AFFORDABLE ART FAIR - SPRING 2017
- Apr 9, 2017
- 4 min read
The first field trip of the year was a visit to the Affordable Art Fair. I've loved art and I do have a penchant of collecting less-than-useful-but-aesthetic-goals trinkets, so I was quite hyped about it (my student bank account isn't).
Also, I noticed that there is an unwritten rule that in museum/gallery visits would include the following:
All charged up smartphones
For those who are willing to go the extra mile, legit cameras
Decently done-up face
Eye for feed-worthy background
A friend to take 'candid' photos
Oh, the pursuits of the Instagram generation.
Anyways, back to field trip. During the ride from school to the venue at F1 pit, I was daydreaming on what to expect. I have a soft spot for classical art (the ones you can marvel at the Louvre) and Art Nouveau, but I will be expecting more contemporary art in this place.
The first thing we see when we enter the venue (after a mass tanning session, no less) was pieces of Ionic columns arranged in a circular shape. On the left was a cafe, and on the right was a passageway decorated with quotes of artists in a colour combo of ink blue and rose pink (which I absolutely adore and is everywhere this year). The hall is organised by each participating gallery, and I went to take a good look on some really lovely pieces.
One of the first things we could see was a painting that looks like a single-coloured canvas at first, but when you take a better look at it, there is a drawing of a boat. Next to it is a gorgeous, unicorn-palette landscape. Definitely something I would love to take home.
I spotted a mixed media piece titled Osterley Park House, Entrance Hall (follower) by Alison Pullen, which reminds me of this Picasso collage. I love these types of interiors, and the magazine pages give the piece more depth in my humble opinion. There was also a wall filled with bold and loud pop art, with Chanel bottle drawings, Marilyn Monroe, Lee Kuan Yew, and logos of 'stylish' brands.
As someone who grew up with Japanese manga, there is always a special place in my long list of interests for art from the land of the rising sun. These small frames by Souske Onoike are one of them, and I got reminded of art from the manga xxxHolic. It was a breathtaking read - its story blends mythology and social criticism, and its art style was derived from traditional ukiyo-e and Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. Also, this is actually one of the few that I might be able to actually afford.
There was a tiny hidden room which hung really interesting pieces. It was one of those pieces that when you look at it, it can get creative juices flowing, for me. Next to it were series of painting of bookshelves. Trompe l'oeil done right, but i prefer a real library - mostly because I collect manga and illustration books instead of textbooks like the paintings.
Parfums de Revolte by Hayat (digital prints on transparent film, burnt and enclosed in plexiglass boxes) is my third favourite of the whole showcase. I believe that art (music included) can be a form of statement of what we perceive on world issues. I'm curious where Chanel perfume bottles come into the conception process of the work.
The second hall housed a lot of South Korean works, and I absolutely loved them. These are my favourite pieces in the gallery. It has an inherent softness in the works, and the colours are very sweet. If I do want to make my residence feel more home-y, this is what I would go for.
Now this series of works by Park Ji Hea nabbed the top spot of my favourites. By now I guess it can be seen that I like pastel tones. The tiny embroidery detail is just plain gorgeous. This artist is the only one that had me thinking about my wallet.
Major shoutout to Eternal truth_ #02(2017) by Park Hyung Jin. I'm sure that this one made it to the favourites of my friends as well. It's very Alexander McQueen. Skulls. Butterflies. When you touch it, the skull becomes a face and vice versa. Art is fun, interactive, creative, and pleasing to the eyes - this piece showcased all of those. On other notes, I got reminded of this t-shirt from South Korean brand Juun.J.
There is a definite Asian DNA in a good portion of the showcased works. Overall, I do feel like I got a better chance on these lovely painting than getting a Monet or Klimt (There leaks my farfetched wish list only someone from Crazy Rich Asians is willing + able to purchase), but I'm not there just yet. Actually, I might prefer these over the masters. I was never someone who puts so much weight in the importance of last names.
Conclusion? I have to be successful because I like semi-expensive, high quality [word has been redacted due to its sort-of explicit nature]. When can I start my art acquisitions?
Wish me luck.
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