Ophir Gallery, Englewood, N.J.
Review and Photos by Andrea Valluzzo
NEW YORK CITY — The third annual New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, casually known as the New York Fall Show, so thoroughly transformed Pier 94’s layout during its November 9–13 run that you could almost swear you were standing inside the Park Avenue Armory, where the show had previously been mounted. The show manager, the Palm Beach Show Group, is known for its sophisticated show presentations, and this show was elegant, spacious and filled with carefully curated booths featuring striking and one-of-a-kind offerings.
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Colorful wallpapered booths and carpeted aisles were among the touches of finesse in the show and dealers strove to outdo themselves in putting exceptional objects on display.
Palm Beach Show Group CEO Scott Diament said they strove to make the show look as good as they could despite challenges they faced. “I believe we achieved the look we wanted. As far as Palm Beach Show Group and the things we do…, I believe we hit our mark,” he said. Coming off the heels of a historic and contentious presidential election, showgoers may have been a bit timid to bite the bullet on purchases. “Overall it was a challenging week,” he added, noting that while attendance may have not been at the numbers they wanted, “People came, they came from all over the region.”
Villa del Arte, Barcelona, Spain, not only took two booths on the show floor, but set up several eye-catching, large-scale installations around the show, including Julio Nieto’s stainless steel figural works, “Coreografia” and “Lo llevo bien.” The gallery was one of a handful of exhibitors in the newly created Contemporary Spotlight, a special section of the show that debuted this year to feature international contemporary art and design galleries. Some of the other dealers here included Gallery Koo, Seoul, Korea, which offered an ink and color work on mulberry paper, “Its Inside is Bigger Than Its Outside Waterfall…,” Art Link International, Lake Worth, Fla., which showed Mr Brainwash’s 84-by-72-inch portrait, “Picasso,” and the Evan Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles, displaying a large work by Michael Gorman depicting the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.
The artist Craig Alan’s large portrait of Audrey Hepburn, composed of hundreds of tiny painted people, was eye-catching at Guarisco Gallery, Washington, D.C., while coincidentally, across the show floor, The McLoughlin Gallery, San Francisco, also had a Hepburn portrait on view, this one by Jerome Lucani, a photographic survey made up layers of smaller related and biographical images.
A few gallerists chose to mount focused exhibitions. Cavalier Galleries, New York City, filled its booth with the works of American sculptor Jim Rennert, renowned
Enjoying the opening night party are (from left) Sharon Bush, Scott Diament and Lauren Bush Lauren. ©Patrick McMullan, Photo by Owen Hoffmann/PMC.
for his contemporary realism, that take their inspiration from Rennert’s ten years in the business world but are applicable to the everyman. In his bio on the gallery’s website, the artist describes his work: “Mixing the traditional medium of bronze and contemporary forms of flat laser-cut steel, I have illustrated themes and concepts of everyday work life. Initially I had hoped to have depicted popular culture’s ideas on achievement and success in an ironic and humorous fashion. However, over the past years, the work has taken on a more serious tone as I illustrate more about the thoughts and ideas we all deal with in contemporary society.”
Clark Priftis Art, New York City, created a glittering booth featuring art glass by Abby Modell from the artist’s new “Galaxy” collection, which incorporates hand blown glass, Swarovski crystals, mirror chips and rock gems to create otherworldly works of art inspired by the solar system.
It was not all contemporary here. Traditional antiques were plentiful on the show floor. M.S. Rau, which always seems to scout out striking objects for its show displays, proved that bigger is not always better. It offered up a fine Wedgwood Portland vase, priced in the six figures, circa 1795. One of the rare numbered first editions made by Josiah Wedgwood, the 8-inch-tall vase was exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology, Toronto, Canada, from 1951 to 1953.
Ophir Gallery, Englewood, N.J., can always be counted on for having a choice selection of Tiffany lamps and more in its booth, as evinced by a spectacular circa 1910 Tiffany Studios Poppy table lamp and a fetching Standing Bear sculpture by Nikolaï Ivanovich Liberich made in 1889, measuring 22¾ inches tall.
Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, Dillsburg, Penn., is well known for his collection of flags, and his display this time included a Lincoln and Hamlin campaign flag and a 13-star American example. A framed artwork for Buy War Bonds (shown here) was also striking and complemented Bridgman’s offerings.
Macklowe Gallery, New York City, also had a striking booth, featuring Tiffany lamps, such as a choice Peony example, stunning jewelry and more.
Callaghan Fine Paintings, Shrewsbury, U.K.
A fine contingent of international dealers participated in the show. Willow Gallery, London, introduced American audiences to wonderful French works such as Maximilien Luce’s “La Bievre pres de Paris,” 1890, and Pierre Eugene Montezin’s “Les Parasols sur la Promenade”; Sebastian Deya Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina, featured Adrien Henri Tanoux’s “The Garden Lunch” and works by Theodor van Thuden (after Rubens) and Jan Molenaer. Excelsior Art and Xavier Eury, Nancy, France, offered sublime examples of Daum Nancy wares, including a short vase with a landscape scene with a pale sky set off with hues of yellow and purple, decorated with trees, and a mocha-colored, acid etched and enameled tall cylindrical vase having a bulbous base, decorated with trees and gilding, circa 1900.
Rounding out the offerings here were Sylvia Powell Decorative Arts, London, which had a whimsical art glass sculpture by Fernand Leger and Egidion Costantini, “Fiore Sole,” made in Venice in 1962; and Solomon Treasure, New York City, which had as its frontispiece the largest French bronze sculpture Ferdinand Barbedienne produced. Titled “Le Soldat de Marathon,” it was made after a model by Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787–1843).
The show has reserved the same date pattern for next year. For information, 561-822-5440 or www.nyfallshow.com.
