via NYT

The Art of Summer

Painterly Experiences Where They’re Least Expected

New York City is full of officially sanctioned artworks. Bless them all, and lucky us. At any given moment there are great quantities of them to be seen and enjoyed, clearly labeled, in museums, alternative spaces and art galleries, not to mention parks and plazas.

But the city also has an abundance of inadvertent not-quite-art available for viewing, if you are open to it. These anonymous, unsung works are even more public. Especially in summer, when we tend to do more walking at a more leisurely pace, they lie in wait around just about every corner and down every street. Yet they are more private, too, since it is entirely up to us to recognize and appreciate them.

As an art critic, I am always buoyed by these artish nonart experiences. Among the many joys of urban pedestrianism, they sharpen my understanding of art’s sensory effects while broadening my appreciation of the aesthetic byproducts of more workaday activities.

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