Art Miami 2018

"Art Week in Miami" just ran from Dec. 4-9, with more than 24 shows and 1,000 galleries

from all over the world bringing their choicest works to Miami.  There is nothing else like it

in the world.  I first went to Art Miami, which is located in Miami along side Biscayne Bay and

showcases 267 of the world's finest art galleries and most famous artists.  It was the best

it has ever been, and marvelous.   The art is modern and contemporary, from 1900 to the

present, and most of it since 1950.  We were greeted in the parking lot with a number of

sculptures, including "Gummy Bear" by German artist, Whisbe.  He comments on

consumerism in society and brand names.

This is one of the oldest works in the show, "Clown" by the Belgian artist

Kees van Dongen, from 1917.  He was a Fauve - he liked brilliant, arbitrary

color and simplified forms.

Robert Indiana took the form of the iron grate on drains and combined it with

sign boards and traffic signs and changed a few words.  This is a tribute to

Pablo Picasso Ruiz, who was born in 1881 and died in 1973.

Alexander Calder was an American artist with a playful nature, who came to spend half of

each year in France and half in the U.S.  He invented the mobile from pieces of things and

wire he found on the street or sidewalk by the outdoor cafes where he liked to sit.  They balance

 and they move, something utterly new for sculpture.  The piece above is about 16 inches high;

 a few years ago, it sold for $16,000.  This week the price was $488,000.

Fernando Botero is an artist from Colombia, who now works in New York and Paris.

His figures look inflated and doll like.  This is "Flamenco Dance."

Paul Jenkins is an American artist, who decided he was not interested in painting

realistic-looking objects, any camera or cell phone can do that.  But he was interested in

color and form and movement.    So he began to pour pigments on canvas, and then spread

them around with spatulas and sticks, to create "Phenomenon: Green."

Kenny Scharf is a New York graffiti artist.  He began by spray painting images on

walls and subways.  He had to work quickly, with cans of spray paint, to avoid arrest.

He continues many of the techniques and subjects of Street artists/graffiti artists in his

paintings on canvas these days.  He has a huge wall mural in Wynwood, a mile to the NW.

The interior of Art Miami, showing how one gallery has divided its space and shows its

works.  The tall object is "Totem" by the Graffiti Artist, Keith Haring.

One of the special qualities of the show is the high number of Latin American and Asian

galleries, which now participate.  There were more galleries from Asia than ever before.

This is in the Fukuna Gallery, which featured works in a variety of media.  This is a

ceramic piece by a Japanese artist.  I have not memorized their names yet.

In the background are two paintings by Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall.

On the two pedestals are works by a Japanese woman artist.  They began as flat sheets

of copper, which she folds and bends by hand.  She then covers the surface with enamels

(ground up glass) and fires them to the surface, so they are glass and jewel like.

RETNA began as a street artist and he has huge walls covered with his scripts all over the world.

Fortunately we have a number in South Florida.  The symbols are a purely artist language,

made up of elements from Roman script, Arabic script, Russian, and purely invented.

Some of his murals are six stories high.  These are scripts on canvases, so that people may

purchase them and enjoy them in their homes.  He does not get paid for his murals.

Jeff Koons, "Balloon Dog Plate - Orange" in porcelain.  $11,000 each.

Koons was the highest priced contemporary artist in the world, with a balloon dog full size 

selling for $57,000,000 until a month ago.

Marc Chagall.  "Sun and Red Horse."  Russian / French Fantasy.

Chagall fled from his home in Russia to Paris, but he never forgot the folk myths

and stories of his youth.

Tom Wesselmann.  "Monica Reclining on Bed."  Laser cut steel.

Wesselmann invented a new way of drawing, with steel as his line.  The image is cut 

from a sheet of steel by a laser and then painted.  So what we see is a "drawing" in steel made 

by Wesselmann, a Crayola drawing on a large scale and in steel.  He is a Pop artist.

Manolo Valdes.  "Head with Gold Butterflies."  Spanish.  Bronze.

Valdes is probably the most famous and prolific living Spanish artist.  He works in New York

and Spain, with a huge workshop that helps carry out his many commissions.

This subject of a head and "hair" of leaves or butterflies or other objects has been used

many times in many colors and materials.

Kenneth Noland.  "Blue, Black, Yellow."   Hard Edge Abstraction.  U.S.

Noland and his friends didn't believe artists should tell stories or try to imitate space in

their works, they should simply apply color to canvas in some simple form that a

viewer could immediately see and understand; you didn't need someone to explain

the meaning behind the objects.

Noland also painted chevrons, in many colors and very large sizes, but all utterly simple

and able to be understood in one glance.  No symbolism or hidden meanings.

David Smith.  "Zig I."  Painted Steel.  U.S. 

Smith created Abstract Expressionism in metal.  Instead of carving wood or marble,

or casting bronze or gold to make statues, he assembled 3D images from steel scraps

he picked up off the floor of the foundry where he worked.

Ms Niki de Saint-Phalle.  "Nana with Serpent."  French.  Marble.

Niki created large, playful female figures, not rigid, frozen figures.

There were many works by Andy Warhol available at the show.  These are three of his

prints: one for life savers and one for Apple, two famous brand names.  And then the most

famous hero figure in the world, Superman.  Warhol took the images of popular, everyday

culture and turned them into art.

Alberto Sosabravo.  "Couple at Carnival."  Cuban.

Irina Gonzalez.  "Woman with Cat."  Cuban.

Gonzalez creates formal, Renaissance-like portraits of women

dressed in elaborate, detailed costumes.

Irina Gonzalez.  "Woman with Pincushion and Ballooon Dog."  Cuban.

The elaborate dress and hair contrast with the everyday pincushion

and balloon dog, which might have been made by artist Jeff Koons.

Amelia Pelaez.  "Fish on Plate."  Cuban Cubist.

Amelia is one of the greatest of Cuban artists, who created works which often look

like stained glass windows, with their rich colors and strong black outlines.

All of these works were provided by the great Cernuda Gallery of Miami.

Op Art and Geometric works are very popular in Latin America.  On the left back wall

are two works by the Colombian artist Omar Rayo and the aluminum sculpture is by
American Brad Howe.

The three mysterious red and black paintings are by the greatest of Peruvian artists,

Fernando de Szyslo, and the gold sculpture is by the Uruguayan sculptor,

Pablo Atchugarry, who usually works in white marble.

"Dean Project" is a gallery specializing in contemporary art.  Hunt Slonem created the

"Bunny Head" sculpture, and the painting on the left wall is of rabbits.  He also created the

central wall with 100 yellow parrots.  On the right back wall is a word work by Mel Bochner,

where letters make up not only images but words.  And the portrait on the right is by

Hendrik Kerstens of his daughter in the Netherlands.

Hunt Slonem.  "Pink Rabbits," "White Bunny Head," and "Wall of Yellow Parrots."

Mr. Slonem keeps rabbits and parrots in his house.

Andy Warhol was most interested in making money, so he thought the most appropriate

subject he could paint would be the dollar sign; and today the piece of canvas is worth

$35,000.  The ubiquitous Campbell Soup Can once sold for $250, but this week it is on sale

for $48,000.  Pop Art took the images of popular culture, isolated and enlarged and

simplified them and said they were as much art as an image of Venus or Napoleon.

Francois-Xavier Lalanne created "Sheep" of various materials.

It is usual to buy several for a group in your home.  Some are of bronze, others wood,

some of combined materials.

This is the booth of Frederick Got, who has galleries in Paris and Montreal and elsewhere.

These works are all by his popular artists, and all come in various sizes.  The two abstract

but connected heads are by Jacques Lebescond, the horse and goat are by Roberto Mata;

the butterflies on gold background are by Hunt Slonem.

Frederick Got Gallery.

Philippe Huipily.  "Marathon Runner."  French.  Steel.

Paintings by Jonone and two figures, in fiberglass and hoodies, are by Mark Jenkins.

An artist from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) created "Hummingbirds."   4x6 feet

Sonia Delaunay.  "Black Serpent."  French.  Tapestry.
Sonia and her husband Robert were some of the earliest abstract artists.  Sonia also insisted
on using textiles as a valid "fine art."  The above is the largest tapestry she made.

Sonia Delaunay.  ""Orphism."  French.  Tapestry.

Luis Cruz Azaceta.  "Yellow Red."  Cuban American.

Jonone. "Homage to the Number Three."  Graffiti Art.
"Jonone" is the art-name for a street artist from Miami who often uses
calligraphic like lines in a dense script.  He is well known for his
large outdoor murals.

Speedy Graphito.  "Big Love."  Graffiti Art.

Speedy is one of the founders of Street Art in Paris, and he is in

high demand for commercial art and advertising campaigns.  He uses

readily recognized images from films and advertising to create new works.

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