This weekend the art world overload known as Art Basel Miami Beach is in full swing. So far, this year's edition of the international art fair has been quite the crowd pleaser. Gallerist Sean Kelly dubbed it the "strongest" beginning to an ABMB he's participated in, while Lehmann Maupin co-founder Rachel Lehmann expressed that "the fair feels more grown up from year to year." The gang at ArtFCity even reported: "The general consensus seems to be less crap than usual."
That being said, it's still a lot to handle.
We've combed through the aesthetic labyrinth with the hopes of improving your art viewing experience, and preventing you from hyperventilating in the face of all. that. art. To add a little order to the chaos, we've selected 10 trends we thought dominated this year, for better or for worse. Let us know which trends you noticed in the comments.
1. Secret Portals and Crystal Visions: From glass cells to garbage can rabbit holes, ABMB was full of artistic entrances to other worlds.
Ivan Navarro at Paul Kasmin Gallery
Ajay Kurian at 47 Canal
David Altmejd at Andrea Rosen Gallery
David Altmejd at Andrea Rosen Gallery
2. Breaking the Fourth Wall: The canvas is no longer a window to another dimension, but a vertically hung garden that's started to sprout.
Francesca Pasquali at Tornabuoni art Paris
Francesca Pasquali at Tornabuoni art Paris
Xu Zhen at Bernier/Eliades
3. Cartoon Network: Imagine the craziest, nastiest, most bewitching morning of Saturday morning cartoons possible.
Peter Saul at Mary Boone Gallery
Jamian Juliano Villani at Tanya Leighton
Jamian Juliano Villani at Tanya Leighton
4. Funny Face: Goopy, drippy, slightly terrified yet oddly adorable. The doodle-inspired emojis were everywhere.
Jon Pylypchuk at Fredric Snitzer
Bjarne Melgaard at Gavin Brown's Enterprise
Brian Bress at Cherry and Martin
5. String Theory: Whether bound to a canvas, hanging in the wind or wrapped around a metal ring, stringy things were definitely in the air.
Jacob Hashimoto at Mary Boone Gallery
Emil Lukas at Sperone Westwater
Emil Lukas at Sperone Westwater
Reena Saini Kallat at Chemould
6. We See You: With many of the works on view, it was difficult not to make eye contact.
Tony Oursler at Bernier/Eliades
Tony Oursler at Bernier/Eliades
Milena Muzquiz at Travesía Cuatro
Milena Muzquiz at Travesía Cuatro
7. Wood You Rather: This year's natural medium of choice turned up as a pressure washer, a flip flop and an abstract sculpture, to start.
Roxy Paine at Kavi Gupta
Lia Chaia at Vermelho
Sam Ekwurtzel at Simone Subal Gallery
Michael Buthe at Alexander and Bonin
8. Soft Palette: If you were as exhausted by the endless art onslaught as we were, the following cozy looking artworks began to look pretty tempting.
Pascale Marthine Tayou at Galleria Continua
Pascale Marthine Tayou at Galleria Continua
Chris Johanson and Johanna Jackson at Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Pino Pascali at Magazzino
9. Face Masked: Disguises abound in this year's artworks, be they paintings or photographs.
Tomoo Gokita at Mary Boone Gallery
Tomoo Gokita at Mary Boone Gallery
Thomas Julier at RaebervonStenglin
10. Retro Erotica: From Lostutter in the 1970s to Iannone and Early in 2014, good old-fashioned sexuality had a comeback at this year's fair.
Robert Lostutter at Corbett vs. Dempsey
Robert Lostutter at Corbett vs. Dempsey
Dorothy Iannone at Peres Projects
Jack Early at Fergus McCaffrey
Jack Early at Fergus McCaffrey
Which trends stood out to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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