There are as many ways to think about art as there are to create it. Join ARTdart columnist, Pamela Beck, in this 5 part feature interview series with 5 participants from Art Basel Miami, as she explores and considers the different perspectives that define the art world.
Elena De La Ville, artist and adjunct at Ringling College of Art and Design
PB: As an artist, what were you looking for or hoping to see at the art fairs in Miami?
EDLV: ART! And more art… I like to see how artists are expressing themselves. I am less interested in how or what things sell for, though it is great to see the red dots.
PB: Which fairs did you go? Which were your favorite and why?
EDLV: Scope, Ink, Art Miami, Context, Aqua. I enjoyed all, especially Art Miami, because I thought it had the most innovative works.
PB: Did you see a particular artist/s whose work/s you admired? What specifically did you admire about the artist/work?
EDLV: Saw lots! Liu Bolin’s, invisible man pieces, Damien Berger’s pigment ink prints on paper, Cayce Zavaglia embroidered portraits, to name a few. I was very impressed by the amount of works on paper, ink and photography.
PB: How would you describe your own experience at the fairs in Miami? There was so much to see and do.
EDLV: It is always a whirlwind. I narrowed it down to the 5 fairs and it was still a bit of overload. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite people and love to experience the Latin flavor Miami has to offer.
PB: How does seeing other artists work in this “marketplace” environment make you think about how you market your own work?
EDLV: I don’t really…I gravitate to those galleries that show the kind of art that I do and talk with them. I learn many things this way. If I am out there trying to ‘market’ my work, it is totally the ‘wrong’ time… they are selling, not buying. I am mostly looking and assimilating.
PB: Do you have an amusing or interesting anecdote about the fair experience you’d like to share?
EDLV: You mean the time that I mistook the actual person walking by thinking it was an art performance?
PB: Is there anything that you picked up at the fairs that you will share with your students?
EDLV: yes, I actually took photographs of particular pieces that made me think of works that they were/are doing. I am so pleased that most of my students got to come to Art Basel… I feel that now, they can start to understand a bit of what they are involved in.
PB: Are you going to return next year?
EDLV: For sure, been there for the last 6 years. Would not miss it for the world!
Read PART ONE: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (1/5)
Read PART TWO: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (2/5)
Read PART THREE: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (3/5)
To read more about Pamela, view these links:
http://srxq.blogspot.com/
http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/