Fair Play: Art? Or Not Art?

The posts so far:
Lean Times

Black is the New Black. Again
Art Miami

A Bloggers' Guide to Art Miami

Seven

A Long, Tall Drink of Aqua

Art Basel Miami Beach

Amuse Oeil

The World Wide Web

Occupy Miami?

Prologue: Head to Toe

Peekin' In

Updated 1.6.12

The intro below is how I opened the post and the challenge. That challenge is now over, as each entry has been identified as being  Art or Not art--or in two instances, an I don't know and Maybe respectively. We didn't have a clear winner but we did have a Top Five, with four others who got the trickiest one right. Click here for the top responders--and scroll down for the answers. (Keep an eye out in a couple of weeks for A Good Eye, the post which will include the work of our most perceptive responders.)

.

OK, art professionals, start your engines. It's time to test your esthetic acuity and visual perception in my annual blog challenge, Art? Or Not Art?  Last year there was a lot of trash, real and perceived, so I tweaked the title. This year you just have to determine whether it's art or not. Caveat: There's also an I don't know and a maybe in this collection. (Comment section is now closed to new responses, but you can see the answers.)

1. Art

Pulling back to show you the entire installation and the title:

. . . . . . . .

2. Not art

(We had six art, a maybe and a possibly. Some of these fence tarps were pretty great, as you saw in the Miami Roundup)

. . . . . . . .

3. Art

Anna Betbeze at Kate Werble Gallery, New York City, at NADA

(You also saw her work in the Stuff post, at the Materialism show at OHWOW gallery. I think it's gutsy, and I'm not alone. Jerry Saltz gave Betbeze an Honorable mention in picks for New York Magazine's The Year in Art.)

. . . . . . . .

4. Art

Tony Matelli, stainless steel and paint, at Leo Koenig Gallery, New York, at NADA

Here's another view:

. . . . . . . .

5. Art

Here's the info and installation view:

Greg Haberny, at Lyons Weir Gallery, New York, at Aqua Art

. . . . . . . .

6. Art

Ugo Rondinone, work of cast bronze and paint, at Sadie Coles Gallery, London, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

7. Art

Here's the info and installation view:

Unidentified artist at MKG 129, Toronto, at NADA. (And please don't ask me about that black-hooded figure. It really creeps me out, like the demon child of the KKK and the Grim Reaper)

. . . . . . . .

8. Art

Martin Boyce, Untitled, steel, screws, powder-coated aluminum, at Modern Institute/Toby Webster, London, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

9.  Not art

It's the emergency fire hose at the Miami Convention Center. But you knew that.

10. Not art

Also at the Miami Convention Center

11. Art

J.J. Peet at Opn Stellar Rays, New York, at NADA

. . . . . . . .

12. Art

Jason Loebs, Essex Gallery, New York, at NADA

. . . . . . . .

13. Art

Here's the info and installation view:

Efthis Patsourakis at Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Athens, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

14. I don't know

I don't think so. And just as I was thinking, "That's not art, is it?" I overheard a fairgoer pretty much echo my words aloud as he said to his companion, "Is it or isn't it?" So let's assume No. But any answer--yes, no, I don't know or maybe will work here--and of the 52 responses, three were yes and one was maybe).

Pulling back for the longer view: See it, just to the left of the Dan Christensen painting?

. . . . . . . .

15. Art

A handful of you got this. Here's the info and installation view:

José Parlà, Espanola Way, 2011; wood cement, steel, latex and enamel, at the Materialism show at OHWOW

. . . . . . . .

16. Not art

But I photographed it just around the corner from Espanola Way

. . . . . . . .

17. Not art

But at least 20 of you thought it was. It's an electrical cord  bundle at NADA.

. . . . . . . . 

18. Art

Joanna Malinowska, In Search of Primordial Matter, 2011, washing machine on perpetual spin cycle, at Canada Gallery, New York City, NADA

. . . . . . . .

19. Not art

It's the scissor lift at the Rubell Collection. You know your "Not Art." No one called it art, though there was one maybe and another  no, but love the composition

. . . . . . . .

20. Not art

It's the cleaning cart just outside the Women's restroom at the Deauville Hotel, site of NADA.

We had a yes and a love it, but no

. . . . . . . .

21. Art

An installation by Elmgren and Dragsett at Helga de Alvear Gallery, Madrid, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

22. Art

Roula Partheniou, Tape Stacks, wood, acrylic paint, at MKG 127, Toronto, at Nada

. . . . . . . .

23. Not art

It's a functioning door. But I love that square of cloth tacked onto the upper half

. . . . . . . .

24. Art

Artist unidentified at Steve Turner Contemporary, San Francisco, at Aqua Art

Your responses were split pretty much down the middle with this one, with a few maybe and one could be, but why?

. . . . . . . .

25. Art

Gao Rong, foam, cloth and embroidery, at Eli Klein Gallery, Art Miami

. . . . . . . .

26. Art

Christian Andersson, Beam, glass, silicone, paint, wood, at Christina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

27. Art

Russell Maltz, painted pipe, at TK Gallery, at Pulse

. . . . . . . .

28. Art

Armando Andrada Tudela (I think) at Carl Freedman Gallery, London, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

29. Art

Karla Black at Capitain/Petzel, Cologne/New York, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

30. Art

Artist unidentified at West Street Gallery, New York, at NADA

. . . . . . . .

31. Art

Artist unidentified at Meesen DeClerq, Brussells, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

32. Art

John Stoney, Corner Piece #4, at Pierogi, Brooklyn, at Seven

. . . . . . . .

33. Not art

But it does have a Scully-esque je ne sais quois.

Here's the pull-away view:

. . . . . . . .

34. Art

Peter Fischli and David Weiss, painted urethane, at Matthew Marks, New York, at ABMB

. . . . . . . .

35. Not art

Nicely maintained, though

. . . . . . . .

36. Art

Nici Jost, Balzer Art Projects, Basel, Switzerland, at Pulse

Now if that square of sod had only been from Basel . . .

. . . . . . . .

37. "Maybe"

I asked the woman who was painting the advertising mural outside the Pyke Bros. autobody shop:  "Would you call this art?"  Maybe, she said. We got a mixed bag here: art, not art and maybe, along with my favorite: folk art

Next Up: Pulse

Big thanks to everyone who sent me to Miami. I am most appreciative of your help. To all my other friends reading and enjoying my coverage of the Miami art fairs, I'd welcome your financial support. I am a painter with a full-time studio practice; every post represents a significant expenditure of time, travel, photo editing, and writing, especially in December when my effort is focused exclusively on these reports from the fairs. A one-time annual donation of $20 (though any amount is welcome) will help support my effort. See the Donate button on the sidebar. Thank you.