While the weekend of Fairs that consumed the New York art world at the beginning of the month are now over for another year, we at Artview thought it might be of interest to highlight which galleries and which work appealed to us the most during our exhaustive (and certainly exhausting) coverage of the various venues.
There were no real surprises – the best New York City galleries and the one’s we regularly include on our tours brought the best work to the Fairs. There was very high quality Modern work on Pier 92 but since many of you joined our rather thorough tour of those booths, I’m highlighting here from the much bigger and more daunting contemporary section. Clients might like to keep in mind the following as you plan your own itineraries for the rest of the season.
On Pier 94
Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, 535 W. 25th Street – www.Tonkonow.com
Leslie had a lovely little Amy Cutler drawing, a mind-bendingly surreal landscape from Ian Davis and a stunning all-over Ali Banisadr, all artists we have looked at in Tonkonow’s Chelsea space at various times.
Jack Shainman, 513 W. 20th Street – www.jackshainman.com
A dazzling array of vibrant work by African American masters from Jack and Claude’s stable – Bartley L. Hendricks, Nick Cave, El Anutsui, Kerry James Marshall and Carrie May Weeems – all looking mid-career accomplished but nevertheless very fresh.
Sean Kelly, 528 W. 29th Street – www.skny.com
Sean brought his cerebral and classically paired-down aesthetic to Pier 94 with a beautiful, barely there figure by the British dean of sculpture Anthony Gormley as well as a pristine example of Frank Thiel’s large, architectonically grid-laden curtain fabric close ups. Also work by Callum Inness, Anthony McCall and, of course, the subject of the very important retrospective up at MoMA currently, Marina Abramovic.
Sikkema-Jenkins, 530 W. 22nd Street – www.sikkemajenkinsco.com
Again, great work from a terrific gallery. Shazia Sikander, Mark Bradford, Kara Walker, Leonardo Drew, Vik Muniz and Arturo Herrera were all represented and all are artists we have followed consistently with Artview clients.
Yvon Lambert, 550 W. 21st Street – www.yvon-lambert.com
A very arresting piece by Shinique Smith, an artist whose piled fabric sculptural work is getting a lot of well deserved attention of late, both here and in Europe.
Yossi Milo, W. 25th Street – www.yossimilo.com
A good deal of excellent large format work but a couple of Loretta Lux’s hauntingly odd little portrait creations caught my eye.
Lehmann Maupin, 540 W.26th Street – www.lehmannmaupin.com
Some definition-defying works from the ever-provocative Ashley Bickerton, several exciting pieces from Mickalene Thomas and Nari Ward, increasingly accomplished painting from the still young Hernan Bas and a scintillating video production from Jennifer Steinkamp. Don’t forget to check out the programs at both Lehmann Maupin spaces as several of the artists mentioned above we have seen, to great effect, in the 201 Chrystie Street gallery.
DCKT, 195 Bowery – www.dcktcontemporary.com
It was good to see space – albeit small ones – being made for some of the fledgling galleries who have set up shop on the Lower East Side over the last year or so. Although many of the Directors of these new operations are far from beginners, their programs are ground breaking and it was gratifying to see them holding their own in the big leagues.
In this context, veritable elder statesmen Dennis Christie and Ken Tyburski went solo and gave their booth over to Cordy Ryman’s quirky but compelling three-dimensional works.
Rachel Uffner, 47 Orchard Street – www.racheluffnergallery.com
Also a gutsy solo installation of Hilary Harnischfeger’s swirling, bristly wall mounted contortions. Equal parts drawing, painting and bas-reliefs the works were made up of cast plaster and collaged paper in vibrant shades of blue. I saw a good many people examining them up close and they deserved to do well at the Fair.
Perogi, 179 N. 9th Street, Brooklyn – www.pierogi2000.com
And from Brooklyn, Joe Amrhein and Susan Swenson had a densely installed booth with several of their strongest artists. Wildly imaginative but meticulously executed work from both Jane Fine and James Esber, similarly intriguing pieces from Dawn Clements (a 2010 Whitney Biennial choice) and, one of my favorites, the tiny portraits of Jim Torok who has a show opening at Pierogi this week.
At Pulse
I thoroughly enjoyed this smaller Fair further down the highway on West Street at Houston. The layout was more open, less labyrinthine and generally less frenetic.
Excellent work was on show at all of the following:
P.P.O.W Gallery – www.ppowgallery.com
Mary Ryan Gallery – www.maryryangallery.com
Morgan Lehman – www.morganlehmangallery.com
Black & White Gallery – www.blackandwhiteartgallery.com
Winklelman Gallery – www.winkleman.com