LA Art Fair 2016 is here

The Los Angeles Convention Center hosts this year’s LA Art Fair. I know it is certainly not Arco Madrid, Art Basel, Art Miami, or Armory New York, as many enjoy reminding us, but it is home and it is here. The art fair is in it’s 21st year and still enjoys decent turnouts by art fair standards. Arco Madrid boasted 92,000 attendees in 2014, according to Art News. According to the fair’s website and LA Times, the LA Art Fair drew nearly 60,000 during it’s four day event in 2015; which is not bad for Angelinos.

Wednesday night, I walked through the fair during the Patron Reception in an effort to beat the weekend crowds. I have to say that my personal favorite was a large painting of a water filled car against faces made of clouds on a beautiful blue sky by John Valadez.  For me, it is what dreams are made of.

The fair is many things to many people, Disneyland to artists and sometimes inconvenient furniture to dealers, who are, no doubt, trying to make a sale. The Collectors are trying to get the best bang for their buck. The media is looking for the art stars, or even better, a candid shot of a celebrity; it is LA, after all.

Like a typical artist, I’m not well versed in popular culture; Anne Hathaway passed right by me and I didn’t recognize her as someone of note. I had to Google her to know who she was. Turns out, Anne Hathaway and her husband Adam Shulman, who I also had to Google, are hosting this year’s LA Art Fair.

If you are a printmaker, you might appreciate the Building Bridges Art Exchange booth. Building Bridges Art Exchange (BBAX) is a charitable non-profit 501c3 arts organization established in 2005. The booth featured an installation of four carved tires being used as printing plates. The tires stand on the prints, which are draped, resembling scrolls. It reminded me of Automobile Tire Print (1953) by Robert Rauschenberg.

The Timothy Yarger Fine Art booth was clever in its use of repurposed materials: cardboard doors, walls and floor. I enjoyed the craftsmanship with which it was assembled so much, that I missed the artwork in the booth.

There usually are a few Performance Artists walking around. This year, a performer who stood out was Yana Clark in Self RefleXion costume; which covers her completely in tiny mirrors.

After enjoying myself at the fair for several hours, I attempted to make my leave, however I kept encountering fellow Artists, Collectors, Curators, Journalists and art lovers. I am not sure if it is indicative of the art world of LA, but after asking if there was anything they liked, or if anything stood out above the rest, the answer was generally the same, “I like to watch the people.”

As I rode down the escalator, on my way out, I saw Cheech Marin going the opposite direction with his wife. I guess that I, too, like to watch the people.

 

LA Art Fair 2016
January 27-31, 2016

Celebrate the 2016 LA Art Show, the West Coast’s most comprehensive art experience. Presented by The Palm Beach Show Group.

Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
West Hall A

SHOW DATES
Thursday, January 28, 2016 11am – 7pm
Friday, January 29, 2016 11am – 7pm
Saturday, January 30, 2016 11am – 7pm
Sunday, January 31, 2016 11am – 5pm