An Elegant Return to Form at Independent Art Fair
By Will Heinrich
Independent Art Fair is back and in fine form. Returning to TriBeCa’s stylish Spring Studios after a brief dalliance farther downtown, this year’s edition of the modestly scaled but elegantly curated art fair features 17 new exhibitors, out of 67 in total, spread over four floors. Though its overall vibe is still more reassuring than revolutionary, an exciting, unsettled energy runs through its exhibits, and I found it more difficult than usual to make this standout list of only 10 picks.
Nina Johnson
The former dancer Martine Barrat has an eye for detail. Each of her captivating, 1980s-era photographs of Harlem and the South Bronx is tied together by one discreet but well-observed moment. For one small boy extending his arms in a sudden rainstorm, it’s the sharp white of a lollipop poking out of his mouth like a cowboy’s cigarette; for a tired drummer with his eyes shut, it’s the fingers that gently pinch the bridge of his nose.