Off the chART -- Rephotography

In early May, mainstream media was buzzing about the Richard Price exhibition at the New York Frieze Art Fair.  In a nut shell, the artist displayed giant size screen shots of random people’s Instagram photos.  You can read more about it here.

The exhibition is thought provoking on so many levels.  Without delving into the complex debate on internet privacy issues, I was inspired to focus on concepts of re-photography and appropriation.   In the simplest terms, this is when artists take existing objects or images and transform them into a different context.   Duchamp's Fountain and Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans are two popular examples.

Here are some wonderful finds of current artists exploring this challenging genre.  

1. Hollie Chastain  "Gather It Up 12" collage on book cover

2. Roma Ieri "Judy e Kelly le gemelle di James Stewart" photograph
3. Betina La Plante "Now and Then" photograph
4. Franz Falckenhaus "Memory 57" collage
5. Johwey Redington "Life’s Pace Quickens" Encaustic, oil, and found objects on wood

-Jessica B

Off the chART -- Fiber Art

As the annual May Impressionist and Contemporary auctions in New York come to a record-breaking close, I wanted to highlight a genre that has interested me recently -- Fiber Art. There is something about the vivid colors and textures that I keep coming back to. I am amazed at how these artists can transform simple threads into voluminous sculptural pieces.  Check out some of these finds you can grab for under a $179.4 million!

1. Gabriel Dawe torres de satélite + site specific installation at centraltrak + gütermann thread, painted wood and hooks + 7' x 14" x 16' + 2011
2. Elizabeth McTague Macrame wall hanging 24 inches wide and 28 inches long
3. Karen Margolis Yin-yang, 2015 14x11”, Watercolor, gouache, map fragments, thread on Abaca
4. Jose Romussi  Embroidered vintage black & white photograph
5. Jennifer Reifsneider Landfall (Inverted Mercator) 2012, thread 113" x 80" x 10"

-Jessica B

Off the chART

As Jess mentioned in my blog introduction, prior to joining Nest Studio I was a VP at JPMorgan Private Bank’s Art Advisory group. Without going through my whole resume, my department basically helped high net worth clients (AKA the super wealthy) through all stages of art collecting. I accompanied art experts and clients to auctions, private home visits and gallery tours.

This exposure to museum quality art collections cultivated my own preferences in the most unfortunate way.  I could never buy what I loved. For me it was two worlds divided. One was with prosecco, Picasso and Pollock. The other was the clearance section at Pier One Imports.

Since my budget was so minuscule compared to my clients, I humorously coined the term chART.  It’s an umbrella term meaning “cheap art.”  From a definition standpoint, chART includes the $59.99 fully-framed mass produced paintings found at Homegoods, Marshalls and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Over time I realized that chART may not be cheap at all.  Take a look at the price tags at high-end retail mall galleries or seaside tourist cities.  Often times it’s commercial and costly.

Luckily the art world isn't truly a divided black and white space.  An entire spectrum exists between the competitive urban art market and the more generic retail chART.   Artists, even if not prominently featured in galleries or the mainstream press, are still making unique, interesting and affordable art.  And with the advent of websites like etsy and 20x200 there are so many more venues for these creative individuals to market their work.

Over the next several months, I’m excited to explore these younger artists and help us move off the chART.  Stay tuned for more on topics like fiber artists, photography and street art.

- Jessica B.

1. Nike Schroeder
2. Alberto Seveso
3. Sapling Press