Wider aisles at ABMB fair

Overall I thought that the big fair, despite being enormous and overwhelming with some 250 galleries showing, was quite good. The work was of a high caliber and there was good energy both amongst gallery employees as well as fair visitors. But it was a serious energy, not the frenetic pace that has existed in years past. It appeared that people were more interested in the art than the scene. In fact, I got into every party and didn’t even have to wait in lines. As usual, the serious collectors were in and out and by Saturday and Sunday attendees were just browsing and had no intention of actually purchasing anything. It seemed that many galleries were doing well even though there was a general consensus that the works that sold were at a much lower price point than previous fairs (with the obvious exception of last year).

Subodh Gupta

Some highlights were the life-sized car made of aluminum by Subodh Gupta at Hauser and Wirth’s booth.

Marc Swanson, Black Fighting Bucks, 2009

A Marc Swanson sculpture of two bedazzled bucks fighting at Richard Gray (Swanson was selected for the 2009 Norton Family Christmas Project which is a huge honor as past recipients are: Kara Walker, Yinka Shonibare, Takashi Murakami, and Vik Muniz).

Mark Grotjahn

Anton Kern had two great red Mark Grotjahn works on paper.

Galeria Elvira Gonzalez had sold a work by Elena del Rivero a Spanish artist living in NYC that caught my eye. Her work has a marvelous textile quality, includes text, and acts as a personal diary.

Anton Henning

Rachel Whiteread

At John Berggruen Gallery there was a wonderful Rachel Whiteread work of a cabinet made of plaster from 2007 and a terrific Anton Henning painting and a stunning Martin Puryear bronze sculpture.

Susan York

Susan York, a Santa Fe artist who creates sculptures out of graphite had a room devoted to her work at Knoedler’s booth.

Donald Moffet

Tony Feher

Anthony Meier and Rhona Hoffman had pretty works by Donald Moffet. Meier also had glittery works on paper by Tony Feher in his closet for $5300 each (very affordable for the big fair).

Robert Miller’s booth included a Cy Twombly lithograph in 6 parts. An edition of 100 from 1970 was an affordable $350,000 for the size and popularity of the artist.

A Fred Tomaselli 48 x 24 inch resin and hemp leaf work was fantastic.

Wilhelm Mundt

I wanted to buy sculptures by Wilhelm Mundt, a German artist who began the series called “trashstones” in 1989. He takes leftover debris from his studio, compresses it and covers it with fiberglass. Each piece is unique and numbered. They come in colors and bronze.

Spencer Finch, Fire

Rhona Hoffman had a lightbox by Spencer Finch created as an homage to a painter from the Enlightenment who included fire in all of his work.

Spencer Finch, Dawn Troy

Lisson Gallery also had an enormous Finch work based on the colors of dawn in Troy, N Y.

Aldo Chaparro freestanding stainless steel sculpture

OMR Gallery from Mexico City had works on view by Aldo Chaparro though they were all sold out. One can commission a work for a decent price.

Aldo Chaparro Wall Hanging

Let me know if any of these works tickle your fancy.

A show stopper outside Jack Shainman's booth