$99.99 landscapes at theBLANC Gallery is a lighthearted critique of art as commodity that asks both artists and art buyers to engage with the value of art and labor.
Works on display June 29 - June 30, 2024.
Opening reception Saturday, June 29th, 6:00 – 8:00pm
“$99.99” is an exhibition curated by Blair Simmons and Ariel Oakley that seeks to engage with value, labor, access, and the socialization of taste. With each work priced equally, what remains is the question of value. The flat rate of $99.99 brings affordability to the contemporary art market, a sphere to which the term is seldom applicable, and questions how each artist determines the value of their labor. The installation itself is a visual representation of the vast variation in size and material that is “worth” $99.99 to each participating artist.
In specifying visual themes that evoke popular genre painting styles, the show points to art as a domestic commodity. However, its overwhelming multiplicity of styles and artists (installed salon style floor to ceiling) pushes to a place of absurdity and joyous, raucous overwhelm.
The goal of this exhibition is to promote inclusivity of artists and their community, to engage the topic of how value is determined, and encourage a fun atmosphere to participate in the joy of the rhythm of exchange.
TheBlanc Gallery will host $99.99 landscapes at their midtown Manhattan gallery, 15 E. 40th street, suite 200. New York, NY 10016. info@theblanc.art Instagram: @theblanc_ny.
