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05/03/2007: "ARTCHICAGO"
(CHICAGO) - Even the best art fairs tend to be meat markets.
It's unavoidable. Art lovers are rounded up, herded into elevators like
cattle and the art may as well be meat hanging on the walls, ripe for
snatching at the hands of anxious dealers for ravenous collectors.
So why did I bust my chops to be here? Well, it's ARTCHICAGO! I didn't buy
any art (I wish), but I certainly bought into the hype.
As I browsed the menu on the seventh floor of the famed Merchandise Mart,
all I could think about was Art Basel Miami Beach. I've always hated it
when people make comparisons, but in this case, it seems fitting. Art Basel
Miami Beach has quickly become what many describe as the nation's premier
art fair. I no longer agree with that. I'll tell you why in a moment.
First, every time I attend one of these major art fairs, I'm quickly
reminded that art isn't the true star. It's a supporting player ... a
backdrop. Make no mistake, these productions are about ambition, money and
status. The air simply reeks of them like fresh paint on new canvas. Here
are snippets of what I "overheard" some folks saying...
British Dealer: "I'm trying to feel hopeful today!" His colleague replied
by using the "R" word. "Recession" Yikes!
Buyer: "I flew in this morning from New York to get it and I'm flying back
out tonight! I have a gallery in Florida!"
Dealer: "She's talking to her husband now. I think they're going to get it!
Let's hope."
Dealer: "That one is twelve-five. It was more labor-intensive."
Let me just say that dealers did their best to appear calm, but like stench
on a skunk, you could smell their desperation. It was also interesting to
see seasoned collectors march through the halls as if they were searching
for the fountain of youth. Oh and another thing ... these big art fairs
tend to be clinical and souless. Why? I think it's due to the absence of
the artists represented. It's always so disconcerting to hear artists
spoken about in such condescending ways. No one means any harm, but to me,
the tone always comes off as self-aggrandizing on the part of the dealers.
"Isn't he fascinating?" I heard one dealer say about an artist. "The
decisions he has made and how he arrived at them! I have another one of his
pieces in my own collection."
I have a new artist friend who said he thought it would be great if the
artist in question could just appear from around some corner while folks
were picking apart his/her work. SURPRISE!
Also, can someone PLEASE design an art fair layout plan that's easy to
follow? I know the organizers probably go through great pains to try to
make the exhibition path simple, but I always seem to get lost. Trust me,
I'm not the only one. I crossed paths with many of the same people ...
numerous times.
Anyway, despite my LOVE of art, I turn into a sponge when I attend these
fairs. It's like my senses are heightened and I notice absolutely
everything around me. Not just the art. Which brings me to the art. WOW.
Where do I even begin? The art simply rocked! There isn't enough space
here to name everything, but here are a few ... Patrick Hughes' "Going Round
the Art Institute of Chicago" and "Porthcew Cove Rinsey Head" were optical
illusionary, reverse perspective show stoppers. Everyone was enthralled by
these large works on board. I loved Deborah Kass' "Nobody Puts Baby In the
Corner." It resembled one of Kenneth Noland's colorful target on canvas
concoctions with something extra. Oh and guess where it was hanging?
Somebody put baby in a corner.
Another showstopper was Jim Dine's "Autumn Song Cycle." 18 of his framed,
30" by 23" works on paper. You know, those fancy men's robe portraits.
Congratulations to Johnathan Novak Contemporary Art for getting the space to
display this work properly. Anybody got $350,000 to part with? I also
loved several pieces by Philip Pearlstein. I think art history is going to
be kind to him for his loving, yet fun and inventive female nudes. Also,
Edward Burtynsky's "Iberia Quarries" were these huge, elegant, digital
chromogenic prints. Who would've thought that rock quarries could be so
beautiful? And I also saw several of Zhang Xiaogang's lithographs. Seeing
his work in magazines is one thing, but staring at the eyes of his subjects
staring back at you in person is quite an experience.
Needless to say, an established art fair is going to cater to established
artists. Given the monetary, not to mention emotional expense of organizing
these art spectaculars, you can forgive some of the posturing and greed.
Let's be real here. Everyone is saying, "Show me the money!"
Which brings me back to the comparison with Art Basel Miami Beach. Both art
fairs, like most, are about ambition, money, status and oh yes, art. Both
are a rich man's game. However, I must admit that ARTCHICAGO surpassed Art
Basel on a couple of points. I was stunned by the sheer diversity of the
Chicago crowd. I saw (and heard) young, giddy schoolgirls and old, elegant
gentlemen. I noticed skateboarding-type dudes and blue-haired, senior
ladies at ARTCHICAGO. I saw so many different ethnic groups there too.
Also, while you can't judge people by appearances (I'll try), the income
levels of attendees in Chicago seemed to vary widely. Nice. To me, Art
Basel Miami Beach seems to be just an art fair for the rich and glamorous.
I didn't see much diversity in the crowd there ... not compared to Chicago,
anyway. Ironic?
Also, for some reason, I felt much safer at ARTCHICAGO. Miami was fine, but
I do recall seeing ALOT of guards at ARTCHICAGO. This is just my very
unscientific observation. Perhaps it's because we were on the seventh floor
of Merchandise Mart while Art Basel is on one floor in the convention
center. I don't know.
Finally, at the heart of all of this cynicism ... a dad and his boy. Yes.
I noticed a guy who must have been in his mid-thirties walking around
ARTCHICAGO with his super-energized son who was probably five or six years
old. This kid was running all around ... in a good way. Start 'em young, I
say.
"I like this one daddy!" I heard the boy yell out. That's the spirit. Have
art fairs become the new Little League?
MICHAEL CORBIN IS AN AVID ART COLLECTOR AND AUTHOR OF "ART IN KING SIZE
BEDS: A COLLECTOR'S JOURNAL," NOW AVAILABLE ON AUTHORHOUSE.COM.
