The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair of 2015 lived up to my expectations. It has always been one of my favorites and this year it included 66 Galleries from 7 countries, focusing on post-war and contemporary art. As you can see from the images I’ve posted, there was a huge variety and style of works priced from $4,000 – $120,000. Some of the works were elegant and refined, while others were snarky and irreverent.
Patrons were gathering around the Gusford Gallery enjoying the amusing quotes of artist Adam Mars such as: Retardashians, I Stand By My Uninformed Opinions, Good Lay Bad Texter, True Love Waits and We’re Impatient, and For Eli Broad or some Rich Broad.
The exquisite painting by Mexican born Noe Katz was a show stopper. I love the long sinewy lines wrapping around the male figure, which looks like it could have been painted by Fernand Leger with its Deco inspired shading. His work has been seen at exhibitions in the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, the Tokoro Museum of Modern Art in Japan and the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach.
Ryan Magyar’s #22 lept off the gallery wall from across the room, glowing like embers in a fireplace. In my opinion it’s remarkably well executed and very affordable at $4,000. Imagine it hanging on a nearly black wall at the end of long corridor, it would be stunning.
Portrait artist Lui Ferreyra used a sublime muted color palette for his oil painting Delusion (study). It has a vintage cubist vibe and reminds me of the Italian Futurist exhibit I saw at the Guggenheim in New York last spring. At $4,500 I think it’s also a remarkable value.
I’m a huge fan of photorealism. Tom Bett’s Archipelago & Glass looks like it could have been painted by a Dutch master. He used thin layers of paint on a smooth panel, therefore, there are no ridges on the surface like you’d see on canvas. Art consultant Marty Raichle tells me that the painting literally glows once the lights are turned off, and I’m inclined to believe her. At $12,800 it’s a steep price point if you’re a novice art collector. That said, anytime you’re willing to lay out that much for a painting you’ll need to do your homework and look at the artists Curriculum Vitae. Who’s collecting them? Are they in any museum collections? Do they have any resale value in the secondary art market… you get the picture.
Artist Mel Bochner has his own dedicated Wikipedia page, which helps you understand why his works on paper go for $120,000. He’s an American conceptual artist and his works are in nearly 2 dozen Public Collections in Switzerland, Germany, Australia and France.
To quote art critic and museum curator Peter Frank The fair has variety and surprise, two qualities I look for in a fair. I’m so glad that I made the drive from Los Angeles to see the 2015 fine art fair. Good art is satisfying and inspiring, and I for one left with a big smile on my face.