Affordable Art Fair New York Uneven Yet Exciting

Affordable Art Fair Opening, March 29, 2017, courtesy Phillip Reed

Welcome to Affordable Art Fair weekend in New York City. You’ve probably seen the bright pink banners everywhere alongside ads showing vaguely surprised art collectors with their newly bought artwork. Founded in London eighteen years ago, Affordable Art Fair has remained in the spotlight and it’s not disappearing anytime soon. While we’ve had our Spring & Fall iterations here in New York, versions have popped up from Stockholm to Singapore, with stipulations that art meet certain qualifications and standards and remain under roughly USD $10,000 (hence the moniker, “affordable.”) But is the Affordable Art Fair (“AAF”) really worth a visit? On view at Metropolitan Pavilion from March 29-April 2, 2017, there are a few reasons it’s worth dropping in, and one very good reason to reconsider.

Affordable Art Fair Opening, March 29, 2017, courtesy Phillip Reed

(New) Unique Pieces are Up For Grabs

Looking for new work? This is your fair – surveying the works on display, most are newer than five years old. Many of these works, if not completely original pieces, belong to a limited series of prints signed and numbered by the artist. This results in mostly unique, new pieces all under the fair cap of $10,000…and if $10k sounds a bit out of reach to you, several of the galleries showing at the fair have multiple options under $1000. But the key factor for these pieces is their appeal to the visitor, and the saving grace of this fair are the innovative artworks on view at sites like Julio Valdez project space and Chiefs and Spirits. There is more space for experimentation and innovation when you’re not having to conform to long-held collector expectations at inflated price points, and AAF exhibitors use this to their advantage.

Jonathan Yeo, Cara II (Cafe) Print, 2017, courtesy Manifold Editions, London.

Under-recognized Artists = Quality at a Bargain

It’s no secret that the art market supplies more artwork than there is demand for. At Affordable Art Fair, this works in the visitors’ favor. With participating galleries from Amsterdam and Seoul, London and Bangkok, a wide range of artists seeking exposure abroad and placement with new collectors results in great deals for works on view. These artists may not have career surveys at MoMA but they can induce wonder and exhibit mastery, both features that complement any comprehensive art collection.

Nicole Hamlin, Dictionary, 2016, courtesy Lustre Contemporary, Toronto

Diversity of Art for Sale

Assemblage art flanking colorful resin sculptures, minimal pointillist portraits, and photo-collage works span the fair’s two floors. The sheer range of art mediums and scale of artworks, from the handheld to the immersive, means that the clichéd “something for everyone” definitely rings true for Affordable Art Fair. Around every corner something different is waiting, whether it’s a surprising take on portraiture including surrealist photo-collage or interesting mixed-media assemblages producing a large-scale landscape: it’s all up for grabs.

Ryan Callanan, The Illest Biggie Bust, 2017, courtesy TAG Fine Arts, London

….and, Lack of DIversity.

Yes, this is the celebrity portrait fair. You’ll find the kitsch (curse words in elaborate typefont) flanking Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn portraits with “interesting” embellishments. The Affordable Art Fair can, at times, emphasize the affordable more than the art component, but ultimately this is the people’s fair and that means reflecting tastes across the vibrant spectrum that is art collectors in New York, in America, and abroad. Ultimately if we are all going to be collectors, there should be something for all tastes, and Affordable Art Fair promises to satisfy that evasive requirement.

If you do swing it, make sure to swing by the fair’s standouts, including Julio Valdez project space, Gas Gallery, Chiefs and Spirits, Rebecca Hossack, La Lanta Gallery and The Public House. Come view cutting-edge soft sculpture, works on paper, and paintings by emerging and under-appreciated artists from around the world. And remember to keep looking if you hit a booth that’s not to your style – if you continue on, odds are you’ll be reminded of the proverb that there’s more than (immediately) meets the eye.