A Showcase of Intimacy, Unconventionality, and Laid-Back Elegance

Courtesy of Dallas Art Fair's instagram

▲ Courtesy of Dallas Art Fair's instagram

 

The 2024 edition of the Dallas Art Fair opened its doors to VIPs on Thursday at the city's Fashion Industry Gallery. Despite the bustling atmosphere, the fair maintained its characteristic intimacy, which sets it apart as a distinctive experience.

One notable aspect of the DAF is the presence of intriguing and unconventional artwork brought in by art dealers, reflecting their confidence in the audience's inclination to take their time to observe and appreciate. Collectors from Texas are known for their casual approach, often stopping to chat with dealers as if attending a relaxed social gathering or a sports event. Unlike the high-pressure environments of fairs like Frieze or Basel, Dallas Art Fair offers a more laid-back atmosphere, albeit without compromising on sales activity.

This year's edition showcases 91 galleries, representing major cities such as Berlin, Mexico City, New York, and, naturally, Dallas itself.

According to Artnews Here are several standout booths at the Dallas Art Fair, which will continue until April 7th.

1) Tammi Campbell and Krzysztof Strzelecki at Anat Ebgi

▲ Krzysztof Strzelecki's Muscle Worship - Big Pecs (2023) / Courtesy of Anat Ebgi

Krzysztof Strzelecki’s "Muscle Worship – Big Pecs" (2023) and Tammi Campbell’s "Homage to the Square with Bubble Wrap and Packing Tape" (2023) present starkly different artworks that nonetheless engage in a compelling dialogue. Strzelecki’s piece features a striking pair of boxing gloves crafted from glazed ceramic and gold lustre, evoking the intensity of a championship fight. On the other hand, Campbell’s work incorporates colorful squares on a canvas enveloped in what appears to be protective bubble wrap, though it is actually hard acrylic made using molds by the artist. Despite their disparate subjects, both artworks explore themes of tactility through the juxtaposition of hard and soft materials, inviting viewers to reconsider their perceptions of tactile reality.

2) Sergio Miguel at Deli Gallery

▲ Installation shot of Sergio Miguel's work at Deli Gallery / Courtesy Deli Gallery

 

At Deli Gallery, paintings by Mexican artist Sergio Miguel offer a unique blend of art historical tradition and contemporary sensibility. Miguel's works feature young boys depicted alongside wiry dragon creatures against a backdrop of grey seascape, evoking a sense of impending puberty and melancholy. Drawing inspiration from the Spanish colonial Casta painting style, typically commissioned by aristocrats, Miguel's reinterpretation through a postcolonial lens adds depth to the portrayal of non-noble protagonists. Despite the disarming juxtaposition of tender interaction with monstrous figures against a backdrop of disenchantment, the children appear safe, a reassurance emphasized by Miguel's custom-made frames with dagger-like points at each corner.

3) Kenny Nguyen at Sundaram Tagore

▲ Kenny Nguyen, Encounter Series No. 22 (2024) / Courtesy Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Kenny Nguyen's artworks, consisting of free-hanging silk and acrylic pieces on canvas, exhibit a unique blend of softness, sculptural qualities, and sensuality. Despite appearing to billow and ripple with the slightest breeze when hung on the wall, they remain still due to their inherent structure. Nguyen explained that these works are initially created flat, woven on the floor, and later sculpted on the wall once dried.

In discussing his art with ARTnews, Nguyen likened the transformative nature of his pieces to the ever-changing identity of individuals. He emphasized the desire for art to possess an interactive and reflective quality, mirroring the dynamism of existence.

4) Scott Reeder at Saenger Galería 

▲ Scott Reader’s Bread and Butter (Motorboat), 2023 / Courtesy Saenger Galería

The Dallas Art Fair is celebrated for its departure from conventional art world solemnity, instead embracing a genuine love for art without pretension. Scott Reeder's "Bread and Butter" paintings, exhibited at Saenger Galería from Mexico City, exemplify this joyful spirit. In one piece, a slice of toast captains a motorboat across a serene blue sea, while a stick of butter leisurely melts under the sun on the boat's deck. Another painting portrays a stick of butter and a toasted bread slice sharing a romantic moment, depicted without literal eyes, as they enjoy a glass of wine under a cabana amidst swaying palm trees and a picturesque sunset in the background.

5) Andrea Geyer at Hales

▲ Andrea Geyer, Constellations (Nora Holt after Carl Van Vechten), 2022 / Courtesy the artist and Hales, London and New York. Photo by JSP Art Photography.

Among the notable works showcased at the fair are two photographic collages by Andrea Geyer from her Constellation series. These collages offer reimagined portraits of influential women known for hosting salons that left a lasting impact on their cultural and political milieu. Originally captured by Harlem Renaissance photographer Carl Van Vechten, these images have been transformed into geometric collages, preserving the immediacy and intimacy of the original portraits.

One of the standout pieces features Nora Holt, recognized as the first black woman to earn a master’s degree in music. This particular collage is characterized by a pleasing and intricately scattered geometric arrangement. Van Vechten’s patterned chunky floral backdrop contributes to the depth of the composition, with Holt's warm countenance radiating a captivating presence at the center, reminiscent of a city block illuminated by her aura.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com