Tony Wight Gallery

This used to be called Bodybuilder and Sportsman Gallery and is one of those galleries that I love to hate: exhibitions by young, emerging contemporary artists that seldom inspire me to buy anything and usually make me run for the exit. Sculptures made out of faux fur? Silly little watercolors of teenagers having sex? Minimalist paintings of purple splotches selling for the equivalent of 4 rent payments? I’m all for kitsch, but paintings of female pirates? Give me a break. The few times I’ve purchased pieces from the gallery, I’ve always had buyer’s remorse and usually end up donating the work to some benefit auction or try to pass off to a local museum… if they want it.
It’s not that I dislike contemporary art, I just don’t like 80% of THIS gallery’s contemporary art. Tony Wight is a friendly and knowledgeable gallery owner who has an eye for the quirky and weird. Even though I don’t understand the process behind the creation of most of this gallery’s art, I enjoy chatting with Tony.
There are glimmers of hope off in the gallery’s drawers and back room, but to paraphrase one of my favorite lines Patsy says in an AbFab episode: «Yeah, but is it art, Eddie?»