Black Cherry's NY Art Week Highlights (1-54 & NADA)

Another art week went down in the books this weekend, with 1-54 New York & NADA New York being my main destinations. It was a wonderful time discovering new galleries and artists and having great conversations.

This was my first year visiting 1-54, and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed the intimacy of the fair and how welcoming the gallerists were. I was also lucky enough to meet an artist on the ground who gave me a personal explanation of their work. It was great to see representation from across the diaspora as well – from the Caribbean to Africa to the Americas. I admire that holistic view of what “African contemporary art” can be, and 1-54 does a great job of emphasizing that.

NADA was intriguing, as expected. As I walked through the fair, I couldn’t help but thread together themes that jumped out across the pieces I saw. It was especially noteworthy how few figurative pieces I saw and instead saw a focus on material, color palette, and technique. Of course, this isn’t exclusive to non-figurative pieces — a portrait can include elements of all of these — but I lingered in front of these pieces and remained captivated even without having a figure taking up a frame or a person being represented in some other way. Overall, there was so much fun infused in the work I saw – there’s a return to play and tapping back into that pure, childlike wonder, and that applies to both subject matter and process.

Below are a few of my favorite pieces, themes that jumped out to me while visiting both fairs, and some stream of conscious thoughts courtesy of yours truly.

Hazy & Grainy: Perhaps a comment on the lack of clarity in our culture right now. The imperfections of a 2012 iPhone photo. On the cusp on impressionism. Television static. Heavy fog. That confused feeling when waking up from a nap that was two hours too long.
Fab frames: The frame is now fighting for equal importance. Who knew a frame could be…that?! Redefining sculpture.
New Surrealism: Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Cirrus clouds. Déjà vu. A meditation. Fluidity.
Metallics: So tempting you want to touch. Not everything that glitters is gold – it can also be silver or aluminum! Strength and serenity. Reflections.
Interiors & Everyday Objects: The familiar and the comfortable. Not straying too far from home. Warmth. Falling asleep on your favorite spot on the couch. Steam from a kettle.

1-54 New York