005. Chelsea Heavy Hitters
(also, what even IS the "Chelsea Art Fair"?)
It’s been a minute (well, unless you count the Gladstone/Weems election day paella bonanza) since I visited Chelsea, and the newly minted Chelsea Art Fair drew me in this past Saturday.
Some quick background: the fair was organized by Platform, a new-ish project by mega gallery David Zwirner, aimed at entry-level collectors seeking more affordable and accessible art (pre-emergent artists, editions, etc. - stuff you can buy online through a website without ever speaking to a sales person). They also sell merch and objets, puzzles, sweatshirts, items that other galleries’ bookstores might dabble in. Platform allows Zwirner to target young or less affluent art enthusiasts with pieces they could ostensibly afford, without selling them under the DZ name.
Platform hosted five small galleries as exhibitors at the mini fair, which took place at Hotel Chelsea: 56 Henry, LOMEX, CASTLE, Matthew Brown, and Ramiken.
The small room was PACKED (granted, it was a small room) with people, many of whom sported Chelsea Art Fair hats. I spotted a woman wearing head to toe Phoebe Philo, her standard poodle wore a pearl necklace and had painted finger(?) nails. That was kind of the vibe. It was predictably crowded and unfocused, but I appreciate that art can be the thing that people gather around on a busy weekend.
And some of the art was quite good, including a large painting by Richard Tinkler shown by his gallery, 56 Henry, and a nice multimedia array of works exhibited by LA-based Matthew Brown.
I’m not a big art fair person although this one was quite manageable in size and (I presume) the works much more affordable than what you would find at Frieze, NADA, Basel, etc. I hope these small galleries and their artists were able to find buyers and saw a nice Platform-fueled bump from the event.
I visited quite a few galleries post-fair, and am sharing below two must-see shows and some honorable mentions. Anything I didn’t like, I am simply not even going to tell you about!
Simone Leigh at Matthew Marks (522 W. 22nd Street) - I realized that, while I’ve been lucky enough to see Leigh’s work at a smattering of museum shows over the years, I had never seen a solo show like this at a gallery. The American artist has won a billion prestigious awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and multiple Guggenheim-affiliated prizes, as well as being listed as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. Leigh not only creates art for the moment, that feels timely and timeless, and could be branded with that institutional “important” sticker, Leigh creates work that is breathtaking and interesting. She is ambitious, creative, and thoughtful. There is a language to her work that anyone could understand, and it comes down to motifs, materials, color palette, and shapes—nothing deceptive, but certainly with meaning teeming below the surface. DO NOT MISS!
Cecily Brown at Paula Cooper (534 W. 21st Street) - This is the video that made me fall in love with Cecily Brown a few years ago. Her paintings range in legibility, and this show reflects that variety, including a series of works on paper. One thing I am always struck by when looking at Brown’s painting is how SPECIFIC and gestural it is. No one else could make a Cecily Brown painting, and this singularity and energy is almost palpable in the room—I was lucky enough to go on a crowded Saturday afternoon and watch as people got lost in these paintings.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Eliot Greenwald at Harper’s (512 W. 22nd Street)
Jaydra writes about trash so thoroughly, from dissecting the effects of being considered “white trash” to discussing the work of other artists who repurpose refuse, visit landfills, and befriend sanitation workers. I especially love her essay that explores the aesthetics of prison, the impact of color on the psyche, and the meaningfulness of art made during incarceration.
While not every book written about art is relatable or easy to read, I find that Low is engrossing, devour-able, and will change the way you think about discarding things and people.
Happy Monday, hope you find art everywhere you look this week :) xx