ArtForum’s diarists were hard at work in Miami last week. Andrew Berardini explained the underlying thrum of stress effecting everyone:

Miami fair week is stressful: Dealers stressing about collectors. Collectors stressing about outgunning other collectors. Curators stressed by trustees. Most everyone in the business stressed out about dinners and parties. Wandering aimlessly from free drink to free drink, critics are stressed out by everybody else. Artists should probably just stay home. “I really like colorful things,” the collector across the table told me as dessert arrived. “Did see you any colorful things for sale?”

Kate Sutton actually found time, briefly, to look at some of the art on offer:

There was a charming suite of Jack Smith works on paper at Gladstone, a smart new Glenn Ligon text painting at Regen Projects, and some Robert Overbys punctuating the booth at Andrew Kreps. Lots of Gabriel Orozco, too. Like lots lots. The fair wasn’t without peril. At Sies+Hoke,Kris Martin’s metal starbursts were so sharp the gallery had to post a sign telling viewers that they were entering the booth at their own risk. Perhaps more dangerous was Ryan McGinley’s Turken and Tampon, which inspired mass double-takes outside Team Gallery. “It’s hard to imagine a more brutal image,” dealer Jose Freire admitted. “But that’s why I’m showing it.”

Diddy Complex (Artforum)
Pep Raleigh (Artforum)