Fair Opening Draws In the Local Art Crowd

The Scene: Wednesday night’s preview of ART/LA92, the seventh go-round for the International Los Angeles Art Fair. The massive trade show/marketplace of paintings, photos and sculpture is at the Convention Center through Sunday.

Upbeat Quote: “Since Los Angeles occasionally rises to the level of a serious cultural community, it should have an art fair,” said UCLA Art Department Chairman Henry Hopkins. “There’s a lot of art that could be bought by someone even like me and that’s very good. When you’re looking at art you can afford, it’s a little different than looking at a museum.”

Not-So-Upbeat Quote: “It looks to me like this thing has one foot in the grave,” said a prominent local artist. “It’s kind of low energy. You can’t blame it on anyone. It’s just that the recession has knocked the hell out of the art world.”

Who Was There: Artists, friends of artists, gallery owners, collectors and “those people who go to art openings, hang around, don’t buy art and wear flimsy outfits,” observed a gallery owner. The 1,800-strong throng included collectors Frederick Weisman, Bob and Linda Gersh, Stanley and Elyse Grinstein, Marvin and Judy Zeidler, and Eileen and Peter Norton; artists John Baldessari, Don Bachardi, Woods Davy, Gronk and Ed Moses; supporters Stephen Garrett, Jake Bloom, Martin Mull and Cheech Marin.

Collective Desire: Hope the fair survives. Wish it were better.

Kudos: The Los Angeles International Art Award was presented to David Hockney; Gemini G.E.L. was honored for 25 years of first-quality printmaking.

Big Hit: Naked Dutch guys--as in the Jack Daniel’s-swigging Amsterdam artists’ group After Nature, who took their clothes off as they painted. “I think those liberal drug laws have had an effect on the arts there,” said an observer.

Featured: The unveiling of a BMW 740i hand-painted by artist Patssi Valdez.

Money Matters: Daily admission is $8 for students, seniors, museum members or in advance; daily general admission is $12.

Chow: Hors d’oeuvres. The waiters were under instructions to keep moving. This created a number of slapstick scenes with guests trying to grab a chicken wing and dip it in sauce, all while the tray was rapidly moving away.