To me, this reading is really interesting because it really makes me think a whole lot about how the gallery space affects art, which is something I haven't really considered too in depth up until now. "An image comes to mind of a white, ideal space that, more than any single picture, may be the archetypal image of twenthieth century art" (14). How strange, but true! The book keeps describing the gallery space as church-like; a place that connects you to "another world" where you don't exactly belong. It's not something I ever really thought of in those terms exactly, but when I think about it, galleries really are like churches. When I go into a gallery, it's the same sort of feeling as when I go into a church: I feel like I should be quiet and respectful; I feel intimidated; I feel small; I feel like for some reason, I might be breaking the rules. The fact that the gallery has turned into such an intimidating, almost holy space really points to how Art has turned into a Religion in a way, thus (like all religions) becoming an exclusive club where only certain people are welcome. With this knowledge, I think it's important for us to work towards a more inclusive and universally accessible approach to art. DAMN THE WHITE CUBE! SAVE ART! ART IS FOR THE PEOPLE!!

I also think it's interesting how there are several references to the fact that the gallery space makes the self disappear, or makes the viewer "die." Then, when O'Doherty is discussing the frame and how it isolates the art work, as well as the presentation of paintings in galleries, he says "In the fifties and sixties, we notice the codification of a new theme as it evolves into consciousness: How much space should a work of art have (as the phrase went) to "breathe"? (27)." Viewed in this context, this phrase is particularly telling. So my question is this: what do we have then, when artworks are being seen - in a fashion - as being living entities, and their viewers as invisible? What effect does this relationship have on the viewer's importance, as well as on their interest in the art?

-Julia "Mack the Knife" McAlee