Art Addict

Good art. Good cause.

Jenny Laden, Trying Fancy On, 2008, oil and gold leaf on wood, 12x19 inches

Buying at a non-profit auction can be a great way to pick up good art at under market prices. A nice selection of art is up for bid at the 5th annual BAMart Silent Auction running until this Monday, May 11. Bid online for works by 150+ artists. Some of my favorites: Carlo Ferraris, Eric Fertman, J. Fiber (Jane Fine and James Esber), Adia Millett, David Opdyke, Chris Piazza, John Rappleye, Fidel Sclavo, and Mary Temple.

Are you listening?

When talking to new collectors I often recommend that they get in on the conversation. I point out that people are talking about art all of the time. You simply need to listen. Go to lectures, visit studios, take gallery tours with curators, heck you can even eavesdrop on conversations at galleries. 

Well it turns out you can now tap into pretty meaty conversations on Facebook, too. There is one that has been going on between Jerry Saltz (art critic, New York Magazine) and his "friends" for the last few days. (You have to be a "friend" of Jerry's on Facebook to tap into this conversation but with 4,340 friends I don't think he's very picky.) To summarize briefly, Jerry wrote a positive review of the New Museum's Younger Than Jesus show. He took some heat for it:

What follows his Facebook Status (above) is a conversation of sorts between Jerry and about 60 people. Fairly interesting stuff. 

But then it got really interesting (to me anyway). He followed up by asking people (his "friends") to name 3-5 artists they like who emerged after 1999. He added, "don't name yourself or artists no one has heard of but you". He received over 200 lists! (Facebook automatically deleted about 65 posts in the thread so he reposted to keep going.) Now, I'm the first to warn collectors not to collect simply because someone else told you to - buy what you love, yadda yadda and all that good stuff - but here are lists for collectors to mine. Not for collecting, necessarily, but for learning. Learning about artists people are talking about. (A small group of people, but a pretty informed group.) Young artists, too. Not established. This is good stuff!

I recognized some of the artists on the lists. It was fun to see where I agreed and where I disagreed. I also added my own list of five young artists I like to Jerry's conversation.

And then the wonderful Jerry put his money where his mouth is and shared his own list of artists he likes (appearing at the beginning of this post). Yowza. If your name is on that list you have to be pretty psyched. No guarantees, of course, but one hell of a shout out!

I'm spending the next few weeks tracking down some of the artists off of not only Jerry's but all of those lists. Just for the information. A course on "Art Now" for me to take at my leisure. 

Thank you Jerry and all of his "friends"!

Art Smart

I studied art history in college and graduate school. And I forget names and dates and images. All the time. I'm not great with details, more of a big picture kind of person, so this website is a sight for sore eyes (or, more specifically, sore brain). 

SmartHistory is a website being developed (there are currently only 220 images on the site) by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. In their words, they hope their website is a "dynamic enhancement (or even substitute) for the traditional and static art history textbook." Most information is presented in podcasts linked to images. They are light, short, and often romping conversations often between Harris and Zucker or with guest experts.

With more development (a big hole they mention needing to fill is non-western art) this website will become a valuable resource for students and collectors like me who need help with the details. 

For those with no art history background and a desire to get the basics to assist your collecting process they have  a "Where should I start?" button just for you. 

Ahhhh....

Marc Johns, This drawing is not about death, 5x7, $75

Deep breath. The art fairs have come and gone in New York. So far reports are great, good, and bad. If you couldn't find what you were looking for, or perhaps were out-priced at most booths, here is a solution for your "didn't buy, couldn't buy, wouldn't buy" dilemma. Marc Johns. Quirky, original, and totally affordable (between $60-$140 for drawings, $20 for prints), these little gems will allow any collector a rosy post-purchase glow. They are a cross between Marcel Dzama and Christina Mazzalupo. (Both favorites of mine but a little pricier. If you can afford 'em, buy 'em all!) And, you know me, I'm a sucker for a nice guy and Marc is one of the nicest. 

A nice little interview here.

More affordable gems to follow in the coming weeks.

Floor Plans

With 350 combined galleries and a sampling of exhibits that fall under the "not-a-gallery" category, it is a good idea to plan your attack at Art Chicago and NEXT if you are going this weekend. Here are their floor plans. Print and mark up as needed.

Art Chicago

NEXT

Studio Visits R Us

I have written about the thrill of a studio visit here. If you are shy about asking for a studio visit or would feel more comfortable in a group, welcome to Art on Site.

Art on Site presents a series of monthly New York City/Brooklyn area visits to "studios of cutting edge contemporary artists working in a wide array of media." The tours are organized by area - Lower East Side, Dumbo, Williamsburg, etc. - and take no more than 10 people to three or four artist studios per tour.

Upcoming Tours:
Wednesday, May 3: Dumbo*
Tuesday, May 23: Brooklyn Navy Yard*
*Transportation is provided

Details:
All tours are from 10-12pm
The cost of each tour is $65.00
(optional lunch at end of tour - you pay)

Contact:
Ellen Deutsch
212.472.3031
or
Jo Ann Alter
212.534.5924

[email protected]

They do not provide a sample tour on their web site so I wrote to find out who they plan to visit on their next tour. I was told that the tours are finalized just a few days before the tour so they couldn't name any artists, yet. But, they did share with me the artists that they visited on their last two tours and I was impressed: Will Cotton, Adam Cvijanovic, Santi Moix, and Ryan McGinness on the Lower East Side tour and Bruce Robbins, Margaret Evangeline, Wayne Gonzales, and James Nares on the Long Island City tour. They also do private tours if you aren't interested in mixing with the rif-raf.

No excuses now...get to a studio! Maybe I'll see you on one of their next tours.

The Art Fairs are Coming

Put on those walking shoes. New York is being deluged with contemporary art fairs next weekend. Here's a list with schedules and locations. (I am particularly looking forward to Pulse and LA Art.)

The Armory Show - The International Fair of New Art
March 10 - 13
Friday - Sunday: 12 - 8
Monday: 12 - 5
Piers 90 & 92 (12th Avenue at 50th & 52nd Streets)
Admission $20
Students $10
Groups (10 or more) $10
Run of Show (4 day pass) $40
Self-proclamation: "World's leading art fair"
The Armory is in its eighth year and is the reason the rest of the fairs take place at this time. 148 international galleries exhibiting, most are well established.

PULSE Contemporary Art Fair
March 10 - 13
Friday - Sunday: 12 - 8
Monday: 12 - 5
69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Avenue and 26th Street
General Admission $12
Discount Admission $9 (for Seniors & Students with valid ID)
Children under 12 FREE
PULSE will provide complimentary shuttle service daily from 2 to 7 to and from The Armory Show.
Self-proclamation: "A genuine statement on contemporary art"
PULSE is in its second year and was a big hit at last December's Art Basel Miami Beach. 61 international galleries exhibiting, both new and semi-old.

~scope New York
March 10 - 13
Daily 11 - 8
636 11th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets
General admission: $10
Self-proclamation: "Scope’s fresh information gives a view of the contemporary art world that is not available anywhere else."
In its fifth year, this year's ~scope New York fair will look like all the rest, being held, for the first time, in booth format rather than in hotel rooms of past. 77 international galleries exhibiting.

LA Art/New York
March 10 – 12
Friday: 12 – 10
Saturday: 10 – 10
Sunday: 11 – 6
The Altman Building, 135 West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
General Admission: $10
There will be a free shuttle service between The Armory Fair and LA Art.
Self-proclamation: "A unique alternative to a contemporary art fair"
Los Angeles galleries have teamed up to add a West Coast flavor to this art fair season. (Saves me a much over-due trip to LA!) Intriguing article in LA Weekly about this inaugural show. 16 Los Angeles galleries exhibiting.

DiVA - Digital and Video Art Fair
March 9 - 12
Thursday, Opening night: 7pm - 11pm
Friday - Sunday: 2 - 10
Embassy Suites Hotel, 102 North End Avenue (Battery Park)
Opening Night Admission: $40
One day pass: $10
Three day pass: $15
Admission is free for VIP card holders of DiVA and the Armory Show
Self-proclamation: "Promises to be a valuable addition to the art market"
Hotel suites are filled with video and digital work. 29 international galleries exhibiting.

If you're still hunkering for more art after all of that, many galleries in Chelsea are staying open late through the weekend and will be open during the day on Sunday. Best thing to do if you know you want to pop in to one or two is to call the gallery before you go.

Side Note: There are two major home and design trade shows in New York this weekend, too. So after you've bought some new art for your home you may want to swing by one of these shows to pick up some groovy new furniture to go with that art. Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94 (right next to the Armory) and the New York Design Fair at 67th and Park.

Keeping Track of Openings and Shows

Who's up when? What night is the opening? What is going to be showing on our trip to _______ (insert NY, London, Los Angeles, etc.)?

Keeping track of who, what, when, and where in the world of contemporary art can be tricky and sometimes overwhelming. Here are a few free email services to which I subscribe to keep abreast of openings and shows:

zingrecommends by zingmagazine
Weekly email updates of New York shows in list form. Pro: Thorough; Con: No links

artupdate
Twice a month emails listing worldwide art openings. Pro: Their website; Con: Currently more UK/Europe focused. (NB: check out the very cool and downloadable maps of New York and London updated every two months. Includes location of art fairs. Great tool if you are planning a visit to one of these cities.)

flavorpill
Weekly email list of "filtered cultural stimuli", which means the highlights and only the highlights. (The list includes events in art, music, film, theater, reading, multi-media, and more...) Target cities: NY, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Los Angeles. Pro: Each listing includes a brief write-up and all of the pertinent info - date, time, location, and links; Con: Too few art listings.

DKS List
A blog about the New York contemporary art scene delivered to your email box. This list of openings is generated by one man, Douglas Kelley, and appears about once a month. The emails often contain his personal reviews of shows or goings-on in the art world. Pro: Thorough; Con: Not always accurate so check before you go. (NB: To get on the DKS email list you need to send an email to [email protected] with 'YES' in the Subject line.)

e-flux
A daily, and sometimes more than once a day, email generated by a "New York-based information bureau dedicated to world wide distribution of information for contemporary visual arts institutions via the Internet." Most emails announce museum shows. Pro: Interesting global view; Con: Frequency of emails.

And, if you are planning a trip to Chelsea, don't leave home without checking out Chelsea Art Galleries, an extremely informative and easy to navigate website on all things Chelsea. The coolest aspect of the website is the ability to build a printable "gallery tour" by clicking on your galleries of choice. Edward Winkleman recommends Chelsea Art Galleries, too.

Please add other lists or services in a comment. Thanks.

Update: ArtCal is another great resource for openings and gallery shows. Thanks Barry.

Following up...

The post Buy What You Love, But... received a lot of comments. Most of the comments I received via email. In fact, I still recieve about one email per week about that post. I must have hit on one hot topic. Most of you disagreed with the post so I thought I'd follow up...

Just for the record, I have bought art simply because I loved it. I didn't check out the artist's c.v. or make sure that the gallery was reputable. I have collected a lot of art and feel pretty secure when going with my gut. When I meet people who are interested in putting together a contemporary art collection (and not simply decorating their home, but really investing in up and coming artists), most say that they feel pretty "stupid" when starting out. I am often asked to share some tips on how to make smarter decisions when purchasing those first few works of art. They have all been told to buy what they love, but some want to know more. That post was one tip. Just a suggestion. There are many ways to go about collecting art.

That post was also a little passive-aggressive. I believe that there is a lot of "bad" art being sold at "bad" galleries. Just my opinion, of course. I don't know, yet, how to explain it without naming names and pointing fingers, but I am working on it.

Tip #1 - Buy What You Love, but...

We’ve all heard it said before. The golden rule of collecting art is to buy what you love.

Loving the art you purchase is important because you have to live with it. You are responsible for its care and longevity. But just because you love it does not make it a valuable or important work of art. If you are serious about collecting art, and not just decorating your home, make sure to do your homework on the artist and the gallery before you buy. Is it a reputable gallery? Do they have relationships with museum curators and established collectors? What is the artist’s educational background? Has the artist been reviewed by an established art critic? Has the artist’s work been collected by a museum or prominent collector? These are just a few of the many questions you should ask to establish if the art that you have just fallen in love with is worth considering as an addition to your collection.