Can you shape the narrative of art history — which is what museums generally do — at an art fair? And do we need any more of these pop-up enterprises in our lives? Haven’t we had enough of art fairs?
The Independent 20th Century, held at Battery Maritime Building at South Ferry, with its hulking steel and iron Beaux-Arts facade, makes a pretty good case on both counts. In its fourth edition, and the New York fair that focuses on 20th-century art, the usual modern-art stars turn up here and there (hello, Picasso), but I made several thrilling discoveries among the 53 artists presented by 31 exhibitors. I’m inclined to think you’ll find some new favorites too. [...]
Finally, there is Judy Pfaff, the protean sculptor whose large, buoyant-and-bulging wall-relief pieces greet you at the entrance to the fair. Pfaff’s work bridges multiple worlds, from the wire-twisting of Alexander Calder to the maximalism of Frank Stella. Her work is intricate, colorful, funny and smart. Leading with Judy Pfaff is a wise move for the fair, which suggests 20th-century art as a rich cast of characters and trove of objects that we are only truly beginning to know.
