‘What is it made of?' And other questions about Art Basel Miami

There is not a lot to know for certain about what a fairgoer will find at Art Basel Miami -- except for this: The event cannot be over-hyped or over-billed. The experience is without limit -- which echoes the art itself, also without limit. 

Attending Art Basel Miami, which my family and I did over the weekend, we saw works mostly in the convention center, but also in galleries in Wynwood. The work at the Miami Beach Convention Center was so expansive it was nearly impossible to categorize. Some of it felt same-old, safe. Some was so "out there" it was nearly incomprehensible.

Take a look yourself: The photo gallery atop this page is perhaps the best way to learn about Art Basel. (The photos will rotate automatically, but to pause them, just put your mouse over the image.) 

As patrons of the art (not collectors) we wandered the galleries, passing through shock to delight to mere stunned silence. The monetization of the work, while fascinating, was not our objective. We were looking for answers that art can bring to our lives, but instead came away with more questions.

Common questions heard all weekend were: "What is it made of?"  "What do you suppose the artist intended here?"  "What does this piece cost?"

The art at this edition of Art Basel Miami at the renovated Convention Center had many themes and trends. There seemed to be less eroticism, less anger, less overtly political works. There were many examples of beautiful black women. There were also repeated themes using doors, devils, happy faces, feminism. Technical masterpieces were out in force. While there were less kinetic or mechanically-driven works, there were many more back-lit, two dimensional pieces. In other words, the paintings glowed.

How does a fairgoer really pay attention to the art and not get swept into the spectacle, the entire experience? The answer is - they don't. Art Basel is after all, not a museum experience, it's about shopping for art, so surface looks, first impressions may be all that matter.

Turning from inhaling art, people-watching was the second best experience. It was a fashion fiesta, with looks that ranged from high end costumes to gardening attire.

Third best experience: people-listening. Here are a few shots taken from anonymous eavesdropping in the aisles:

• "There's too much shiny art here. If I had a houseful of art and I saw my reflection in every piece that I owned, it would drive me crazy."
• "You think next year, I should get really drunk first before I come to this show?"
• "So what happens – there are several museums – require a donation but, if you put the pieces on display there for 3 months, or 100 days, then there's no tax. Same thing happened when the DaVinci notebooks were purchased. If we hold them in my gallery, they become functionally used… there are 6 states that don’t have a use tax."
• First person: "I just saw a child sneeze on a Dubuffet."
  Second person: "You see, art inspiring strong reaction in the real world."
• About "Tattooed Man on Balcony" by Rodney Graham: "I know this looks chintzy, but for some reason it's very compelling. I like it."