Must-See Shows During Art Miami Week 2022
A Koala Bassoonist! A Rhino Strongman! In Bjørn Okholm Skaarup’s grand “Circus” installation, the animals themselves are running the show. Unveiling at Miami’s longest running contemporary and modern art fair, Art Miami, by Cavalier Gallery, the installation will be showcased during the fair’s run from Tuesday, November 29 to Sunday, December 4.
Comprised of 33 sculptures, the installation is inspired by the late-nineteenth century circus where costumes, banners, and colors created a neo-baroque symphony of larger-than-life forms and displays. Each sculpture within the installation highlights the spectacle of color and movement celebrated by a menagerie several years in the making.
In the artist’s contemporary bestiary, or classical book of animals in bronze, each sculpture presents a whimsical story or allegory to decipher, with sources ranging from ancient fables and art history to music and modern animation. In this fantastical installation, a Lion ringmaster welcomes you to a show where the troupe is run entirely by animals. Featuring a grand 6 x 10-foot Circus ring, the installation is complete with a gathering of clowns, magicians, acrobats, dancers, and musicians, such as:
· Koala Bassoonist: from Down Under a special guest, is pausing from his daily rest, and favored eucalyptus tree, to play his woodwind melody
· Tiger Fakir: the mighty tiger elevates, himself as he premeditates, his destinations in the sky, where flabbergasted birds fly by
· Lion Tamer: a king among the animals, and ringmaster of carnivals, the roaring lion leads the way, on tour from London to Marseilles
· Rhino Strongman: much stronger than a ploughing ox, this rhino is a paradox, so soft and gentle, mild and frank, yet armored like a heavy tank
“Circus” will be on-view at Art Miami at booth AM406 beginning Tuesday, November 29 to Sunday, December 4. The full installation will be available for acquisition, along with individual characters from the Circus collection.
Melissa Herrington’s New Series, “Liminality”
A liminal space is the time between ‘what was’ and ‘next.’ It is a place of transition, a time of waiting and not knowing the future.
Melissa Herrington’s new abstract series “Liminality” explores the Spaces ‘betwixt and between’. Her work blurs the lines between mediums, forms, and concept will be exhibiting eight new abstract paintings and four works on paper during Miami Art Week with M. Herrington Gallery, booth B35.
Contemporary artist and Florida native, Herrington is known for investigating the ever-changing nature of the female form through her work. She is constantly exploring multiple transformations — of self, other and shared identities.
This series of abstract paintings explores the complexities of a liminal space ‘betwixt and between’. Each work functions as both an individual entity and as a part of a larger theme of her practice. Herrington explores spontaneous marks and subtle forms through abstraction, powerful brush stroke, large-scale canvases, and especially, use of color. Her process based, gestural paintings are created through layers of drawing and pigment on canvas. She overlays mark-making using pencil, paint, charcoal and ink.