Thank God for Markt Madness…..


Yesterday afternoon I was accompanied by Jill in heading uptown and West for the heated tents of the Scope Art Fair. Years ago (pre-Volta, Pulse, Independent) Scope was my favorite fair for its inclusion of “younger” galleries that featured emerging artists but of a particular caliber. Last year I didn’t attend the show, opting instead for a quick run through the Armory and Volta, and this year reminded me of why I didn’t go. There is so much bad art! Now those of you who are following know I very rarely say that. I tend to have a broad scope (pun intended) and appreciation for various genres of art and its anomalies. My tastes have grown and evolved throughout the years, but I can still recognize bad art when I see it and Scope is disappointingly filled with it.


(front view) In what I can only assume is in its attempt to raise the bar as a little brother would, to get closer to the Armory, Scope has lost the galleries who originally stood out and are now probably at other fairs. In an obvious reaction to the poor economy, more galleries have featured painting and photography. But the New York galleries are showing work from past yet recent exhibits and in the mix I found I didn’t need much time to decipher that the bar was low and even found myself announcing it out loud!


(back view) The only recognisance and saving grace is a small separate space to the right of the entrance. Markt, (from the press release) does not challenge notions of what makes (or does not make) fashion art, but instead it is a poetic observation of what else fashion could be. More than ever fashion is infiltrating and in what is an amalgam of gallery vs. retail store (?) jewelry and a few choice apparel pieces hang under dimly lit circumstances. I exhaled in relief as finally something that isn’t only aesthetically appealing but can offer an abstract functionality.

Sigh.

Vests made of both human and artificial hair, headpieces that feature extended fabric, and jewelry with mixed materials and weighty stones; yes please.

More soon!
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— Posted from my iPhone
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