This is the either our 4th attendance at Art Wynwood, which occurs yearly and is always over President's Day weekend. From my perspective the first year was their best. Why? They had a broad representation of galleries and individual artists from around the world. It was cutting edge. It was novel. It wasn't Art Basel, it was different and in some respects, better. The pricing of the works was all over the spectrum, from the low thousands to $400-$500,000.
And it seemed like there were a lot of serious collectors in attendance. Having collected art since 1968, when I purchased my first two pieces, with my Dad at my side, at the Greenwich Village (NYC) Art Show, which I still have in my collection, until today, I can tell when you are in a group of people who are "just looking" and those who have an interest in, and ability to, acquire original art. I've attended auctions at Christie's, Swann, and other houses, and actually bid on and acquired impressive pieces. This show, as each year passes, seems to attract more lookers who come to not only see the art, but more to see each other.
They dress up, they enjoy free alcohol if they snag a VIP ticket for opening night, and in the past, awesome passed food was plentiful. This year, no food other than that which was for sale but yes, free beers, Proseco, and Bombay gin drinks were flowing freely.
And the lookers are an eclectic crowd, often more interesting than the art. Let's just say there are a collection of obvious very wealthy folks, and those who are out for the night, to seemingly working local artists dressed like artists who haven't changed their clothes in weeks, to women walking with a limp because their make-up is weighing them down. And this year too many attended with their "comfort" dogs, some of whom peed on the floor.
There appear to be more and more exhibitors representing Latin and Central American artists, both living and dead, and a somewhat disproportionate representation of Cuban artists. Well, it is a show in Miami. Mixed media pieces, sculptures, works employing lighting and graphics and video clips are quite interesting and all priced outrageously high. Yes, you'll find a Chagall and a Manet and a Warhol and others of their stature. But there's a lot of what I'd called high priced schlock art.
A few years ago I bought a large framed piece on rice paper by a Dominican artist who was at her booth, explained her work and showed me other pieces she had created. She was even willing to negotiate on the pricing and offered to deliver it to my home when the show closed. I don't regret the purchase and still enjoy looking at it. Note, never buy art you don't enjoy looking at, no matter who the artist may be. She continues to be productive and her work is represented in the DR and South Florida galleries.
It was a somewhat interesting night out, but other than a 1943 24x20 oil by noted Cuban artist Mariano Rodriquez, priced at $400,000, very few pieces appealed to my eye. And while I don't pretend to be an expert art connoisseur, I do think I've got a good eye, know a bit about various art periods and styles, and can discern quality from schlock Already having more pieces at home than I can display, I'm not acquiring more art. In fact, I've been gifting art to friends who would appreciate it, as well as donating important pieces to the Boca Raton Museum of Art and The Morikami Gallery.
All that being said, go, enjoy yourself, and if you decide to buy, never pay the asking price for a piece at a show like this. Never. read more