This post is sponsored by the Affordable Art Fair NYC. Our partners are handpicked by My Modern Met’s team because they represent the best in art and culture.
As we move into the Fall season, art lovers in New York are getting ready for the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall Edition. From September 26 to September 29, over 70 galleries from around the world will show off the work of more than 400 contemporary artists. With artwork on sale—ranging in price from $100 to $10,000—the Affordable Art Fair is the perfect way for anyone to begin or expand their art collection.
Highlights of the upcoming fair include the annual Young Talent Exhibition. This year, the fair’s dedicated platform supporting emerging artists and curators within the contemporary art community will focus on outstanding work by students from Teacher's College, Columbia University renowned ceramics program. Interior designers and decorators, architects, art consultants, and professionals will appreciate new Trade Hours that allow for networking and one-on-one talks with dealers prior to opening hours on Thursday.
Initiatives available to the public include Lunch Time Talks, the fair’s inspiring and engaging conversations at the intersection of art, design, and architecture for interior designers, architects, art advisors, and the curious and creative-minded visitor. Topics will include Art, Design and the In-between: Pertinent art + design ideas and how to achieve them as well as the topic of Legacy Makers, and how the use of art and design defines culture.
If you're looking for expert guidance withing the Affordable Art Fair NYC, returning programs include the popular Personal Shopping Tour, newly lead by Art Consultant and Founder of Procurio, Laurie Carroll. Laurie, who will offer these exclusive sessions with a personalized tour of the fair, is an experienced gallery director, owner, curator and passionate art buyer. The fair will also bring back its Director’s Tour, an intimate session lead by Vanessa Seis, Fair Director. Vanessa will walk through the Metropolitan Pavilion, guiding participating visitors through fair highlights, her personal favorites, and showcasing the international roster of galleries.
The Affordable Art Fair not only specializes in original art, but it is also a big supporter of prints and limited editions. Each year, a special limited edition print is created specifically for the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall Edition. Since 2013, artists working in a wide variety of mediums have been asked to create an artwork incorporating the fair's signature pink. Limited to just 10 to 15 pieces, they are truly collectors' items.
For the 2019 edition, South London-based linocut printmaker Ellen Von Wiegand has created an evocative work that touches on themes of belonging and identity. She Seemed Off from the Beginning features the solitary female nude that is characteristic of Von Wiegand's work. Stretched out and lost in thought, the figure's soft, round curves are mirrored in the pink mottled surface she lays upon.
Interestingly, Von Wiegand uses her own body as a model and employs clean, minimal lines to focus the viewers' attention to the form. With just a pop of pink in the composition, the otherwise muted grey tones allow for musings about this woman. She's both a part of her environment and removed from it due to her internal struggle. By hinting at concepts of belonging and inclusion, the artist asks us to consider how we put up our own walls to keep people away rather than letting others accept us as we are.
She Seemed Off from the Beginning will be available for sale during the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall Edition. The linocut on Jiaxuan paper is available as an edition of 15 for $300 unframed.
We had a chance to speak with Von Weigand about what it means to her to be selected to create this special print and the process for making the linocut come to life. Scroll down for My Modern Met's exclusive interview.
How did it feel to be selected to create the 2019 limited edition print for the Affordable Art Fair NYC?
I was genuinely thrilled to be selected as the limited edition print artist for the Affordable Art Fair. When I began making art I was too shy to even show my work to anyone, and I couldn't even imagine holding an exhibition. My younger self wouldn't have believed it!
There is a long tradition of female nudes in art history. Why is the depiction of the female form so important to you as an artist?
I've always loved the nude in art. I started to focus my work on the female nude mostly just because I was intuitively drawn to it. Then by working from images of my own body, the work took on a personal meaning. I became interested in imperfection. I wanted to explore my own shyness and the struggle with my body and being seen. I discovered how pervasive this struggle is, and the personal became universal. I think this is what sets my nudes apart.
How long was the creative process for creating the print?
The concept for this piece came to me relatively quickly. I have to say I was very inspired by the task of creating a work using the Affordable Art Fair's signature pink, and I began the work by thinking about color rather than form, as I normally do. When I started doing this the idea came together fairly quickly.
The drawing itself took me about a day of work, and then the carving another day and a half. Finally, there were three different printing sessions required to create each layer of color. The first block included two colors and I printed it over two days. Then in between blocks, I waited a few days for the ink to dry before printing the next layer. Overall I would say the edition took about two and a half weeks to make.
What are you most looking forward to about its release?
I'm most looking forward to simply exhibiting this new piece of work because it has a quality that is a bit different to previous pieces that I've made, most notably the color palette. I'm very proud of the result, and I can't wait to share it with everyone.
See more of the creative process behind the special limited edition print for the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall Edition.
In the leadup to the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall Edition, you can purchase tickets in advance to make your entry even smoother. Keep up to date on all the special events, lectures, and exhibitions as the organization releases its program.
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