Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See

Bosker notes that the art world operates on a specific calendar, with September being the most significant gallery opening period. Jack’s gallery requires extensive preparation for the artist Haley Josephs’s show, including building a temporary wall to create distinct spaces, a task that literally trapped Bosker inside the construction at one point.

The chapter explores the complex dynamics of the art world’s social hierarchy. Bosker notes that, in the art world, Jack distinguishes between “Good Persons” (influential insiders) and “Schmos” (outsiders with no social currency). She learns that galleries actively avoid attracting casual visitors, preferring to maintain an air of exclusivity. Prices are unlisted, and gallery locations often lack clear signage.

Bosker presents Jack as both a mentor and gatekeeper of art world knowledge. He introduces her to essential concepts like International Art English, a specialized language developed from translated French academic texts. He also guides her through the history and significance of the “white cube” gallery aesthetic, which ironically originated in Nazi Germany as a manifestation of cultural purification.

Bosker struggles to understand contemporary art’s value system. In one incident, Jack shows her Danh Vo’s installation of stacked appliances at the Guggenheim, which he considers masterful, but she finds puzzling. This leads to “homework” from Jack, including art history readings and viewing films about the art world.

The chapter concludes with Bosker’s failed attempt at painting the gallery wall to Jack’s exacting standards, despite painstakingly applying nine coats of paint. Jack berates her for her work then adds a tenth coat of paint.

During a Labor Day weekend in Hudson, New York, Bosker spends time with artists. Jack maintains frequent communication during this period, sending her an article about Zombie Formalism—a term referring to abstract paintings created through unconventional methods.

Bosker’s relationship with Jack deepens as she becomes more involved in his gallery work. Beyond selling art, Jack acts as both an advisor and social coordinator for artists and critics. Under his guidance, Bosker modifies her appearance and demeanor, eventually gaining recognition as his assistant and receiving access to his gallery.

The chapter explains the complex structure of New York’s art market. Primary-market galleries connect artists with buyers, while secondary-market galleries facilitate sales between collectors. Galleries can be categorized by their approach to commercialization: Some embrace sales while others aim to be “pure,” treating financial transactions as a necessary evil. Bosker also learns that the term “colorful paintings” became associated with commercial appeal, while “market unfriendly” or “fuck-you art” represent more challenging, less sellable works.

Bosker notes that the geography of Manhattan’s art scene reflects a hierarchy: Emerging artists show work in lower Manhattan, established artists exhibit in Chelsea’s galleries, and the most renowned artists’ works appear in Upper East Side venues, culminating at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This progression represents an artist’s increasing legitimacy in the art world.

Bosker attends numerous September gallery openings with Jack, noting how these events function more as networking opportunities than viewing experiences. Conversations center on industry gossip and social connections rather than artistic merit. Jack critiques technical aspects of gallery presentations, such as lighting and wall preparation, rather than discussing the artwork itself.

As Bosker attempts to integrate into the art world, she struggles to understand why certain artworks receive recognition over others. Despite her uncertainty about artistic merit, she begins developing social connections within the community. However, her efforts to fit in sometimes fall short: The chapter ends with Bosker dancing at a club with Jack, feeling proud of her outfit, only for Jack to critique it a moment later.

Bosker explores how aspiring art connoisseurs develop their critical judgment, or Eye, for contemporary art. She encounters two opposing viewpoints: Some experts claim artistic judgment was an innate talent, while others insist there were no fixed rules for art appreciation. Finding both perspectives unsatisfactory, Bosker pursues a third approach that treats artistic judgment as a skill that could be cultivated through dedicated practice.

During her apprenticeship at Jack’s gallery, Bosker accompanies Jack on various outings to understand how he evaluates artwork. A significant expedition involves visiting Yale University’s Master of Fine Arts studios, which provides insights into the selection process for emerging artists. The visit reveals that technical proficiency is less important in contemporary art education than conceptual understanding, marking a significant shift from traditional artistic training.

Jack’s criteria for selecting artists extend beyond purely aesthetic considerations. He emphasizes the importance of “context”—including an artist’s educational background, social connections, exhibition history, and personal identity—in determining artistic value. For instance, when evaluating a Yale MFA student’s provocative paintings, Jack focuses on digging into the artist’s personal life and philosophical perspectives rather than purely formal qualities.

The chapter also illuminates the economic realities of running a contemporary art gallery. Despite Jack’s carefully cultivated image of success, his gallery faces displacement due to real estate development. This situation highlights the precarious position of small galleries in New York’s competitive art market. Jack’s response to this crisis—maintaining secrecy about the gallery’s impending closure to preserve its reputation—demonstrates how perception management plays a crucial role in the art world.

Bosker discovers that developing an Eye for contemporary art involves more than learning to appreciate visual qualities. Success in the art world requires understanding complex social dynamics, unwritten rules, and hierarchies of prestige. Jack advises artists to consider carefully which galleries they approach, where they live, and whom they associate with, suggesting that these contextual factors could be as important as the artwork itself.

Bosker realizes that context fundamentally shapes how contemporary art is perceived and valued. Using Marcel Duchamp’s famous urinal sculpture as an example, she explains how an object’s status as art depends largely on its institutional context and critical reception rather than inherent physical properties. This understanding challenges Bosker’s initial assumption that she can develop her Eye simply by looking at artwork, suggesting instead that art world literacy requires comprehending a web of social, historical, and institutional relationships.

Bosker examines how her growing understanding of artistic context begins to overwhelm her ability to appreciate artwork directly. She reflects on her initial frustration with this development, noting that her reliance on contextual elements—such as artists’ educational backgrounds and gallery relationships—seems to detract from her engagement with the art itself.

Seeking a different perspective, Bosker shadows artist Julie Curtiss in her studio. Curtiss, who has transitioned from various retail jobs to full-time artist, allows Bosker to observe her creative process. During this visit, Bosker assists Curtiss by stretching canvases while watching her work on multiple paintings, including one featuring a distinctive hairy croissant. Curtiss’s approach to art-making reveals the physical demands of the profession, challenging the romantic notion of artists as purely intellectual figures.

Through her observation of Curtiss’s work, Bosker gains insight into the technical aspects of painting. She learns about various artistic materials, including different types of canvas, paint varieties, and brush selections. Curtiss demonstrates how each medium possesses unique characteristics: Oil paints offer rich color blending, acrylics dried quickly, and flash paint produced a velvety finish. This technical knowledge enhances Bosker’s appreciation of artistic decision-making, from brush stroke techniques to color temperature.

The chapter concludes with Bosker’s assignment to write a press release for an upcoming exhibition at Gallery 315. Despite her initial anxiety, she successfully composes the document by applying her newfound understanding of artistic processes and materials.

Bosker’s relationship with gallery owner Jack deteriorates despite her attempts to modify her behavior by asking fewer questions and being less expressive. Jack becomes increasingly controlling about what Bosker can document and expresses growing concern about her journalistic project. He frequently criticizes her work and character while alternating between encouraging her continued presence at the gallery and threatening to remove her.

During a pivotal conversation, Jack reveals his belief that the art world’s exclusivity and opacity are essential to maintaining its power structure. He expresses reluctance about making art world practices more transparent through Bosker’s writing, suggesting that democratizing access would diminish the industry’s mystique and authority.

Bosker connects Jack’s attitude to broader patterns of exclusion in the art world. She observes that while many contemporary galleries claim to champion inclusivity, they often maintain subtle barriers based on social criteria rather than wealth. These barriers manifest in unspoken rules about behavior, dress, and social connections. To illustrate this dynamic, Bosker describes an incident in which Jack dismisses a recent art school graduate for attempting to network at a gallery opening, criticizing her approach as inappropriate despite previously advising others to attend such events.

Bosker begins experiencing stress-related health issues and found herself becoming increasingly paranoid about social missteps as she continues to work in this environment. Through conversations with other gallery workers, she learned that her experience is relatively mild compared to industry standards; other assistants and interns reported physical threats, wage theft, and coercive practices by their employers.

Bosker wraps up the chapter by describing her decision to leave Jack’s gallery. She accepts an opportunity to work with Rob Dimin, co-owner of Denny Dimin Gallery, who offers to bring her to Art Basel Miami Beach. This transition is a shift from working with a gallery focused on artistic purity to one more openly engaged with the art world’s commercial aspects. Bosker prepares to experience this different side of the industry while harboring concerns about Jack’s potential professional retaliation.