Next in my round up of Frieze Art Fair 2011 trends: examples of the spiritual, buy more about tribal and animist inspired art that dominates the current global art scene. Proof, decease if ever if it was needed, of a struggle with meaning in our consumer driven world.
One of the first things I saw were these weird heads by David Altmejd, which mix elements of tribal and ancient cultures with recognisably modern features (love the ponytail).
David Brian Smith‘s Great Expectations – We Were Silhouettes went for a quasi Christian angle – the lone man amongst his psychedelic sheep. At Carl Freedman Gallery.
Russian artist Evgeny Antufiev worked with stitched textiles to create these strange beasts, crossing the alien with the tribal. At Regina Gallery.
Fellow Russian artist Stas Volyazlovsky crossed the esoteric with the political in his huge textile art.
I don’t know who created this but it caught my eye at the Georg Kargl Gallery, Vienna: a strange floating head.
At Hauser & Wirth Isa Genzken showed Geburt (Birth) – a disturbing quasi human mannequin prostrate on the floor.
Broadway 1602 New York was home to this equally odd dolls’ house, complete with eye stuck in vagina and silver penis seeping beads. Nice.
Two bearded men in repose by Patrick Jackson at the Francois Ghebaly Gallery, LA. Religious ecstasy, or something more sinister?
Shown in my previous blog – Andra Ursata‘s flattened woman, Ramiken Crucible.
Also loved this collaged wall decal – artist unknown. Decorating the stand for The Breeder Athens.
Also at The Breeder, this is a section of a huge painting. Hanging clowns and others, for who knows what indiscretion. Disturbing but also strangely beautiful.
Rodrigo Torres planted his contemplative goat man at the junction of a busy thoroughfare.
Asian artists are grossly under represented at Frieze. Zhang Xiaogang‘s neon baby lay on a slab in a mirrored artwork – a sacrificial reflection perhaps?
Raqib Shaw produced intricate decorative pieces that featured dragon mermaids, multi headed snakes and mysterious orbs.
All Watched Over by Machines of Infinite Loving Grace by Mark Alexander took a more painterly approach with an intricate oil that was clearly influenced by Hieronymus Bosch.
Viewing this art in the context of Frieze, one can’t help but wonder where exactly all this soul searching will lead…
Take a peak at my round up of typographic trends and also read my full review of Frieze 2011.
Categories ,2011, ,All Watched Over by Machines of Infinite Loving Grace, ,Andra Ursata, ,Animist, ,Asian, ,Athens, ,Broadway 1602, ,Carl Freedman Gallery, ,collage, ,Consumer, ,David Altmejd, ,David Brian Smith, ,Evgeny Antufiev, ,Francois Ghebaly Gallery, ,Frieze Art Fair, ,Geburt (Birth), ,Georg Kargl Gallery, ,Goat Man, ,Great Expectations – We Were Silhouettes, ,Hauser & Wirth, ,Hieronymus Bosch, ,Isa Genzken, ,Los Angeles, ,Mannequin, ,Mark Alexander, ,new york, ,Patrick Jackson, ,Ramiken Crucible., ,Raqib Shaw, ,Regina Gallery, ,review, ,Rodrigo Torres, ,Russian, ,spiritual, ,Stas Volyazlovsky, ,textiles, ,The Breeder, ,trends, ,Tribal, ,Vienna, ,Zhang Xiaogang
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