Rodrigo Padilla and I spent several hours at Frieze yesterday. We even bought art and it didn’t break the bank (see below)!

 

Frieze opens to the public today (Friday) and runs thru the weekend. Weather permitting, take the ferry from East 35th Street. It’s a sublime way to take in the sights of the city and arrive in style!

 

There are two must-see installations:

• The Yayoi Kusama/Chris Ofili installation at Victoria Miro. It greets you as you enter the tents and it is stunning. Unfortunately, it also attracts idiotic fair goers who feel Frieze is an amusement park for their instagram selfies. One couple was sitting on the Kusama sphere orbs while two other women backed into the Ofili painting with their backpacks and were outraged when admonished not to do so. It will be a stressful few days for the Miro staff if they don’t get security up to snuff – or at least rope off the installation – and they better do it pronto!!
• Steve Keene at P.P.O.W.  At first I thought this was an art world joke but I was incredibly intrigued to see this artist on his stage/platform painting pieces that were then available for purchase by fair attendees (cash-only!). And they were priced according to size from $10 to $50. We watched the performance, had lunch, I did some research and we hightailed it back to the booth. Rodrigo and I each purchased a newly minted artwork for $20 a pop. Keene has sold over 250,000 paintings over his 25 year career. Although a Yale MFA, his influences come from his friends in the music world e.g. Pavement and from back in the day when there were album covers. Video and photos of our acquisitions below. An absolute highlight of the fair and kudos to PPOW for having the vision to tap into this populist moment.

 

Scroll down and join Rodrigo and I as we daytrip through Frieze. Interesting art and some amazingly interesting fair goers as well.

Rodrigo and I on the ferry on our way to Randall’s Island

 

First glimpse of the tents.

 

STUNNING Victoria Miro Booth featuring Yayoi Kusama Field of Mirrored Spheres and that glorious Chris Ofili Painting

 

Steve Keene painting up a storm at the PPOW Booth. Clearly, the “people’s choice” award winner

 

My Steve Keene Acquisition

 

Salon 94 brought a vast and interesting array of artists to Frieze

 

The Alex Katz drawings from the 70’s and 80’s at Javier Lopez & Fer Frances (Madrid) were some of Rodrigo’s favorites

And some of fair-goers were art-works in and of themselves…..

 

Love this wall piece by artist and musician Lonnie Holley at James Fuentes’ booth.  On VIP day, most of these wire sculptures were sold (each between $8,000 – $15,000).

 

Also this…

 

Olivia Erlanger at And Now. One of my favorites – and I believe all 3 were sold ($8,000 per)

 

Michael Seri enlisted the model Olya Anikina, who he met on Instagram, to wear a see-through, plastic-looking dress. The mini was embellished with beat-up iPhones and SIM cards and “iPorn” was written on the chest in LED lights.

 

LOVED these drawings by 20 year old Emi Kuraya. The gallery was from Japan and almost all of her work was sold ($600-$1300 from what I saw)

 

There were several brand activations on hand. This was by an artist sponsored by LIFEWTR

 

 

Lunchtime outdoors, under the trees, with Roberta’s Pizza and Morgenstern’s Ice Cream

 

And then it was time to head back in to the fair to snatch up our Steve Keene’s.

All in all, great day at Frieze – thank you Rodrigo for VIP passes and most especially for your company!