For lack of better, an email chain:

Price of gas in France

 A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre. 

 

 After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.

 However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

 When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, "Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.'

 

 I had no Monet

   

to buy Degas

  

  to make the Van Gogh.

 

 See if you have De Gaulle to send this on to someone else

 

 I sent it to you because I figured I had nothing Toulouse.

Finally, a warm & sunny day

Anne Neely, Somewhere Inbetween

Ken Matsubara at MA2 Gallery, VOLTA

The Japanese artist Ken Matsubara had simple, reflective works that seemed to be about the process of memory and the role it plays. The objects were all perfectly formed, but my favorite was this elegant wooden box enclosing a recessed video playing while reflected on the mirrored sides around it.

I wish I was watching waves wash over my feet in just such a fashion. Hmmm, not to pick favorites...but this might be my favorite from Volta.

Sinta Werner: Question Reality

There were so many high-quality artists being shown at Volta, but Sinta Werther's work at the Nettie Horn Gallery booth stood out to me.

The Broken Bits of Pieces use glass, lightbulbs, and mirrors to reflect carefully painted scenes, but they are less scenes as suggestions of place.

These Autoprojections, above and below, are done on photographic paper with paint, and as you can kind of see in the image below, the paper has also been folded.

Apparently these are small-scale examples of her preoccupation with bending space and begging the view the question reality and perception, and some very cool examples of large-scale manipulations can be found on Volta's page dedicated to the artist.

Public play: Butterfly money

"Public play" was called for: asking people to step into this booth for 2 minutes of floating butterflies blowing around at GE Galeria, Monterrey Mexico, by Erika Harrsch. This neat and, yes, playful exhibition was probably the most engaging work at Volta art fair.

In an on trend moment, the butterflies (which) I thought were made of trash) are made of currency. Currency appearing folded, printed on, or painted all over the fairs.

Ryan Wallace's Violet Collage

Mist (Timeline) 3 (2011), Ryan Wallace

Another favorite from Pulse, Ryan Wallace's large violet collage at Morgan Lehman's booth, led me to do some research on the artist this morning.

I thought the painting/mixed media piece was nicely framed by the white Still Lifes on either side at Pulse, and I loved the subtle variations in tone of the work up close. His materials are really nicely integrated, and the end product very finished and smooth. But...

...his artist statement gave me a terrible case of the giggles:

"I am inspired by both the genius and the crackpot, the elegance of the universe and Tron."

Suddenly all I could think of was Charlie Sheen.

Pulse Favorite: Christopher Russell

Christopher Russel, you had me at the Luis de Jesus booth at Pulse Art Fair.

I love your aesthetic. I love the layering and the subtle colors. I love the richness of the textures and chaos your work approaches. I love the conflation of mediums. I love the active nature of scratching on the photographic prints.

Let's make art-babies.

Matthew Cox's Embroidered X-rays

Of all the uses of thread I saw at the art fairs, and they were myriad and multitudinousness, even more so than last year, Matthew Cox's embroidery on x-ray at Pentimenti Gallery's booth at Pulse struck me as novel and apt.

The Botticelli-esque embroidery fleshes out the lines suggested by the x-rays. The contrast between the x-ray and the embroidery works well, although I wish the pieces could have been backlit to show off the x-rays better.

Then and now: Similarities at Pulse

I felt like I was seeing a lot of the same things that I saw (and liked) last year at Pulse Art Fair this year. Magdalena Mura then, above image from 2010, and now:

Priscila Di Carvahlo then and now:

Seong Chun then and now:

Why the repetition? I'm sure I'm not the most observant or aware art fair-goer. Other industry people must notice even more than I do. Is it a sign the artist is selling so well nothing needs to be changed? The first two artist created different pieces in recognizable styles, but I'm pretty sure the beautifully-crafted paper piece I admired in 2010 is interchangeable for the 2011 piece.

I had the same sense of deja vu for the pieces below, just not the photographic evidence to support it. Did anybody else notice this? 

Xiaoze Xie this year at Pulse:

Marcus Linnenbrick this year at Pulse: 

Pieces of Note: Scope Art Fair

Byung-Chul Woo's Seeing and other work at Young Art Gallery are beautifully intricate, yet simple, and the pops of color are well-placed. It's an oil-on-canvas rendition of why I love living in NYC.

I wish I could find more details on it, or the work below.

Jordan Eagles at Krause Gallery

Made with blood. 'Nuff Said. Although if you did want the details, its oxblood, acrylic, resin and copper, and it looks much better in person than in this photograph.

Makeup by Eric Finzi at SFA Projects

Marlene Dumas, much? Yet these figures on epoxy resin tell more of a story and make nice use of the medium.

Carlos Quintana painting at Juan Ruis Galeria

Carlos Quintana, a Cuban artist I loved here, made a surprise appearance.

Note from Scope Art Fair: Performance

One of my surprise favorite parts of Scope Art Fair was the inclusion of performance pieces by the show itself. Come on Guy was a frat party in a booth that seemed amazingly fun and funny the other night-- I'll have to go back to see if they are still going strong.

But in addition to those pieces, one gallery really stood out in an excessive Baroque bacchanalia. Artists Wanted embraced performance with a a cast of four, a wine fountain and a sausage grinder. Altogether the performance pieces really enlivened the atmosphere and brought a festive air to the fair itself.

Art Fair Giveaway: 20x200 Tote and Pulse Passes

20x200 (the original affordable art site) will be at Pulse Art Fair and they'd like you to join them--plus stay well-prepared and refreshed while visiting the booths. 2 lucky people will receive a free day pass to Pulse, plus a tote full of essentials, and fun non-essentials, to prepare you for a great day of art-viewing. And while you're there, stop by the 20x200 (booth b4) and say hi!

I find cupcakes and caffeine help me manage visual overload. Enter to win an Art Fair Survival Kit + day pass to Pulse Art Fair by leaving a comment below that tells me what essential keeps you afloat during Armory arts week. I'll pick the two winners Thursday evening at 9 pm--just be sure to sign in with an email so I can reach you about the prize!


Art Fair Survival kits include:

+ Altoids: Freshen up before saying 'hi' to your favorite artist or chatting up that cute gallery guy/girl.
+ Orabrush: Ditto—you can't make a first impression a second time.

+ illy issimo: Drink up and re-caffeinate on the fly.

+ Popchips: Eat up and refuel whilst gallery hopping.

+ West Elm tape measure & level: Measure up with pocket-size art hanging essentials.

+ West Elm discount card: Stock up from one of our fave frame sources.

+ BAMart Auction Invite: Culture up at one of our fave institutions.

+ Art Fag City + Hyperallergic Event Guides: Read up and be in the know on what's happening.

+ 20x200's Map of the 2011 New York Art Fairs (above): A work of art right in your bag! This year's map is drawn by the inimitable Wendy MacNaughton.

+ 20x200 Magic Fortune Teller: Thrill your friends with amazing feats of art market prognostication!

NYC Art Fairs Open Tomorrow

You can find me here for the next few days, trying to manage the art overload with coffee and cupcakes...

The Armory Show

www.thearmoryshow.com 

Pier 94

Twelfth Ave. at 55th St.

3/3-6 

Pulse

www.pulse-art.com

Metropolitan Pavilion

125 W. 18th St.

3/3-6 

Scope

www.scope-art.com

320 West Street

3/4-7 

Volta

www.voltashow.com

7W

7 W. 34th St.

3/3-6 

Independent

www.independentnewyork.com

Dia Center for the Arts

548 W. 22nd St.

3/3-6

These are my favorite shows (with the exception of the Armory, which is a must but really too much to be an enjoyment). What are your favorites? Anybody want to meet me out for a coffee and show?