Miami Art Week 2017: All The Colors of The Rainbow
ROYGBIV and unlimited variations of the prism throughout paintings and sculptures
Infatuation with all the colors certainly isn’t new—rainbows transfix, prisms delight. When the entire spectrum finds itself working together, there’s something quite captivating. Color theory is an important element of so many works. Some artists study it for years, while other artists simply go with their gut. Artist Shannon Finley (whose work is pictured above) builds layer upon layer of paint to find the perfect matches. Finley showed at the Carrie Secrist Gallery within the beachside Untitled Art Fair this Miami Art Week. His work inspired us to seek out others that had taken all of ROYGBIV and incorporated the components into singular (or multiple, side-by-side) pieces. The following eight have it all, but present unified messaging. And just like a ray of light divided into its colorful parts, these pieces compel in ways not entirely explainable.
The ROYGBIV Gallery by Michael Wein
In the Wynwood Art District, artist Michael Wein unveiled not one piece but an entire show entitled “ROYGBIV.” It was the New Yorker’s first-ever solo Miami Art Week presentation and it featured both acrylic and resin paintings as well as large-scale installations. Every work unfurls before the viewer with accessible beauty. His set-up was a must see for those looking beyond the big fairs.
Christina Eve’s “I See Sound”
Presenting multiple works at the Superfine! art fair, Christina Eve focused her pieces on synesthesia. Entitled “I See Sound,” her booth reflected on the sensory blending experience—and the resulting explosive works. In many ways, the paintings offered as much insight as possible on what it could be like to feel one’s senses activate each other.
Kenjiro Okazaki’s Untitled Acrylic on Canvas
Tokyo-based Takuro Someya Contemporary Art presented the large-scale works of Kenjiro Okazaki during Art Basel. Kenjiro’s works address that of a single moment—and just how colorful it can be. There’s a sense of organization to the untitled work show here that begs consideration, as the eye wanders left to right, up and down. The acrylic marks certainly speak, but in untold ways.
Olafur Eliasson’s “Small emerging driftwood”
It comes as no surprise that CH favorite Olafur Eliasson had multiple pieces on the premises at Art Basel. “Small emerging driftwood,” a unique wood and paint piece from 2011, was seen at Berlin’s neugerriemschneider booth. Its simplicity marks the best of the Icelandic-Danish artist’s work.
Frank Bowling’s “Bolt”
With his 2012 piece “Bolt,” artist Frank Bowling conveys substantial motion in the acrylic on canvas painting. Found at Art Basel, in the Marc Selwyn Fine Art installation, Bowling’s piece unties colors in an almost amorphous form. Here, there’s energy, force and beauty—with trails bleeding behind.
Rirkrit Tiravanija’s “untitled 2017 (the inner light, new york times, november 15, 20170)”
Another standout from Art Basel’s neugerriemschneider booth, Rirkrit Tiravanija‘s untitled—but actually titled—piece applied the rainbow to the New York Times. The artist did so with a digital inkjet print on newspaper and linen. The words exist visibly, but the colors pop. Both play off one another in an unending cycle.
Andrew Kuo’s “CNON 59.647”
A cloud, a mass of multiple colors, waves—one can find just about anything in Andrew Kuo‘s “CNON 59.647.” The piece, seen during NADA at Marlborough Contemporary, begs for reflection. The 2017 acrylic on linen work stretches a whopping 80 inches—and manages to convey motion within.
Roberto Matta’s “Arms Opened Like Open Eyes”
A throwback piece of startling brilliance, “Arms Opened Like Open Eyes” was painted by the late Roberto Matta in 1955. The Chilean-born, Italy-based artist commanded attention in both the abstract expressionist and surrealist art movements. This piece exhibited at Art Basel, one of many oil on canvas pieces the artist’s estate has with Robilant + Voena.
Andrew Kuo image courtesy of Marlborough Contemporary, all other images by Cool Hunting
