Allison Glenn’s Top 5 Picks from Frieze Los Angeles Viewing Room 2024
The New York-based writer and curator chooses a stunning watercolor by Beauford Delaney and a work by Emma Prempeh that reminds her of a more “carefree” time, among others
The New York-based writer and curator chooses a stunning watercolor by Beauford Delaney and a work by Emma Prempeh that reminds her of a more “carefree” time, among others
Emma Prempeh, Portals, 2023
Oil, acrylic, print, fabric and schlag metal on canvas, 200 x 160 cm. Presented by Tiwani Contemporary. POA
“Emma Prempeh has considered every corner of this composition with a delicate precision, paying most attention to the reflection of the evening in the open glass door. There’s something so familiar about Prempeh’s Portals that makes me feel transported to that moment. I feel the cool breeze coming through the open doorway, causing the lace below the transom window to billow. It reminds me of a time living in New Orleans—of being just a little more carefree.”
Beauford Delaney, Untitled, 1963
Gouache and watercolor on paper, 64.8 x 49.5 cm. Presented by Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. $100k–$250k
“The seductive swashes of color swirling across the pictorial plane in this abstract composition by Beauford Delaney endlessly engage. My eye is both pulled into the deep, cool, blue abyss and continuously tracing the watercolor marks as they swirl across the surface of the paper.”
Aydeé Rodríguez López, Vicente Guerrero y Juan del Carmen, 2023
Oil on canvas, mounted on hand-carved dyed poplar-wood frame, 169 x 218 x 4.5 cm. Presented by Proyectos Monclova. $20k–$50k
“Bright colors and crashing waves dominate this joyous, allegorical painting. The tightness of the lower half of the composition giving way to a crimson sun setting against a lustrous sky is truly breathtaking. And the frame! I’m excited to see Aydeé Rodríguez López’s work in ‘Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere’, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, at the Venice Biennial this April.”
Kayode Ojo, Back in Your Head, 2024
Sony PVM-9L2 color production monitor (church-owned); Godinger Liquid Lunch for Two, seven-piece stainless-steel Martini set; favors; clear acrylic locker trunk; Seletti “Love in Bloom” glass flower vase; Pearl “Crystal Beat” floor tom. Presented by C L E A R I N G. $20k–$50k
“The materials list for Kayode Ojo’s Back in Your Head caused me to embark on a late-night eBay search for the Godlinger Liquid Lunch for Two seven-piece stainless-steel Martini set. While the hunt unearthed a successful array of options, I think I’ll leave the items in the cart for now, and instead dive deep into my wonderment for which church (what denomination and where, Kayode?) owned the Sony PVM-9L2 portable CRT.”
Sahar Khoury, Untitled (Sumac), 2023
Glazed ceramic, enameled glass, bronze, steel and leather belts, 171.77 x 43.18 x 38.74 cm. Presented by Canada. $18,000
“The anthropomorphic qualities of this seemingly improvisational yet balanced red-glazed ceramic vessel really drew me in, and the delicately placed accoutrements—including the knotted leather belts and enameled glass—kept me engaged.”
About Allison Glenn
Allison Glenn is a New York-based curator and writer focusing on the intersection of art and public space, through public art and special projects, biennials, and major new commissions by a wide range of contemporary artists. She is currently Visiting Curator at the University of Tulsa, organizing “Sovereign Futures”. Previous roles include Co-Curator of Counterpublic Triennial 2023, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Guest Curator at the Speed Art Museum, and curatorial staff for Prospect New Orleans’ international art triennial Prospect.4: “The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp.”
About Frieze Viewing Room
Open to all from February 22–March 8, Frieze Viewing Room is the online catalog for Frieze Los Angeles 2024, offering visitors a preview of the wealth of gallery presentations at the fair, as well as the chance for audiences around the world to connect with galleries and acquire artworks.
Further information
Frieze Los Angeles is at Santa Monica Airport, February 29–March 3, 2024.
Tickets
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Main image: Allison Glenn. Photo: Grace Roselli
