My Highlights from Palm Springs Fine Art Fair 2015

My Selection:

Bruce Nauman, Normal Desires, 1973, at IKON Ltd. Contemporary Art

Bruce Nauman, in my opinion one of the five greatest living artists in the world, presents one of his always ambiguous works. What is a “normal” desire? That is for you to determine, but both the text and the lushness of the black imagery makes this a very special Nauman work.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Rinso), 1982, at IKON Ltd. Contemporary Art

This print by Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the greatest neo-expressionists of our time, expresses many ideas using images and text. One of which, “RINSO”—taken from the work’s title—playfully expresses his own and other black-skinned artists’ plight of trying to “whitewash” the blackness out of themselves, in what was, and still is, a white-dominated art world.

Sam Francis, Happy Death (SF-9), 1960, at IKON Ltd. Contemporary Art

Sam Francis created veils and layers of colors that have never been surpassed.  His “stop you still in your tracks” compositions are adored throughout the world. This seminal print is an outstanding example of some of his early work, and therefore a very exciting possibility for acquisition.

Tom Wesselmann, Study for Smoker #26, 1977, at IKON Ltd. Contemporary Art

Wesselmann, I believe, was the most sophisticated of all the pop artists in his choice of imagery. This excellent early work is an iconic example of his many “Smokers” works, which along with his “Great American Nude” series, helped propel Wesselmann to greatness.

Ed Ruscha, Time is up, 1989, at IKON Ltd. Contemporary Art

Ed Ruscha, one of America’s preeminent artists, is known for his text-based works. This work, in its visual image, is so perfect as not to even require any text, as the image says it all!

Alfredo Scaroina, Untitled, 2014, at UNIX Gallery

In my opinion, this is an artist on a fast track. With (affinities to) Twombly, Schnabel, Polke, and Rauschenberg hovering in the “background,” Scaroina brings his own Dominican heritage, his love for reclaiming the discarded, and his lyrical expressionism to the canvas.

Andy Warhol, Sunset, 1972, at Adamar Fine Arts