Looks Good to Me

Brancolini Grimaldi Arte contemporanea Roma/Firenze

Strolling into the Wynwood district's Soho building on Tuesday night for the inaugural Photo Miami fair opening, I breathed a sigh of relief.

See, I love art. Never really sure what I'm supposed to seeing though. Sure, I'll coo and gasp in Art Basel-style awe, but just because they do.

But this event, which touts an impressive array of photo-based works -- produced by artfair inc, the same folks who run a series of impressive shows in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco -- is a whole different ball game.

And I got it.

Not one of the hundreds of images in the 30,000 square foot space needed an artsy fartsy type to snottily explain the work's complex inner meaning. Not once did I find myself staring at a piece wondering why on earth anyone would pay $25,000 for something that looked as though it was made by a three year old.

Works ran the gauntlet from scenic shots to bloodied skulls to retarded-looking albino kids, and each warranted a stop, a stare, and a meaningful ponder.

If you're an art lover like me, but don't know squat about it, this is the fair for you. Some notables to check out on your way around: South Africa's Pieter Hugo, Miami's Julian Navarro, Italy's Massimo Vitali, and Tseng Kwong Chi.

So engrossed was I in the breathtaking selection of photographs, I only made one trip to the bar!

That's how good it was. -Joanne Green