Tomorrow I leave for Art Basel in Miami. Art Basel is happening between December 2nd and 5th. Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States. As the sister event of Switzerland’s Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 41 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. Exhibition sites are located in the city’s beautiful Art Deco District, within walking distance of the beach and many hotels.
I went to Art Basel last year and felt like I saw and experienced only a fraction of the art available. The world class art on display in the convention center alone is too much to digest in one day. I wandered in circles often finding myself back at the spot where I began. I am convinced a GPS is needed to navigate this endless maze of art. An iPhone Art Basel application is available and I hope it helps. This year I need to pace myself like a marathon runner while keeping my pen and sketchbook always ready. I need to keep my mind open and let the sketches flow. Last year I did this sketch of this huge sculpture by Thomas Housago. It is solidly built with rusting metal. The legs were made from quarter inch thick solid steel plates. The sculpture dominated the space at the base of a stairwell near the bookshop. An Andy Warhol look alike stood waiting for a friend. Two pigeons rested on a pipe high above and as I sketched them I realized they never moved. The pigeons were themselves a sculpture. The Rubell Family Collection was one of the many satellite exhibits that surrounded Art Basel. Let the festivities begin, I am back Miami!