Frieze New York returned for its second appearance on Randall’s Island – a small strip of land in the middle of New York’s East River rarely visited even by the most intrepid natives. The giant white tent especially built for the fair provided an open and airy space resplendent with natural light. With over 180 galleries it was inevitable that the quality would vary, but solo and two person presentations stood out. Roe Ethridge and Pae White were exhibited together in a booth shared by Greengrassi and Andrew Kreps. Murray Guy showed a remarkable series of photographs by Zoe Leonard that were paired with works by the young sound artist and sculptor Sergei Tcherepnin. Marian Goodman, with a booth dedicated to the performance work of Tino Sehgal, 47 Canal Gallery, showing work by Stewart Uoo, and Real Fine Arts, showing work by Antek Walczak, also made an impact with their solo presentations. Standard Oslo, Galerie Buchholz, Esther Schipper and Gisela Capitain, who also had excellent works by Zoe Leonard, all presented exciting material from the artist’s they represent.

Many galleries in New York timed openings to take advantage of Frieze New York excitement. The momentum seemed to have turned in favor of some of the city’s most established artists, with the most hotly anticipated exhibitions of the moment coming from art world veterans Jeff Koons and Ellsworth Kelly. The title to Kelly’s exhibition heralded this fact, stating the remarkable achievement of producing recent work of astonishing quality: “at 90”!
Frieze New York was squeezed between the Impressionist & Modern and the Post-War & Contemporary auctions, forcing those who covered all areas of the art world to run at full pace for almost three weeks. The Impressionist & Modern sales showed spirited bidding, with strong works fresh to the market regularly exceeding their high estimate. A fantastic collection of works on paper from an important estate also saw prices far exceed estimates, showing that high quality works will find enthusiastic buyers regardless of the work’s size or medium. In the Post-War & Contemporary auctions provenance and condition remained a decisive factor, and large scale paintings and strong works on paper that were indicative of the artist’s most recognizable style were in high demand. The outstanding Barnett Newman painting Onement VI sold for almost $44 million including buyers premium at Sotheby’s evening sale and Jackson Pollock’s Number 19, 1948 which had originally been exhibited at Betty Parson’s Gallery in 1949, sold for $58 million including buyers premium.