Basel’s Best in Show: Our 2011 Awards!

04 December 2011
by Art Rubynstein

Admit it, you’re little tired. This was no ordinary Basel. Every marketing guru and PR genius in America decided to spend their event budgets in Miami this year and that translated to roughly 15 events each night. Some struggled, some prospered, and many stood out. Here are our 2011 Basel citations!

Best artist cameo: Damien Hirst, who stopped by a few bashes including the Swarovski dinner, Diddy hosted Mazzucco meal at Mr. Chow, and then swallowed some glow-sticks at White Cube.

Damien Hirst (Photo: BFAnyc.com)

Walk the Walker Line

05 May 2011
by Terri Ciccone

Kara Walker is known for her exploration and expression of black history and the way it has been portrayed to the masses. Her trademark haunting and exaggerated black cut outs have popped up in some of the country’s most important galleries and museums. Walker’s latest show, which is split between Sikkema Jenkins and LES branch of Lehman Maupin (both are up through June 4) seems to go back to very childlike forms of expression. The shows are made up of narrative comic book and puppet show like installations, and are most certainly not exclusively monochromatic.

Walker branched out with her mediums in her recent show. At Lehman Maupin, “Fall From Grace, Miss Pipi’s Blue Tale,” is a video installation, where the stars are her infamous black paper cut outs. This time, however, they become puppet like, moving and speaking to create a narrative. In the work that bares the same name as the show title, we follow the disjointed story of a woman “having the blues.” The “puppet show” explores the supposedly guarded sexuality of Southern women and hyper-sexuality of black men. We see puppets enjoying sex but then brutally getting punished for it, as puppets beat each other and dismember each other. Their paper bodies are lit on fire to crumple and wither in the wind, to the horror of the other puppets involved.

At the other half of the show at Sikkema Jenkins in Chelsea, Walker continues her more narrative works with poetic words and detailed illustrations, rather than leave us with haunting still images of silhouettes. The large scale black and white drawings that make up “Dust Jackets for the Niggerati – And Supporting Dissertations, Drawings Submitted Ruefully by Dr. Kara E. Walker,” explore the identity of black Americans throughout the 20th century. The artist explores the shifting identity and power of black Americans as they moved from rural to urban environments, and as they embrace a fluctuating cycle of destruction and renewal. The images are narrative and can almost be read like a comic book or a story board, but display a constant and somewhat confusing struggle with identity.

Terri Ciccone is the founder and editor of Contrapposto Blog and an Art Ruby contributor

Convention Wisdom!

02 December 2010
by Art Rubynstein

If there’s one word that could perfectly capture yesterday’s VIP preview, optimism would be a good one. Collectors were more eager than usual, gallery owners seemed more relaxed, and the art seemed to be opulent in terms of its fearless gold and scarlet motifs. Perhaps White Cube’s gilded Hirst revealed everything you need to know about the current economy: make it gold and make it bold. Equally as impressive as Hirst was a tremendous silver Anish Kapoor eye candy at Barbara Gladstone. As you enjoy our photo highlights, here are some other highlights to keep in mind.

Most devoted bride buyer: Naomi Campbell who made it to Basel for the second straight year…and just mere days before her Egyptian wedding

Most devoted designer buyer: Calvin Klein, who never fails to skip all the action in Miami. Marc Jacobs was in Paris but still got all the best stuff sent to him live via a trusted source.

Least wall text: Gagosian of course. But who needs it with all that Koons?

Best artist cameo: Aaron Young who checked out his work at Resh and three other spaces

Most devoted seller: Tony Shafrazi, who sold, sold, and sold for hours and refused to sit down. “But now my feet hurt,” he told us at 6 PM.

Best jock cameos: Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez who took a baton from John McEnroe who hit Basel last year. The Yankee especially spend at least three hours hunting for latest and greatest for his W South Beach residence with the help of his manager, Guy Oseary.

Most elaborate booth: Lehmann Maupin’s intergalactic universe

Most elaborate booth (runner up): Galerie Gmurzynska and their Zaha Hadid designed space