On View: Stephen Shore's Early Work at 303 Gallery

It’s been a fair few years since I’ve ventured to my namesake neighborhood on the far west side. Parts of Chelsea, especially those around the High Line, have continued to grow and change (and gentrify), while other areas have blessedly remained untouched. I have poked around the galleries in the past; I am not typically a fan of contemporary art, but there are occasional exhibitions that spark my interest.

I’ve waited since his book talk in September to view Stephen Shore’s Early Work on display at 303 Gallery on West 21st Street. For such a prolific artist who had an extensive retrospective at MoMA in 2018, I was surprised to find only eight photos on display in a tiny room at the back of the gallery. However, in such an intimate space, rarely occupied on a blustery Saturday, I was able to spend time with each of the photographs up close.