Most of the art world in NYC is head over heels crazy just now and with good reason...Yes, it's Armory Week again! So in the midst of finishing your gallery install and procuring your VIP passes, we offer a few suggestions to add to your art fair itinerary; basically, wherever Brooklyn is at the various art fairs, so too should you be.
We start with the Big Daddy and namesake of the week, The Armory Show. We mention Pierogi's presence there (because they are awesome and we love them) but especially because you can take the gallery out of Brooklyn but you can't take Brooklyn out of the gallery! So please find Pierogi (on Pier 94 Booth 744) offering a selection from their fine stable of artists as well as on Pier 92 (just to the side of the main entrance) where they offer "Slow Motion Car Crash" by artist Jonathan Schipper; an actual car moves 1/4 inch per hour into a static wall, resulting in the eventual demolition of the object in real time...American politics anyone?
At Art On Paper please find first-class gallerist Owen Houhoulis and his Owen James Gallery (booth P3) where he will show examples of his expanding programming including Lilliputian gems from artist duo Adam Frezza & Terri Chiao as well as the always-alluring works of Norwegian based Elin Rodseth.
The Pulse Art Fair (125 W. 18th St, Manhattan) shows 3 Brooklyn stalwarts; Front Room Gallery (booth A-301) showing new NASA-themed watercolors by Thomas Broadbent, Black & White Projects (booth A-105) showing photo-constructions from Isidro Blanco, and Honey Ramka (booth A-117) offering engaging works on paper from warlock of visual media, artist Lars Van Dooren.
Brooklyn is all over the VOLTA Art Fair with appearances by American Medium (booth XI), Slag Gallery (booth C03), Victori + Mo (booth A13), Studio 10 (booth D03) showing the stapled fabric wall panels of Elana Herzog and the re-constituted text-based works of Meg Hitchcock. Also at Volta find Robert Henry Contemporary (booth F01) offering colorful geometric abstractions from Jerry Walden, Kayrock Screen Printing (booth X03) showing day-glo and jewel-toned works from Kristen Schiele, and MoCADA (booth X05) presenting powerful, large scale digital prints from artistKameela Janan Rasheed's series "HOW TO SUFFER POLITELY (and Other Etiquette)". Find solo Brooklyn appearances at the following fairs; Clearing at Independent New York, Transfer at Moving Image (269 11th Ave., Manhattan), Luhring Augustine at The ADAA Art Show, and an appearance by Weathervane at the petite but charming Salon Zurcher (33 Bleeker St.).
Last but not least, find everyone else from Brooklyn at the teeming and triumphant SPRING/BREAK Art Show a curator driven art fair that offers much greatness, including Rachel Phillips (from The Parlour Bushwick) showing sensorial works by Katie Bell, Andy Cross, Max Warsh, and Robin Kang among others. Jennifer McCoy and Jennifer Dalton (of Auxiliary Projects) offer works by Susan Hamburger, and artist/curator Will Hutnick teams with curator Christopher Stout (of Christopher Stout Gallery) to show a lively mix of works including those by Anne Sherwood Pundyk, Polly Schindler, and MaDora Frey. Also at SPRING/BREAK don’t miss Krista Saunders Scenna (of Ground Floor Gallery) presenting a dizzying array of touching works including narrative polaroids from artist/curator/critic Brendan Carroll as well as artist Linda LaBella teaming with artworks and memories of her secretly artistic father, the late Nick LaBella. Be on the lookout also for what's sure to be a great show from the artist/curators of Present Company (Vince Contarino, Brian Balderston, Chad Stayrook, and Jose Ruiz) as well as a sure to wow solo presentation of gifted mystical painter Matthew F. Fisher from 106 Green Director John Lutz. On Saturday Evening, March 5th, Bushwick Gallery Late Night, 24 Galleries in the Bushwick area will keep their doors open until 9pm! A perfect chance to catch up with any shows you were intending to see or just want to re-visit! Enjoy the Fairs. Stay BK.
-Enrico Gomez
