Affordable Art Fair: An Accessible Way to Start Collecting

NEW YORK—For new collectors and those who don’t have five figures to drop on a single work of art, the Affordable Art Fair provides an opportunity to buy in an atmosphere that is not intimidating and prices are not astronomical. Some artists are on hand to explain their work and gallery staff are generally not stand-offish, happy to talk about their artists’ work.

“Affordable” is of course relative—most works start at about $1,000. There is a featured “Under $500 Wall” where very small paintings, prints and photographs offered by various galleries are for sale. While it is possible to find more substantially sized works throughout the fair for several hundred dollars, they are more likely to be priced at a few thousand. The show continues upstairs, where booths are occupied by “Emerging Galleries.”

The Affordable Art Fair occurs in major cities around the world. The New York installment is at The Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street, from April 3 to April 7, 2013.

Top: Detail of paper sculpture: “Itadakimasu! (Bon Appetit!),” 2013 (paper, foam core board and acrylic on wood panel) by Makiko Azakami at Onishi Project of New York. $8,000

All photos © Arts Observer

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“The Classes of Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Cambridge,” 2013 (hand painted and glazed Russian Doll) by Yana Elkassova at Eyestorm of London. $1,000

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Folded paper map dresses and shirts by Elisabeth Lecourt at Byard Art of Cambridge. Far right, “Un Eskimo Dans Sa Chausurre, Patins D’Or (mixed media) by Elisabeth Lecourt. $4,200

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Detail “Three Melons with Fork,” (acrylic on canvas) by Atsuko Fujii of at Quantum Contemporary Art Gallery. $6,500

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Works at the Quantum Contemporary Art Gallery booth. In foreground, at right from top, “A Rolling Stone” and “The Book,” (both oil on linen) by Nigel Cox ($7,750 each). In background at left, works by Atsuko Fujii.

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Upstairs in the “Emerging Galleries” section: Detail of “Washingline,” 2013 (ink on canvas) by Heike Kummer at Red Round Gallery of Rhodes, Greece. $1,100

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“2 Blondes,” 2012 (Lenticular print, 8 copies) by Cecile Plaisance at Envie D’Art of London and Paris. From one angle, the Barbie figure appears as shown here, from another, she is unclothed wearing only her undergarments. $10,000

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Detail of “Chemin de table,” (mixed technic on canvas) by Delphine de Luppe at Galerie Olivia Ganancia of Paris. $2,600

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Detail of “Untitled 1-4,” 2012 (plastic rods) by Minseop Yoon, Courtesy of the Visual Arts Gallery/SVA.

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Clockwise from top left, “9 O’Clock,” “When,” “Believe” and “Tempest,” all 2010 (lithograph and letterpress poems, editions of 40) by Chris Ofili at Manifold Editions of London. $3,500 each

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Work in Progress (permanent marker on canvas) by Fortes Pakeong Sequeira at Art for All Society of Macau, China. $2,800

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Works by Anna Barlow at Bicha Gallery of London. Center, “Thoughts on my Plate Nr..6,” 2012 (porcelain, Earthenware, glaze, found plate). $856

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Upstairs in the “Emerging Galleries” section: Clockwise from top left, “Thinking of Tiffany’s,” “Fantastique,” “Chimerical,” “Wondrously,” all 2013 (acrylic and paint on panel) by Eugenia Pardue at Beaux Arts Contemporary. $6,300 each

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Detail of “Circles and Squares,” (acrylic on panel) by Anja Van Herle at JoAnne Artman Gallery. $3,000

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