Caught in a Trap

Turkysh Bath, Edition of 6, List $24,000, Sold 5 @ $17,000 at Scope

This guy Marck from Zurich put us in a box and we can't get out. Over and over we try. We are extremely uncomfortable from the spikes, the water is cold, and we are banging our head on the table. The Licht Feld gallery exhibit space where we were displayed is actually Basel-ian, unlike most of what was present at Miami Basel. Gallerist and member Fredy Hadorn reported that Marck goes by Marck from Zurich and the three video, iron, and glass LCD works that were drawing crowds and making us feel claustrophobic in reality and in empathy are all untitled. In spite of the labels with titles. Whatever. A trend at Scope seemed to be that the German and Swiss galleries don't label their art at all, either titles or artists. You have to ask. And even then they won't tell you the whole name. Which is too bad, because then you really have a hard time finding the guy on the Internet. But you can't help but try, because this work is out of the box, a trip, and unforgettable.

Thorns, Edition of 5, Sold Out, Scope

To remember more about Marck from Zurich:
http://www.marck.ch
http://www.marck.tv

Fairly Fairey at the Fair

Detail, Site-Specific Mural, 29th Street, Miami, December 2008

It seems like Shepard Fairey is all over Miami Basel. With good reason, because he has somehow managed to do the impossible: capture the zeitgeist of the nation's political and cultural mood while producing visually and intellectually rich imagery. He blew into town and created a fantastic mural on the side of a building on 29th Street only five days ago, while his work is a virtual sell-out at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery exhibit space at the Scope alternative art fair. With prices topping out at $25,ooo for the largest pieces and overall multi-fair-wide sales reportedly dampened by the economic downturn, his success is a pleasant testament to talent and ubiquity. When asked about the impact of Fairey's Obama poster on buyer interest, the gallery rep pointed to his pre-existing, ongoing popularity with collectors, as well as the common first-impression that his work might be that of an Asian artist. Nonetheless, a number of first-time collectors have joined the ranks during the Miami event. With limited edition prints going for $1100 and up, the appeal is clear. Buy now and feel good about it.

Detail, Site-Specific Mural, 29th Street, Miami, December 2008

Shepard Fairey at Jonathan LeVine
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