Frieze 2009 Highlights

It seemed Frieze was playing it safe this year. There were no big installations or sculptures filling up the big spaces. I mentioned to Sophia that they can't play it safe and have brilliance at the same time. So, out went the brilliance and in came the regurgitation of every artist known to sell, or emerging artists that didn't go as far as shocking but still tried to find out how to become a visionary. They even stooped as low to play on the public's heartstrings, showing several paintings of Michael Jackson- including the famous Jeff Koontz one with Bubbles... but Michael was all painted out black. That was a painfully obvious thing to do.

It was crowded; so hopefully that is a sign the market is on a rebound. Sophia (literally) ran into Gwenith Paltrow and we saw Valentino too.

It typical art we have seen at all the fairs: Anish Kapoor, Barry Flanagan, Marc Quinn, Ed Ruscha, Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst, Alex Katz, Julian Opie, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, .... to name a few. A newspaper I picked up said the top 5 selling artists (or artists that the market has the most confidence in) were Gerhard Richter, John Baldessari, Bill Viola, Anish Kapoor, and Cindy Sherman.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Definitely the VIP lounge and the canapes and (virgin) cocktails were a highlight!
2. Got a name for you of some great collage work: Raphael Danke, 33 yr. old working out of Berlin. Shows at Sorcha Dallas Gallery in Glasglow. Sophia really liked one, but it was sold....
3. We saw one Wangechi Mutu collage that was big and dark.
4. There was a cool Marilyn Minter photo-painting of a model's feet soaked in silver paint.
5. There was a wonderful piece (didn't get the name of the artist) where a cast of a homeless person's torso (covered in a blanket) was the footing for a coffee table. the table was obviously to be used for the many glasses of champagne at the fair.
6. White Cube was one of the best booths, though a bit standard.

Some photos of things I liked:

Life-size bunny-man covered in pearls covered with a sheet. First image

There seemed to be a bit green-themed work. Another safe bet... but good to see the art world using their voice for the important things. This one was particularly powerful (and large). Second image.

by Paige Bradley

fallen princesses-dina goldstein

Last week's the Sunday Times-Dina Goldstein's photos place classic fairy tale characters into dark modern day situations. The "happily-ever afters" we all know are replaced by tragic conclusions and the Fallen Princesses find themselves facing the harsh realities of the 21-century. Snow White lives in a domestic nightmare, Little Riding Hood is obese and addicted to junk food. Aladdin's Princess Jasmine fights on the front line and the Little Mermaid is trapped in the aquarium tank.

musubi aoki

Welcome to Musubi Musubi World! Japanese prop maker, artist, stylist & art director. musubi

screen shot

Monochrome woodcut prints taken from video clips and computer screens demonstrate a fascination with speed and the passage of time. I've seen her work before & remember using one for a cover of a mix cd...Love the juxaposition of old and new technology, video, woodblock, printing methods. as if they belong to a futuristic world where old technologies have taken over the new. gorgeous when seen in full size, hard to appreciate when they are small. Alan Cristea Gallery London 2009

swissmiss

Reconstruction exhibit by Ruth van Beek at Foam. Van Beek collects random snapshots, passport photos, slides etc, folds them & cuts them to give the material new meaning. Van Beek treats the photos as objects. She cuts open the once treasured pictures and rearranges them to find what she thinks is the story behind the photo. The resulting image is a credible picture of something that never existed. Love the Dutch artists....look up Erwin Warum for more quirky Dutch art. 

ruth van beek

A picture is worth a thousand words...strange yet simply extraordinary photo collages by Dutch artist. 

big city bright lights

London Art Fair 2009

Business Design Center, Islington

London N1

In Tom Leighton's images, familiar streets & squares are deconstructed and recreated into an imaginary utopian city. Strangely familiar yet physically impossible, his kaleidoscope images capture both the beauty and hedonism of modern consumer culture. Images of Tokyo, London & New York.

3510 + VAT

Photo50

Business Design Center

London N1

Organized and edited by MFA Curating Programme at Goldsmiths, the theme of the exhibition is "coincidence". Photos drawn from a range of UK and international galleries.  Printed on jigsaw puzzles.