I`m what you might call an art idiot. I`ve never purchased an original

T H E
I’m what you might call an art idiot. I’ve
never purchased an original piece; I don’t
know how to pronounce curator (“CURE-a-tor?”
“Cur-A-tor?”). But on this trip to New York City,
BY
ALLISON WEISS ENTREKIN
WITH ASSISTANCE FROM RACHELLE HICKS
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ART
SP EC IA L
I’m going to get a crash course in the art
world and buy something incredible for my
grandmother. Because I’m too much of an
idiot to be intimidated.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
MALCOLM BROWN
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16/11/2011 14:35
I
didn’t grow up appreciating art.
Politics? Yes. Religion? Sure. But
not art. My parents weren’t art
aficionados, and though they took
me to see the major museums
when we traveled, I was usually more interested in spotting cute boys than masterpieces.
I went to a state university (go Gators!) where
I took not a single art class. And now that I’m
all adult and a Mrs. and a mom, our Atlanta
home is decorated in framed prints and mirrors. Mirrors make a 1930s bungalow appear
bigger inside, you know.
But I wouldn’t be so humble as to say I’ve
never been good at art myself. When I was
growing up in Orlando, I took classes at a local
art center, and my teacher once chose me to be
a student judge at an art fair—hey hey! When
I wrote stories (which was all the time), I often
illustrated them with doodles that weren’t halfbad. I’m not sure why I didn’t pursue fine arts
after the sixth grade, but I didn’t, which means
I didn’t take after my grandmother.
In my hometown, Nana is considered an
important figure in the arts. She sat on the
boards of regional art centers, and, over the
course of a few decades, collected nearly 30
original works, including a lithograph by Philip
Pearlstein and a serigraph by Victor Vasarely.
Her tastes aren’t anything like my friends’
grandmothers. You won’t find sweet, framed
quotes hanging on her walls; instead, there are
nudes and big white canvases with tiny shapes
in the middle. She buys pieces because she
loves them. And that love, it turns out, comes
with a nice payoff—a recent appraisal valued
her collection at more than $66,000, with some
pieces having more than doubled in value
since she bought them. Not bad for a granny.
So this year, I’m going to buy Nana a
piece of art for Christmas. I’m going to learn
B everything I can about contemporary art in
efore I left for New York, I
my quest to find something special to add to
called up some artsy-smart-
her collection. Nothing too expensive (I’m on
sies and created a guide for
a freelance writer’s budget, after all), nothing
myself to better understand
too big or heavy (I’m pregnant, and I’m not a
the whole art-buying pro-
masochist) and, above all, nothing too cutesy
cess and who’s who within it. I figured if I
for her sophisticated tastes. I already have a
can’t look like an art guru (horn-rimmed
New York City shopping trip on my calendar.
glasses, tight ponytail, all-black wardrobe…
While I’m there, I figure I’ll round up the art
not for me), I might as well be able to talk
world, demand information, get the whole
like one.
art-buying process figured out and fly home
Robin Starr, an art historian and director
with a gorgeous piece for Nana tucked safely
of American and European works at Skin-
away in my carry-on. A one-of-a-kind gift. No
ner Auctioneers & Appraisers in Boston,
problem, right?
first explains to me what a dealer is—anyone
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ART
S P EC I A L
assistant professor of photography at
New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, which means her finances are
stable—but, she laments during our
conversation,
her
own
photography
work is trembling from neglect. I ask
her about the role that gallerists play
in the art world, and she sighs. They’re
important, she says, and she’d jump at
the chance to have one show her work,
but who has the time or stamina to seek
their big break? “I don’t think a lot of galleries ever look at the submissions they
receive,” she says. So what does she tell
her college seniors hoping to become
full-time artists when they graduate?
“Be persistent, network… and maybe go
to school and get another degree.”
When I mention Wade-Wermager’s
thoughts to another gallerist—Meg Harrington, co-owner of Huff Harrington
Fine Art in Atlanta—she agrees that the
road to artistic success can be treacherously steep. But, she reminds me,
dealers and gallerists aren’t the only
ones with the power to give artists a lift.
In fact, curators (people who gather art
for museums or institutions) may be
able to propel them even higher. “To
an artist, being selected for a museum
exhibit is a huge boon—it’s sort of the
pinnacle,” she says. And while most artists with works on display in museums
have gallery representation, it’s not a
given or a requirement.
Another heavyweight in the art
world is the critic. Ah, the power of
Barbara Gladstone Gallery
the pen. While a glowing review can
skyrocket an artist’s career, everyone
I asked said even a negative review
can be beneficial—just like with B-list
celebs, all press is good press.
who’s a middleman between an artist
and, in exchange, they typically pocket
and a collector. Dealers may work on
half the sale price. Most of the artists I
Then, of course, there are collec-
commission or retainer. A gallerist is a
spoke with said they’d love to have a gal-
tors—the people with a love for art and
type of dealer who has a gallery retail
lery represent them, but it’s like beauty
the dough to buy it. Some hire “advi-
space open to the public. Some galler-
queens hoping for crowns: the supply is
sors” to scour the market for pieces that
ists cater to investment buyers, while
way higher than the demand.
might work for them; others choose
others would be horrified at the idea of
Next I call Allison Wade-Wermager,
everything themselves. Serious collec-
someone purchasing a piece just to flip
a New York artist and the friend of a
tors are a coddled bunch. For example,
it. (Though with the economy being
friend who’s agreed to give me a few
Bridgette Mayer, owner of Bridgette
what it is, there’s not a whole lot of “flip-
pointers as I plan my journey. This girl is
Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia, tells me
ping” going on—as with the housing
what you’d call educated. BFA from Iowa
that she gives her top collectors sneak
market, it’s a good time for buyers, not
State University, Master of Education
peeks of her new exhibits so they can
sellers. Lucky me.) Gallerists help artists
from University of New Mexico, MFA
snatch the best pieces first. “We defi-
get their work out in front of the public
from Cornell. She’s now a tenure-track
nitely take care of them,” she says.
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15/11/2011 11:00
’ve landed in New York.
My guide is tucked inside
my purse and my scribble
notebook is in my hand. I’m
standing on West 24th Street
in Chelsea, the capital of contemporary
art. As little as I know about the art
world, I understand this much: I’m not
going to be able to afford a blasted thing
around here. I’m just trying to get a sense
of context before I start earnestly hunting for Nana’s gift.
I step inside Barbara Gladstone, a
chic gallery if there ever was one. Lofty
ceilings, pristine white walls, cracked
cement floors that echo with every step.
In business since 1979, Gladstone has
established her gallery as one of New
York’s premier, and the giant Lari Pittman paintings hanging on her walls
dazzle
me
with
their
kaleidoscopic
effects. “How much is this piece?” I ask
staffer Caroline Luce out of curiosity,
pointing at one entitled Assembly. “I can’t
really say,” she replies. New York galleries are notoriously hush-hush about their
prices being public information, and I’m
guessing the fact I’m scribbling in my
notebook isn’t helping.
I nod, click-clack my way to the exit
and head a block up the street to Gagosian, one of the most esteemed galleries
in the world. Unlike at Gladstone, where
I was the only visitor, the entryway to this
place is logjammed with people. When I
make my way inside, I understand why.
Looming before me is a 75-foot-tall,
curving maze of steel by Richard Serra.
Sweeping around the space, sometimes at
perilous angles, it’s a jaw-dropping behemoth whose price tag the Gagosian staff
declined to share with the likes of me.
Hoping to edge a bit closer to my
price point (full disclosure: It’s no more
than $300), I walk to Mixed Greens,
an
anti-gallery-turned-gallery
whose
owners used to only sell online, then
opened a traditional space to give
their artists visibility among Chelsea’s
upper crust. Shockingly, Mixed Greens
lists their prices online, which range
from a few hundred dollars to well into
The author
takes in Richard
Serra’s “Junction.”
the six figures. “The art world doesn’t
like
transparency;
it’s
always
been
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ART
Art for All
Whether you have $200,000 to
spend on art or $200, independent auction houses across the
country have something for you.
Sotheby’s and Christie’s aren’t the
only auction houses out there. Dozens
more are selling big art, and at more
affordable prices.
“I think people are intimidated
by auctions, and there’s no reason
for that,” says Leslie Hindman, a
former HGTV host and owner of four
eponymous auction houses in Chicago,
Naples, Milwaukee and Palm Beach.
“We sell things that most people can
WASHINGTON, DC
WESCHLER’S
Founded: 1890
Specializes In: American, European, Asian,
20th Century Decorative, Jewelry, Furniture
Auction Frequency: Small auctions every
Tuesday at 9:30am, plus six bigger, higherend auctions per year
Recent Notable Sales: Fanny Elssler as
La Sylphide, 19th century oil on canvas
by Karl Joseph Begas ($49,350); A Young
Aspiring Sailor, oil on canvas by John
George Brown ($192,950)
Record Sale: $286,000 in 1990 for Gypsy
girl, oil painting by Théodore Chassériau
Average sale price: $1,800 to $2,000
Sources: Estates, trusts, private
collectors, museums
Next Auction: American and European
Fine Art, Dec. 3; weschlers.com
afford to buy, and some very expensive
things, as well.”
Whatever your budget, heed the
advice of Peter Loughrey, founder of Los
Angeles Modern Auctions: Get to know
your auctioneer, be patient and—perhaps
most importantly—buy what you like.
BY SARAH
L. STEWART
BOSTON
SKINNER AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS
Founded: 1971
Specializes In: Old Masters, Contemporary,
American and European Decorative, Asian
Auction Frequency: About 40 per year
Recent Notable Sales: Album Leaves, ink
and colors on paper by various Chinese
artists ($1.227 million); Alexander Calder’s
painted sheet metal Shoe with Split Heel
($125,000)
Record sale: $5.5 million in 2004 for
Fitz Henry Lane’s oil on canvas
Manchester Harbor
Average Sale Price: Varies widely
Sources: Estates, collectors,
museums, institutions
Next Auctions: Asian Works of Art, Dec.
1-3; Prints and Photography, Feb. 3
skinnerinc.com
NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS AUCTION GALLERIES
Founded: 1991
Specializes In: Contemporary, Southern
18th and 20th Century, Asian
Auction Frequency: About six per year
Recent Notable Sales: Les Soucis, oil on
canvas by Bernard Buffet ($56,580); John
James Audubon print Snowy Heron or
White Egret ($116,850)
Record Sale: $600,000 in 2006 for
oil on canvas Laundry Day on Lake
Pontchartrain Near Mouth of the
Tchefuncte River with Steamboat in the
Distance by Marshall Joseph Smith, Jr.
Average Sale Price: About $5,000
Sources: Estates
Next Auction: Asian Fine and
Decorative Art, Dec. 6-8
neworleansauction.com
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S P EC I A L
CHICAGO
LESLIE HINDMAN AUCTIONEERS
Founded: 1982
Specializes In: Modern, Contemporary,
American and European
Auction Frequency: Marketplace auctions
(featuring reproductions and decorative
fine art) monthly, and about 20 larger art
auctions per year
Recent Notable Sales: Composition No.
26, watercolor by Wassily Kandinsky
($454,000); Spooks, oil on board by
Reginald Marsh ($85,400)
Record Sale: $1.43 million in 1991 for
a previously unknown van Gogh still life
Average Sale Price: $4,000 to $10,000
Sources: Estates
Next Auction: Modern and Contemporary
Art/American and European Art, Dec. 11-12
lesliehindman.com
LA
LOS ANGELES MODERN AUCTIONS
Founded: 1992
Specializes In: 20th Century Modern
Art and Design
Auction Frequency: Four per year
Recent Notable Sales: Robert
Rauschenberg Untitled (Combine),
oil on Solo paper cup lid ($93,750);
Reg Butler’s original maquette of
The Unknown Political Prisoner,
wire sculpture ($125,000)
Record sale: $293,750 in 2011 for John
Baldessari’s photographic emulsion and
acrylic 8th and D. National City
Average Sale Price: About $5,000
Sources: Estates, collectors
Next Auction: Important Modern Art
and Design, Dec. 11
lamodern.com
G O MAGAZ INE
14/11/2011 16:56
somewhat elitist,” art director Steven
Sergiovanni tells me. “We’re trying
to break that down.” What a relief. I
browse the gallery for Nana’s gift, but
nothing in my price range calls my
name. (As hip as Nana is, I’m not quite
sure she’s hip enough for a spray paint
collage.) That’s OK—I still have time.
From Mixed Greens, I take the subway to Christie’s in Rockefeller Plaza.
They’re holding a photography auction
today, and since their auctions are free
and open to the public, I’m curious to see
what it’s like. From the elegant lobby, a
red-carpeted flight of stairs leads to the
auction room, where I survey the landscape. People dressed in business attire
sit in rows facing the front, while Christie’s workers man booths on either side
of the room, whispering the auction’s
happenings to clients over the phone.
Up front, Director of 20th Century Decorative Art and Photographs Philippe
Garner shows photographs for sale on
a large screen and juggles bids from the
audience, the phone whisperers, online
bidders
and
absentee
bidders
who
submitted their offers ahead of time.
With his silver hair and British accent,
Garner is exactly how I pictured a
Christie’s auctioneer, and the prices he
names are also what I imagined—the
lowest bid of the day starts at $1,375. At
one point, a private collector snatches up
a set of five Ansel Adams photographs
for $242,500. Sorry, Nana, couldn’t hack
that one for you.
The day is growing late, but I still
want to go to the Lower East Side and
experience a few gallery openings. Home
Art Walk (clockwise from top left): Mixed Greens; Christie’s auction; Creative Time;
inside DODGEgallery; the buzz outside DODGEgallery; artist/guide Alli Miller
to more than 60 art venues, this part of
town is where the hipsters hang out, and
classmates. From Day One, they’ve all had
packaged soup. “I’m trying to put under-eye
I figure I might as well take my pregnant,
day jobs—Miller is a graphic designer—and
circles into fashion,” Miller laughs.
Southern self and try to fit in. But I need
worked on their art in a Brooklyn studio at
After we drain our cups, she takes me to
a guide to help me navigate these foreign
night. Their shtick is making functional
two openings—one at White Box, the other at
waters: Enter Alli Miller. Miller has never
objects (a pedestal, for example) for nontra-
DODGEgallery. The scruffy attendees drink
known what it’s like to be an artist when
ditional functions (sitting, in the case of said
wine (ah, I remember those days), stand in
the economy was booming, she tells me
pedestal); they’ve shown their work every-
circles and talk about the pieces, which range
where from abandoned hotels to grain
from a sculpture made of globs of paint to an
mills, pricing them from $20 to $2,000.
oil portrait of Chairman Mao. At DODGE,
DADDY has lofty goals: Its members
I’m able to snag a price sheet from an office
want to quit their 9-to-5s, be a part of
desk, where I’m dismayed to see there’s noth-
the greater artistic dialogue, open a
ing even remotely within my range. Clearly
museum. But for now, they work vam-
these hipster artists aren’t going hungry. But
pire hours and subsist on caffeine and
I refuse to slow down—I will find something.
as we sip coffee in the heart of
“LES.” (See? I’m even picking
up the lingo.) She studied art
at The Cooper Union in New
York, graduated in 2008 and
formed
an
artist
collective
called DADDY with some of her
CHECK FOR
NYC ART
HAPPENINGS
artcards.cc
artcat.com
artlog.com
artslant.com
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ART
BY
In Baltimore, artists take back dying ’hoods,
one building at a time. Here, a look inside.
Take over an empty warehouse in a withering neighborhood.
At the outer fringe of each floor—where glorious sunlight
floods the space—set up artists’ studios. At their
center, in the building’s heart, establish a gallery.
The concept isn’t new—artists have been
pioneering industrial zones since their decline
began. In Charm City, multi-use gallery and
performance spaces like Load of Fun Arts (loadoffun.
net) and Open Space (openspacebaltimore.com)
have helped revitalize the city’s designated
arts district, Station North. Over on the
west side, though, the H&H Building—
particularly its fourth floor— has
been a model of an organic
arts scene for more than
a decade, with indie
performance art
venues and
galleries
sharing
a single
building.
S P EC I A L
JENN PLUM AUVIL
GALLERY FOUR
Six resident artists work as a group to
coordinate four exhibitions a year at Gallery
Four (galleryfour.net), finding new talents and
funding their endeavor to bring artists on the
cusp to Baltimore. The gritty neighborhood
doesn’t prepare you for what’s inside—a
polished, Chelsea-esque gallery space with
high ceilings and airy, open rooms.
LAURA HUDSON
Painting
COLIN BENJAMIN
Sculpture & installation
EDDIE WINTER
Photography
DUSTIN CARLSON
Sculpture & installation
ADAM FRANCHINO
Interactive & illustration
A Baltimore
transplant by way of
Maryland’s Eastern
Shore, Scott Jones
(scottjonesprojects
.com) blends his fine
and decorative arts
skills with cool furniture
design to make oneof-a-kind art furniture
pieces.
Laura Hudson (laurahudson
.net) hosts events, films the
party and then re-creates
the social interactions on
life-sized painted canvases
that fill a room and invite the
viewer into the scene. Her
impressive portfolio landed
her a spot in the 2012
solos roster at Virginia’s
Arlington Arts Center.
Colin Benjamin
(colinmichaelbenjamin
.com) works with mixed
media, including screen
prints and lithographs,
focusing on pop culture.
He completed his
graduate studies at
MICA, where he teaches
intro-level courses in the
printmaking department.
Edward Winter
(edwardwinterphotography
.com) describes the local
scene as a big love-fest,
where artists collaborate
and have fun. When
Winter’s not co-curating
exhibitions at the gallery
or taking photos, he
installs art at the Baltimore
Museum of Art.
Dustin Carlson
(dustincarlson.net)
moved into H&H in
1996 and co-founded
Gallery Four in 2000.
His solo show Cowboys
& Engines (JulySeptember 2011) was
the first time Gallery
Four presented one of
its own in an exhibition.
Adam Franchino
(adamfranchino.com)
got his first taste of life at
Gallery Four working late
nights as an intern while he
studied illustration at MICA.
Since graduating in 2010,
his attention has turned
to interactive creations
at the crossroads of art
and technology.
MAIN ART: DAVID PRIESS
SCOTT JONES
Painting
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16/11/2011 14:36
O
ver the next few days, I hustle
the streets of New York—hobnobbing
with
gallerists,
grabbing lunch with artists—
asking
everyone
the
same
question: Where does a first-time collector on
a budget (i.e. moi) find good art? To my great
relief, their suggestions are plentiful: art fairs,
nonprofit benefits, street-art booths, galleries
selling the works of emerging artists. They
also suggest visiting neighborhoods where
lots of artists live (Tribeca, the West Village,
DUMBO), knocking on doors and asking
what they have for sale. Several of these artist
“colonies” hold studio tours a few times a year,
and it’s a great time to find a deal.
Which brings me to my next inevitable
question: How do I know whether something’s
a deal? My naïveté makes me pretty easy to
take advantage of. Jim Hedges, a New Yorkbased financial advisor to the art world, says
he assesses the value of a piece by looking at
whether the artist is represented by a leading
gallery, collected by top museums, has work
that has sold well at auction and also whether
the work is indicative of the artist’s style.
Unfortunately, for the emerging artists I may be able to afford, it’s a lot harder
to judge. But everyone I ask says the most
reliable equation I can follow is “time plus
materials equals price.” The longer something took to make/the larger it is/the more
expensive the material, the more it’s gonna
cost me. And there’s really no telling whether
a piece will one day pay for itself. “Go with
what you love,” Sergiovanni advises me. “We
all hope work will increase in value, but with
emerging artists you do take a chance.”
Craig Anthony Miller is glad some people
decided to take a chance on him; he remembers
Small
Wonders
Four master
sculptors prove
that good
things come in
small packages
with these
carry-on-ready
masterpieces.
BY TONY WARE
Artist Craig Anthony Miller
JANEL JACOBSON
SUNRISE, MN (60 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul)
JEFF OWEN
SAN JOSE, CA (36 miles from San Francisco)
Years sculpting: 16 years with wood
Medium: Hardwoods
Why boxwood? “It can take on a great amount of detail and
reveals many interesting coloring and textures. I focus on
having the wood’s character and the carving come together.”
Inspiration: “I live in the country, with woods around me, so
I get the opportunity
to see tree frogs,
insects, small
mammals and other
animals every day.”
janeljacobson.com
Years sculpting: 12 years, self-taught
Medium: “Decycled” metal
ent
Why weld found objects? “Metal has so many different
ferent
shapes, textures and grains, and I love to find how different
patterns reveal themselves and work their way in.”
tal
Inspiration: “What happens a lot is I’ll stand in a metal
ya
me a
yard, looking around until I see the items that become
sc
sculpture in my mind. ”
W
ou
Why small sculptures? “There’s a zen to it, when you
ke
keep it simple, don’t go overboard adding circles andd
ot
other bits where they aren’t needed.”
je
jeffowenartworks.com
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15/11/2011 11:01
ART
S P EC I A L
CATHY BROSKI
KANSAS CITY, MO
RA
RAY
A KATZ
PONTIAC,
MI (35 miles from Detroit)
PO
ON
Years sculpting: 22, beginning at the Kansas City Art Institutee
Medium: Ceramic arts
Why clay? “I was always tactile as a child… always enjoyed
manipulating something physical. It’s metamorphic, the way
v
ven],
you start with this gooey consistency and, by firing it [in an oven],
end up with something permanent.”
Why small sculptures? “So anyone, regardless of income, cann walk
away with something personal, one of a kind… to hold dear.”
r tive aspect
rat
aaspecct
The challenges and rewards of smaller scale work: “The narrative
th how yyou
ou
of the piece is decreased, but you get to be more creative with
represent things metaphorically and personify ideas.”
broskiclay.com
Years
Ye
a sculpting: 46, following two fine arts degrees
Medium:
Me
ed
Fabricated, welded aluminum, stainless steel and carbon steel
Wh
hy curvilinear metal? “Metal has so much potential; you can soften it like
Why
cla
ay bend it in its rigid form. Also, it has lasting quality to it. And I enjoy doing
clay,
pu
b pieces that express a physicality.”
public
Th
ork:
Thee challenges and rewards of smaller scale work:
“Yo
ou can find the right environment for them, place
ace
“You
the
e in the perfect scale, and the dialog that
them
ca
cann exist between the space and the work is
int
tim and inspires reflection on the natural
intimate
ve
rs human-built world.”
versus
ray
yk
raykatzsculptor.com
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14/11/2011 11:24
A the years before anyone did. I meet him
nd this, dear readers, is
in his Brooklyn studio, and he leans back
where I officially turn
into his couch as he tells me his story. From
in my dunce hat and
1996 to 2006, if you walked along West
buy my first original
Broadway in the heart of SoHo, you’d pass
piece. As I walk around
him doing his best to sell his paintings.
Provenzano’s studio, I spot a pencil draw-
The self-described “urban expressionist”
ing of a little girl lying down, holding a
sold his works—which fuse the styles of
rabbit. Something about her expression
graphic art and graffiti—for as low as $25. A
is sweet, but also sad. “That’s a figurine
handful of locals who liked his stuff asked
I drew on very cool colored paper [art-
him to do pop-up shows in their bars, res-
ist] James Siena gave me to play with,”
taurants and hair salons, and he always
Provenzano says. “I like objects that
obliged. “I’d show in a bathroom if I was
have an inherent personality.” I nod and
invited to,” he laughs. By the end of 2006,
continue walking around, looking at her
he’d saved enough money to rent a studio in
other works. But as if pulled by some
DUMBO, a Brooklyn neighborhood popu-
invisible tether, I return to the drawing.
lar with emerging artists. He just hoped to
“Would you sell this?” I ask her, holding
sell enough paintings to cover his overhead;
my breath. She says she will, and names
Melodie Provenzano
he didn’t dare dream he would become the
a price I can actually afford. Without
area’s brightest star.
hesitation, I write her a check, and she
In 2007, a popular DUMBO gastropub
In 2008, 12 years after she finished
carefully wraps the drawing for me. “This
called reBar asked him to create a mural
college, Michael Lyons Wier, owner of the
makes me so happy!” she says as she
for its wall, and soon after, Pedro’s Restau-
prestigious Lyons Wier Gallery, deemed
folds tissue around it. “It’s like the little
rant down the street commissioned him to
Provenzano a fresh talent and signed on
girl in the picture is going to college.”
cover its entire exterior with his art. “From
to represent her. Next year, she’ll unveil
Perhaps I’ll give her and her rabbit
there, it started to snowball,” Miller says.
a solo show at his gallery’s new location
an education in politics. Or religion. Or
He spearheaded an artist collective that
across the street from the Gagosian. “It’s
mommyhood. But I’ll never forget that
painted a huge mural on Water Street, one
a
it was she who gave me my very first
of the area’s main thoroughfares. Then,
smiling broadly.
big
deal
for
me,”
Provenzano
says,
diploma in art education.
in the same neighborhood, he opened his
very own art store, reInspire Brooklyn. He
sells his paintings for a little more than
The author shows off
her original artwork.
he used to, and now he has a new kind
of client—collectors. “People seem to be
interested in what I’m doing and where I’m
heading,” he tells me.
O
n the advice of a family
friend
who
heard
about my hunt, I make
an appointment to visit
an artist named Melodie
Provenzano in her Harlem studio. “When I
was 3, I won a coloring contest,” Provenzano
tells me as we sip juice on her sofa. “That
sealed my fate.” After she graduated high
school upstate in Valatie, NY, she moved
to the city to earn her BFA at Parsons
School of Design. She found work painting window displays for Saks Fifth Avenue,
eventually catching the eye (and the payroll) of design powerhouses like Hermes
and Donna Karan. All the while, she came
home at night and set up intricate still-life
scenes to sketch or paint.
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G O MAGAZ INE
15/11/2011 11:02
ART
MICHELLE MYLES
MARIO BARTH
NEW YORK
LAS VEGAS
Style: “An updated version
Style: “I really don’t have
of traditional American
a signature style, though
tattooing, but I try to put
I’m known for very
time into the drawings
colorful tattoos.”
instead of just reproducing
Inspiration: Coming to
the American style.”
America from Austria and
Inspiration: “Modern
seeing Sailor Bill’s Tattoo
American tattooing was
Time in Maitland, FL. “At
developed right here in
that time, I didn’t know
S P EC I A L
NYC, where the first electric tattoo machine was invented on
such a thing as a tattoo studio existed; we always worked out
the Bowery, so I’m very influenced by that history.”
of basements or living rooms or wherever.” Since then, design
Common requests: “Right now script is really popular—
influences have come from Americana, Japan and Samoa.
names, words, phrases. Also, stars are really mainstream;
Memorable canvases: Numerous celebrities, including
every one likes them.”
Sylvester Stallone, Lenny Kravitz, Gene Simmons and Usher
Memorable canvases: “Joan Jett and Boy George were both
Other media: “I’ve had artwork published in books, had
very nice to work on. Also, Whoopie Goldberg was amazing.”
artwork in movies and on CD covers. But that’s not really my
Other media: Paintings for shows and special projects
forte. My talent is tattooing. I love interacting with people.”
Studio: Daredevil Tattoo, 174 Ludlow St; 212-533-8303;
Studio: Starlight Tattoo at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and
daredeviltattoo.com; Fun City Tattoo, 94 St. Marks
Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-255-7827;
Pl; 212-353-8282; funcitytattoo.com
starlighttattoolasvegas.com
Average rate/waiting list: $200 an hour/
Average rate/waiting list: $400-500 an
usually two weeks
hour/16 to 20 months
funcitytattoo.com
mariobarthtattoo.com
It’s the holiday gift that
everybody under 30 wants
but nobody asks for—a tattoo.
DUKE RILEY
NEW ORLEANS
Style: 19th-century maritime folk art motifs.
nation’s best sell
Style: “I specialize in traditional American-
“It’s all line work, as opposed to most shops,
prints, too.
style tattoos—a single tattoo that sits boldly by
which do shading and coloring.”
itself, usually with heavy shading, bright wall-to-wall
Inspiration: “I’m from Massachusetts and a lot of my family
DUSTIN COHEN (MICHELLE), KITTIE JOE SAINT MARIE (DUKE), DAYMON GARDNER (ANNETTE)
ANNETTE LARUE
Can’t commit? Most of the
NEW YORK
color and sailor icons.”
lives on Cape Cod, so I spent a lot of time by the water and was
Inspiration: “Tattoo artists like Don Ed Hardy, Sailor Jerry,
heavily exposed to the aesthetics of engravings and scrimshaw
Mike Malone and especially ‘Cap’ Coleman.”
[carvings on the bones and tusks of marine mammals].”
Common requests: “People who are from or fall in love with New
Common requests: Ships, anchors, whales
Orleans are really, really proud of it and want to literally hold it
Memorable canvases: Customers from Japan, Denmark and
close to their heart and show that it’s a part of them. They get
Brazil. “I get more indie rockers than Hollywood types, if I had
lots of fleur-de-lis, and Saints- and voodoo-related designs.”
to name a typical client. But I don’t watch much TV so I don’t
Memorable canvases: “Christina Ricci was gorgeous, and a
know if someone is really someone.”
great tipper. We did Billy Bob Thornton, Lindsay Lohan… and
Other media: Large-scale, highly detailed drawings; ceramic,
once we did an entire cargo ship of Russian merchant marines.”
glass and composite
Other media: Sailor- and
tile work; he does major
pirate-inspired paintings,
museum and gallery
available from the shop.
shows (magnanmetz.com)
Studio: Electric Ladyland,
Studio: East River Tattoo,
610 Frenchmen St;
113 Franklin St, Brooklyn;
504-947-8286;
718-532-8282;
electricladyland.net
eastrivertattoo.com
Average rate/waiting list:
Average rate/waiting list:
$80-150 an hour/walk-
$350 an hour/six months
ins preferred
dukeriley.info
electricladyland.net
BY TONY WARE
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G O M AGAZ INE
15/11/2011 11:02
An inside look at some of the
country’s finest hotel art collections.
BY ASHLEY HESSELTINE
GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL, NEW YORK
The Collection: Between 40 and 50
pieces from artists like Andy Warhol,
Jean-Michel Basquiat and painter
George Condo, who gained pop culture
clout in 2010 with cover art for a
Kanye West album
Where to See It: Every public space
When: The collection changes
every four months.
Who’s Responsible: Curated by an
anonymous collector, the pieces are on
loan from various private collections.
Don’t Miss: Celestina, by Paris-based
Colombian artist Fernando Botero—
a proportionally exaggerated and
socio-politically charged portrait
of mother and daughter above the
lobby’s fireplace.
2 Lexington Ave; 212-920-3300;
gramercyparkhotel.com
LE MÉRIDIEN CHAMBERS,
MINNEAPOLIS
The Collection: More than 250 original
works by such noted artists as Damien
Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sam Taylor-Wood
Where to See It: Throughout the hotel—
guest rooms, hallways and stairwells
When: The permanent collection rarely
changes, but the on-site Burnet Gallery
hosts new exhibitions every two months.
Who’s Responsible: Prominent art
collector (and hotel owner) Ralph Burnet
curates, and many pieces are his own.
Don’t Miss: Damien Hirst’s Judas
Iscariot (Burnet’s favorite), which greets
guests upon check in
901 Hennepin Ave; 612-767-6900;
lemeridienchambers.com
THE JAMES, CHICAGO
The Collection: 15-20 major works,
such as sculptor Joel Ross’ dismantled
hotel room piece titled Room 28 and
photographs by Wolfgang Ludes, as well
as original artwork in each hotel room
Where to See It: Public areas, meeting
spaces, business networking lounges,
guest rooms and interior courtyard
When: One collection is permanent, and
its gallery changes every three months.
Who’s Responsible: The hotel collaborates
with gallerist Monique Meloche to
handpick each piece.
Don’t Miss: DeMarcus Purham’s dramatic
panorama mural in the great room
55 E Ontario St; 312-337-1000;
jameshotels.com/chicago
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FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, DENVER
The Collection: Nearly 1,200 pieces on
display from Colorado artists, including
Ana Maria Fernando (flower imagery),
Tania Dibbs (large mixed media) and
Wayne Salge (bronze horse sculptures)
Where to See It: Lobby level, 2nd floor
meeting space and the 16th floor
Presidential Suite When: Always; the hotel owns them
Who’s Responsible: Denver’s own Lewis
Graham Art Consultants curates.
Don’t Miss: Winterval, by Denver artist
Trine Bumiller—a large sculptural piece of
abstract trees in winter—is on the grand
staircase between floors one and two.
1111 14 St; 303-389-3000;
fourseasons.com/denver
G O M AGAZ INE
14/11/2011 16:57
A RT
S P EC I A L
dealers launching second venues in the area.
Attracted by Basel’s presence, Madrid’s Louis
The Miami New Times’ art critic on how Art Basel
has transformed a neighborhood’s artscape.
BY
Adelantado Gallery, the Paris-based Galerie
Emmanuel Perrotin and Mexico City’s Kunsthaus Miami all opened outposts in Wynwood.
CARLOS SUAREZ DE JESUS
These were joined by new spaces like the
B ack before the Swiss para-
David Castillo Gallery that just celebrated its sixth
chuted
the
anniversary and is one of only two Miami spaces
thought of a five-day, city-
represented at the über-exclusive ABMB at the Con-
wide art bacchanal would
vention Center this year.
into
town,
have frozen many locals like
Shortly afterwards, the NADA, Pulse and
a deer in headlights. But a decade later,
SCOPE Miami fairs left the confines of South
Miami has transformed Basel in its own
Beach and pitched their tents in Wynwood, drawing
inimitable way.
throngs and elevating the scene there. In 2007, Art
Miami, the city’s oldest art fair and long a
Now in its 10th year, Art Basel Miami
Beach (ABMB) is hyped as the “Olympics” of the
January staple at the Miami Beach Conven-
international art world, as the December arts confab
tion Center, threw in the towel after failing
transforms the city from Miami Beach to Wynwood
to attract the same throngs flocking to Basel,
and from Vizcaya on Biscayne Bay to the Fairch-
and moved to Wynwood that December.
ild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables and
Today, Wynwood is home to well over 100
points in between into one sprawling contemporary
galleries, artist studios, cultural organizations
art installation. Consider the numbers: 50,000 art
and project spaces, including world-class
lovers converge on Miami, a third of whom are
private collections like the Rubell Family
visitors to South Florida; 250 of the planet’s elite
Collection, the Margulies Collection at the
galleries from 35 countries attend, representing
Warehouse, World Class Boxing (which houses
over 2,000 top-drawer talents; close to 1,000
the Debra and Dennis Scholl Collection) and,
journalists and art editors fly in to cover the
a few blocks away in the tony Design District,
event; an estimated $500 million exchanges
the Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz Collection. The area
hands. The stakes have raised the ante for
is also home to the Fredric Snitzer Gallery, David
local art dealers, cultural institutions and real
Castillo Gallery and the Dorsch Gallery, which repre-
estate developers.
sent the city’s established and emerging artists, many
The event has mushroomed in recent
of whom enjoy international careers. Where local
years to include upwards of a dozen satel-
dealers once saved their heavy artillery to blow away
lite art fairs, with PULSE, Photo Miami,
visitors during Art Basel, these days you can discover
SCOPE and Red Dot among them. This
bleeding-edge exhibits year round. In fact,
year, Burst Miami joins them, hosting exhib-
Wynwood’s monthly Art Walk rivals Basel in
its in South Beach and Wynwood, with a pair of
popularity with locals, and is believed by many
double-decker buses tricked out with art shuttling
to be the engine driving culture in town.
spectators between the two. These piggyback expos
Projects like Primary Flight and devel-
vary in size and content and draw hundreds more deal-
oper Tony Goldman’s Wynwood Walls have
ers and thousands more artists shopping their wares.
transformed the exteriors of worn-down
These fairs feed off of ABMB, ratcheting up the visual
buildings with murals by artists such as Ryan
cacophony during a week where every imaginable
McGinness, Kenny Scharf, Ron English,
representation of contemporary art—from video,
Shepard Fairey and Miami’s FriendsWith-
installation, monumental sculpture, museum-quality
You, using Basel as a trampoline to launch
paintings and experimental soundscapes—
the ventures. Art spills from the dozens of
galleries and artist studios, and even lines
DIDIER LEROI/VERNISSAGETV
drowns out everything else across the 305.
As a result, Miami’s dramatic cultural
the walls of nearly every café and bar in the bustling
evolution can be seen in neighborhoods like
’hood. On weekends, busloads of tourists and visi-
Wynwood, ground zero for the city’s flour-
tors amble through Wynwood, experiencing street
ishing arts scene. There was a time when
art and visiting the edgy galleries on guided tours.
a handful of pioneer galleries—like Dorsch
Wynwood is just one example of how America’s
Gallery and Locust Projects—struggled to
most important art fair has changed the very face of
Miami. And as the event continues to grow, locals
attract Basel crowds. As early as 2005, though,
the
gritty
neighborhood
boasted
nearly
50 galleries, with several international art
Wynwood Walls, the district’s
“outdoor museum,” at Art Basel ’10.
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can’t wait to be surprised by the next area to glow in
the light of artistic urban revival.
G O M AGAZ INE
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