A Pocket Guide to Painting at SPRING/BREAK Art Show 2019
Pictured: Ryan Michael Ford / Room E12, Between the Ears is the Head and the Beaches, Curated by Natalia Sacasa
Contributed by Fay Sanders and Bob Szantyr / New York art fair season is here, and SPRING/BREAK, in its eighth year, has mounted another bold and energized display of contemporary art in an unexpected space. The new location, in a United Nations building, hosts a six-day presentation of work by over 400 artists. More than 100 curators have taken a shot at the timely theme �Fact and Fiction,� which seems perfect in terms of the new UN location, as well as ideally suited to painting approaches. Alternative realities – utopian, dystopian, and in between – are everywhere. This big, rich display of sculpture, painting, drawing, video, performance, and of course wallpaper offers something for everyone. Here are ten paintings that caught our attention.
Pictured: Karen Heagle / Room S13, TV Guide, Curated by Jennifer McCoy, Jennifer Dalton, and Kevin McCoy. Artists include Jennifer Dalton, Anthony Discenza, Angela Dufresne, Oasa DuVerney, Wellington Fan, Anthony Goicolea, Karen Heagle, Karen Marston, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Alex McQuilkin, David Opdyke, William Powhida, and Peter RostovskyPictured: Emma Tapley / Room E29, Sense of Place, Curated by Michael Holden, Artists include Gina Borg, Jennifer Coates, Mary DeVincentis, Allison Gildersleeve, Angela Heisch, Deborah Kirklin, Nikki Lindt, Kristen Schiele, Emma Tapley, Rachael WrenPictured: Hiroya Kurata / Room E1, Nostalgic Utopia, Curated by Koki Arts, Artists include Hiroya Kurata and Hiro TsuchiyaPictured: Hiro Tsuchiya / Room E1, Nostalgic Utopia, Curated by Koki Arts, Artists include Hiroya Kurata and Hiro TsuchiyaPictured: Max Razdow / Room E28, Court of the Dryad, Curated by Kari Adelaide and Max Razdow, Artists include Aaron Spangler, Kyle Staver, and Max RazdowPictured: Jeremy Olson / Room E33, Coral Projects: Underwater Land Art Lab, Curated by Vanessa Albury and Tamara Weg, Artists include Rachel Frank, Lauren Gidwitz, LOCUS (Thale Fastvold, Tanja Thorjussen with Don Lawrence,) Karen Marston, Jeremy Olson, John Torreano and Vanessa AlburyPictured: Ho Jae Kim / Room E26, Play to Win, Curated by Sarah NamPictured: Brittany Tucker / Room E19, Studied, Curated by Lizzy Chiappini + Grace CaiazzaPictured: Kindah Khalidy / Room W37, Chroma, Special Project: Chandran Gallery
Conrad Vogel grew up in Briarcliff Manor, New York, graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1977, traveled in Italy, and then moved to New York City where he lived as an artist for more than forty years.
If those are the best or better paintings I’m glad I skipped SPRINGbreak this year…very UNDERwhelming…!!