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.

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/