This year's edition marks year 21 of the fair and also marks a new venue and new ownership under dealer/exhibitor Andew Edlin who purchased the fair from its 1993 founders, Sanford Smith and formed a new organization to run the fair called "Wide Open Arts." The new venue located in west Chelsea is the former Dia Arts Foundation building (now "Center 548"), ideal for a well-lit, three-floor art fair set up. On-street parking at 7pm wasn't too difficult to find. The hard-to-see small sign out in front of the building was in no way representational of the large-scale representation of the outsider genre waiting for me inside. Suffice it to say the new building was a nice step up from the fair's former venue in Soho at the Puck Building where it was held until 2008 and an even nicer step up from it's location the last few years on 34th street. Edlin's booth was one I did not make it to see, unfortunately.
Upon entering, and later going up and down, the winding stair case was a bit of a tight squeeze with the sheer volume of art lovers in attendance. Stepping into the fair, I was delighted to see some of the best-known outsider galleries in attendance and the quality of work did not disappoint. Whether one came to see art-brut, self-taught, folk art or any other type of work that falls under the "outsider" category, there was definitely something there for everyone.
Probably the most interesting and seemingly most popular large-scale piece was Gayleen Aiken's "26 Raimbilli Cousins” (1980-1994), mixed mediums on cardboard at the Luise Ross booth. Spanning an entire wall of Ross' booth, this cardboard life-sized fabric and mixed media construction smiled at the viewer with what I would describe as a child-like innocence and sweetness. It seemed most onlookers spent a great deal of time marveling at it, maybe wondering what kind of fun activities the children were engaged and what their relationship was like with the artist. I couldn't get a clean shot of this piece as there were just way too many people admiring and talking about the work the entire time I was there. Good thing I'm not a reviewer, reporter or my job depended on getting the photo!
Speaking of large-scale pieces, Terry Turrell's "Mouthful" mixed media on wood panel from American Primitive was another favorite and topic of discussion.
More traditional folk art pieces were probably the least represented of the outsider gamut but that more than made up for by the tasteful display of work by Giorgos Rigas in C. Grimaldis' booth.
I wasn't surprised later to learn that the Daily Beast hailed Rigas' work as a top ten to buy and remarks and reviews from NY Times' Roberta Smith and "Art & Design 20" offered a favorable take on the work as well. Definitely read Roberta's article on the fair if you get a chance. Well done, as usual.
Another pleasant surprise: Spiralis Ventures. Owner Gail Granowitz is a licensed physician and a passionate collector of Haitian art with a private location in NJ. I didn't get to talk to her too extensively about her endeavor as both physician and private art dealer but was pleasantly surprised by the work she had on view at the fair, a few which were already sold to eager collectors.
Not far from her booth was an unique display of Haitian fabric work priced from $150 and up by Bourbon-Lally who also exhibited paintings and sculpture direct from Haiti.
A few galleries and several non-profits have popped up over the years that specialize in working with artists with mental illnesses. Foundation Gallery on Ninth Av at 48th in NY is one such gallery, founded by Fountain House in 2000 as a non-profit exhibition space. The gallery works with artists that are established, emerging, trained and self-taught and is preparing for its Annual Art Auction and benefit on February 28 to support the foundation and the artists. Check out www.fountaingallerynyc.com for more details. Definitely sounds like a worth-while cause to me!
I happen to really like the mobile/hanging sculpture on view in Fountain Gallery's booth by Keith Pavia entitled "Space Research/Facility 57," a colorful, playful assembly of mixed media.
The fair also had other exhibitors that specialize in working with artists with mental illnesses including Creative Growth Center from Oakland, CA and Institute 193 from Lexington, KY representing artists from the Southeastern US and LETC/LAND Gallery, a studio and gallery for artists with "neurological diversities" according to their website. I did not get a chance to make it over to the latter two booths, unfortunately.
Intense detailed ink on paper pieces in the $8,000 and up price point were displayed form Tokyo's Yukiko Koide Presents with work by artists including Kunizo Matsumoto and Yuichi Saito. I spend a great deal of time appreciating the intricate details and fine ink work and enjoyed learning about the artists and chatting with Yukiko Koide from the gallery.
Other favorite exhibitors, staples to the outsider art collector, include Carl Hammer, Judy Saslow, Ames Gallery, Calvin-Morris, Galerie St. Etienne, and Yard Dog to name a few.
And I have a confession. I didn't make it to see every exhibitor as the opening came to a close much too soon to my regret. No, two and a half hours were not enough to see everything.
Here's to year 22.
It was interesting to read the different takes on outsider art that were published after the fair about what outsider art really is, where it seems to be going and its place in the Contemporary art world. None of it changed my appreciation for the fair and the works I saw on opening night. I am just looking at some of my personal collection of outsider pieces right now as I finish writing this, many of them acquired at previous Outsider Art Fairs and others from dealers who were exhibitors at the show. I look forward to my next acquisition.
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