The Unknown Artist - Part 1

Ah, at last Shiloh finished unloading the last box in her studio apartment on the bustling city blocks of New York! She took in a breath and sighed, excited to have finally reached the city of art! She was excited to take in all the colors, imagery, symbolism, and more so meeting other aspiring artists. When she left her small hometown to become a starving artist with hopes to paint all over the world, she thought the perfect start was to begin her studies amongst the variety of creative geniuses. Leaving her family was one of the hardest adversaries to date, but she also knew that she had a whole life and world to create.

First things first, we need an inspo board! Shiloh thoroughly enjoyed visiting art galleries and meeting street artists, and then filling the walls with unique, one of a kind visions and minds. And what better way than to visit the local art gallery just a few blocks away! Shiloh quickly grabbed her camera to capture everything on the way, and of course her bag slung over her shoulder with sketch pads and pencils of various grains. Now well equipped, she scurried along the bustling city streets.

Shiloh nearly passed the gallery closest to her apartment as it was tucked within a towering brick building that appeared to be residential. She took a few steps back, pausing to take in the entrance to a half-hearted building, but she felt the wholesome, cozy feeling as she smiled and eagerness became the focus on her mind. I didn’t come all this way to not go inside, she thought, with a hint of uneasiness as she pulled open the gallery door, with a faint etching of the gallery name known as the “Half Gallery.” A young man dressed in a dark green jacket, and jeans looked up as I entered with my vibrant and eager smile. “Welcome to the Half Gallery, the gallery is currently displaying a unique artist who has displayed many chilling stories through his pieces, the featured artist is currently unnamed, and todays particular piece is what we call ‘Obscurity.’” The man said with a sense of awe and wonder behind his words. “Wow! That’s quite the name for a collection.” “Oh! That’s the fun part! The collection grows everyday by the efforts of the artist.” Thinking it was just a play on words, Shiloh paid her entry fee and began the journey of “Obscurity.”

Each piece is marked by the previous date written in a sharpie marker on the wall beneath the frames. As Shiloh began at the first painting on the far left corner of the gallery, she first observed the date “November 10.” As her eyes began slowly scanning over the painting from the bottom to the top, then again from the top to the bottom, as well as side to side. The gallery itself was rather dim, causing Shiloh to really spend time on the piece, the painting depicted a hand reaching out towards the viewer. Shiloh, thought that the painting was interesting, maybe the artist was calling out for help, or trying to save someone, or maybe themselves? Although something about the painting caught Shilohs’ eye. The brushstrokes on the canvas were like a wild tantrum, formulating the hand through a sense of quick and untamed hands. Yet the image was crisp, vivid, and well defined. The piece seemed to unsettle something within Shiloh, perhaps it was the fervor from the artist's technique, or maybe it was the way she felt uneasy from the single, phantom hand. Shiloh’s brow furrowed and intrigue overcame, so she quickly moved to the next piece “November 11.” This time, the artist had two hands, one like the painting before, but the second hand reaching around the first. Although the second hand was grabbing the wrist of the first, perhaps the artist wanted to display a struggle of some kind? The more closely she looked, the more confused she became, the second hand was made with intentional strokes, even, and fine. Unique and living up to its name, Shiloh moved to the next, but there was nothing but a vase. The vase stood by itself, alone yet centered on an open shelf. It was made of marble, with fine striations throughout the stone, and a single flower of a black petaled rose. Shiloh was unsure if it was the same artist at first, but there the date was written, “November 12,” Written just below the shelf. She didn’t spend too much time analyzing the vase or rose, but when she moved further down the corridor, there were no more pieces to view. Her thoughts swirled in wonder and confusion, as she left the dimly lit gallery and back towards the front where she made swift movements towards the door, but the man in the green jacket piped up, “You’ll be back tomorrow!” Shiloh smiled over her shoulder, unsure of what to make of the man's words. That collection was definitely a new take on art, one Shiloh couldn’t ignore. That night she fell asleep, dreaming of shadows darting in the gallery, a new piece added, as if glowing, waiting to be seen. When she woke in the morning, sipping her brew, she wondered if there was a new piece at the gallery like the man at the counter said, or if it was just a marketing ploy to keep visitors coming in.

Will Shiloh visit the Half Gallery again? Will she ever discover the artist? Stay tuned!

If you want to be a part of this, then comment “AGREE” below and the first one gets to write part 2! 🙂