Paula Wallace’s Miami Most Wanted
Savannah College of Art and Design’s founder and president reveals what she desires from the fairs in Miami Beach.
1
Lauren Clay, LVL3 Gallery, at Untitled Art
Lauren Clay’s monumental marbleized wall is straight ahead as you enter Untitled Art. Positioned against the wall, her sculptural works embody sinuous energy, as well as the balance and tension of yoga. Lauren is an alumna of SCAD, and you can’t miss her prime location at Untitled.
2
Andrés Bedoya, Gonzalez Y Gonzalez Gallery, at Untitled Art
The Peruvian gallery Gonzalez Y Gonzalez has four works by Bolivian artist Andrés Bedoya. One of them is this untitled sculpture, which features hundreds of handmade nails puncturing a leather hide, to represent his own painful suffering after his mother passed away. A shroud for the dead and a constant reminder of loss, the sculpture conveys a powerful, exquisite sadness and still beauty.
3
Joris van de Moortel’s “Rotten Sun,” Denis Gardarin Gallery, at Untitled Art
The Belgian artist employs glowing neon to attract, but not dominate, your attention. His work is at once showy and understated. Van de Moortel uses recycled bits of musical equipment and stage parts to recall the improvisation of his own musical performances. I like to think of his installation work as a residual effect of his performances, but more enduring.
4
Jean Prouvé’s “4×4 Demountable military shelter, 1939,” at Design Miami
“4 x 4” is a powerful testament to the timelessness of well-considered micro-architecture. The sophistication and innovation Prouvé brought to this tiny shelter are evident in the diagonal wood paneling, gently curved roofline, and side-sliding windows. The marks of age only add character. “4×4” would make an appealing refuge even today—Prouvé elevated what might have been purely functional into classically sublime.
5
Karl Lagerfeld’s “Gone with the Wind,” Galerie Gmurzynska, at Art Basel Miami Beach
The fuchsia pigment of Karl Lagerfeld’s 1996 photograph “Gone with the Wind” jazzes up the classic burning-of-Atlanta scene from the titular film. The hero has a chivalrous pose and the heroine bravely keeps her chin up, even under trying conditions. A collection of Lagerfeld works at Galerie Gmurzynska greets visitors to Art Basel, along with a glass table by Zaha Hadid.
