Monday, March 8, 2010

Interview with Todd Levin Art Advisory


Courtesy Sperone Westwater, New York
Alighiero e Boetti's "Far Quadrare Tutto," 1979

NEW YORK— It goes without saying that art advisors are intensely busy people during art fairs — especially when, like Todd Levin, they occasionally don a curatorial hat too. We talked to the Levin Art Group dealmaker (and curator of the acclaimed 2009 show "Your Gold Teeth II" at Marianne Boesky Gallery) to find out why he considered the Dakis Joannou show a miss, what was hot at the ADAA, why the art trumps the nightlife, and why Independent is the must-see of all the satellite fairs. Here is what he had to say.

• With so much going on this week, the three most significant things for me are the ADAA opening, the Armory opening, and Independent's opening. Everything else is negligible. Independent is singularly interesting, specifically for the person who conceptualized it, Darren Flook, along with his wife, Christabel Stewart. The invited participants will represent an interesting and lively cross-section of what's happening in the young and mid-level galleries now.

• The two most interesting and elegant booths at the ADAA were Sperone Westwater's all-Boetti booth and Marianne Boesky's featuring a very interesting selection of Arte Povera. The opening felt lively.

• I purposely avoided the Dakis show on Tuesday night for a number of reasons. First, I strongly disagree with the entire concept of the exhibition based on the obvious conflicts of interest. Second, I didn't think I'd be able to see the work, given the crowd. I really abhor celebrity cluster$@%#s.

• As for my strategy at the Armory Show this year, rather than going for specific objects at specific booths, I'm really going to take the overall temperature of what the gallerists are doing in terms of their programs. I'll go over the weekend to really have the opportunity to speak with the gallerists one-to-one and gain a better understanding of what they're doing in their spaces. This time around, it's more about research and development, and less about purchase and acquisition.

• I don't do the whole nightlife thing. It doesn't add anything for me, neither in terms of my social connections nor in terms of access to information. My nightlife thing consists of private dinners and private drinks with gallerists where we can speak in a detailed, prolonged way about work and do business in a more humane fashion.
By Sarah Douglas
Published: March 5, 2010

Michael Anderson at Marlborough Gallery


Marlborough Gallery's Collage Artist Michael Anderson greets associate Ann Lydecker, Metropolitan Art Advisors at The MoMA/Armory Week Party.





1968 Michael Anderson was born in New York, New York
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1996 - 2004 Member Artist, GAle GAtes et al., Brooklyn, New York
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1997 - 2004 Open Studio, DUMBO Arts Festival, GAle GAtes et al., Brooklyn, New York
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1999 Independent studio, Kreutzberg, Berlin, Germany
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1999 Independent Studio, Mexico City, Mexico
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2000 Artistic Residency, La Panaderia, Mexico City, Mexico
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2004 Guest artist, Kangol flagship store, New York, New York in cooperation with The Apartment, New York, New York
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2005 Art Editor, Animal Magazine, Instincts Issue, No. 6
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2005 Panel discussion, featured artist, in conjunction with East Village USA, The New Museum, New York, New York
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2005 - 2008 Studio Residency Grant, Chashama, New York, New York
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2006 Art editor, Animal Magazine, Wildlife Issue, No. 7
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2007 Curator, Sex, Drugs and Violence, Canal Chapter, New York, New York

Solo Exhibitions
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2009 Collage Geomancy, Marlborough Chelsea, New York, New York, United States.
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2008 Harlem Collage Shop, Galeria Marlborough, Madrid, Spain.
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2007 - 2008 Media Violence, Marlborough Chelsea, New York, New York, USA.
2006 Fracture/Frattura, Changing Role-Move Over Gallery, Rome, Italy.
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2004 Mad Collectors, Paul Rodgers/9W Gallery, New York, New York,USA.
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2002 Post No Bills, Paul Rodgers/ 9W Gallery, New York, New York, USA.

1997 Recycled Amsterdam, Vi Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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1996 The Ark, Gale Gates et al., New York, New York, United States.

http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/galleries/new-york/artists/michael-anderson

http://www.artcritical.com/zinsser/JohnZinsserMoMAParty.html

Sunday, March 7, 2010

POOL Art Fair at Gershwin Hotel

The PooL Art Fair is different from all other art fairs in the US. Although there is a tradition in France of independent art fairs, starting from the famous Courbet’s Salon des Independents, PooL is the premiere fair in the US dedicated to artists that do not have representation in galleries.70+ Artists - 8+ Curators - 10+ Special projects,
POOL ARTISTS
Jae Hi Ahn | Cesar Arechiga | Nicole Awai | Thierry Alet | Lluís Barba | Woody Batts | Laurence Billiet | Toni Brogan | Sonia Burel | Michael Burkard | Gülsen Calik | Walt Cessna | Pierre Chadru | Tatiana Chaumont | Amélie Chunleau | Rob Clarke | Bob Clyatt | Chris Coffin | Ken Cro-Ken | Joro De Boro | Gregory de la Haba | Cat Del Buono | Marc Dimov | Leah Dixon | Debra Drexler | Laura Elkins | Chris Flisher | Rebecca Frankfurt-Nadler | Jose Maria Garcia-Armenter | Robin Gaynes-Bachman | Rachael Gorchov | Mark Grimm | Ellen Hackl Fagan | Adam Handler | Elizabeth Hendler | Sol Kjok | Daniela Kostova | Kasper Kovitz | JSUN Labibete | Scooter Laforge | M.P. Landis | Dov Lederberg | Gwyneth Leech | Tom Leighton | Liz-N-Val | Bonnie Lucas | Charles Lum | Thom Lussier | Francesco Masci

Hilary Maslon | Sarah McCoubrey | Kristin Meyers | Ruben Millares | Dick Mitchell | Michael Mitchell | John D. Monteith | Andrew Mount | Sean Mount | Antonio Ortuno| Stavros G. Pavlides | Per Pegelow| Chris Pennock | Madonna Phillips | Ves Pitts | Erik Pye | Margaret Roleke | Ned & Aya Rosen | Matthew Sandager | Michael Sanzone | Jacqueline Sferra Rada
| Kaeko Shabana | Angie Arlene Smith | Will Spangenberg | STAN | Giustina Surbone | Cigdem Tankut | Dale Threlkeld | Tyrome Tripoli | Conrad Vogel | Al Wadzinski | Sadie Weis | Lynda White | Marion Wilson | Paul Wirhun | James Woodward | Antonia Wright |


CURATORS
Marion Callis | Debra Drexler | Kathryn Miriam | Natalia Mount | House of Delicious | David Gibson | Cynthia Corbett | Savannah Spirit

85 Broads & Metropolitan Art Advisors at Armory Preview 3/3



Armory Arts Week Update

It is not too late for you to be inspired by the volumes of modern and contemporary art being exhibited throughout NYC this week. After attending almost every show, I can summarize what's hot & what's not for you.


The Armory Show www.the armoryshow.com at 54th St and West Side Hwy, Pier 92 exquisite world class modern art, Pier 94 edgier, riskier contemporary art. 94 is milder than last year. Both excellent. Paul Morris and his team have produced a world class event. Your most chic, sexy designer outfit and Loboutin shoes for this one. And your feet will ache when you're finished walking the Piers, but you'll look great and that's much more important. Besides...champagne bars throughout to ease the pain of looking so good.


ADAA The Art Show www.artdealers.org at the Park Avenue Armory - American Art Dealers only (must have US Passport to qualify) and among the more high end works of art. Very good. You can do it in under an hour. Upper East Side attire for this one.



The Scope Art Fair www.scope-art.com held at Lincoln Center half a block from Rosa Mexicana, on 62nd x Ninth Ave. Slightly more affordable art than the Art Show & Armory Shows and has a more "fun" vibe, allocate at least 45 minutes for this one. Attire-casual chic. Food & wine in the lounge and beautiful, affordable Prints for sale from the Lincoln Center archive in the VIP Room in the back.



Pool Art Fair - Emerging & unrepresented artists at the Gershwin Hotel. Located next to the Museum of Sex on Madison x 27th St. Here you can find works in the $500 range. There are some "eye opening" "interesting" collaborative works and video art... A very funny and worthwhile aspect of POOL are the audience participatory rooms! Such as one where guests are encouraged to draw a picture of their family (crayons, markers, paper & clipboards provided) you will find yourself laughing aloud looking at these daily creations.
There seems to be wine offered in every room, so even if you attempt to race through this fair be prepared, you may find yourself seating down, drinking wine & getting into philosophical conversations here with an artist. Very casual and memorable. Food and drink on the first floor lobby bar.

Pulse Art Fair www.pulse-art.com located on 330 West St x West Houston. Casual Chic attire and allocate 45-60 minutes. Good galleries, some great galeries. Interesting works, prices from $500-$15K ish. Some of these galleries carry amazing works which aren't being shown here, a handful of "solo shows" and my favorites were the Cuban artists, wow: surprising and thoughtful creations. And hang out with the tall curly blonde Director of Bitforms Gallery. Have him explain some of his works, esp the Pantone colors digital artwork on the flatscreen.



Red Dot Art Fair - George Billis Gallery produces this one and George always does a good job. It was the only fair I attended with free, delicious food. Smaller than the other fairs, and located across the street from Exit Art on 36th at 10th Avenue. Worth a stop in, and don't miss the 5th and 6th floor galleries. Upstairs, I noticed one artist who paints swimmers which sell for $5Kish and look very, very similar to a San Francisco based artist whose works start at $50K. And another young artist who "Andy Warholized" a series of famous American Gangsters. Very funny. We all know someone who should have one or two of the gangsters. Lots of colors. Generally less "apocalyptic" art than some of the other fairs.

Others I hear are good are: Fountain Art Fair, Volta Art Fair (7 West 34th) and the New Museum exhibition (BoweryxPrince) and the Whitney Biennial.