Art Business News

It is a general trend throughout history that where there are people, there are people making art. With a world population of approximately seven billion people, that roughly translates to a heck of a lot of art. So it goes without saying that there are countless talented artists who go unnoticed throughout their lives. But the Outsider Art Fair is doing its part to right this wrong, showcasing the work of talents who never went to art school.

From January 27th to January 29th, the Outsider Art Fair offers two days of exciting panels, conversations, film screenings and, of course, artwork in New York City. Founded 20 years ago, the fair was inspired by the countless self-taught artists who create work outside of the cultural and artistic mainstream, and the fair has become one of the world’s best-known venues for unrepresented artists. It’s also gathered support from many people and organizations within the art community, including Scott Ogden, founder of Brooklyn-based Make Skateboards.

“The world of self-taught or outsider artists has been an inspiration for me for a long time” says Ogden. “This year in particular seemed like a great time to introduce a little new blood into the fair. And with that in mind, I’ll be releasing new, limited-edition skateboards featuring authorized reproductions of the art of two of the best-known artists in the field. I’ll also show original works by several artists who are rarely, if ever, represented at the fair.”

For the first time since its founding, an extensive collection of gallery exhibitors will be featured at the fair, including the Collection de l’art Brut of Lausanne, Switzerland, the world’s leading museum specializing in outsider art, and New York’s El Museo del Barrio, which will promote its “Testimonios” exhibition. Other newcomers to the event include Pure Vision Arts, Manhattan’s first art studio and exhibition space for artists with autism and other developmental disabilities, and LAND Gallery, a Brooklyn-based, nonprofit organization presenting the work of artists living with disabilities. In addition, independent scholar and outsider art specialist Valérie Rousseau will host and organize a series of panel discussions covering such topics as the outside art collector’s experience.

“As many of [them] regularly point out, there is one inescapable aspect of the most compelling work made by self-taught artists that never fails to seize their imagination: That is that it is always profoundly, unmistakably, inexplicably moving,” says critic Edward M. Gómez, a specialist in the field of self-taught artists, on what brings so many admirers to the Outsider Art Fair,

For more information, visit http://www.sanfordsmith.com/default.aspx?pageId=3.

An art gallery is only as interesting as the art it holds and O. Ascanio Gallery owner Oscar Ascanio takes this maxim seriously, turning his space into a visionary kaleidoscope of contemporary masterpieces. Through December 17, he’s showcasing the works of some of the world’s most notorious 20th century artists, including Jesus Soto, Alejandro Otero, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Bernar Venet, Agostino Bonalumi and Victor Vasarely.  Selections from Biennale de Paris award winner Francisco Salazar, mathematical precision pieces from Italy-based Victor Lucena and experiments with monochromatic red paintings by Bernard Aubertin are also a part of this impressive collaboration.

“They are plastic art masters worldwide and are known through innumerable acclaimed expositions in European, Asian and North American museums, where each artist has etched his place among the greats and where curators, critics and collectors have agreed that each one is a great master,” says Ascanio.

O. Ascanio Gallery is located at 2600 NW Second Avenue, in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. For more information, visit www.oascaniogallery.com.

When Stefano Campanini decided to bring together two of his greatest passions—art and wine—he did more than just drink some Bordeaux and visit an art gallery. Instead, the long-time gallerist—and co-founder of Miami’s Etra Fine Art gallery—brought this fitting duo to the entire Miami art community by opening Wine by the Bay, a fine art and wine boutique located in the heart of downtown Miami.

Situated in a prime location overlooking Miami’s gorgeous Biscayne Bay, Wine by the Bay will further contribute to Miami’s flourishing art scene with a constantly-changing art exhibition and regular wine tastings featuring a selection of wine appropriate for everyone from novices to connoisseurs. “I am looking forward to offering something that everyone enjoys… in an environment where the art can be appreciated by many and in an unintimidating way,” says Campanini. “At art openings, wine is like a sideshow, but now, it will take center stage.”

Future events at Wine by the Bay will also include poetry readings and lectures on the visual arts. But what about the thousands of people currently in the city for the many events and shows that comprise Miami Art Week? For the current crowd, Wine by the Bay is bringing out some of its best wines and works of art by renowned American artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Hunt Slonem and Donald Sultan for a special exhibition, running daily from noon until 9 p.m. through December 10th.

For more information on this exhibit and to stay updated on future events, visit http://www.facebook.com/WinebytheBay.

Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos works in her New York Studio. Photo by Gaia Somasca.

Born in Greece, raised in Paris and currently living in New York, self-taught sculpture and installation artist Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos has carved out her own artistic identity in a variety of unique climates. For her newest installation, the Palm Authority Project, Kosmatopoulos explores the individuality of the self by placing it—metaphorically and somewhat literally—in society’s hands. Part of a body of work titled “The Future is On Your Hand,” the Palm Authority Project—featured in Miami’s Bayfront Park from November 30th through December 4th—sets five giant inflatable hands  against a recorded backdrop of children’s voices, thus exploring society’s influence on the individual through the metaphor of palmistry.

“My installation is about questioning the way people embrace their individuality away from the general social templates,” states Kosmatopoulos. “In palmistry, the lines inside your hand that you where born with tell you very specific details about your personality and your future. [In] the same way, society teaches individuals from a very young age what kind of person he or she is supposed embody.”

Kosmatopoulos constructed the inflatable hands, which range from eight to 12 feet in height, out of 120 yards of ripstop fabric. By juxtaposing the hands with the background audio recordings, the artist illustrates the contrast between social authority and organic awareness and invites each viewer to reflect upon their own identity, social nature and interaction with the external world.

For more information on Kosmatopoulos and the Palm Authority Project, visit www.thepalmauthorityproject.com.

More than 100 contemporary artists are making a splash at Miami SOLO

Whether you’re an artist, dealer, collector or enthusiast, there’s no better place to be this week than in Miami, Florida, when nearly 20 art shows converge in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach—including Miami SOLO, presented by Artexpo. With so much to see and so little time to see it all, Miami SOLO’s approach is a curated one: Assemble 100 of the world’s most talented contemporary artists who are working in a variety of genres, mediums and price points so that there’s truly something befitting of everyone’s taste and budget. One-stop art shopping at its finest.

Located across the street from Art Miami, which drew 46,000 attendees alone in 2010, Miami SOLO’s freshman show is already generating great buzz. Last night, the show offered an exclusive Opening Night Premiere, with contemporary pop artist Jiang Heng in attendance.

Tickets to Miami SOLO are available at the door, with $15 day passes and $25 week passes available. The show is taking place in the Wynwood Arts District at 3011 NE 1st Avenue at NW 31st Street. Show hours are as follows:

• Wednesday, November 30th: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• Thursday, December 1st through Saturday, December 3rd: 11a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 4th: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For a full list of this year’s exhibitors, visit http://www.miamisolo.com/exhibitor-list.

Neilson Carlin paints in comfort with New Wave Art’s Academian Palette

“Artists are the most creative group anywhere in the world. And yet a staple tool, the artist palette, has lacked innovation for centuries.” That’s Kyle O’Brien, co-founder with brother Keith of New Wave Art, who is bringing the same sort of imagination one usually finds in a painting to the palettes artists use to create one. The brothers were inspired to create their line of comfortable, easy-to-hold palettes by their father, a painter who designed and built his own palettes after becoming fed up with the poorly-designed versions he had been using for decades.

Utilizing a three-point anchor system that evenly distributes the weight of the palette between the painter’s hand, arm and torso or hip, the result is a tool that is easy to balance and comfortable to hold—a boon for painters who, says O’Brien, may have avoided palettes in the past because of the muscle strain they can cause.

“An artist palette is a wonderful tool to be used as often as desired or required, but it must be comfortable, and that is what we provide,” he says. New Wave Art offers palettes in several different designs in order to better cater to the wide-ranging tastes of its vast client base. The distinctive look of each of the palettes, in addition to the details put into their construction—including hand-sanded edges and furniture-grade finishes—has prompted some users to comment that “the palettes are al- most too beautiful to paint on,” laughs O’Brien. “But we definitely want paint all over them!”

Learn more at http://www.newwaveart.com.

Carol Christie is entering a new phase in her career

“If not now, when?” asks artist Carol Christie of the perfect time to shift gears in one’s career and artistic sensibilities. It’s a question the Atlanta-based artist, who is best known for her exuberant florals, began asking herself as she approached her 65th birthday in September. “I have always wanted to paint more abstract work,” she says. So as this monumental date came closer, Christie decided it was time for action.

“I used to define myself by how others wanted to define me and my work,” admits Christie. “Now I’m pushing forward and feeling freer than I’ve ever felt. I’m happiest now when I’m painting an abstract. Painting subjectively does not allow that kind of freedom and expression.”

Christie’s renewed enthusiasm is contagious. Her expressionist landscape, Down the Road A Ways, was recently selected for inclusion in the design of new Atlanta hotspot Southern Art & Bourbon Bar. The restaurant, owned by Top Chef Master (and Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef of 10 years) Art Smith, is opening new doors in Christie’s career. “Knowing that celebrities and people from all over the world will see a sample of my work is very exciting,” she says. “I hope that the exposure will lead to more commercial opportunities.”

Though she has been painting for six decades, Christie “would have never anticipated the career that I have had and often feel like I’m just beginning… There will be lean years and there will be great years. If I never made another dollar, I would still have to paint. It is in my soul. It is who I am.”

Christie’s advice for fellow artists? “Stay involved. Stay active in your community. Get your work out there. Donate work to charity. You never know who might see it.”

Read more about Christie at http://www.carolchristie.com.

A sneak peek at the cover of the November/December cover of Art Business News

Even some of the world’s most talented artists feel the need to reinvent themselves on occasion—to experiment with different techniques, styles or color palettes—and the artists behind the most requested magazine in the art industry are no different. Like the print edition of Art Business News, our Website is in the process of an exciting new re-design, the result of which will allow us to communicate the trends, techniques, events, people and stories you want to read about on a daily basis. Look for this exciting new launch in 2012.

In the meantime, we’ll keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings in the art world here and with ABN‘s all-new print edition.

If you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up to become one today at https://www.highlandtech.net/secure/artbusinessnews/subscribeABN.asp.

As always, we welcome your feedback and story ideas at letters@artbusinessnews.com.