Headlines may be made of astronomical sales figures, luxury sponsors and exclusive parties, but the reason to attend art fairs is to see inspiring works that we may never get the chance again. to see again. For this Miami Art Week – and Art Basel Miami Beach 2021 in particular – an overwhelming amount of art has made its way onto the walls and floors of fairs and galleries in the Magic City. Plus, highlights were plentiful. The eight selections below have a particular sparkle that makes us long for their presence. Sculpture, painting and mixed media are represented, as are a range of artists.
Elizabeth Glaessner “The Blue Recluse”
Beautiful Brooklyn-based artist Elizabeth Glaessner exhibited her large-scale figurative work “Blue Recluse” (2021) with PPOW Gallery. The fascinating piece was made from pigments dispersed in water with binders and oil, on canvas.
Ja’Tovia Gary “Quotation Ethics (Toni Morrison, 1987)”
Composed of metal, neon and acrylic, “Citational Ethics (Toni Morrison, 1987)” (2021) by Brooklyn-based artist and filmmaker Ja’Tovia Gary was a beacon that radiated from the Paula Cooper Gallery booth. The sculpture, which mimics a road sign, incorporates a quote from one of novelist Morrison’s acclaimed literary masterpieces, Beloved.
Raffi Kalenderian “Joe Barber”
Presented by Vielmetter Los Angeles, “Joe Barber” (2021) by Los Angeles-based figurative painter Raffi Kalenderian fascinates with perspective, pattern, texture and color. It is a vibrant oil painting on canvas.
June Clark “Harlem Quilt”
Originally shown at the Studio Museum in Harlem, ‘Harlem Quilt’ (1997) by Toronto artist June Clark graced the walls of Art Basel Miami Beach this year at the Daniel Faria Gallery booth in the Survey section. For the job, Clark photo-transferred images she captured in Harlem onto swatches of various fabrics she purchased from a Salvation Army in Harlem. These colorful and multi-textured bands are unified by a luminous garland.
Elias Sime “TIGHTROPE: ECHO!?”
Elias Sime, born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, transforms salvaged materials into intricately woven or layered works. With “TIGHTROPE: ECHO!?” (2021), presented by the James Cohan Gallery, the artist assembles recovered electrical elements on a panel, with a megaphone finalizing the vision.
Grayson Perry “Morris, Gainsborough, Turner, Riley”
A tapestry like no other, “Morris, Gainsborough, Turner, Riley” (2021) by beloved English contemporary artist Grayson Perry, was draped in front of Victoria Miro’s stand. The work, produced in a numbered and signed edition of 10, masks a figurative representation with layers of patterned color. Within, there is an exploration of class and social identity, constructions of gender and perhaps even sexual orientation, all of which are frequent themes in the artist’s work.
Jules de Balincourt “Blowhards and Blowbacks”
With Pace Gallery, Brooklyn-based French-born contemporary artist Jules de Balincourt exhibited “Blowhards and Blowbacks” (2021) – an exquisite and colorful oil and oil on panel painting of a forest in the middle of a gale. Its palette and the movement it conveys give it a meaning that only de Balincourt could give it. Pace also showcased a deep mixed reality artwork from Studio Drift, which involved a vibrant physical installation and augmented enhancement viewable through an iPad and sold as NFT.
William Cordova “spontaneous expression of daily resistance”
Composed in part of gold leaf on paper, Lima-born William Cordova’s shimmering ‘spontaneous expression of everyday resistance’ (2021) is a large-scale multimedia collage. Presented by Sikkema Jenkins & Co, the work explores a central theme of Cordova’s catalog: a sense of displacement amid a multitude of cultural identities and influences.
Images by David Graver, including a detailed shot of the hero image from William Cordova’s “Spontaneous Expression of Daily Resistance” (2021)
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