SOFA NEW YORK 2006 WRAP-UP REPORT:
COLLECTORS ACQUIRE CLASSICS AND
STRETCH TOWARDS THE NEW

CHICAGO, JUNE 5, 2006, SOFA NEW YORK 2006 opened on Wednesday, May 31 with a lively benefit gala for the Museum of Arts & Design, New York.  Mark Lyman, Founder and Director of SOFA NEW YORK said, “Opening Night has been steadily building in attendance and qualified buyers.  We were very pleased and congratulate MAD on a great evening.”

Leo Kaplan Modern, New York, NY booth on Opening Night.

Terry Davidson of Leo Kaplan Modern, New York said, “It was the biggest Opening ever.  With so many art events happening this week, it was great to see that people came mid-week to check SOFA out.” Opening Night attendance was estimated at 900 persons. Mark Lyman added, “We are grateful to our sponsors Chubb and Collectify which invited key clientele to attend, adding potentially new and younger collectors to the mix.” Preliminary counts indicate paid attendance at the exposition was up 5% overall.

Joan B. Mirviss' booth at SOFA NEW YORK, with Katô Yasukage artwork in foreground.

The Opening was a banner night at the stunning booth of Joan B. Mirviss, Ltd., New York, who has led the way for Asian ceramics at the fair for the past three years.  Mirviss sold a remarkable ten copper-green glazed oribe vessel forms by Katô Yasukage, the 14th generation of a Japanese family of ceramic masters, and the first to be trained as a fine art sculptor.  Mirviss said, “SOFA was on an even higher plane than years past, with several important dealer additions elevating the caliber and tone of the entire show. My impression was that attendance was a significant percentage higher than last year.  My own show was quite successful, made more so by Mr. Katô’s strong, dynamic works, which found immediate homes.”

To view a video interview of Katô Yasukage, click here.

William Morris Idolo Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA

The top reported sale at SOFA NEW YORK was Idolo by William Morris for $145,000, sold by Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA. Morris’ highly collectible works reference myth, animal, artifact, ethnicity and spirituality and are renowned for his treatment of surface texture, achieved by sprinkling powdered glass and minerals onto a blown surface, etching, and acid washing to achieve "ancient" and textural diversity. Jim Schantz of Holsten said, “We had a great show.”

Jaroslava Brychtová and Stanislav Libenský Rhomboid Head, 1991 Cast glass 21 x 20 x 12 Barry Friedman Ltd., New York, NY

Throughout the show, dealers noted well-informed acquisitions of works by “classic” artists key to the intersection of the fine and decorative arts. Principal among these were four elegant, minimalist cast glass sculptures by the seminal Jaroslava Brychtová and Stanislav Libenský, perhaps the first to use glass as a media in large-scale sculpture, sold by Barry Friedman Ltd., New York.

Barry Friedman in front of his Emergence exhibit with Michael Glancy vessel.

Emergence Panel, from left-- Frantísek Vizner, Michael Glancy and others.

Friedman’s booth was a dazzling overview of the history of early American studio glass, featuring works made between 1965 and 1985 by Howard Ben Tre, Dale Chihuly, Erwin Eisch, Michael Glancy, Dominic Labino, Stanislav Libenský/Jaroslava Brychtová, Marvin Lipofsky, Harvey Littleton, Joel Philip Myers, Tom Patti, Frantísek Vizner and Toots Zynsky.  Many of the featured artists participated in a lively panel discussion in the SOFA NEW YORK Lecture Series, to a standing room only crowd. A record 685 persons enjoyed twelve Lecture Series presentations in the Tiffany Room.

To view images from Emergence panel, click here.

Erwin Eisch, represented at SOFA NEW YORK 2006 by Barry Friedman Ltd., New York, NY	Frantísek Vizner, represented at SOFA NEW YORK 2006 by Barry Friedman Ltd., New York, NY

To view video interviews at SOFA with Erwin Eisch, Frantísek Vizner, Joel Philip Myers, and Tom Patti, please click here.

The booth of Galerie Besson, London at SOFA NEW YORK 2006.

The elegantly shaped and subtly toned works of the 20th century’s most important potters, Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, sold solidly at Galerie Besson, London, which presented a focus show of the seminal ceramic modernists, both of whom were separately honored with major retrospectives by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Principal among sales at Besson was the historically significant Hans Coper’s stoneware Flattened form with disc top from 1970, which Coper had gifted to his friend and mentor, Lucie Rie.

SOFA visitors in front of Ruth Duckworth's wall sculptures at the booth of Bellas Artes/Thea Burger, Santa Fe, NM and New York, NY.

Bellas Artes/Thea Burger, Santa Fe, NM and New York, reported having a “great show,” debuting new masterworks by modernist sculptor, Ruth Duckworth, key to legitimizing ceramics as a fine art medium. Works by Olga de Amaral and Richard DeVore also sold well.  Burger said, “We were delighted with the response to the new works of our artists, which we have been saving to debut at SOFA.”  Ruth Duckworth, whose acclaimed retrospective exhibition has been traveling to major U.S. museums, will be honored with a special segment on CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, portions of which were filmed on Friday at SOFA NEW YORK.

The booth of Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia, PA at SOFA NEW YORK 2006 with Conoid bench to the left.

Mid-century modern furniture sales achieved by Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia included a classic Conoid bench by the venerable Japanese-American furniture designer, George Nakashima. Michael Gruber of Moderne reported it had acquired “a fabulous Sam Maloof double rocker for a client,’’ in cooperation with Donna Schneier Fine Arts, New York.

Reinaldo Sanguino Honoring Black #3, Gods & Designers series, 2006 Dean Project, New York, NY

Alongside acquisitions of classic artworks, dealers noted an emerging buying trend toward mixed-media artworks. Dean Project, New York and SOFA presented a Special Exhibit entitled One Part Clay: Ceramic Avant-garde & Mixed Media, focusing on artists mixing ceramics and diverse materials such as taxidermy, steel, cloth, resin, fake gold and silver, rabbit fur, enamel, gouache and plywood. Dean Project enjoyed sales of several Black Crowns in the Special Exhibit made of ceramic and Plexiglas from the “Gods and Designer Series” by Reinaldo Sanguino. To complete the artwork, the purchaser of the crown is then photographed wearing it.

Adelaide Paul OrsoMadre, 2006 Porcelain and mixed media Garth Clark Gallery, New York, NY

An outstanding example of mixed-media sales at SOFA was OrsoMadre by Adelaide Paul, sold by Garth Clark Gallery, New York. Superbly tailored in leather “skin” meticulously stitched together with medical sutures, a metal zipper for a spine and tiny brass claw-feet from a coffee table for paws, the only hint of ceramics in the tightly sheathed greyhound is the masterfully sculpted porcelain pup resting in its mother’s jaw. Garth Clark also sold two other of Paul’s mixed-media sculptures.  Osvaldo Da Silva of Garth Clark said, “Sales grew steadily as the week progressed. It was a good fair for us.”

Jan Hopkins Under Cover Fiber 27 x 14 Jane Sauer/Thirteen Moons, Santa Fe, NM

Tom Grotta (right) and Rhonda Brown (left) in browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT booth with Jin-Sook So sculpture in upper right, sold to a museum.

Fiber art sales were very strong, including Jan Hopkins’ eerily exquisite Under Cover made of rhododendron leaves, pods, paper and waxed linen, sold by Jane Sauer/Thirteen Moons, Santa Fe, NM, which reported having a “really, really excellent show.” Tom Grotta of browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT reported the sale of Large Untitled Steel Mesh, a major wall sculpture of steel mesh, and painted Plexiglass by Jin-Sook So, to a museum for $72,000.

Giampaolo Babetto speaking in the Lecture Series. Represented by Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA.	David Watkins speaking in the Lecture Series. Represented by Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon, London, UK

Top international art jewelers gave presentations in the Lecture Series and jewelry dealers at SOFA reported strong related sales. Sienna Patti of Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA who presented a solo show of Italy’s Giampaolo Babetto’s minimal, geometric jewelry, said. “People really responded to Babetto’s talk and meeting him in person—it got them thinking about jewelry in a larger context.  This was the best show I’ve ever had.”  Distinguished UK jeweler, David Watkins, Professor and Head of Metalwork and Jewelery at London’s Royal College of Art, (Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon, London), gave a well-attended lecture on the aesthetic and technical developments in his jewelry, and its incorporation of new technologies and materials.

To view a video interview with David Watkins, click here.

Jeweler Bruce Metcalf, represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York, with his chewed gum entry in Ted Noten's "Chew Your Own Brooch" contest.

In one of the most participatory lectures to date at SOFA, Dutch conceptual jeweler and object artist, Ted Noten (Ornamentum, Hudson, NY), an advocate of “democratic art,” invited the audience to Chew Your Own Brooch and spit out a self-sculpted artwork. The entries were then  judged for concept and beauty, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners to be cast in gold, silver and bronze by Noten himself.  Jurors included Ursula Ilse-Neuman, Curator, Museum of Arts & Design, Susan Cummins, former gallery owner and active board member of the America Craft Council and California College of the Arts; and SOFA director and founder, Mark Lyman.

To view Ted Noten announcing the winners of the Chew Your Own Brooch invitational, click here.

Karako by Akio Takamori in Garth Clark Gallery booth, New York, NY.

Collectors stretched intellectually to purchase light-hearted artworks marked by postmodern whimsy and pastiche. Garth Clark Gallery, New York sold two touchingly human, large-scale ceramic sculptures—his largest scale ever—by Akio Takamori, based on Karako—an idealized, fabled Chinese child figure much used in Japanese art and a frequent decorative element in Chinese pottery.

Takashi Hinoda Time Goes By, 2004 Ceramic 12 x 6.3 x 8.3 Dai Ichi Arts, New York, NY

Michael Lucero Green Columbus, 1990-91 Donna Schneier Fine Arts New York, NY

Dai Ichi Arts, New York, sold four fanciful ceramic sculptures by Takashi Hinoda that reference Japanese popular culture such as Anime, manga and the Japanese passion for Kawai (cute) characters. One was purchased by Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC.  Artist Michael Lucero, whose eclectic mix of influences ranges from pre-Columbian to George Ohr ceramics, as well as the vernacular and mass media, much admired Hinoda’s work saying, “They are so current in terms of other Japanese art. And they are ceramic objects!  I thought they were very good.”  Donna Schneier Fine Arts, New York, sold five Lucero ceramic sculptures, including two 1990’s Pre-Columbus Series; a new Reclamation Series and a new Totem, both sold to museums. Schneier reported having an “excellent show.”

Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Gallery, Lenox, MA reported that “Our sales in general were strong across the board with important works by several artists being acquired by museums. We sold to many new New York private collectors including a sale of three pieces by Sergei Isupov to a single collector that included his newest work, a 42 x 90" painting on paper, The Kiss.”

Sergei Isupov's The Kiss (background), sold by Ferrin Gallery, Lenox, MA.

To view a video interview of Sergei Isupov, click here.

Mark Lyman said, “2007 will mark SOFA's 10th annual exposition in New York City. Plans are already underway for an exciting anniversary fair.”