OnTheCusp.org

Chicago Wrap-Up

[image left, view of Kim Keever's studio from his website]

Well my mini vacation is over and I have since caught up on all my sleep, so I have decided to write about some of the highlights of Art Chicago and NOVA as I see them. For those that would like to read up more on the selling of Art Chicago to the Merchandise Mart and see a better run down of all the art fair news check out Iconoduel and Bad at Sports. Iconoduel has a really nice photo run down of NOVA as well. Made me wish I had taken a lot more pictures than I did. All in all I enjoyed both art fairs quite a bit and fun with my friends and trying new places to eat. Well worth the trip in my opinion.

[image left, a Cibacrome by Kim Keever]

The Best of Art Chicago for me would have to be the large beautiful Cibacrhome's by Kim Keever. I knew of his work before I saw them at the fair but seeing them in person has hooked me. I am a fan of his work now. These things are simply beautiful and full of mystery. Reminds me of surreal, alien, landscapes from old Flash Gordon Serials from the 30's and 40's, with obvious ties to Turneresque landscapes. It appears that Keever creates these landscapes inside a large aquarium in his studio with the use of found objects, lights, and dyes suspended in water. [see image above for studio view]

[image left, sculpture by Bryan Zimmerman]

The Best of NOVA for me would have to be a small, though life size, sculpture by Bryan Zimmerman of a taxidermied, fiddle playing, raccoon in a coonskin cap. This thing had me smiling for some time. Perhaps it comes from my growing up surrounded by taxidermied animals, a hobby of my father. Strangely enough there are several artists I like that use taxidermy in some form or another. Kind of fun, kind of gross, kind of nostalgic. Any way, I loved this piece. Zimmerman is represented by Dam, Stuhltrager Gallery.

Another highlight for me was meeting the artist Christian Tedeschi, a member of the artist collective Telegraph. I have been a fan of the work that Christian and Telegraph have done ever since I saw them at last years NOVA art fair. And once again their booth proved worth visting. Well, this is very brief view of what I liked at the art fairs but there is just too much to write about and honestly I didn't take very good notes. Now I am hoping to be able to make it to Art Basel Miami this year and check out all the fairs there. And as of last week, NOVA is going to take place in Miami as well. Another art fair in an already crowded weekend, I can't wait.

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