Joanne Mattera Art Blog: 2015

12.31.2015

Fair Fetched: Material Mashup, Part 2

Frida #1 at Scope: Kazuhiro Tsuji at Copro Gallery, Santa Monica

Three Fridas showed up in Miami. No, this is not the start of a joke. There might have been more, but all I saw was three. You know the saying, "Two of anything is a coincidence. Three's a trend." Of course Frida has been trending for the past 25 years. But towels? They were all over the fairs as well (and they could have been put to good use with all the rain). Then there were the requisite oddities. Take a look. And may everyone own a reflective sculpture that adds a few inches to your height and knocks off 10 pounds.

Frida #2 at ABMB: Walter Pach at Francis M. Naumann Fine Art, New York City

Frida #3 at ABMB: Yusamasa Morimoto at Luhring Augustine, New York City

The Beaded President at ABMB: Liza Lou at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris and Salzburg

The Alien Among us at ABMB: Matt Johnson at 303 Gallery, New York City

(cast and painted bronze)

The Love Child of Carl Andre and Estee Lauder at ABMB: Sylvie Fleury at Salon 94, New York City

Detail below

Pop Quiz: Art or Not Art?

Top: not art | Middle: art | Bottom: not art

Middle photo at NADA: Installation at The Sunday Painter, London

Trending: Towels

ABMB: Paul Lee at Stuart Shave Modern Art, London

Detail below

ABMB: Amanda Ross-Ho at Mitchell-Innes and Nash, New York City

Detail below

ABMB: Alexandre de Cunha at CRG Gallery, New York City

Detail below

NADA: Brendan Fowler at Capital Gallery, San Francisco

SCOPE: Jonathan Santoro at Crane Arts, Philadelphia

Detail below (actually, this one is cast plaster)

ABMB: Your intrepid reporter, a little bit taller and thinner reflected in polished steel

All Over But the Recovery

It's actually quite great to spend five days doing nothing but looking at art, but it's tiring. The subsequent 25 days spent slogging through some 3500 images to select and prepare several hundred for publication come with a different physical experience: pressure and exhaustion. Consider the following images metaphors for the experience. I look forward to unwinding, loosening up, and re-inflating. And I'm going to take the rest of the year off.

Aqua Art: Ross Bonfanti at Projects Gallery, Miami

ABMB: Jose Davila at Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen

Frank Hyder sculptures, from his Janis Project, in need of some inflating

The End

Friends: If you have enjoyed this series, please donate to this blog. It cost an enormous amount of money to travel to and stay in Miami for five days, and while I was writing these reports I was not painting, which is how I earn my living. Your modest donation is most welcome. The PayPal link is on the sidebar right, just under the header. Thank you.

12.29.2015

Fair Fetched: Material Mashup, Part 2

See You in Miami
Fair Fetched: Navigating Miami Part 1, ABMB, Untitled, Pulse

Fair Fetched: Navigating Miami Part 2, A Couple of Hotel Fairs

Fair Fetched: Navigating Miami Part 3, Miami Project, Nada, Scope

Fair Fetched: Yes, Pink

Fair Fetched: The Phrygian Cap

Fair Fetched: Some Paintings

Fair Fetched: Punctum

Fair Fetched: Material Mashup, Part 1

Fair Fetched: Material Mashup, Part 2

In Part 1 we looked at work in which wood, wax, metal, and a host of other materials were engaged for artmaking. Here we look at fiber. I have mixed feelings about the works I'm showing you here. Some have a strong visual presence, even if they're provisional in construction, as if someone has just learned to weave. Others are beautifully crafted, with handspun or hand-dyed yarn, but I wonder what they're doing at an art fair. Some strike just right mix of idea and execution. As always, I've included wall shots where possible to give you a sense of scale.

ABMB: Brent Waddell at Pace, New York City and elsewhere

detail below

Untitled: Samantha Bittman at Andrew Rafacz, Chicago

Bittman installation with closer view below

Untitled: Teresa Lanceta at Galeria Espacio Minimo, Madrid

NADA: Margo Wolowiec at Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles

Above and below

NADA: Two by Josh Faught at Lisa Cooley, New York City

ABMB: Helen Mirra at Nordenhake, Stockholm

Detail below

Above and below

ABMB: Martha Tuttle at Tilton Gallery, New York City

(both are 9 x 9 inches)

ABMB: Li Gang at Galerie Urs Meile, Lucerne and Beijing

Detail below ("oil on hand-made canvas")

ABMB: Laura Lima at Galeria Luisa Strina, Sao Paolo

Detail below ("sisal ropes and secret material")

ABMB: David Renggli at Wentrup, Berlin

Detail below

ABMB: Fabian Marcaccio at Galerie Thomas Schutte, Berlin

NADA: Anna Betbeze at Markus Luttgen, Cologne

ABMB: Iva Gueorguieva at Frederic Snitzer, Miami

ABMB: Judith Scott at Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York City

ABMB: Tonico Auad at CRG Gallery, New York City

ABMB: Gabriel de la Mora at Timothy Taylor, London

Three details below

. . . these were a suprise . . .

. . . textiles from vintage speakers

ABMB: Unidentified artist at Zero Gallery, Milan

Closer view below

NADA: Claude Viallat at Galerie Bernard Ceysson, Paris

Detail below

Untitled: Miriam Schapiro at Eric Firestone Gallery, New York City

Detail below

ABMB: Joao Mode at A Gentil Carioca, Rio de Janiero

ABMB: Sarah Crowner at Simon Lee, London and Hong Kong

Detail below ("acrylic on canvas, sewn")

Miami Project: Diana Guerrero-Macia at Traywick Contemporary, San Francisco

Closer views below

("wool, cotton, thread on Belgian linen")

Untitled: Brian Wills at Ochi Projects, Los Angeles

Closer view below ("rayon thread, walnut")

Miami Project: Marina Font at Dina Mittrani Gallery, Miami

Detail below

Next up: The Wrapup

Friends: Not to get all NPR on you, but if you are enjoying my posts, please donate to this blog. It costs an enormous amount of money to travel to and stay in Miami for five days, and while I'm writing these reports I'm not painting, which is how I earn my living. If you find this series of value to you, a modest donation is most welcome. The PayPal link is on the sidebar right, just under the header. Thank You. And deep gratitude to those of you who have donated.