Swampdog

Fine art. Made ya look. Keep reading for the ink.

Everyone should have face and head tattoos. Dentists would finally look cool. Teachers would get more respect. And the president would have no problem intimidating smaller countries.

Give thanks to TattooLaPalooza for showing us the light. There was as much art above the shoulders at the Hyatt this weekend as there is sand on the beach.

Now all we can think about is paying someone to spend hours stabbing needles dipped in ink into our skull. Here are the top ten face and head tattoos we saw.

See also: TattooLaPalooza 2013 at Hyatt Regency Miami (Photos)

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Justin Namon

For many of the gallerists whose art spaces helped transform Wynwood into Miami's cultural heartbeat, the recent vote to create a Business Improvement District (BID) in the neighborhood is both a blessing and a cause for worry.

The art dealers and gallery owners we interviewed all agree that the initiative, spearheaded by the Wynwood Arts District Association (WADA), might play a vital role in making the area it will encompass---between 20th to 29th Streets and between NW Fifth Avenue and the railroad tracks bordering North Miami Avenue---more pedestrian friendly by heightening security and providing more lighting and better sanitation services.

But some gallerists say they wonder if the BID will represent their concerns over nurturing Wynwood's cultural growth, express fear they may be priced out as rents are raised to cover planned improvements and also complain of never having been contacted by WADA to participate in the BID voting process even though they are due paying members of the organization. In short they object that WADA has not been inclusive and that's a huge problem for the local arts community moving forward.

See also:
- Wynwood's New Business Improvement District Promises Fewer Car Break-Ins, Cleaner Streets

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Joan McLoughlin, owner of The McLoughlin Gallery, pictured with artists (from left to right) David Middlebrook and Mckay Otto as well as McLoughlin gallerist Antonio Cortez.

On my final day in Basel, I would be remiss if I didn't do a little storytelling and share with you what goes on behind the scenes. Unlike Miami, only a few satellites -- SCOPE, Volta, and Liste -- attempt to compete with the main Art Basel fair in Basel. This year was especially challenging for these mid-level dealers; the Art Basel space came with a new face and, according to those who had attended in the past, the show was one of the best. Collectors, artists, and hangers-on finished their days in an open air rotunda sipping cocktails while catching up on the day.

See also:
- Art Basel in Basel, Day One: SCOPE Satellite Fair
- Art Basel in Basel, Day Two: "Unlimited"
- Art Basel in Basel, Day Three: Money, Money, Money

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Pablo Bronstein, Maria Antoinette and Robespierre Engage In An Irritable Post-Coital Conversation, 2013

Two things have become quite obvious to me on this trip to Basel: 1. I need more wall space and 2. If I'm going to continue being an art writer, I need to get a very rich boyfriend. When one's favorite Gerhard Richter at Dominique Levy sells for $25,000,000 before you can even snap a picture, you know that you're in the wrong tax bracket.

Today was the day we went in and rubbed elbows with the big guns. Prepare to be disgusted, because the name of the game is money, and lots of it.

See also:
- Art Basel in Basel, Day One: SCOPE Satellite Fair
- Art Basel in Basel, Day Two: "Unlimited"

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Christopher Cardullo

Kubiat Nnamdie is only 22 years old, but already he has a wisdom and résumé that outshines many fellow 20-somethings. He's an artist working freely in almost any medium; paint, sculpture, collage, and video, but he's about to show his hometown a new side of himself.

For his debut solo show, Nnamdie is proud to present "22 Grams: Set Me Free." He's shown all over the world, but revealing himself in the 305 is a proud moment he wouldn't trade for the world. It's a rebirth of sorts for the young artist, the beginning of a new chapter, and you can join him Saturday, June 15, at the Seminole Building in Wynwood for the big reveal.

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Photos by Seanica Howe

Viewers behold Piotr Uklanski's Untitled (Open Wide), 2012, installation at Art Basel's "Unlimited."

Today was the day I ate my words. Gagosian, please forgive me. Hauser & Wirth, keep building. Every terrible thing I've ever said about oversized galleries with big bank accounts? I take it back. You are now my reason for being, my everything, because without your support of artists in need of large spaces and big budgets, I would have missed having my jaw drop open at "Unlimited," Art Basel's show within a show.

Stretching the imagination beyond the wall hanging and basic sculpture, "Unlimited" serves as the portion of the main Art Basel fair designated for multi-media, performance art, and large scale installations and objects that reach beyond the limits of the white cube.

See also:
- Art Basel in Basel, Day One: SCOPE Satellite Fair

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Alan Gutierrez's "INTRO" at Emerson Dorsch.

It's Thursday afternoon at the recently renovated Emerson Dorsch Gallery, and everything is still -- except the moving stock images on TV screens. Observers stand silently, observing the pieces of art around them: boxes on the floor, paintings on the wall, and plasma TVs placed on the floor, the wall, and a table, all illuminated by a stage-lighting system. Movement commences as people walk towards the next piece, but then there's absolute silence once again.

The serenity of the room is interrupted when artist Alan Gutierrez enters the room and the formerly entranced observers turn to greet him.

See also:
- Emerson Dorsch: Taking Wynwood Beyond the Age of Warehouse Galleries

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I Santissimi, Horror Vacui, 2012

To say that Art Basel has become significant for Miami is a bit of an understatement. Do we even remember what Miami was like before this major event elevated it from vacation destination to cultural hot spot? Those of us that had never been exposed to million dollar art suddenly became connoisseurs, and were granted permission to enter a world we thought only existed in New York and Paris.

Well, the big daddy fair, father to which Miami now owes its claim to art fame, has once again occupied Switzerland. No people, Art Basel is not just a Miami event and, just in case you are wondering, its fabulousness translates worldwide.

See also: Art Basel Miami Beach 2012: Winners and Losers

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via Wikipedia

Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird

"I don't give a shit what the world thinks. I was born a bitch, I was born a painter, I was born fucked. But I was happy in my way. You did not understand what I am. I am love. I am pleasure, I am essence, I am an idiot, I am an alcoholic, I am tenacious. I am; simply I am...You are a shit."

Although Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) penned these words in an unsent letter to her unfaithful husband, artist Diego Rivera, they allow us a peek into her soul. A paradox of empowerment and vulnerability, the Mexican-born surreal artist is an enigma, in addition to one of history's most influential artists.

Now, the world gets to see her like never before, and Miami has first dibs thanks to M+V Art and their collaboration with the Leo Matiz Foundation.

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Courtesy of Locust Projects

Like books? Like art? Like books about art? Then it's likely you'll dig the world of the Art Book Review, a Los Angeles-based organization that doles out artsy books to willing writers who then pen reviews.

The group is being hosted by Miami's Bookleggers mobile library, on site at Locust Projects. The Friday-evening soiree will feature music, cocktails, and lots of good reads.

See also:
- Mastermind 2013 Honorable Mention: Bookleggers Public Library
- Locust Projects' New Exhibits Force Viewers Outside Their Comfort Zones

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