Magic at Frieze LA
Discoveries at the art fair
Frieze LA, an international art fair now in its fourth year in Los Angeles, brought out Hollywood stars, collectors, and art lovers alike. As a first-time attendee, the influx of art at every corner was delightful and overwhelming. I listened in on conversations between gallery owners and buyers about the expected return of rising artists and the treasure trove of knowledge art advisors shared with their clients, from specific techniques used to how a piece connected to the rest of an artist’s expansive thesis. I was awestruck and humbled, leading with my eye and instinct (and thrown into rabbit holes of research once back home). A truly magical experience with a lots of artist discoveries and some known old friends who made my heart skip a beat (Etel Adnan, Matisse, Calder, David Hockney, to name a few).
Read on for some new to me artists, discovered at the show.
Hugo McCloud | Sean Kelly
Hugo McCloud is a self-taught artist with a background in industrial design. McCloud’s goal is to showcase the beauty and the burden of manual workers being from a working-class family himself. McCloud further reinforces this theme with his use of nontraditional materials like tar, aluminum, and single-use plastic. Plastic specifically has become the connective tissue for McCloud’s work - a material that is recognizable and used by everyone, everywhere. McCloud’s piece at Frieze, covering, is composed of layered plastic bags that depict an image of a man pushing a heavy cart along a picturesque pier. The juxtaposition of the chaos and weight of his cart with the emptiness of his surroundings is mesmerizing. McCloud’s hope is that through his art the stories of people and strength they carry will no longer go unnoticed.
Kyoko Idetsu | Nonaka-Hill
Kyoko Idetsu is a Tokyo based artist whose work is defined as “anecdotal expressionism”, art that is rooted in everyday observations with vibrant and loud emotions present. Her art feels like a walk through whiplash of emotions that accompany the ordinary tasks of raising a family and finding the space to tap into yourself. Idetsu’s art is inspired by manga, television, and film with her story and voice at the center. Her piece, Nightmare (Incomprehensible) is a scene from a nightmare that Idetsu had where two drunk friends were feeding dairy to her son with a severe dairy allergy. Her fear and helpless are viscerally felt by the viewer, making them want to jump in and save the scared young kid. LA based gallery, Nonaka-Hill devoted their full exhibit to Idetsu’s work and sold out of all pieces during the show. Quite the reception for Idetsu’s first solo exhibit in the States.
Narsiso Martinez | Frieze Impact Prize Winner
Narsiso Martinez was selected at the Impact Prize winner, recognized for his impact on contemporary art and society. Martinez’s work celebrates the hidden identities of Latin farmworkers who power the US agriculture. The portraits of workers are drawn directly on the produce boxes they pack, forcing the viewer to reconcile the cost of immigrant labor with the otherwise invisible humans lives. Martinez worked in the farms to help pay through his M.F.A. program at California State University, Long Beach and saw firsthand how relentless and under-appreciated the work was. The portraits exude warmth and hopefulness, depicting the deep gratitude and respect that Martinez has for the workers.
Umar Rashid | Blum & Poe
Over the past seventeen years, Umar Rashid (also known as Frohawk Two Feathers) has been creating art that reimagines colonial history through a fictional world he created, the “Frenglish Empire”. Rashid pulls references from 18th century European manuscripts, Japanese screen painting, Persian miniatures, ancient Egypt, and hip hop. At Frieze, Blum + Poe featured a set of three canvases called “Terror Forming”, each with its unique story line and location in the 18th century - ranging from The Everglades in Florida to the Deccan Plateau in India. Blum + Poe confirmed sale of several of Rashid’s canvases at Frieze for $45,000. Rashid’s work is currently on view at MOMA PS1.
