Saturday, March 24, 2018

The Affordable Art Fair

One of the many advantages of living in NYC is the all-access pass to art that you get 24/7/365. It could be the museums, the galleries, the auction houses, the graffiti on the walls, or the myriad of art fairs that seem to be held every weekend from September through May.

This weekend, the Affordable Art Fair has come to town. To be clear, affordable is artwork priced $10,000 or less. Happily, I have to say that some of the best work I saw was in the lower half of that price range.


For you locals, the fair runs through Sunday and is most definitely worth a visit. For those of you who cannot come to NYC and do not have access to these types of events, consider this your (very biased) private showing of some of my favorites.

Lee Kwan Woo
Lilac Gallery

Lee Kwan Woo hand carves every stamp that is used to create the undulating surface of his unique works. They are mesmerizing in person.


Russell Frampton
Will's Art Warehouse


The closer I got to these pieces from Russell Frampton, the more I was entranced. It is the smallest of detail, mark and line that makes a large impact in these vessel-like structures he creates.



Michele Mikesell
Decorazon


I have seen Michele Mikesell's work at the AAF for many years and I am always drawn to the figures that she paints that seem to have their own personality, emotions and just the right amount of quirk.



Russell West
Woolff Gallery


I have seen Russell West's work before both in NYC and in London. These pieces are quite compelling and fascinating. His piece below was so new that it still carried the scent of the oil paint.




Noelle Hamlyn
Lustre Art


Noelle Hamlyn layers these bobbins (and other objects) with salt-encrusted hand spun paper. They are gorgeous and completely unlike any other surface treatment I have seen before.


Michael Phillipp Schnitzer
Galerie Juliane Hundertmark

I loved the surfaces created by Michael Philipp Schnitzer, who was one of the few artists actually at the show and who graciously took the time to explain how he created this effect layer after layer.


Daniel Sueiras
Galerie Juliane Hundertmark

This salon-style wall of art from Daniel Sueiras captivated me, as did his portraiture of animals, complete with the perfect choice of frames. Front and center was this wonderful piece.


And speaking of, artwork featuring animals of all sorts and in all forms was a huge trend at this show.   While there was of course the requisite dogs and cats, it looks like rhinos and elephants - often juxtaposed in unexpected backgrounds - are trending.

Gabriele Buratti
Palma Arte
(detail)

Nathalie Boissonnault
Arteria Gallery
(detail)

Edouard Buzon
Galerie Envie d'art
(detail)

Sebastien Levigne
The Linda Blackstone Gallery
(detail)

Also trending at the show were portraits with flowers.

Minas Halaj
Retrospect Gallery


The work from Minas Halaj was hands down my favorite in this category, with his florals collaged with appliqués, fabric, buttons, and painted paper. 



Share your favorites in the comments.

The Affordable Art Fair runs through Sunday March 25 at The Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.

11 comments:

Pat said...

Thanks for sharing these Seth. Especially like the Russel Frampton and the Noelle Hamlyn,

Billie Crain said...

Frampton and Mikesell...wow! Thanks for sharing, Seth!

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

So pleased you shared this inspiring work Seth, so lovely to see it up close and personal on my screen. Amazing details. Thank you. Tracy xx

Chris Lally said...

What fun! Thanks so much for taking the time to share these gorgeous images, Seth!

Unknown said...

Hi Seth, thank you for sharing those pictures.
My 3 fav's are Lee Kwan Woo (he nust have lots and lots of patience),
Russell Frampton and
Michael Phillippe Schnitzer

Julia Aston said...

Wow - interesting works by some very creative people - thanks for sharing them with us!

Tristan Robin said...

Thanks for the mini-tour of the fair ... we won't be able to make it. We're going into the city next weekend (seeing "Carousel" revival) and twice in a week driving up I-95 gives me the hives :P
The work of Noelle Hamlyn interests me ... it's intriguing to look at. You might be interested in seeing a blog post about an art experiment that took that idea about ten steps further, which I wrote quite awhile back. Take a look a look at the top photo:
http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com/2018/03/fashion-meets-art-and-spins-faery-tale.html
Always enjoy seeing a post from you show up in my inbox! Enjoy the fair! I presume *you* are also exhibiting?!

Late Blooming said...

Thank you for sharing. I do like the dripping paint from Russell West.the first one looks to have metal grids like a highrise building.

craftytrog said...

Those paint drips and cotton reels!!! Love the Russell Frampton art too! TFS!

Jerney Marisha said...

Thanks for sharing these works of art, I especially fell in love with Michelle Mikesell <3

A Pink said...

Thanks so much Seth for sharing some of the AAF favourites with us . Loved taking your mini tour around some amazing creativity by some exceptionally talented artists.
x