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| Artwork by Nychos |
SCOPE: Sifting for treasure in the Warhol wormhole
SCOPE’s 2018 New York Art Fair was definitely worth the visit. Here SharksEatMeat will give you the rundown of their V.I.P. visit. Amongst the Warhol, Basquiat and Lichtenstein rip-offs were several diamonds in the rough. Abstract expressionism and pop art still seem to have a grip on the market some 70 years later but several emerging and international artists and galleries put forth outstanding work.
SCOPE is less grandiose than the Armory show, and far more inviting. While some artists had a binder on the floor, others had professionally painted booths, and as much as I hate to say it, at least paying attention to presentation makes an impression on buyers. That said, all gallerists were approachable and friendly and few seemed annoyingly eager to sell. The exhibition showcased emerging artists and some well-known blue-chip creators. I had to speed walk past a lot of dated pop-art but the trip was worth the leg work. Shout out to SharksEatMeat contributor Maya Hayuk who had work in the show.
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| Artwork by Wolfgang Grasse |
I’d like to first mention a few remarkable pieces briefly, before dissecting in detail other important works. Wolfgang Grasse's work ‘South East Garden / Garden of Ultimate Love’ at Stephen Romano Gallery’s booth is of immense detail and intrigue. The work is rewarding to spend time with. As always Ron English’s work is phenomenal. His technique is masterful and the themes playful and witty. It was a pleasure to see one in person in Matthew Namour’s collection. Cubist Michele Utley-Voight had a solo booth with delightfully well-crafted work.
Upon entry the brightly colored work at Mirus Gallery’s booth lures you in. Mirus Gallery, along with Good Details and Public House of Art had some of the best booths of the year. Inspired by the street culture and the surreal, artists Nychos, Okuda and AEC Interesni Kazki are delightful. Their works are some of the most painterly and stylistically unique in the fair. While Nychos is now based on the west coast, their murals still grace many Brooklyn streets and are treasures in contrast to much of the other local street art. It was nice to see their work at SCOPE. Playful, intricate and technical, they are a champion of the alternative art world.
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| Artwork by Shani Crowe |
Shani Crowe’s powerful hair portraits of models with delicate braids shame any of the sculptures at the exhibition. The photos are stark and the design highlights the form of the hair. Not only are the works the most unique photography in the exhibition, they are some of the best pieces in the entire show. Crowe is represented by Good Details Chicago who exhibit other talented artists and have an amazing website that you need to visit.
Jenny Boot’s photograph ‘Selina’ is impressive. Boot is represented by Public House of Art in Amsterdam, an online and pop up space. Their website is worth visiting for the savvy design and online content. In many ways Public House of Art stole the show with their giant photographs and hyper clean presentation. Every other booth at the fair was painted white, and yet this space was painted black - the frames of the works were black, the lights dim and the representatives darkly clad. Multiple sales on the first day makes sense as the works would look great in many New York public or private spaces. Boot’s photos themselves alternatively depict beauty models with creative displays of weapons. Two artists at SCOPE dealt directly with the hot topic of weapons and gun violence in America. Nicholas Hunt at Mugello Art’s booth, fires actual weapons into his work, creating unique 3D marks and stippling the form of abstract compositions. They allow you to reflectively think over the destructive force of the weapons.
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| Artwork by Nicholas Hunt |
Karim Rashid’s works from ARTI.NYC including ‘Facet’ are worth mentioning. I’ve secretly always wanted to do a series of my own work incorporating lenticular effects so I was pulled into this space. The works are clean and high-quality. Although relying heavily on an effect the works don’t come off as gimmicky, but rather a pure form for the lenticular medium.
Few at the fair were from NYC galleries, with stand outs from Amsterdam, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Montreal. You could say the West Coast dominated the show. The overarching trend of trash was unfortunate but there were real gems here. Some raw talent that had been refined just enough.
Support the aforementioned artists and galleries, and visit SCOPE next year, as it looks promising. Stay tuned to SharksEatMeat for more reviews like this, and follow our Instagram @sharks_eat_meat
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| Artwork by Okuda |
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