Call it old school, if you will, but the history of The Armory began as an inexpensive art fair in the Gramercy Hotel (then called The Gramercy International Art Fair) in 1994. It was organized by four hip young art dealers who couldn't get into the established fairs; Colin De Land, Pat Hearn, Matthew Marks and Paul Morris.
Last night, Swiffer-looking "yarn art pieces" wandered the halls of the twelfth and fourteenth floors, with one room devoted to a performance of hanging out, drinking beer and watching art videos. Affordable for all the invited and fun, the newest NYC art fair, The Dependent was a one-night wonder where participants had an hour to set up their rooms and where, appropriately, many participants rolled their art in, in suitcases.
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| At KS Art in room 1407, gallery director Kerry Schuss showed Freddie Brice paintings of watches and Ray Hamilton outline watercolors. |
It took over two floors of The Sheraton Hotel at 160 West 25th Street for one afternoon and evening, Friday, March 4th. Some galleries rooms looked like artist club houses, others fitted up the room with items that "made sense" like Polly Apfelbaum's tie dye bedding (below) and artful pillows and curtains in Cleopatra's room #1408. Then there was all the crazy, creative ways artists installed art in the bathrooms. Plastic flowers stuffed into one, sculptures in shower stalls next to the drain---tubs filled with ice and beer was everywhere. The lines to get in were long, 45-minutes we were told by someone who made it up. |
| Apfelbaum's "rainbow roll" bedding in Cleopatra's room. |
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| A painted satin 50's wedding dress and Zine display in room 1203. |
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| One Night Stand mixed media painting. |
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| Soloway Gallery in room 1203. |
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| Oversized fake nose and eyeglasses in Canada's room. |
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| Max Schuss and his Goth-inspired drawings. |
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| Artist Max Schuss hogged the bathroom to watch Youtube videos. |
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| Sculpture and painting installed in one bathroom |
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| Bread and scented oil at Cleopatra sent herbal aroma down the halls. |
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| Tubs of beer were ubiquitous. |
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| Creative use of found art materials like wet wadded up toilet paper to make bows on bathroom mirrors. |
Hyperallergic:
http://hyperallergic.com/20133/the-dependent-art-fair-2011/
Art Observed review by N. Linnert
http://artobserved.com/2011/03/ao-on-site-photosetnews-summary-new-york-the-dependent-art-fair-at-the-sheraton-hotel-on-26th-street-floors-12-and-14-march-4-2011/
Artfagcity.com dubbed it a success.
http://www.artfagcity.com/2011/03/07/the-dependent-fair-as-seen-through-the-crowds/
Michelle Levy for Artslant.com reported many attendees saying this fair would be the only one they attended. "The spirit of The Dependent felt less about the actual art and more about camaraderie and solidarity, along with an inevitable shade of insider-ness."
http://www.artslant.com/ny/articles/show/22067
Artnewsworldwide.com pre-show report:
http://www.artnewsworldwide.com/art-fag-city/17429-the-hip-and-practical-attend-two-new-nyc-art-fairs.html
And Hyperallergic's piece on who was attending The Dependent. Hey, there's our friend Joanne and Sheeba.
http://hyperallergic.com/20110/emerging-collectors-at-the-dependent/
-Monica Forrestall
