Architectural Record on Terence Riley
If you are an architect with a minimalist approach, it may be hard to find clients equally obsessed with abstraction and austerity in materials and details. Yet Terence Riley, principal of the New York– and Miami–based firm K/R, recently designed a small one-story, one-bedroom cottage in Coconut Grove for someone who might be more minimally minded than he is. “I could live in a house and be completely satisfied if it were empty,” says the owner, Sonya DeLong, an American who spends part of the year in Switzerland, her husband’s native country. “I deliberately own very little.” Which is a good thing. Her new rectangular dwelling is 80 feet long and 20 feet wide. The attenuated 1,500-square-foot bar-like building sits within a 6,800-square-foot property roughly the shape of a triangle: at the narrow, western end is the entrance from the street, which leads into the living and dining area. At the opposite end is the bedroom, opening onto a verdant garden.
The elegantly proportioned plan allows the elongated south-facing wall of glass to open out to a perimeter walkway sheltered by the roof’s 6-foot cantilever. On the other side of the covered walk, a linear pool echoes the house’s proportions at a smaller scale. Demarcating the edge of the narrow path is a pebble-filled channel that captures rainwater from the canopy overhead.
To give a sleek, pristine finish to the planar surface of the concrete block structure, Riley coated it with a smooth, high-grade stucco. Inside, the floor of Douglas fir planks, 17 1/2 inches wide, adds warmth to the almost monastic ambience. Contrasting with these precise architectural moves is the luxuriant planting outside, created by landscape consultants Naturalficial with a voluptuousness that softens the residence’s spartan tone.
“The integration of outdoor and indoor spaces and the lack of clutter keep the spaces from feeling cramped,” says Riley. “And not having stuff makes Sonya and her husband feel comfortable.” While Riley and his partner, John Keenen, are engaged in nonresidential projects such as the new Sarasota Art Museum and a mixed-use building in the Design District in Miami, their completed houses already demonstrate an impressive investigation of plan, line, and surface. Serenity is in the details.
Terence Riley on Philip Johnson
Words by: Jane Szita
As an architect and curator, Miami-based Terence Riley played a pivotal role in the renovation and expansion of MoMA (New York), the Miami Art Museum, and the Museum of Art, Design and the Environment (Murcia, Spain), as well as playing a key role in reinvigorating the Modern movement during his time at MoMA. He is a founding partner of K/R (Keenen/Riley), an architectural studio known for its work for art museums, galleries, artists, and collectors. Terence will be a keynote speaker at our upcoming Fifth International Iconic Houses Conference in New Canaan 15-18 May.
You once said that when you left college in the 1980s, to say that you were interested in the Modern movement was almost like admitting to being a sex offender. You then went on to play a prominent role in its critical re-evaluation at MoMA.
I did my bit, but by the time I got to MoMA, around 1989, there had already been an interesting series of developments. Architects like Rem Koolhaas, Bernard Tschumi, and Jean Nouvel were producing works that featured an intense reconsideration of Modern architecture. It was an exciting time. The Light Construction show was my manifesto. There was a definite feeling that Postmodernism was over and I was trying to memorialize that. Kazuyo Sejima, Herzog & Meuron and Ben van Berkel all got an early museum mention. It was prescient moment. I still see the book Light Construction on students’ desks.
How did the Modern movement begin for you personally?
It all started with my great uncle who was Paul Nelson, a WWI pilot who was at Princeton with Scott Fitzgerald – they both left to go and fight in France. Nelson later studied at the École des Beaux Arts and worked as a Modern architect in France – I visited him in his later years. After I’d completed my master’s degree at Columbia, Bob Stern suggested I do an exhibition on him. That was my first taste of curatorship.
And it was how you came to meet Philip Johnson.
Yes – he came to see the Paul Nelson show and I gave him a tour, after which he told me that he didn’t like Nelson much. Then he said, “So, you want to be a curator?” I replied that I didn’t really. At the time he was interviewing for the MoMA curatorship, and my reply made him decide that I should do it.
What did you learn from him?
I learned how a curator can use an institution like MoMA as a vehicle or agent to spread a message. He would always ask, “What’s the message?” Achieving clarity is the science – or art – of curatorship.
Any other principles of curation you can share?
A publisher once told me, that people don’t buy books with the word ‘architecture’ in the title as it’s seen as too specialist. So I never used the word in the title of any show I did. Instead I’d use words that everyone can relate to.
As a practicing architect, you’ve had an office with J Keenen since 1984. What’s the secret behind your long partnership?
In the beginning, we both pathologically insisted on working equally on all projects – then we got over that. Now one of us drives the project, while the other is a critic; we take it in turns. A lot has to do with geography. He’s in New York, I’m in Miami.
How did you find combining the roles of curator and architect?
It wasn’t that unusual at MoMA. In the early years, lots of curators were architects or trained as architects, including Philip Johnson, Eliot Noyes, and Edgar Kaufmann. I find it unfortunate that that doesn’t happen anymore and we now have only professional curators who approach architecture through architectural history. I always tried to move away from the museum as exclusively a place of paper architecture.
Can you tell us something about the Marcel Breuer house in Pocantico that we’re going to visit?
I’m so glad we’re going there. It was a show house in the MoMA garden in the early 1950s, along with two others. The irony is that for many years people didn’t realize it had been taken apart and reconstructed. So it was important in creating an audience for the Modern residence. It played a pivotal role. It featured modest and open spaces for living without servants, as well as plywood and other new materials.
Do you have a favorite house?
I love the Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe. Also the Glass House by Philip Johnson, which was very inspired by it – he had curated an exhibit on Mies and was borrowing from the master. It was a startling concept and it’s a favorite turning point of mine. Before the gate was put up, a neighbor pulled up next to the house and said to Philip, “I could never live here.” He replied, “You will never have to.”
You live in a house you built yourself. Can you tell us about it?
In 2001, Barry Bergdoll and I curated the exhibition Mies in Berlin at MoMA. I researched the courthouses (a word invented by Johnson) and wrote an essay on them. John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi created 3D models and videos of them. Through my research I discovered that Mies had intended the courthouses to be small, economical alternatives to the free-standing single-family house. To save cost and land, they were meant to be constructed like row houses. Philip Johnson more or less turned that courthouse concept into a one-off luxury residence. So, Bennett and I decided to put Mies’ proposal to the test and build at least two of them. was our third partner. I live in one of them full-time.
How has Modernism informed your own work?
I understand the modern movement in a broad sense, from the Industrial Revolution to the digital era, so it’s the primary source for how I think about architecture.
What role do you think the Modern house plays in our own time?
I think it plays the same role as it did 100 years ago. The Modern house makes people’s lives better. I truly believe that.
What contemporary house will be an icon in the future, if you have anything to do with it?
The one K/R is building in the Little River part of Miami – a hybrid of the art gallery and the loft residence.
Impose on Autumn Casey
Words by JP BASILEO
Solo projects can often act as a return to an artist’s introduction to music, a reacquaintance with the instrument that started it all, and the enchantment affiliated with learning. And if you’ve ever heard the frenzied psychosis of Philadelphia/Miami noise rock duo Snakehole, it may come as a small surprise to hear that Autumn Casey (guitar/vocals) first approached music by way of piano. A somewhat recent conversation between her and writer/artist/label owner Jordan Reyes incited the return of a prodigal daughter to her musical foundation (not to say that she ever really left the keys, simply that she had perhaps not yet utilized them as a focal point for personal output). The result is Casey’s solo debut, This Is No Dream, just released this past Friday on Reyes’ brand new tape label, American Damage.
Beautiful and mystifying arpeggios descend down a wormhole of emotional release, their hushed tones permeating through the mix like rain through an overtired tent. Sure, the whole thing rings of a Walden-like woodland experience, the disappearance of all things electric allowing for the focus on self and the self’s place in the world. Field recordings weave in and out, in an eerie fashion – things like the rattling of chains and chimes to echo the solitude necessary for introspection. The twenty-nine+ minute piece picks up momentum, loses it, and picks up faster like the fluctuating perception of reality synonymous with a nervous breakdown. But that’s just tempo. Melodically, sped up or molasses-like, it’s calming as ever. What begins as whispered voices in the field recordings slowly reveal themselves to be Mia Farrow from Rosemary’s Baby, the film which inspires the tape’s title, as she realized that she is really getting impregnated by the Devil. Casey notes, “That screamed phrase always resonated. It’s easy to be deep in a situation before noticing what is happening.” The tape, which plays the same on both sides, acts as a dream into which you don’t realize you’ve fallen. It’s too late before you’re out cold and imploring unconsciousness but lucid and longing in ways that channel the process of awakening.
Impose: How long have you been playing piano?
Autumn Casey: The piano was my first instrument. I think I was around 7 when I asked for piano lessons. I took them for about 4 years before the forced demands of having to practice every day strangled the joy out of it for me. I declared “I Quit”. Then at 14, I asked for my dad to teach me how to play the guitar. I grew up around music and the piano was always around. I’ve gone back to it over the years to see if I could still read music, but I would say around 4 years ago I went back to it with intention. I realized it was a great tool for making melodies that I could transfer over to the guitar for Snakehole or use to collaborate with KC for something cool to add to a record. I re-found the fun with the piano by allowing myself to be creative with it, instead of having to play songs out of a book. In some ways I’ve been playing the piano on and off for 23 years.
I: How did This Is No Dream come to fruition? Was this something you’ve wanted to do for a while?
AC: All the musical stuff I do seems to funnel into Snakehole. When Jordan [Reyes] asked me if I would consider doing a solo release, it made me more conscious about what was going to become a solo project for me. It was hard to understand where those separations should occur. It all kind of comes down to timing. This opportunity and goal presented itself at a certain time, and this is what was already beneath the surface.
I: This album was recorded after your move from Miami to Philadelphia. How would you say the move influenced you? Changed you?
AC: I think being able to watch the seasons change has influenced me the most. I love experiencing the seasons change. Being stuck inside during the winter is a great time to get weird as fuck and record an album. This album is more lonely. But lonely in a good way. I’ve dug into being alone. It’s nice to experience the other side of the spectrum, having gone from a popping, infectiously tropical place like Miami.
I: You had a ton of field recordings ready to go to “weave in and around the piano.” How did the pairing of field recording and piano parts go?
AC: I used the field recordings like collage material. Sometimes I would play the recordings and add piano to it to see what was inspired. Other times I would already have the piano part and just add the field recording on top because I thought it would be an interesting combination.
I: This is a project rooted in catharsis. Would you say there are different types of catharsis to be pulled from different outlets? Say, like, from playing piano vs. playing in Snakehole? Vs. sculpting or any other artistic endeavor?
AC: They all have different vibes – sure. Snakehole allows me to be more aggressive whereas the piano lets me go into a meditated trance, but those can both be switched depending on mood. You can make a sculpture with violence, and you can write a soft song on the guitar.
I: Will you be performing this live? What does the new year look like for you?
AC: I am not sure! I am still figuring it out the logistics of what it would take to perform this live. I have another solo release coming out on Primitive Languages and something also in the works for Lost In the Flood. This In No Dream untapped a process I enjoy very much, and I am excited to keep making more sounds. Snakehole has also been working on new music and we’ll hopefully get to record our new album this year.
LINK | on IMPOSE
BOMB Magazine on Derrick Adams
The title of Derrick Adams’s current show at Primary Projects, Black White and Brown, is a literal reference to the brown body, placed in a geometric and shifting environment of black-and-white forms. Adams’s oeuvre is massive, and while much of it draws inspiration from television—specifically the depiction of black culture and the ways it is coopted en masse—it is too big to define it as such, despite the humor and real poignancy of that work (watch the Sesame Street-inspired video interludes from his performance, Go Stand Next to the Mountain, 2010). His repertoire is a kind of collage.
A more specific thread is Adams’s ability to get at the heart of whatever he is exploring by transforming, dramatically, how it’s viewed. When his Culture Club paintings, 2014—depicting black men, women, and children reveling in summertime bliss—were shown at Project for Empty Space, he placed inflatable pool toys in the gallery, specifically for visitors to lounge and revel. When he premiered ON at Pioneer Works, Adams turned the space into a multi-channeled TV set, with rows of SMPTE color bars acting as backdrop to performed scenes.
For Black White and Brown, which features new work and previously unavailable segments from past performances, Adams created an Op art installation to house his collaged forms of sociopolitical commentary, destabilized identities, and good humor. There is—always—an underlying educational component, almost by virtue of the work’s existence: “Here,” it seems to say, “look at us this way.”
— Monica Uszerowicz
Monica Uszerowicz
Tell me about Black White and Brown. It’s a showcase of both previous and unseen work.
Derrick Adams
When I first thought about the content for the show, I was considering my performative works, objects that I’ve used in my performances, and how they would come together as a complete installation to emphasize these performative interests. I created an optical grid of different black-and-white interior geometric forms. Some other work had a consistent amount of figuration, in which I was often the subject, as well as objects that primarily consisted of black and white, with the figure as the black body. The black body would become the representation of “brown” in Black White and Brown.
MU
You’re frequently inspired by television, how stereotypes are portrayed on TV, how we ingest them. Now, media is different—there are many different types of “screens.”
DA
A computer is a television; a monitor is just a monitor. It’s not the same format, but you can have a channel on YouTube or Vimeo, and if you don’t have a channel, you can just have an account. If the television itself, the object, no longer existed, it’s still about the portal—looking into things. People now have more control—or think they do—over what they watch and how they consume images. The idea of cultural representation has flattened out.
MU
In dealing with cultural representation, you’ve spoken about maintaining a double consciousness of yourself, as someone seen as an “other.”
DA
I’m a black artist—and I’m also just an artist. I’m American and educated, but I come from Baltimore, an urban space with various socioeconomic groups of black people. For me, this work is much more complex than a television show, or something that can be condensed into an hour-long program. It’s about understanding the complexity of black people as much as people understand the various ranges of socioeconomic structures of white people—which is equally as contrasting.
The black figure has always been a subject of entertainment in popular culture, as well as an image to sell things. In some ways, that’s how people relate to us—because they’ve seen us on television. But there’s a whole other part of black culture, one that talks about education, scientific innovation, the inventors of objects. There’s so much information that people are uncovering now that most black people know already. I think, due to a lack of education, a lot of people are unaware of the complexity of the category of “black” and of the achievements black people have accomplished.
MU
None of this should be a secret; it’s the way history is presented.
DA
Even in educational systems, kids learn more about the oppressive structure of Western culture than they learn about the achievements of people of color in opposition to that structure. It would really empower younger generations to know that during times even more critical than these, black people were able to prosper and make a positive impact on the world—that living in oppression is not our only legacy. In one hand we can raise a fist in solidarity against oppression while in the other raise a glass in celebration of our achievement.
MU
If you can’t find these stories in the traditional educational system, sometimes it becomes the responsibility of alternative educators or artists to show the multitudinous nature of a particular culture.
DA
That’s what I want to do with my work. I want to talk about what’s not necessarily on the surface—for people to find when they’re looking for reference material and inspiration, and to expose certain histories that aren’t visible. We need a counter-conversation about what’s been achieved within this constant struggle. Some of the inventions created and the progress made by black people, others are benefitting from without even knowing the origin of where they came from, who created them. As an artist, it’s a good challenge to have, because you’re translating these facts into visual experiences.
MU
I like that your work directly engages the audience, too. It’s experiential and accessible even for people who aren’t artists.
DA
I’ve never thought of my work or conversation as solely geared toward my fellow artists—not because I’m not interested in having a conversation with them, but because I realize that once you’re indoctrinated into the institution of art, that becomes your language. But I think you lose a lot in speaking to the general public when you’re part of those institutions. For me, it’s more of a challenge to maintain a sense of directness with the audience, to learn to speak to the people you grew up around.
MU
This is probably why you’ve been able to show your work in so many different settings.
DA
Yes. When it comes to the question of “not the white cube or the white cube,” I don’t think you have to choose either one. I think you can transform any space into one that’s open and engaging to any group of people. It has to do with the artist’s and the space’s intentions—who is their audience? No matter what space I’m in—a museum, an alternative space, a high-end gallery—it’s always more about my conversation, and, within that, a consideration of whom I want to be there for and whom I want to be in conversation with.
MU
In some of your videos, there are elements of shows like Sesame Streetand Schoolhouse Rock. There’s an educational component in showcasing complex histories.
DA
I grew up in the ’70s. When I started to think about where my art comes from—because I often talk about media and television—I thought of what I watched as a kid. Shows like Sesame Street and Electric Company were pioneers in diversity. Those educational shows represented a level of multiculturalism that was rarely seen on other programs then, but is now seen more frequently in visual culture. That was a perfect genre to tap into to talk about some of the things I’m interested in, especially when it comes to shaping people through visual culture.
My undergrad degree is in Art Education. I’ve taught elementary school, and have noticed that the visual imagery shown in schools becomes a big influence on the way kids see themselves—not in a direct, literal sense, but more subconsciously. It plays a major part in self-empowerment. That got me very interested in using the educational structure for making work. I try to acknowledge many different institutions of creative practice, and I want to utilize these platforms to talk about their complexities. I’d like to open up the conversation, to show people there are options—there are ways to critique these systems without necessarily tearing them down or breaking them apart. You can build on top of a corrupt system to overshadow it with information that is more inclusive and historically factual. I’m not sure we’re in a place where destroying anything can be more effective than building something on top, causing a transformation. But time will tell.
The show at Primary Projects acknowledges very different facets of what I’ve been making: a video of a puppet performance called Reality Bites, which I presented as my stand-in during a series of artist readings from the Museum of Modern Art’s library—I had selected two Jim Henson titles—and another of my performances, entitled Finding Derrick 6 to 8, 2016, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in front of Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawing #370. My own interests as an artist are combined with my interest in other artists and their practices, to show commonalities and differences, to expand the dialogue and introduce new ways of viewing form and content. I’m hoping to present other ways of seeing a particular subject, so that viewers, who might have thought that it had nothing to do with them, can become part of the conversation.
Monica Uszerowicz is a writer and photographer in Miami, FL. She’s contributed work to Hyperallergic, Vice, The Miami Rail, and Avidly, a channel of the Los Angeles Review of Books.
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Installation View of Derrick Adams - Black White and Brown at Primary.
Cultured on Derrick Adams at Primary.
When asked what makes Miami stand apart from other cities, Books Bischof, a co-founder of PRIMARY, says, “You can execute your projects with great freedom in this city. It's a small, hyper-unique community already doing something great, on the verge of doing something greater.”
Before settling into a permanent space, Bischof, Cristina Gonzalez and Typoe Gran first started as Primary Flight in 2007, a massive mural commissioning project that painted the neighborhoods of Wynwood and the Design District. The gallery itself has moved from the Design District to Downtown and back, and for Art Basel this year, PRIMARY will show "Black White and Brown" by Derrick Adams, a New York-based artist whose work oscillates between video, 2 and 3 dimensions and performance. The show will be a “monumental solo installation,” according to Bischof.
The gallery’s street cred is undergirded by its spate of local artists with flourishing studio practices. This includes Autumn Casey, whose work combines creepy found-object nostalgia with sophisticated assemblage. This desire to rep locals comes partly from a sense that Miami gets periodically taken over by visitors; and though the influx of outsiders serves Miami’s art scene in important ways, Bischof articulates a solid stance: “Miami belongs to those who inhabit it.”
Autumn Casey at La Sierra
Excited to announce Autumn Casey recently started her month long residency at La Sierra.
La Sierra Artist Residency brings art and nature together to inspire new works of art and to generate dynamic ideas around its core values of creativity, sustainabilty, cultural exchange and wellness. By supporting the work of artists, writers, designers and thought leaders in these areas, La Sierra Artist Residency dedicates itself to changing lives in Colombia and beyond. La Sierra programming includes an artist residency, educational initiatives, projects in partnership with international cultural organizations, and more. From its base on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, La Sierra Artist Residency is a nexus for cultural production and activities in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States.
La Sierra Artist Residency is intended to support artists working professionally in all mediums, including painting, drawing, photography, film, sculpture, performance installation, architecture, industrial design, permaculture, music and writing. Artists are encouraged to create new work inspired by their experiences here or continued from their existing studio practice.
La Sierra Artist Residency is an opportunity for emerging and established creative professionals from all over the world to link their inspiration and creativity with the raw, natural environment that surrounds us all. This Artist in Residency program will provide the opportunity to cultivate creativity while seeking solitude, connecting with nature and facilitating a cultural exchange on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.
La Sierra takes its name from its unique location on the Caribbean Sea in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, South America. Here you will find the highest coastal mountain range in the world, with peaks of 5,700 mts (18,700 ft) above sea level only 42km away from the sea. This drastic change in elevation cultivates a variety of ecosystems in direct proximity of each other, harboring an incredible amount of diversity in flora, fauna and culture. In fact, every single ecosystem that exists on earth thrives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Hence why the native people refer to this area as “The Heart of the World.”
Surrounded by jungle, mountains and virgin beaches, artists are welcomed to create, study and explore. We provide accommodation for one month, allowing the artist in residence to leave behind routine stress and focus on their immersion and connection to the land. The intention for this time is to slow down, reconnect with the rhythms of the earth and awaken the depths within.
More About Autumn Casey
Autumn Casey (b. 1987, Dallas) draws on a variety of personal relics and pop-cultural ephemera, both abject and singular, to challenge and question her own subjectivity against the world at large. Her practice, which moves from sculpture to collage, as well as video performances, considers the history of the found object and assemblage—redeploying existing materials or moments in unexpected, idiosyncratic ways. The result is a body of work that vibrates along the tense cord between the personal and the vernacular. She studied sculpture at the New World School of the Arts (BFA 2011). Her work is collected by the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, where she won the 2010 Optic Nerve XII,the Perez Art Museum Miami. Casey currently lives and works in Miami, where she is represented by PRIMARY.
Artrepreneur | ICA | Cristina Gonzalez
Words by Nicole Martinez
Patrons who collect art would likely characterize the process as capricious and emotion-driven: They may recount an experience in which their decision to purchase the work was made suddenly and on impulse as they toured a gallery or artist’s studio, describing a sort of ‘eureka’ moment that may frequently occur while shopping for shoes, but rarely does when purchasing artwork worth thousands and thousands of dollars.
The reality is a bit different. While the decision to collect art or purchase a particular work can often be speculative, most experienced collectors take their time identifying artists and upcoming gallery shows before making the decision to purchase a work. The collecting process can be emotion-based, to be sure – it’s important to wholly identify with and love the work – but most collectors, particularly those who are just starting out, don’t take the decision to collect art lightly.
Drawing up a playbook to learn to collect art is a valuable tool for both aspiring collectors, emerging artists and gallery professionals managing an art business. Whether you want to learn how to collect art, or you wish to leverage that knowledge and build a better marketing platform for generating sales of your work or your gallery’s work, understanding the basic tenets of art collecting can help develop a detailed roadmap for both selling and owning artwork.
Recognizing that collecting art is inherently complex, a panel of experts gathered at Miami’s PRIMARY Projects last month to shed some light on the process. Hosted in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, a new contemporary art institution being erected in Miami’s Design District neighborhood, the Art Collecting 101 panel welcomed artists, art entrepreneurs and aspiring collectors who wanted to deepen their understanding of the business. The panel welcomed Jimena Guijarro, an independent art consultant that specializes in Latin American art; Christina Gonzalez, one of the co-founders of PRIMARY Projects, one of Miami’s longest-established local galleries; and Valentina Garcia, a Latin American art specialist and Associate Vice President of Phillip’s Auction House.
Guijarro noted that most who wish to collect art are often hesitant to do so because they fear its unaffordable. In reality, there are varying price points and artistic disciplines that make art collecting totally accessible. “The decision to purchase a young, emerging artist means that you’re part of their success,” said Guijarro. “In a lot of ways, you’re doing your part to advance their career by collecting them in the first place.”
Naturally, determining whether or not the art you collect will have some sort of resale value in the future is a consideration for many starting to collect art. But almost all panelists agree that your decision to collect art – at least initially – shouldn’t be viewed as an investment strategy. Instead, young collectors should purchase first based on their tastes, while considering the potential artists have to develop fruitful art careers.
Before You Collect Art, Develop a Roadmap
Before setting out on a mission to collect art, there are a variety of steps you can take to simplify the process. Setting clear-cut expectations for your collecting goal will also allow the creative professionals to provide better guidance.
To begin with, young collectors should determine what they want their collection to say about them. Whether that means a collector chooses to purchase artworks from a certain region or time frame – Russian artists working in the late 20th century, for example – or choosing to collect art that reflects a certain aesthetic taste or complements your home. “It’s important to find your own voice in this process,” said Garcia. “Investigate a movement, build a narrative, tell a story about your life with the work you collect.”
Part of building that narrative is determining which movements or works best represent your tastes. Gonzalez suggested getting out in your community to appreciate the type of work being made both locally and abroad. Visiting museums can give you a sense of the direction the art world is heading while spending time in your local galleries or artist-run institutions can help collectors draw an analysis as to some of the most interesting, exciting, or in-demand work.
Collectors should also determine who their partners will be in the process. Will they work with a gallery or an art consultant or similar art business? Will they purchase directly from an artist, or spend time scouting art fairs? Guijarro suggested that when shopping for artwork, a potential buyer should have a neutral third party coming along for the ride to act as a buffer between gallery or artist and collector. Your buffer can ask questions and provide a neutral opinion when determining whether to purchase an artwork – this can be a friend, or a significant other, or even an artist, who can provide outside knowledge of the complexity of the work and an analysis of the value of the work and the time it likely took to produce it.
Examine the Artist’s Potential for Success Before You Collect Art
The panelists agreed that determining an artist’s potential for success within the art market will be a key factor when deciding whether to collect art. Take a look at the artist’s CV to have a better understanding of who they are as an artist: Where did the artist study? Has he or she had any solo shows? Have they participated in group shows? Have they completed a residency? Won any juried competitions? Has their work been featured in any press?
“Obviously, with a younger artist, their CV won’t be that long,” said Guijarro, “but that doesn’t necessarily you shouldn’t purchase their work.” Instead, panelists suggest you do your research – find artists whose careers have taken off, and look to which CV items they may have in common with your younger emerging artist. Figure out whether the residencies, museums, and galleries they’ve collaborated with are worth their weight.
In addition, take a critical look at the artist’s entire body of work. Is it evolving? Is the work reactionary and provocative? Would you determine that their entire body of work is consistent? Understanding how the artist might be growing into themselves is a useful way to determine whether or not they’ll continue to flourish, and ideally, you’ll want to spend some time appreciating that before making the decision to collect art.
The panelists also cautioned collectors against believing the hype if it seems that there’s simply too much chatter swirling around an artist. “It’s often easy to spot fads in art, and that’s when I would say you should be weary,” said Gonzalez. Instead, think about whether the artist is getting attention because of shock value, or whether his work is genuinely meaningful.
Finally, the panelists also noted that collectors can play a role in the success of an artist’s career. “Introduce the artist to your friends, talk about the work you collect in conversation, and be a part of their career,” said Guijarro.
Artists can also benefit from understanding these tips if used as a means of approaching their career. Artists should understand that collectors will look to their CVs and artist bios in an effort to determine whether or not the artist is marketable enough to acquire. Artists should take the time to thoughtfully craft their CVs and bios, consider which residencies are the most sought-after and significant, and spend some time reaching out to arts journalists in their community as a means of obtaining press placement. Invite gallerists and journalists to your studio, get involved with your local museums, and spend a good portion of your time researching artist residencies and other enrichment programs that can catapult your career. Get to know your collectors and form a relationship with them that encourages the promotion of your work.
Determine Where You Want to Purchase Artwork
When embarking on a decision to collect art, determine where you’ll feel most comfortable doing so. Do you prefer to purchase from a gallery or an artist? Will you attend art fairs to determine what you want to buy? Or do you want to experience the thrill of purchasing at auction?
There are different types of strategies depending on where you want to buy. If a collector is going the gallery route, then they should take their time and cultivate a relationship with the gallery owner. Collectors should feel like their gallery advisors are approachable and have their best interests in mind.
“The ideal situation is one in which you aren’t afraid to ask questions, and have complete confidence and trust,” said Gonzalez. “People think we only care about the fee, but that’s simply not true. She adds that many galleries often organize walk-throughs of new shows, in an effort to help potential buyers have some deeper context of the work and the artist’s intention.
Purchasing at auction, on the other hand, means that the collector should have a pretty good handle on the art marketplace. “There’s more lead time, so you should already know the game and the facts about the artist and the work being sold,” said Garcia. Garcia cautioned that collectors should keep in mind that most artists at auction are often past the point of ’emerging’ and are likely mid-career, which means works at auction are often more expensive. On the flip side, that makes the artwork a safer investment bet.
One of the easiest ways to collect art is by visiting art fairs. Since they’re planned far in advance, collectors have plenty of lead time to determine which galleries will attend and whose work they’ll show. That means collectors often have plenty of time to research participating galleries and artists, which allows them to hone in on the work they’d like to collect and the price tag that usually accompanies it. Often times, fairs organize special tours through the fair, which also allows the collector to become acquainted with artists and works they may have overlooked.
In addition, art fairs offer a unique bargaining opportunity. Many collectors attend early on to determine what they like, and wait until the fair is about to close to make their offer. “If you wait until the end of the fair, there’s more room to negotiate,” said Guijarro.
It’s a good strategy, and one art business owners should consider, too. Pricing your work higher at the outset gives you more room to negotiate at the end. Of course, you’ll need to walk a fine line – you don’t want to scare a potential collector away with an outrageous price point. Art fairs are also a good opportunity to meet and network with new collectors, so take your time approaching unknown faces and don’t shy away from spending too much time with any one visitor. Often times, art business owners view art fairs as crunch time, and therefore spend most of the time chatting with “serious” collectors only. However, not giving a visitor a good amount of face time can mean the loss of a future buyer.
Collector, Gallery or Artist? Consider These Tips for Every Endeavor
The art market is inherently symbiotic, and collectors, gallerists, artists and other art business owners would do well to analyze how the strategies offered by this collecting panel can be applied to their own art business. Artists should take the time to craft their bios and CVs and make career decisions based on the likelihood that a certain move will offer big rewards. Collectors want to tell a story through the work they collect: Understand that telling your own story effectively will likely translate to a higher probability of success.
Galleries, in turn, need to be aware of what makes collectors feel engaged and encouraged to collect art. Take the time to answer questions, tow the line between forceful and firm when making sales, and consider a collector’s negotiation strategies when shopping at a fair.
The most important thing to remember throughout the process, though, is that it should be an immersive and highly personal experience. “Figure out what you like,” said Guijarro, “then get lots of good advice.”
The Standard Guide to Miami
When The Standard Spa, Miami Beach opened eleven years ago, Miami looked very different from the city it is today. South Beach was the heartbeat of Miami’s culture, with its eccentric mix of art deco architecture, scantily dressed beach goers, glitzy night life, and loud music pumping through the night. Since then, the city has gone through a radical cultural evolution and has become one of the most significant design and art hubs in the world, and The Design District is at the center of this nucleus of change. Located on the other side of the bridges leading to South Beach, this neighborhood holds some of the city’s greatest design showrooms, galleries, museums, shops, restaurants, and cafés. We explored every corner of the bourgeoning area to narrow down our favorite spots.
Primary Projects
This multifaceted organization defies the constraints of the classic gallery construct. Primary Projects offers a platform for edgy, artistic expression from both established and up-and-coming creatives within and outside gallery walls. A refreshing break from the commercialization of galleries, their, at times, controversial and gritty street aesthetics challenge our current conceptions of contemporary art by fostering group and solo projects that fluctuate from the forbidden to the sublime.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
As one of the Design District’s main art institutions, ICA Miami dedicates itself to continued experimentation in contemporary art. What exactly makes the ICA so singular? It provides a unique, international platform for emerging local and under-recognized artists within an ever-changing exhibition and program calendar that seeks to reflect the cultural and artistic landscape of both local and international creatives. Oh, and it’s free. December 1, 2017 marks the launch of ICA Miami’s new, permanent home featuring 20,000 square feet of multifaceted exhibition space and a 15,000 square foot sculpture garden.
De la Cruz Collection
Miami’s de la Cruz Collection is the result of billionaire art lovers opening their private collection to the world and transforming it into one of Miami’s most impressive art institutes. Cuban collectors Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz are among the patrons seeking to make Miami an intellectual art capital. Their 30,000-square-foot contemporary art space acts as an extension of their home, housing their vast collection of sculptures, paintings, and installations by the most sought after artists of today. Their nurturing, artistic vision gives way to a flux of exhibitions that turn the cultural lens on itself; alongside artist-led workshops, forums, and lectures that bring awareness to the vast interpretations of the visual arts. Like the ICA, it’s free to the public.
Locust Projects
Imagine art freed from the constraints of sales and gallery fees, where artists can fully experiment and express themselves outside the limitations of conventional exhibition spaces. Locust Projects makes this dream a reality for artists. Once finding its roots in a converted warehouse space, they have evolved into one of Miami’s top art institutions with the backing of the Andy Warhol Foundation. Local and international artists are invited to create ambitious site-specific projects and installations as an extension of their personal work.
Swampspace Gallery
This alternative, artist-run creative space and venue is Miami’s un-gallery, and was founded when artist and sculptor Oliver Sanchez welcomed artists into his unused studio space. In response to the need for community-based art spaces, Swampspace puts forth innovative visual and performance arts to create unique experiences that walk the line between sophistication and raw, unraveled ingenuity. It is certain to quench the palates of thirsting art enthusiasts from all perspectives and backgrounds.
Buckminster Fuller Fly’s Eye Dome, 1978-2014
The creation of this interactive sculpture, dubbed the “autonomous dwelling machine” by its original creator, spans decades. American architect and designer Buckminster Fuller patented the design in the ’60s and died before it was ever finished. Over 50 years later, Fuller’s vision was realized. The 24-foot prototype, considered a forerunner for today’s green architecture movement, sits at the center of the Design District as a focal point of inspiration.
Konstantin Grcic’s Netscape, 2010/2014
German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic’s interactive installation makes you feel suspended from a metal cobweb entangled in tropical vines. His innovative design invites you into a moment of calm away from the overwhelming density of the Design District. Relax, sit back, and gently swing in Grcic’s hammock-like wire seats delicately suspended from a six-point metal structure. Just a warning: It might be hard to get up again
Xavier Veilhan’s Le Corbusier, 2013
This is where you go to get your dose of Corbusier loving surrealism. The endless complexity of the artist’s personal life, ripe with passion and controversy, has been encapsulated in a larger-than-life “bust” executed by French artist Xavier Veilhan. He challenges the balance between simplicity and scale, depicting the iconic Corbusier with pen in hand, representing the act of drawing as the perfect bridge between the prolific artist’s multifaceted passions of architecture, drawing, writing, and design.
Zaha Hadid’s Elastika, 2005
The Elastika installation was commissioned after the late architect, Zaha Hadid, was given the first ever “Designer of the Year” award. As a representation of Hadid’s endless contribution to the realm of design, her web-like installation stretches across the atrium of the multi-storied Moore building. Hadid’s signature organically flowing aesthetics offers a beautiful contrast with the building’s art deco roots. It is the ultimate extrusion of the complex, spacial concepts like connectivity and fluidity that are so inherent within her architectural creations.
Chris Oh | 1981 – 2017 | RIP
Tropicult on Kelly Breez
Words by Rosa Villa
“The artists’ role in society is to point out nuances of the human condition that most people miss while they’re on their grinds.”
When she’s not on her grind, artist Kelly Breez invites locals to gawk at her animated collection of derriere bookshelves and hanging aphorisms. At her solo exhibition at Primary Projects, aptly titled “Fuck it Will Set you Free”, viewers are greeted by continuous yet unconnected pieces, suspended against a backdrop of white walls.
In keeping with her mantra, Breez avoids taking herself too seriously. While wood acts as her canvas, the human stream of consciousness acts as her primary medium. She blends psychedelic sketching with absurd imagery: “Just think, no matter how bad things get, at least Three Six Mafia won an Oscar.” Breez lines the walls with a road map of her mind, highlighting the chaotic and absurd magnificence of being alive. She tells the viewer that art has an obligation to help us understand ourselves better (and if we can chuckle in the process, then all the better!).
Breez explains: “my art is really graphic, sarcastic, slightly crass, and vulgar. Those are some themes I tend to be drawn towards. Coming from a technical standpoint, I gravitate toward things that are really heavy on brush strokes and look really painterly and hand-drawn.”
Like our minds, Breez’s art works are anxious, unfiltered, and mystifying. Amusingly, Breez reacts to the “how-to” culture that seeks to prescribe its readers a functional manual on living. “How to remain Zen while waiting for a representative to assist you” and “How to bounce the fuck back” are craftily embossed on book–like cut outs, hung in perfect alignment along several first editions.
Her pieces could perhaps best be described as ideal fixtures to hang in a creative office, design studio, or in the bedroom. Her art is multi-faceted: it can simultaneously fit in both public and private spaces, while offering subversive visuals that tell us it’s okay to chuck the rule book.
She grooves to her own tune unapologetically. In the words of Charles Bukowski, “there’s no lie in her fire”.
Here’s what else Breez has to say:
What themes do you pursue?
I like to think my work is the visual manifestation of corner-store-culture, with humorous and political undertones.
Where did you study art? And do you think that to be an artist, one should study it formally?
Not so much. My family is full of artists so I started getting interested in art at a young age. I paid close attention to the children’s books I would read and all of the illustrations in them, which I think was the earliest art education and major source of art inspiration I received.
I got into a lot of different kinds of art on my own in the beginning of college when I started taking it more seriously and became more interested in being more technical with rendering things. That being said- I don’t believe that in order to be an artist you need to study it formally.
Some of my biggest art heroes are “folk” artists like Henry Darger and Grandma Moses, both of which have wild imaginations and were extremely driven to make large quantities of art. They never went to school.
I feel like sometimes taking your passion into a formal setting and taking in so many opinions from teachers and other students can actually squelch a lot of that raw drive that most artists naturally possess. Oh and I went to college at New World School of the Arts here in Miami.
What is your weirdest creative ritual?
There’s a lot that occurs behind closed doors when I’m in the studio, buzzing around to different desks and projects acting like a total psychopath. I can have a pretty short attention span sometimes, so I like to skip around through different music videos before I start drawing. They anchor me to one chair, get me a bit more focused on the goal and are a muse of mine. I really like watching movies and shooting film, so for me they almost seem like extensions of drawings. Plus I like to blast the jams while I’m working. It’s a slick 2-4-1.
What jobs have you worked in other than art?
I worked in production for a while when I was living in San Francisco. I was in the art department and I loved it. I started out interning for a guy that owned a prop house. We’d ride around in his truck going from set to set. He walked me into the industry because I found him, wouldn’t take no for an answer and he appreciated it because someone did the same thing for him. I ended up working on quite a few commercials, a couple of shorts and one very fun indie movie where I was the prop master/set decorator.
In your opinion, what’s central to the work of an artist?
You have to pay attention to EVERYTHING. Being a sponge to your environment always keeps you wanting to make more work. It’s also what gives you your specific visual language. No other artist on earth is going to have a point of view like yours because you’re the only one living it.
What’s your favorite art work?
Old liquor store signage.
Name three artists you would like to work with.
Solange, Monica Canilao, Hype Williams.
What time period inspires you the most?
I am a total junkie for British time period dramas. I love that no one has cell phones or laptops and no one is talking about technology other than the occasional eggbeater. I love that they all really soak up what each other are saying and they’re super present in their interactions. On a visual level though- i’d say the late 70s and early 80s are the absolute best. I am always trying to visually exist in that space, or at least pull references, colors and vibes out of it.
What wouldn’t you do without?
The tropics.
What do you dislike about your work?
That it hasn’t pissed off Donald Trump yet.
What do you like about your work?
It is always teaching me things about myself I didn’t realize.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given (creative or otherwise)?
My Dad told me once if you can’t picture yourself doing something that you’re doing now in five years, that you’re wasting your time and to move on. That’s definitely kept me on a path.
What superpower would you have and why?
Middle school me would say I’d be able to melt into a puddle like Alex Mack (because lets be honest she’s the queen) but now I’d say being able to speak any language would obviously have its benefits and be very rad. Being able to (literally) understand other people is essential to always being able to learn new things and have your bubble of existence expanded by cultures other than your own.
O, Miami + Dave Landsberger at Primary.
Poet Dave Landsberger culminates his day shooting a poetry-themed remake of 2 Fast 2 Furious with a reading and party at Primary Projects in the Design District.
Landsberger and guests read poems commemorating the death of Paul Walker and other tributes to the Fast Franchise inside of a white Ferrari, generously donated by Lou La Vie, Miami’s Premier Exotic Car Rental Agency.
Get a limited edition “2 Poetry 2 Ferrari” zine with the purchase a special ticket, or get a copy the night of (assuming supplies last) by purchasing Landsberger’s debut collection, Suicide by Jaguar.
After the reading, TURN ON THE AFTER-PARTY-BURNERS with ice cold “NosTails” and an original “Fast” playlist dominated by Ja Rule & Ludaaaaaaaaa.
Sponsored by Lou La Vie, Miami’s Premier Exotic Car Rental Agency
