My Highlights from Art Basel in Miami Beach 2014
Many of the artists I have selected are ones whom I already collect and admire. When I look at works to buy, I approach them with an open mind and go with instinct. Buy what you love and can’t live without!
My Selection:
Will Cotton, Elle with Cupcakes, at Mary Boone Gallery
Will’s photo-realistic figurative paintings attract me with their humor, fashion, and color. The play with eroticism and the delectable are engaging and re-imagine traditional genres of portraiture. Sitting for my cupcake portrait was an unforgettable experience!
Jonathan Horowitz, Double Rainbow Flag for Jasper in the Style of the Artists Boyfriend, 2013, at Sadie Coles HQ
What really attracts me to this piece is the use of colors, glitter, and art-historical references. The methodical breakdown of the canvas into it's even parts is engaging to the eye. The work is playful, examines appropriation, and has a serious cultural topic, which is still very relevant.
Don Brown, Yoko XXXIII, 2010, at Sadie Coles HQ
I like the very real, extremely detailed and smooth surfaces of Brown’s sculptures of his wife. I own a piece of Yoko in white, and am drawn to the darker tones of the bronze finish of this work.
Elger Esser, Ninfa - Nycheia, 2013, at Kewenig Galerie
I am interested in large-scale photography, particularly works that appear as if they were a memory or seem gauzy. This work seems particularly dreamlike and serene, and I love the very soothing monochromatic palette.
Luis Gispert, Louis Vuitton Monogramouflage, 2014, at Rhona Hoffman Gallery
This work attracts me because of the saturated green color against the contrast of the outdoors. The front window frames the snowy scene, which reminds me of time spent in Aspen!
John Giorno, We Gave a Party for the Gods All Came, 2014, at Elizabeth Dee
I have this work in black-and-white and the phrase is really fun and lighthearted. This work grabs my eye because of the use of the rainbow-colored background, which leaves me uplifted and inspired.
Nam June Paik, Reclining Buddha, 1994, at James Cohan Gallery
This East-meets-West objectification of the female figure is provocative and grabs my attention with the juxtaposition of the clothed male figure versus the unclothed female figure.
Yinka Shonibare, Magic Ladder Kid IV, 2014, at James Cohan Gallery
I am really drawn to Shonibare’s use of patterns, colors, and textiles combined with sculpture. In particular, I’m interested in his figurative works of photography, painting, and sculpture.
Xu Zhen, Under Heaven -- 3228IN0144, 2014, at James Cohan Gallery
I love how this work is created using cake decorating utensils, and has an incredible amalgamation of textures! The bright, rosy colors pop, which, combined with the delicate cake-like structures, tempt the eye with its trickery.
Patrick Lee, Deadly Friends (Eva), 2013, at Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe
Lee’s photorealistic graphite portraits are provocative and unsettling. Although aggressive in content, I appreciate the extreme detail, and I am drawn to the figurative depiction of humanity.