True Stories From Armory Week

September 12, 2022 • View in browser

Good morning. 🌧️ Last week, we were at the art fairs in New York City and we’ve published reports from five of the events. Our reporters offered their personal takes on the fairs, interviewing a wide range of people and trying to peel back the PR and artifice to tell the real stories of the artists, visitors, dealers, and arts professionals who gravitate to the events. We hope you enjoy our coverage.

You may have heard that there's a new English monarch, and Sarah Rose Sharp sifted through the memes to find the crème de la crème of visual punditry about the newly crowned King Charles III.

Alexis Clements travels to The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut to review 52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone, which expands on critic and curator Lucy Lippard’s important 1971 exhibition, Twenty Six Contemporary Women Artists, adding 26 more female or nonbinary artists who haven’t had a major US solo museum exhibitions as of March 1, 2022 (echoing a similar constraint used in the original show). What a great concept, no?

And a special thanks to those who attended our Armory tour last Friday. It was wonderful to meet many of you for the first time.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

52 Artists Challenges the Meaning of "Women's Art"

What most stands out for me about 52 Artists at the Aldrich Contemporary is the sense of both engaging with and resisting categories. | Alexis Clements

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LATEST NEWS

“Laser Eye King Charles” is already a template on KnowYourMeme. (via KnowYourMeme.com)

As whatever part of the world that still believes monarchy should be a thing mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, a new anachronistic figurehead prepares to step into her place. Charles, Prince of Wales, the world’s oldest intern, has finally risen to the throne.

Of course, as one king ascends to the throne, the rest of the world must meme.

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The Jewish Museum Examines a Pivotal Period for Art and Culture in New York: 1962–1964

Featuring more than 180 works by iconic artists, the exhibition is the last project conceived and curated by the late art historian, curator, and critic Germano Celant. Learn more.

INSIDE ARMORY WEEK

True Stories From the Armory Show

At the Rolls-Royce of art fairs, I found chatty visitors, some good art, and works so bad they deserved their own section. | Hakim Bishara

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Fifth Cornell Biennial Contemplates “Futurities, Uncertain”

From September 15 to 17, public events in Ithaca, New York, feature 40 artists and commissioned works by Xu Bing, Mendi & Keith Obadike, Sara Jimenez, and Paul Vanouse. Learn more.

Three Lessons About Art on Paper

Paper is all about ease, comfort, and approachability, and it’s gratifying when artworks embody these values. | Jasmine Liu

Clio Art Fair, Where Artists Represent Themselves

The fair is a welcome reminder that a lot of people make art, and regular people should be able to buy it. | Elaine Velie

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Peter Koch: The Book as a Work of Art Presented by Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art

Celebrated works from Koch’s five-decade career as fine printer, typographic designer, and revolutionary book artist are exhibited together for the first time in Great Falls, Montana. Learn more.

SPRING/BREAK (FOREVER)

Welcome to the Dustbin of History

Jake Scharbach's paintings dump on some iconic portraits as a way to highlight the crisis we're living through. | Hrag Vartanian

A Robot Dog Is Painting Self-Portraits at the 2022 Spring Break Art Fair

There’s an artist currently showing in Midtown Manhattan who is teaching a machine to paint. | Hrag Vartanian

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COMICS

Spring Break Art Show Asks, What Is the Ideal Naked Lunch?

From magic carpets to Hot Cheeto bathtub feasts, artists on their creations for the city’s beloved eclectic art fair. | Susan Coyne

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