“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” -The Cheshire Cat
Coming back to reality after being at the art shows is truly painful. My eyes hurt from seeing so much incredible art and design. I am in awe of the ability of the artists who can bring their imaginations to life with their execution and vision. Picasso said “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Even though exhaustion has kicked in, this pilgrimage always gets my creative juices flowing and I cannot wait to get back to the design studio.
I am going to break down the highlights over my next few posts sharing the trends and new artists that caught my eye…
TEXTILES
Embroidery, thread painting, and textile art continually grabbed my attention at all of the fairs..
This monumental work by Aleghiero Boetti from Tournabuoni Art in Paris is supposedly going to a MAJOR institution for the world to enjoy.
Thread art by Adrian Esparza through Taubert Contemporary at Pulse.
Yarn painting by Eduardo Terrazas through Timothy Taylor at Art Basel Miami.
“Big Smile” by Kyungah Ham, North Korean hand embroidery requiring over 1000 hours of labor through Kukje Gallery in Seoul and the Tina Kim Gallery in New York at Art Basel Miami.
WORD ART
Whether created in neon or paint, word art was another prevalent theme at this year’s fairs.
Personal favorite and the most Instagrammed neon work in Miami this week…Karl Holmqvist through Gavin Brown art Art Basel Miami.
New motto…”I Don’t Do Flaky” by Michelle Andrade through Charles James Gallery.
“Anticipating Great”ness” by Guy Richards Smit through Charles James Gallery at Pulse.
“Be Afraid of Nothing” by Alfredo Jaar through Galerie Lelong.
“The Critique” Aluminum and Pulp at Pulse
Thank You” by Mel Bocher through Two Palms Gallery
Richard Prince Joke Painting
“Your Lips Moved Across My Face” by Tracey Emin
FRANK STELLA FEVER
Everyone has caught Frank Stella Fever. The widely acclaimed retrospective at The Whitney Museum led to a record number of his works being offered at the various fairs.
Retrospective at The Whitney Museum
Marianne Boesky Gallery
Sinjerli III through Paul Kasmin Gallery
Art Miami
D Scramble: Ascending Green Values/Ascending Spectrum through Mnuchin Gallery
Waddington Custot Gallery
Stella-inspired Nail Art by Rose B.through Vanity Projects Miami. (image via Vanity Projects Miami)
An extra special thank you goes out to my favorite fellow art aficianados…Chris & Kathy Cope, Brad Thomas and Heather McKnight who always make the fairs so much fun. Looking forward to the next art adventure!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more fair coverage this week…
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*All photos by me unless otherwise noted.
