REVIEW: Art New York, presented by Art Miami w/ CONTEXT NYC.

   REVIEW:  Art New York, presented by Art Miami w/ CONTEXT NYC.

Hey art lovers!  SharksEatMeat had unlimited VIP access to Art New York fair at piers 92 & 94 in New York City, and we're showing you highlights from the fair. We’ll give details on several notable galleries and artists booths as well as all the usual trendy trash from outdated Warhols, and an overabundance of flashy new media art.

Few exhibitors did much to creatively break up the viewing space -  or make it anything but a strip mall gallery of framed paintings hung at eye level.  Thankfully several booths such as Vellum Projects and Adrien Brody broke this mold and shook things up a bit.  However too many failed to utilize the space or make themselves stand out from the crowd amongst the almost 100 exhibitors.

Adrien Brody’s “Metamorphosis: Transformation of the Soul” looked like a grad student's crowded work studio in the best way possible.  The installation was funky, immersive and thoughtfully crafted.  He utilized the venue fully and stood out amongst other exhibitors.   It’s nice to see artists take risks and attempt new things. 

One of my favorite series at the NYC art fair this year was Frank Hyder’s giant glowing head sculpture and accompanying paintings part of the “Janis Project” featured at Project Gallery Miami.  They had a godly surreal quality to them.  A distant relative of the Olmecs maybe?  They apparently spend most of their time as a revolving installation on a cruise ship.  The changing lights seem perfect for a garden or outdoor space.  I’d love to see the changing lights cast across flora at night.  The paintings add to the mythology and are more traditional to hang in a home.  Please visit their website. 

 

 

The Vellum Projects Booth had another of my favorite series; the 'Reject Violence' campaign by Diana Wege.  Wege’s prints are a direct statement put out as a public intervention to change the culture of violence.  Throughout the year these bold, saturated messages occupy the exact same spaces of major advertisers in bus shelters, phone booths, kiosks, and taxi tops.  At the fair the lithographs are plastered across the gallery booth and framed nicely as an installation.  Visit the artists website, and follow #rejectviolence to learn more.  

Jeon Nak, of Able Fine Art, presented impressive 3D lenticular, new media work that is worth stopping by and seeing in person.  My video will not do them justice.  Their art reminds me of the high quality work at the Chicago hologram museum.  It’s an enjoyable booth.  Many fairs and biennales these days include new media art including sound art, relief op art, or lenticular works, but few exceed in truly exploring the new mediums.  This trend was certainly rampant at Art New York this year.  Many fall short of applying an effect to their existing body of art work.  Jeon Nak goes above and beyond and creates compelling new works that function only in their new mediums. 




Federico Uribe of Cavalier Galleries featured incredible animal sculptures.  Unlike Jeff Koon’s hollow, shiny animals these sculptures showcase labor and craft.  While not overt many of the animals are made of bullet casings and shells.  The giant panther and gold cats instantly catch your eye and demand further investigation.  The meticulously crafted works would be an excellent conversation piece for any collection. 

Some honorable mentions worth including are Magdealena Murua’s geometric patterns of comics, as well as Craig Alan’s carefully spray-painted portraits of crowds forming celebrities.  There’s something clever about the fans forming the icon of the celebrity in Craig’s work.  

To recap, Diana Wege, Adrien Brody and Frank Hyder were my favorite artists of the show.  If you’re in New York, stop by the Art New York fair for an enjoyable selection of contemporary art.  Follow SharksEatMeat for more VIP access reviews to art shows and all your art and culture updates. 

Review by John Coulter

@sharks_eat_meat