Author | Oscar Lopez
Art shows can be a complicated endeavor. A litany of galleries from across the globe, chatter in different languages, gallerists vying for your attention, all basking in the harsh neon glow of overhead lighting. It is, if we are honest, hardly the kind of environment for enjoyable artistic appreciation. Moreover, with the lack of contemporary trends or movements, it can be a baffling experience to go from video art to painting to sculpture to installation all in the same booth.
Nonetheless, Scope Art Fair managed to bring some of the world’s top galleries together and display some exciting talent from across the globe.
Confronting the viewer upon entering was a work by Banksy: “Grumpy Truck” (featured image) – the back of a truck with “The Grumpier You Are, The More Assholes You Meet” scrolled across it in red paint. Undoubtedly the fact that the piece has been removed from it’s urban setting and placed in an art fair context would infuriate the famed English street artist. However, it was a clear sign to enthusiasts that Scope meant business.
One of the most interesting artists on view was Nimai Kesten who appropriated images of popular culture such as an American flag or a crucifix and altered them to urge the viewer to contemplate these everyday objects and the disturbing contradictions they contain.
David Scheimann, represented by Aureus Contemporary takes a more lighthearted approach to popular imagery, gently queering famous figures from cinema like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
Texas-born artist Jeremy Dean takes a meticulous approach to art-making, deftly taking apart common objects like an American flag and simultaneously deconstructing the ideologies they imply.
FC Sofia suggests the fetishization of the family home in ‘Domestic 200%’ as seemingly friendly, childish masks and toys become instruments of BDSM, complete with leather and spikes. The artist implies a certain sexual repression ingrained in plasticized suburbia.
Similarly, ZEVS’ ‘LDV Skulls’ implies the deadly fetishization of the consumer product: skulls are stamped with a monogram very reminiscent of Louis Vuitton, suggesting the lengths to which we will go to brand ourselves with luxury.
Overall, Scope was an exciting mix of contemporary artist and, while it was overwhelming at times, finding several spectacular works made the experience well worthwhile.
