| Issue #27, September 29, 2006 |
When In Manhattan...
by Oliver Peterson
For those of you who are new to this column, I am not only a writer, I’m also one of countless Hamptonites struggling to make my way as a visual artist. I had a show this July and it went well. In fact, things in the art department are going better than I could’ve hoped. The point is, I understand on a very personal level what it means to be a contemporary artist working to find a foothold in what can be a very difficult world to traverse. I’m lucky enough to sell some paintings and because of that, I try to give back and buy a few now and then. Between gifts from friends and a few trades and purchases my collection is growing nicely. I can’t afford to buy that Peter Beard I’ve always wanted, and I certainly can’t afford that Basquiat that even some wealthier people can’t fiscally justify, but I love what I have, and like the collectors that buy my stuff. I appreciate art for what it is, not for the possible investment value or the name on the bottom of the piece. Yes, people can throw down $2,500 and pick up a Picasso lithograph. They can brag to their friends that they own a piece from one of the most famous artists in history. However, for that same $2,500, a person can own not only an original, but a major work by a lesser known painter.
About a week ago, as a birthday gift, I bought myself a couple of pieces by Jesse Reno out of Portland, Oregon, an artist I quite admire. I’m not a rich guy, but I was able to get a very nice, mid-sized work on paper and a screen print from an edition of six. He sells a lot of work, he’s prolific and talented, but he’s relatively unknown and keeps his work priced to sell. Because of the Internet and a new breed of Do It Yourself artists, more and more people are finding a way to collect art without paying high gallery prices. Buying art, in many ways, can become, as a good friend and colleague of mine said, “a shopping experience instead of a gallery experience.”
Art fairs can be a killer way to go out and see a lot of work in one place and do some art shopping of your own. Unfortunately, the art fair can conjure thoughts of outdoor events with tents full of what I would call easy viewing, craft-style decorative work akin to Bob Ross, Thomas Kinkade, and any number of people creating art that says nothing of a man’s or woman’s soul or individual voice on this uneasy planet.
This weekend in Manhattan, the art fair worth visiting is called Art(212) – New York’s Fall Contemporary Art Fair. Art(212) aims to have “Visitors broaden their understanding of contemporary art while building their collections.” With over 60 galleries exhibiting work, you’ll find a wide range of art that will present a nice overview of what’s happening among emerging and mid-career artists working in all media, from painting and photography to sculpture. There will be performance, lectures, and installations, including “Guerilla Tea” in which artist Pierre Sernet will enact a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in an open-air, cube-shaped teahouse. He will invite random visitors to share a cup of tea. This is supposed to play on the “juxtaposition of out-of-context and apparently incompatible cultures and environments.”
Personally, I’d skip the pretentious performance art and find myself some good images to hang on the wall, but that’s just me. The good thing about art fairs is that they have whatever floats your boat. Aurora Robson’s “The Jungle” installation sounds kind of fun. The artist has created a jungle of discarded plastic waste where the viewer is invited to enter and search for two hidden 2-dimensional artworks. Performance, installation and lecture can be interesting events to keep us entertained and expand our thoughts a bit, but what Art(212) will do best is offer a rich cross section of art for discerning “shoppers.” Prices will vary, but Blue Light Specials will likely not be available. Yes, I’m corny.
ART(212) will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Avenue @ 26th Street, Thursday, Sept. 28 – Saturday, Sept. 30 12 noon – 8 p.m.; Sunday Oct. 1 12 noon – 6 p.m. General admission is $15; Seniors & Students $12; Children under 12 free. For further information, please call: 212 366 4139 or visit www.art-212.com.
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