It’s Smart to Art!
Last week there was an array
of art openings and art fairs in NYC. It’s such a great time to attempt to see
everything. I say attempt, because there are not enough hours in the day (or
space in the mind) to see it all. There’s the Whitney Biennial, the ADAA Art Fair, The Armory Show (which has gotten so big these days that it must contain
every piece of art on the planet), VIP, Scope, PooL, Volta and Fountain Art Fairs. There’s also the off the beaten path fairs like The Art Boat, The
Outsider Art Chair and The Art Kiosk. OK, I made those up, but the Fountain Art
Fair did start out on a boat.
I love viewing art. I do
like how art can transport you temporarily to another place. Sometimes the
other place is a world I don’t understand, but I like traveling there none-the-less.
I like that looking at art can open up a dialogue for discussion. Whether you
think the work you are viewing is beautiful, worthy of ownership (even as a
fantasy), or just a piece of shite,
it’s good to keep the cognitive brain cells active. Remember, it is just an
opinion, unless it is your art.
A few years ago, I was the
curator of an exhibition that I titled Beauty
Nothing More than the Promise of Happiness. The quote is from On Love by the 19th century
French writer Stendhal. The book is a bit pithy, but I find in that sentiment a
deceptively simple description of the art viewer’s potential reward. I hope you
can find the time to look at some art and find some enchantment or happiness.
From The Whitney Biennial 2012:
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| One of the fantastic paintings by French artist Nicole Eisenman. |
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| Erika Belle and Brian Batista at The Whitney Biennial preview. |
From Rammellzee-The Equation,The Letter Racers:
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| A painting by the late artist, actor and musician Rammellzee. |
From The Fountain Art Fair:
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| I really wanted to buy this drawing, but alas...sigh. |
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| One of the many small paintings by Brian Leo. |
