I consider myself to be an easy going and low maintenance person. In my most natural environment, I can be seen in my pajamas, curling up on a sofa, reading a book or watching a television show. “Dressing up” for school always consisted of T-shirt and jeans, no makeup, and the same pair of converse sneakers. Some of my friends would take a half an hour to prepare for class, while it took me five minutes to throw on clothes that did not match and brush my teeth. Still, I always felt comfortable with what I wore in the environment I was in.

This was not the case when I went to the Anthony Caro Exhibit. The moment I entered the elevator, I felt extremely out of place. I specifically remember the couple next to me in the elevator, the young, tall women in high heels and an exquisite dress. The tall man standing next to her, sipping champagne whispered into her ear and looked at his expensive watch. This was just the beginning of a night that was surrounded by high-class splendor, which I was especially not used to. I stuck out like a sore thumb.

To be honest, this was the most fascinating part of the exhibit to me. Watching these rich people interact with one another felt surreal and almost like a scene from a movie to me. I walked in and out of the crowds of mingling wealthy people, trying to listen to glimpses of their conversations, wondering what issues people of their stature discuss. During the few moments I did actually pay attention to the sculptures, I tried to see the beauty or artistic meaning in them, just because they were put on a fancy rooftop with fancy people. The scene they were placed in made me want to find some excellence or uniqueness in them, yet as much as I tried, I could not. What some people called “art” looked like a bunch of scrap metals nailed together to me.  Yet, as much as I was there to see the Anthony Caro exhibit, I could not help marveling at my surroundings; the sunset in the horizon, the city’s whole landscape before my eyes, and the lavish people surrounding me. It is a scene I will not forget, although I cannot say the same about the exhibit.