February 27, 2009
The 31st Annual 2009 International Artexpo New York, the premier trade show of the fine-art industry, opens on Saturday February 28th at 10 am. Attendees to this marquee event are in for literally dozens of eye-opening and inspiring exhibits on display at the Jacob Javits Center this weekend. The elegantly black-draped exhibition floor designed by Metropolitan Exposition Services of New Jersey provides the perfect backdrop for the colorful and dazzling array of works presented by over 500 established and emerging artists.
In addition to the gallery and artist exhibits there are also a number of noteworthy events and lectures taking place on the exhibition hall floor over the 3-day weekend exhibit. Renowned artist and environmentalist, Wyland, has arranged for a fun paint-a-mural event for children and families in attendance on Saturday morning. Celebrity artist, Jane Seymour is making a personal appearance to sign her new book, Open Hearts, on Saturday and Sunday and will also be exhibiting a collection of recent paintings at the Coral Canyon Publishing, booth 1542. Open Hearts, a collection of poems, essays and quotes, along with the paintings, represent Seymour's signature theme of unconditional and inspirational love. Lastly presenting his first book, The Beat of Urban Art, Hip Hop painter extraordinaire Justin Bua, will give two successive lectures on Saturday and Sunday (2pm) and talk about his life and work, and offer listeners his historical insights into the birth of Hip-Hop.
One of the more challenging tasks in attending such a magnificent event is realizing that one needs to make some choices in what one chooses to view. What follows below are choices recommended by Alison Nakamura, senior executive for Sharp Communications, the company expertly handling the media and press aspects of Artexpo 2009.
Leading off is the phenomenal and heartwrenching series of heretofore unseen photographs of Marilyn Monroe, taken by Lawrence Schiller in 1962, a few short weeks before Monroe's untimely death of apparent suicide. Schiller shot the photographs of Monroe during breaks on the set of Something's Got To Give, a film never completed, and one which was slated to be the first Hollywood feature with a major motion picture actress appearing in the nude. The French may have their Mona Lisa in the Louvre, but thanks to Mr. Schiller we have our own here in America in the stunningly beautiful black and white portrait of Marilyn Monroe seated nude at a glittering poolside, her wet bare back to the camera provocatively arched, her eyes reflectively gazing into the deep distance to the right. This work is certainly one of the highlights of the 2009 show, but there are a number of other stellar celebrity portraits by Schiller on display, including Barbara Streisand, Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and several other hauntingly beautiful and candid photographs of Marilyn in her final days.
Argentinian born Fabien Perez's acrylic paintings on display at Artexpo 2009 display the bravado, eroticism, and depth of character one would expect from a native Argentinian artist, yet the surprising aspect of his work is that it displays a technical virtuosity one would expect of an impressionist master twice his age (he's 42). What a wonderfully sensual, intimate, emotional world you inhabit when admiring Perez's dark, brooding, mahogany cast portraits, many of which stem autobigraphically from Perez's life experience. Especially noteworthy are his portraits of various dancers, in which figures are softly captured in motion performing salsa or tango and other South American dance genres.
The masterful work of Harlem native Justin Bua proves the old adage that you can take the boy out of Harlem (he currently resides in LA), but you can't take Harlem out of the boy. Looking at the funky portraits of Hip Hop artists, street musicians, and urban street life in Bua's paintings, one realizes that his imagination is still soaking wet with street vibe imagery, impromptu urban performances, and a love for the African American "characters" who make life seem worth living, whatever the circumstances they may be dealing with. Beyond subject matter, one look at some of Bua's signature pieces, such as DJ or Trumpet Man, and you immediately recognize excellent draftsmenship, deft handling of skewed perspectives, and beautiful color composition.
Lastly visitors to Artexpo 2009 should not pass up the legendary and remarkably vibrant work of pop art 3D cityscapes and celebrityscapes of Charles Fazzino, the most popular and highly collected pop artist of our time. In case you don't know how many celebrities and famous figures are pop art collectors, Fazzino's 3d pop artwork can be found in the private collections of Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Eisner, Hillary Clinton, Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Roger Clemens, Michael Jordan, Julia Roberts and many other internationally renowned figures and corporations. The real treat at Fazzino's Artexpo booth is that visitors have the opportunity to marvel at his works at such close proximity that you truly feel like you are experiencing the breathtaking perspective and zany details of this accomplished meister of pop art three dimensionally. There's also a bonus for stopping by Charles Fazzino's booth this year, right next door to him is the work of the next Fazzino prodigy in the making. Daughter Heather Lee Fazzino, in her debut exhibition. is displaying her ornate, delicate, mindboggingly detailed works in a variety of delightful media, including paintings, furniture, and glamorously bejeweled T-shirts.
To discover more beauty created by the hundreds of wonderful artists displaying their work at the 31st Annual 2009 International Artexpo New York, you simply have to visit the Javits Center this weekend. It's a must. For factual information, directions, tickets, visit: www.artexpos.com
Photo Credit: ©2009 NYC.com/Charles Harris, All Rights Reserved
Tags:
31st annual 2009 international artexpo new york, artexpo 2009, charles fazzino, fabien perez, heather lee fazzino, jacob javits center, jane seymour, justin bua, lawrence schiller, marilyn monroe, open hearts, pop art, sharp communications, the beat of urban art, wyland
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Posted on 2/27/2009
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