Kenny Schachter publishes his diary from ArtBasel Miami Beach:
In the morning I had an anemic run, thinking that I was barely keeping pace with Jeffrey Deitch, noted former dealer and now director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, when for about the 10th year in a row he came from nowhere and passed me on the beach. Even taking a jog is a social event, eavesdropping on fast-walkers collecting proclivities and greeting acquaintances while, in my case, gasping for breath.
Finally it was time for the big tent to open. […] [W]hat made the biggest impression […] was the abundance of absolutely phenomenal, glorious, spectacular art.
Paintings by the lyrical abstractionist Larry Poons, who for his “throw paintings” series did just that with goops of paint; sculptures by Ai Weiwei ranging in price from €30k to €300k; buckets of Gerhard Richter (after his stellar auction performance of late); more Andy Warhols than you could shake a stick at; and, one of my favorites (a great buy ahead of his Museum of Modern Art retrospective in 2014), Sigmar Polke.
I could easily drop millions and not lose sleep due to the exceptionally high quality of the works on offer. Though I’d probably end up in debtor’s prison as a result.
The ancillary NADA fair was wonderful, a venue where you can still impulse buy art for (sometimes) well under $1,000.
Miami Art Week Art Dealer’s Diary by Kenny Schachter (Artnet.com)
