PSFAF 2016

Laurence Jones, Black Palms, 2016; mixed media on linen, 57 1/8 x 72 7/8 inches; image courtesy of Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and Palm Springs Fine Art Fair
Laurence Jones, Black Palms, 2016; mixed media on linen, 57 1/8 x 72 7/8 inches; image courtesy of Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and Palm Springs Fine Art Fair

The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair will open its fifth edition on February 12, 2016. As in previous years, PSFAF coincides with Modernism Week and a Presidential visit to Sunnylands, making the Coachella Valley a hot ticket for the holiday weekend. More than 14,000 visitors are expected for the West Coast’s best art fair, which continues through February 14.

Jadikan, 142 Secondes - Janvier 2012, 2012; fine art paper mounted on aluminum, 40 × 60 inches; image courtesy of Art Vitam
Jadikan, 142 Secondes – Janvier 2012, 2012; fine art paper mounted on aluminum, 40 × 60 inches; image courtesy of Art Vitam

Some 60 exhibitors represent a mix of new and returning galleries specializing in post-war and contemporary art. Art Vitam (Miami and Paris) is a favorite, returning for its third year at PSFAF with photographs and works on paper by Jadikan, Muriel Moreau, and Didier Hamey.

Other booths not to miss include Etherton Gallery (Tucson) with works by Ralph Gibson, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (London and New York) with works by Laurence Jones, and Throckmorton Fine Art (New York) with works by Christian Cravo.

Tom Betts, Embers and Cups, 2015; oil on panel, 12 x 12 inches; image © Tom Betts
Tom Betts, Embers and Cups, 2015; oil on panel, 12 x 12 inches; image © Tom Betts

Beyond the convention center, Palm Desert’s El Paseo provides the greatest concentration of established galleries. Dawson Cole Fine Art has incredibly refined hyperrealist paintings by Tom Betts, including recent works that show the evolution of his surfaces and subjects to great effect. Nearby, Heather James Fine Art has simultaneous exhibitions of works by Picasso and Calder.

Gordon Watkinson, Skywood House; Graham Phillips, 2000; Denham, UK; inkjet print; image © Gordon Watkinson
Gordon Watkinson, Skywood House; Graham Phillips, 2000; Denham, UK; inkjet print; image © Gordon Watkinson

Back in Palm Springs, PSAM has a thoughtful exhibition on water that we’ve admired since the fall, and its A+D Center has just opened an exhibition on Bauhaus architecture.

The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair opens on Thursday evening, February 11, for VIP and Black Card holders, and is open to the public Friday through Sunday. A special section titled Oculus Clamantis in Desierto highlights works by artists focusing on the desert landscape.