A Visit to Art-Geneve

A Visit to the Art World

and

The Bullshit Factor!

My sister, Tanya, is an artist and an experienced art collector. She knows what’s good. On my arrival in Geneva, she showed me her latest acquisition, a delightful little Jeff Koons bunny. You know how much I dislike Koons, but in fairness this one was masterfully finished and a livable scale.

Except it wasn’t a Koons. It actually came from the candy section at the local Co-Op grocery store!

The bunny lives behind an aquarium in Tanya's studio!

So much for the true value of art…the Bullshit Factor

Art Basel – has become an International phenomenon. The copycat syndrome has generated numerous wannabes: Art Basel - Miami… Art Basel – Hong Kong… Art Palm Beach…. the Armory Show in New York, a precursor of Basel and now Artgenève are just a few of these.. Artgenève started tenuously four years ago and has grown into a full-fledged international show. There must have been 70 or more exhibitors from all over Europe. You know that it’s a major show when 50% of the exhibits fall into the Bullshit Factor. Admittedly, the rating of bullshit is a subjective issue; one person’s bullshit is another’s intellectual masterpiece. My sister’s candy bunny is a case-in-point.

As usual, I browse through these events looking for the oddities and do not give adequate credit to the genuine art. There were some very fine examples of both.

What is “real” art? How can you tell it apart from the bullshit? Can you judge it? What are your qualifications over the person that loves it? Art is subjective, its value is in the eyes of the observer. One person’s masterpiece is another’s bullshit.

This Blog is a picture story, as I do not qualify as a bona fide art critic.

My discoveries at the Geneva Art show

Do you remember Salvador Dali - this lamp and chair appeared in his paintings

Two pieces - a fourteen foot table and a wallhanging - I really liked them both

Beware - here comes the latest in Boudoir fashion

Which salvaged car part do you prefer? Door or Hood?

Geneva is the watch capital of the world - how about a 1,000 carat diamond?

This was one of my favorites!

A walk dow one of the aisles of the Art exhibit in PalExpo

Who is not a work of art?

The piece on the left is an eerily animated squawking head - the one on the right is your author!

This is Gloria, my friend from Serbia, who has been assigned to me to keep me out of trouble

Carpenters Workshop exhibit - one of the best in the show

Some of the featured artists in the Carpenter exhibit

Much of the new art is experimenting with new materials - this is an illuminated wall-hanging woven on fiber optic strands

Two of my favorite pieces of nonsense - A lovely girl imitating the human sign-carriers on America's street corners.... And of course the usual pile of rocks that represents "installation art". No art show is complete without one!

The latest in Women's fashion - a bed of nails to stimulate the feet

A chair built in hundreds of layers of wood - is it art or is it a chair?

A 3D painting of things not identifiable - experimental art?

Waste not - want not - a recycled toilet seat

White was definitely the theme of many of the exhibits. I particularly liked these three framed white canvases - Just the right touch of minimalism. ha ha