Erin Christovale's Five Favorite Works from Frieze Viewing Room
From the ‘technicolor dreamlands’ of Lauren Halsey to the ‘booming presence’ of Jasper Marsalis's assemblages, the Hammer Museum curator reveals her top picks
From the ‘technicolor dreamlands’ of Lauren Halsey to the ‘booming presence’ of Jasper Marsalis's assemblages, the Hammer Museum curator reveals her top picks
MELVIN EDWARDS
Untitled, c. 1974
Watercolor and ink on paper
17.76" x 12.01" (45.1 cm x 30.5 cm)
$20-50k
Presented by Alexander Gray Associates
Melvin Edwards's works on paper from the 70’s are a rare, visual treat. This untitled work gives insight into his ongoing Lynch Fragments series and possess a masterful duality of sensuality and violence where heavy metal dances across a delicate surface. The thrashes of red and splattering of blue evoke an abstracted American flag, harsh and unrelenting.
LAUREN HALSEY
Untitled, 2023
inkjet print
70 x 45 inches (177.8 x 114.3 cm)
Edition of 6 with 2 AP
Price on Application
Presented by David Kordansky Gallery
Constellations of fantasy, funk, and freedom, Lauren Halsey’s suite of prints feel like technicolor dreamlands and imbue me with a sense of Black Angelino pride. Within the visual maze of cultural milieu, this work's focal point lands on a rendering of stacked, stark white columns, alluding to her monumental installation currently holding court atop the Met.
JENNIE C. JONES
Dense Tone, Break, 2023
Acrylic and architectural felt on canvas board
30" x 30" (76.2 cm x 76.2 cm)
$50-100k
Presented by Alexander Gray Associates
I love the texture play on this work by Jennie C Jones. The rough edges, the exposed brushstroke, the murky tone feels like a breakout moment from her usual cleanliness on the canvas. The title, Dense Tone, Break, sounds like a note that travels from the gut of your stomach and cracks upon reaching the first breath of air.
MARCOS SIQUEIRA
Untitled, 2023
19.69" x 19.69" (50 cm x 50 cm)
$ 12,000
Presented by Mitre Gallery
I’m a sucker for the celestial so this work naturally caught my eye. Admittedly, I don’t know much about Marcos Siquiera’s work but something about his use of raw earth and organic pigments as source material from his homeland makes this image that much more eternal.
Jasper Marsalis
Ruth, 2023
bowling ball, wood, ear plugs, Masonite base
55.98" x 8.5" x 8.5" (142.2 cm x 21.6 cm x 21.6 cm)
Edition unique
Under $10k
Presented by Emalin
I’ve been watching Jasper Marsalis’s work evolve over the years and I really appreciate his no-medium-or-material unturned, approach. This piece has a booming presence and plays within a pantheon of assemblage greats.
About Erin Christovale
Erin Christovale is a Los Angeles-based film programmer. She is Curator at the Hammer Museum and is the co-founder of Black Radical Imagination
Frieze Viewing Room is an online platform that offers a preview of gallery presentations at Frieze fairs, as well as the chance for audiences around the world to experience the fair and acquire the art on show from wherever they are.
The 2023 edition of Frieze New York is open Wednesday May 17 through Sunday May 21. Bringing together the world’s leading galleries, Frieze New York showcases ambitious solo, group and themed presentations by pioneering artists, alongside a curated program, and offers the opportunity to not only discover up-and-coming talent but also engage with some of art history’s most important figures.
To keep up to date on all the latest news from Frieze, sign up to the Frieze newsletter at frieze.com, and follow @friezeofficial on Instagram, Twitter and Frieze Official on Facebook.
Main image: Melvin Edwards, Untitled, c. 1974. Watercolor and ink on paper. 17 3/4 x 12 in (45.1 x 30.5 cm) 21 x 15 x 1 5/8 in framed (53.3 x 38.1 x 4.1 cm framed). Courtesy Alexander Gray Associates, New York; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London © 2023 Melvin Edwards / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
