Frieze Week NYC 2012
May 8th, 2012
This past week a/k/art joined other art world professionals for the eagerly anticipated inaugural iteration of Frieze New York and the resulting pop up satellite fairs and gallery exhibitions dubbed Frieze Week. We arrived in NYC the night of Wednesday, May 5th in anticipation for the fairs invitation-only previews the following day.
Our first stop Thursday morning was Pulse NYC for their VIP brunch. In terms of the caliber of impressive art, Pulse was by far the highlight of the trip. At almost every turn in the fair there was some work that caught our eye. Not only was the art good, but people were in good spirits and the space itself was not overwhelming. Although there are too many to name a few of our faves were Tracey Snelling, Jordan Eagles (whom we met), Paul Villinksi, Anne Lindberg, Markus Linnenbrink, and most of all Matthias Meyer (another artist we met). Meyer’s technique of watering down oils created a subtle but stunning composition that offered an array of styles touching on Monet’s watercolors, the strict lines of architectural compositions, and a hint of abstract expressionism with just enough negative space that one could insert their own style.
Of course there were a few ridiculous pieces, one being a real stuffed horse wearing roller skates and had eyes like a “My Little Pony” doll. Not to mention the troupe of performing artists that would suddenly burst into a strange choreographed performance piece disrupting the flow of traffic.
But in terms of ridiculousness, Frieze New York takes the cake. The journey to Randall’s Island can only be described as a trek as the locale simply allows you to get there by catching a ferry or a bus. We opted to take the bus on the way to Frieze, which was located in Harlem. After three different Frieze staff members directed us in circles we finally found the shuttle: a rundown school bus. On our way to Randall’s Island it was hard not to forget the disturbed history of the island as it is the site of a major mental institution as well as the place where all the unclaimed dead of NYC were brought.
After finally arriving to the fair, the tent, which was furiously talked up by the press prior to the event, was not all that grand. Its one saving grace was that it did allow for natural light, which is a welcome addition in a fair of this magnitude, which one can usually get the sense of being a rat in a maze.
After seeing some awe-inspiring pieces at Pulse earlier in the day, we were just waiting to be impressed. The caliber of works at Frieze was clearly lacking. It seemed as though the majority of the dealers present were trying to honor Marcel Duchamp by barely filling their booths or displaying the truly bizarre…vagina nutcracker anyone?! Of course a seasoned art fair-goer is expecting to see the occasional anti-art piece, but in this case it popped up in practically every booth. There was even a Duchamp quote by the fancy porta-potties!
The stand-out at Frieze was Anselm Reyle’s ingenious mix of high and low art in a series of works that parodied the arts and crafts store staple: “Paint by Numbers.” His vibrant use of color and material not to mention his art world commentary were absolutely brilliant. Another stand-out was faux cardboard box sculptures made out of Dionysian and Moroccan marble (a difficult and dying medium) by Andreas Lolis. At first glance they looked like another anti-art statement but upon closer inspection they were truly amazing; the skill alone required to construct these is out-of-bounds. Vik Muniz was another fave, and sausages being served by the one and only Mark Ruffalo (who is as cute in person as he is in the movies) with artist Gavin Brown in order to raise awareness about hydro-fracking was a truly unique experience. But unlike Art Basel Miami Beach that is frequented by a swarm of celebrities, Frieze had a strictly art world crowd with famed artist such as Chuck Close and Tracey Emin in attendance.
The last full day of our trip consisted of NADA and the surrounding galleries in Chelsea. NADA was like Frieze, mostly lacking in impressive art but we did manage to find a couple pieces that caught our eye. Works by Ara Peterson that were made out of wood and painted in an alternating color pattern created an optical illusion composition of line, color, and dimension. At the same gallery was a small screen sculpture by Jesse Greenburg. A few other works by Wendy White, Jan Albers, and a four panel large screen by Eva Berendes made out of wool, wood, and lacquer caught our attention.
The galleries right around NADA did not disappoint, and their large pristine white spaces were filled with unique works. Among our fave gallery visits: Sikkema Jenkins, Thatcher Projects, Claes Oldenburg’s exhibit at Pace Gallery and CRG gallery that showcased an installation by Tonico Lemos Auad entitled Reflected Archaeology where the viewer participates in creating the work.
All in all we saw some truly unique art, re-established our relationship with international dealers, met some really cool artists, and identified the following trends in the art world:
1) Optical illusions
2) Repeating patterns and lines used in conjunction with either bright colors or subtle mediums including graphite or colored pencil.
3) Intricately detailed drawings done in graphite or ink.
4) Paintings done in very subtle colors to create an ethereal/stunning effect.
5) Sex
6) Crayon was a very popular medium as well as child-like composition made with crayon, color pencil, and markers that ranged from Basquiatesque to more fully formed compositions.
7) Use of thread and textiles as a medium.
Matthias Meyer
Frieze
My Little Pony by Tinkebell
Pulse
Anselm Reyle
Andreas Lolis
