First Edition: A Shopping List from 48 Hours at Art Basel
December Newsletter
ICYMI: Art Basel Miami took place the other week and it was a whirlwind. I posted a lot of favorites to my Instagram stories but who doesn’t need a little more art in their inbox?
The fair was a bit quiet and less urgent and frenzied than years past but it felt like sales were very much still happening. Every article I’ve seen post-fair confirms these suspicions, noting collectors were there to buy, they were just taking their time. Which is honestly a bit refreshing! In terms of overall aesthetic trends, I felt there was a pretty even mix of anxious and ominous, beautiful and whimsical with expected dashes of politics. Artists are the best at mirroring our current ethos, and I’d say the mix was on point.
On a personal level, I can’t decide if it’s because I hadn’t been to a fair in a year (a stark contrast to my 6x+ fairs a year schedule) or if the art was just really great — but I made some great new discoveries and saw some very strong works by artists I love. I was particularly drawn to the beauty, as I often am, but in times of such chaos, a sweet still life or a calming collection of colors really compelled me.
Deep Dive: Miami Prices
A crazy thing about these fairs is how readily available the pricing is if you ask. So, while everyone knows Picasso is priceless — in Miami, Couple with Cup (1969) is just a cool $30 million.
So in that spirit, here is my shopping list with prices. If you are curious about these works, or others from the fair, shoot me a note — while not all of the below are still available similar works very well may be. (Jane Corrigan, for example, has a show in May and the works are pretty awesome.)
Art Basel Miami Beach
Joan Mitchell, Untitled, 1958 @ Pace Gallery
Always iconic, this early work by Joan Mitchell gives a glimpse into the strength of her gestural brushstroke. $9.5m
Hayley Barker, Wingate Window, 2024 @ Ingleby Gallery
I am constantly chasing down Hayley Barker’s work, getting lost in her intricate, natural world is unmatched. $120,000
Karyn Lyons, The Insomniacs, 2024 @ Anat Ebgi
Another artist I run to find whenever I can. You never know what is happening in her vignettes, they never cease to surprise and change depending on the perspective you bring to them. $54,000
Gideon Rubin, Untitled, 2024 @ Anat Ebgi
On the more affordable side for the fair, Gideon’s work followed me around the fair appearing in Anat Ebgi’s booth and at Galerie Karsten Greve. This one was $15,000.
Side note — the Banana sold at Art Basel Miami Beach in Perrotin’s booth originally in 2018 for $120,000. Spoiler alert, it resold for much more than that recently.
NADA Miami
Jane Corrigan, Classroom, 2024 @ Sea View
Her paintings feel a bit like peeking into a child’s mind, in the best, most endearing way. $8,500
Katelyn Eichwald, The Mothers, 2024 @ Cob
Katelyn’s works really cement my obsession with teeny tiny paintings. These are so intimate and precise — this tiny guy is only 4x6 inches! $2,750
Connor O’Leary, The Pulpit, 2024 @ Martha’s
Seemingly mundane, the little narrative surprises have you looking twice. $5,000
Zoe Koke, Eos, 2024 @ Franz Kaka
The pallet and the movement caught my eye from across the room. Still dreaming of this one. $8,500
A fun bonus: Chris Bradley, Sconce (Cellar Door), 2024 @ Ackerman Clarke
Who doesn’t like a (very) little sculpture? $1,200
Untitled
Vinna Begin, Angeles, 2024 @ Sears-Peyton Gallery
Vinna is a new discovery for me. I loved the combination of raw texture and minimalist geometry. The colors were also spot on. $2,200
Trending
- of Art Forecast (my fair partner for the week) also created a super fun NADA round-up here.
The Banana (discussed previously here, here, and here) was sold to a crypto investor for $6m+. (While this was the first time the unforgettable pop-culture icon appeared on the auction block, its unfailing ability to make headlines creates a pretty strong argument for just updating this section to Banana news.)
Another pop culture moment — one of the pairs of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz sold for a whopping $32m, by way of a bidding war that started at $1.5m — a result over 5x the previous record for movie or pop culture object. This collecting category may be one to watch.
Until next time…