Editor's Letter - The Big Frieze

Frieze Art Fair isn’t just about art. It’s really about that unholy trinity: money, sex and power.

Yesterday, I spent three hours at the fair, trying to appreciate the art but being distracted by the smell of cash and commerce.
For Frieze is a place to spend money: even in a credit crunch the super-rich collectors will still be super-rich.
A place to wear black; vertiginous  Louboutins ( considering the sheer scale of the fair, and the unforgiving floor, there must’ve been plenty of aching toes. A stall selling foot spas and Scholl Party Feet would’ve cleaned up ) and a pout.
A place, in short, to play the game.

For despite an eclectic mix of powerhouse galleries such as White Cube, London and ACME, Los Angeles rubbing shoulders with those in emerging markets including Sao Paolo, Bejing and Buenos Aires, Frieze is a place to hawk wares; the glamorous to be seen and the art itself to ( often ) fit a set of rules. Breasts and butterflies seem to be where it’s at this year.

London super-gallery Hauser and Wirth practically sold out on day one. Anish Kapoor’s stainless steel sculpture, Untitled went for £875,000. Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Grant were wandering around. A couple of black and white prints of Kate Moss, smoking a fag, attracted plenty of attention, as did a topless painting of a teenager whose ambition is to be a glamour model, complete with snapshots of her in various states of undress.
Damien Hirst’s Redemption drew a crowd.

On the plus side there were stand-out artists and galleries, although this year the more avante garde and emerging aren’t selling too well ( no-one wants to take a punt on unknowns. )
Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv; Marian Goodman, New York  and Annely Juda Fine Art, London all championed interesting, arresting art.
Cabinet, London was my favourite, and a straw poll around sundry colleagues says this is the gallery to watch. Fun, fresh and friendly.

Despite the quibbles, Frieze has done plenty for London’s art scene and there are now what seems like hundreds of satellite fairs and gallery openings as a result, which can only be a good thing.
Hopefully, in the future, it will become less about money and more about art and the appreciation of it, no matter who you are.
For art is as natural and inspiring as the three beautiful parrots who were at the fair. The genuine smiles they gave onlookers said it all.

Loma


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