2016 is likely to be a big year for fine art. Artists and institutions are experimenting with new ideas and directions. Big fine artists are being challenged by up-and-coming fine artists. It seems that the fine art world has a lot to look forward to in the upcoming year.
Technology in Art
The use of technology is becoming an increasingly large trend in the fine art world. Museums like the Guggenheim in New York are adopting “iBeacons”, which are stations at each work in the museum where you can download information about the art using an app on your smartphone. Artists are also adopting technology in their art as well. For example, Daniel Steegmann Mangrane, a visual artist based in Brazil, used a virtual reality device for one of his installations. The guest dons an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset to be transported to a virtual copy of the Mata Atlântica rainforest in Southern Brazil. In Seattle, artist Addie Wagenknecht has traded in her paintbrushes for drones. The small, flying devices disseminate colorful, powdered paint onto large canvases on the floor. The process is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s process, only with the aid of machines and a powdery, soft finished piece.
Daniel Steegmann Mangrane’s installation has visitors wear an Occulus Rift virtual reality headset that allows them to explore a virtual replica of the Mata Atlântica rainforest in Southern Brazil.
Women in Art
According to JiaJia Fei, the associate director of digital marketing at the Guggenheim Museum, 2016 is going to be “a really strong year for women and sole exhibitions at museums.” Many museums have exhibitions scheduled for the upcoming year that feature solo work by female artists, including Catherine Opie at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a retrospective on Agnes Martin at the Guggenheim, and a survey of the painter Nicole Eisenman at the New Museum. Sculpture Center’s entire roster for the year of 2016 consists solely of women artists.
Women will be in the fine art spotlight in 2016. Now is a good time to purchase work by women artists like Natalie Gaidry.
Artist to Watch: Peter Doig
Peter Doig’s fine art career has been building steadily over a long period of time. Born in Edinburgh in 1959, Doig began his art career by studying art at several universities in London. He was controversially nominated for the Turner Prize in 1994 which helped to generate worldwide interest in his art. Doig’s art began to appear in several prominent art galleries, and the price of his masterful paintings rose steadily skyward. In 2007, Doig’s “White Canoe” reached $11.2 million, making Doig the most expensive living European artist. Earlier this past year, Christie’s offered one of Doig’s most famous paintings, “Swamped”, in its Looking Forward to the Past sale, alongside masterpieces by Picasso, Giacometti, Rothko, Monet and Warhol. “Swamped” fetched an impressive $25.9 million, reaffirming Doig’s position as a modern master. We’re excited to see what 2016 has in store for Peter Doig’s work.
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