DISPATCH - JULY 18, 2012 (10:15 p.m.)
BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY
artMRKT Hamptons opens its second art fair tomorrow on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society. An Evening Preview Party kicks off the fair. A summer barbecue presented by Brooklyn chef Leon Gunn will welcome visitors from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The Opening Night Party will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Parrish Art Museum.
The art fair opens on Friday and continues through Sunday.
Opening festivities asides, the main event at artMRKT Hamptons is the art. The show is an intimate one with around 41 galleries presenting contemporary and modern works. Mediums include painting, sculpture, drawings, photography, video and installation.
Around half of the galleries (22 out of 41) are based in New York City. The Hamptons has a strong presence with seven galleries exhibiting.
They include boltax.gallery (Shelter Island); Eric Firestone Gallery (East Hampton); Halsey Mckay Gallery (East Hampton); Karyn Mannix Contemporary (East Hampton); Kathryn Markel Fine Arts (Bridgehampton); Keyes Art Projects (Sag Harbor and NYC) and Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery (Sag Harbor).
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"Spring Green, WI" by John Messinger, 2011. 90 sheets of instant film, 44 x 48 inches. Exhibited by boltax.gallery.
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Galleries based in American cities make up the rest of the show. Cities represented include Providence (RI), Memphis (TN), Norfolk (VA), Philadelphia (PA), Chicago (IL), Oakland (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Miami (FL) and St Petersberg (FL). One gallery is from Firenze, Italy (Arte Nova).
This year sees the addition of four New York City galleries that get noticed by art insiders, said Fishko. They are DC Moore Gallery, Nancy Margolis Gallery, Envoy Enterprises and P.P.O.W.
"People pay attention to them and what they are doing," said Fishko. "They add a new dimension to the show. We feel the level of art is great this year."
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"Still Life Variation Sanguinic" by Thomas Woodruff. Acrylic on linen, 60 x 48 inches. Exhibited with P.P.O.W.
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The intimate scale of the fair encourages dialogue between fair goers and galleries. This fosters the discovery of art and learning about unique processes found in the artwork presented. It can also lead to uncovering well-known artists from different parts of the country, said Fishko.
One example is Sam Burke (exhibited with P.P.O.W). Burke is based in California and has a strong following there, said Fishko. For artMRKT Hamptons, Burke is presenting works on paper.
Evan Hecox (exhibiting with Joshua Liner Gallery) is another example, said Fishko. Hecox paints "traditional modern urban landscapes" of iconic spots that are known to city dwellers but wouldn't fall on a tourist list of must-see places.
This could include a train station in an outer NYC borough, a popular street corner, or the distinct roofline of Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. Many of the paintings and drawings are rendered on newspaper harkening to his street art days.
"Looking at the work you think that he must have grown up here [in NYC] but he didn't," said Fishko. "He's based in San Francisco. He has an eye for the urban environment."
Poised before artMRKT Hamptons is set to open, Fishko said he was excited about their return to Bridgehampton and are presenting a fair worth getting exciting about.
"I hope everyone likes the fair as much as I do," he said. "I think it will really be great one."
Here's a sneak peek at some of the art being exhibited:
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"Synthetic Landscape 53 (North Rim Lodge)" by Shane McAdams, 2011. Ballpoint pen, oil and resin on canvas, 24 x 24 inches. Exhibited by Allegra La Viola.
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"Made in China (Melting Flag)" by Andrew Schoultz, 2011. Gold leaf and acrylic on stretched American flag over panel, 42 x 64 inches. Exhibited by Eric Firestone Gallery.
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"1954-1943" by Mike Cloud, 2012. Oil on linen with paper sculpture, 28 x 24 x 7 inches. Exhibited with Meulensteen Gallery.
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"Untitled (purple leaves)" by Kim McCarty, 2008. Watercolor on paper, 27 x 13 inches. Exhibited with Morgan Lehman Gallery.
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"Tree & Beach" by Sara MacCulloch, 2012. Oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches. Exhibited with Kathryn Markel Fine Arts.
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"Sun-Washed" by Stephen Westfall, 1999. Oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches. Exhibited with Lennon Weinberg Gallery.
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"C/W/Sh/ouldhave" by Greely Myatt, 2012. Found signs, wood, Àorescent light, electricity, 19 x 46 x 5 inches. Exhibited with David Lusk Gallery.
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BASIC FACTS: artMRKT Hamptons opens tomorrow (Thursday) with an Evening Preview Party and summer barbecue from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Opening Night Party will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Parrish Art Museum.
The art fair is open on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Tickets are $20 per day or $35 for a 3-day pass. Admission to the Evening Preview Party is $100. For details, visit www.art-mrkt.com.
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© 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.