obviously newbury street galleries suck...and i say this with no hesitation or remorse...i will admit there are a couple, NAGA and ARDEN (and sometimes NIELSON), that present fairly interesting shows...but to tell you the truth, they only really stick out because the competition on that strip is so overtly and painfully commercial it's pitiful - this is a given.
the southend scene is more inclined to present and be receptive to current artistic endeavors and mediums...lending itself to be more of a showcase of the prevalent concepts and constructs of "art", like MOBIUS for instance. however, in the rush to be cutting edge, more often than not, you are bombarded by incongruously presented, poorly thought-out, or just plain shoddy work...but let's give credit where credit's due...at least it's current.
overall i'd say (and most artists I know would concur) boston's art scene is a pathetic sell-out fest. the BEST way to see art in this town is to check out OPEN STUDIOS (the season for which is quickly approaching) or to run into a good show completely by chance at a restaurant (THE MIDDLE EAST in cambridge, or CLUB CAFE in the back bay are always good for something like this) or some other public place...which is exactly where I ran into the best show I saw this month...
at the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY (god love em, operating on a shoestring and a piece of caramel...which coincidentally seems to be the budget that most of the art I admire gets produced or shown with) the show was a photography exhibit presented in the main foyer. the photos taken by STAN GROSSFELD were so strong and engrossing that the cheesy carpeted fold-away walls on which they were displayed had no effect on the viewer (ha, i'd like to see some of that newbury street shit presented on gray indoor-outdoor carpet and see what it does to it's "impact")
it is clear to see why STAN GROSSFELD has been the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for photojournalism. his photos, gorgeous displays of composition and technique (on the intellectual side), and gut retching imagery of childhood strife the world over (for a good dose of emotionalism) are genius. the show entitled "lost futures - our forgotten children" depicts children, the quintessential allegory for human purity, innocence, and goodness, dealing with situations obviously induced by the grown-up world of politics, economy and ignorance...the result is an overpowering feeling of hopelessness and helplessness for both the subject of the photo and for yourself, the viewer.
I noticed the people wandering around the foyer, gazing at the photos, did so with their mouths agape or with hand on chin. perhaps it was because most onlookers, like myself, did not intend to be presented with such imagery that the photos had such impact...you were forced to see something you really would rather not. just as the governments and political systems responsible would rather not address the situations of these children for fear that it might jeopardize the "success" of their mechanisms...the mechanisms which, of course, are incomprehensible and irrelevant to these children and should be to all who view these photographs.