Previous Unmentioned Entities

The Gallery as a Shop.

The Gallery as a Museum. 

The Gallery as a Church.

The Gallery as a Interaction Space.

An Interaction Space as a Gallery.

This is the way I see things to be. Most art and ways of displaying it fits snugly if not overlapping slightly these five headers. Places of display can be both spiritual and serve capital gain, they can present and interaction space and still exhibit slices of history, a space designed for public can become anyone of the Gallery synonyms when artist endeavor is involved. These are the Five i see most clearly other belong on different planes under sub-sections but are no less valid, just integrated.

In this blog i will speak about the impression I've gained of The Gallery as a Shop.

This is one of the Swarm of Gallery/Shops that surround the Gallery/Church/Shop the White Cube, Mason's Yard site. 

This is a typical view of these retailers, the first thing you see, or don't so much of, is the glass front sucking your gaze straight into their universe. Completely different to the sacred site of the white cube which resists as many external influences as possible.

Inside the ideal of the white cube the art has enough space about it to show completely its intent without distraction. Here it is different, art is seen as contained within frames as if they are a protective forcefield that blocks everything peripheral, a non possibility. 

"Pile 'em high sell 'em fast.", is the first thing i think people think when they see this method of display but perhaps they never knew that pre 19th Century this would have been the way all works were appreciated. Curation an idea not conceived yet, the work would be defined its place by size and popularity.

However something I cannot neglect here is the overall importance of this structure. I don't know what the technical term is but since I've understood this its become an obvious part of modern life, everything effects everything else. The design we see from a building we run through our databases of similar design and when we find a match certain parts of the memory are brought to the forefront of subconscious, in this case everything we have seen before tells us this entity is one where art is displayed for its sale.

And this is the most integral part, people must know things purposes or the small amount of confusion produced causes a pause in their reaction, although sometimes leading to curiosity this is not what you want when you are selling.

So these designs may be boring, standard, typical but they are only so because they work. 

White Cube

Mason's Yard Site

25-26 Mason’s Yard (Off Duke Street) St. James’s London SW1Y 6BU

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7930 5373 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7749 7480


Open: 10 – 6pm Tuesday – Saturday

The first thing I think anyone notices about the white cube gallery is the approach, weather consciously or not I think this has a tremendous impact on the mind-space of each individual entering the gallery.

For those of you that haven’t been there let me paint the picture. The gallery itself you would not be aware of unless you were looking for it, it’s tucked away so neatly in masons yard that to even be going to it is something of a cult pilgrimage. This is not something created by chance of course, when they rebuilt on this site they knew it would be hidden from most public view. And for their target audience this is exactly what they wanted, a secluded haven of modern art shopping.
They want people to feel like they are going somewhere off the radar of the modern universe, right into the cult of art.

So as you approach it you notice many things of course but one you cannot miss is the amount of gallery’s in its immediate area. You almost have to wade through all types of gallery come shop just too even come to the yard entrance. The format of these are all very similar so when you emerge on the other side of the arch the striking pose of the white cube gallery has double the effect it would have on you if it were just anywhere normal.

In this picture the Green Circles are galleries and the Red Square is the White Cube.



The cubiod stands proudly in the centre of the yard, as you enter it is bathed in sunlight and it quickly gives off an air of importance rivalling that of your town cathedral. Nothing is similar to it stands unaccompanied but not alone. Doors of glass, of course, floor is gray, walls are white and a single step up the same height as a kerb is the entrance.



The space inside does not disappoint, in terms of what they are trying to do anyway. I felt the illusion of natural light strongly. Fluorescent lighting flush with the ceiling massively diffused. And the ceiling was about forever away from the floor, lots of wide open space on the ground floor. The basement was an almost replica and I was still easily fooled by the lighting I could have been at any level and thought that I was within inches of the sky. Everything as you expect pure and unaffected by the outside world.

Visiting this place I found so interesting. The amount of deliberate psychological effects this establishment has taken to influence the visitors is fantastic. It’s not what I like to see art in but as an exercise it’s impressive to me.

It’s never possible to leave the world behind and the White Cube has used this to its advantage.