It was only 90 minutes into the opening-night reception of Art L.A. 2009 Thursday, and Los Angeles art dealer Marc Selwyn had already sold three paintings. “What recession?” he said cheerfully. “We're in a different world than we were in six months ago, but the patient is still alive.”
Indeed, the contemporary art fair drew more than 1,200 visitors opening night to cruise booths from 60 art dealers—half from Los Angeles and half from outside the region, including international sellers. This was Art L.A.'s fifth year in business, but only its first year at Barkar Hanger in Santa Monica. The show had spent four years at the Santa Monica Civic Center, a smaller venue where dealers were divided between two rooms, one of which was perceived as inferior. That political minefield was eliminated with the move to Barkar Hanger, which had been occupied by another, larger art fair, the L.A. Art Show produced by Kim Martindale; the space opened up this year when that show, which also took place this week, moved to the L.A. Convention Center.
“We have galleries here that are all in the same area, so what we have here is the opportunity to create a level playing field,” said Art L.A. director Tim Fleming. The show was produced by Artfairs Inc., which also mounted Photo L.A. during the first weekend in January.
In keeping with the art show's contemporary aesthetic, Fleming kept the design of the 35,000-square-foot hangar simple with gray carpet, tall booth walls, black-and-white signage, and ample lighting. “You give the dealers a blank canvas,” Fleming said. “We try to create a very open but warm environment.”
Art L.A. is also known for its youthful flair, showcasing young artists alongside blue-chip names and art galleries that have cropped up since the millennium. Chinatown's bohemian Mountain Bar was reproduced by co-owners Jorge Pardo and Steve Hanson in a 50- by 60-foot tent that extended out from the hanger (although the facade Pardo painted for the casual three-sided bar was still wet and under cover opening night). Just outside the bar area, guests cruised tables simply spread with crudités and shrimp and scallop couscous. Taking a break from inspecting videos, paintings and sculpture, they lounged among clusters of minimal furniture—simple wooden benches and coffee tables as well as a few comfier beige sofas, a combination of pieces donated by Environment Furniture and picked up from Lowe's by Fleming's staff. The reception, which benefited the Museum of Contemporary Art, kicked off a three-day weekend of gallery crawling and shopping.
