independent and unexplainable.

Yesterday as I slipped and slid my way home from the Independent Art Fair’s preview, snow from the hundredth storm to hit NYC this winter blinding my eyes, I wondered: who is the bigger jokester, Mother Nature or the contemporary art world?

Housed in the heart of Chelsea at the old Dia building, the Independent Art Fair brought together more than fifty galleries from fourteen different countries. Visitors climbed the steep Dan Flavin illuminated stairs to peruse three gallery floors and a rooftop filled with some of the most cutting edge contemporary art on view this art fair weekend.

Contemporary art has become somewhat of an obsession for me in recent years. As a painter, I am naturally drawn to works on paper and on canvas. The non-traditional methods of creating much contemporary art peaks my curiosity. The shockingly high prices that this radical art demands fascinates me. And the fact that there are people who will buy these unusual (and sometimes not very good – in my opinion) works at these ridiculous prices continues to astound me.

Take the “sculpture” pictured above. “Crafted” from 1972-1973 by A.R. Penck and titled “Standart-Modell”, the piece consists of cardboard, rope, and paint. At first glance, it appears to be just a cardboard box that has been flipped upside down and mangled to reveal some new strips of cardboard jutting up and out like a tower. It reminded me of the forts small children may create from their parents’ old packing boxes. Yet, this “fort”, this old damaged cardboard box, sells for $120,000.

When I asked the dealer about the work, feigning interest in a possible purchase, he spoke eloquently on how the artist intended to reference cubism and architecture in the piece. Beyond the artistic references, the work also speaks to the times as the artist was living in East Berlin when it was made and materials were scarce. Judging by the looks of “Standart-Modell”, materials were indeed very scarce.

My interaction with the gallerist regarding The German Cardboard Box amused me. Did this man actually believe his story? How did he manage to keep a straight face when spitting out the $120K price? Did the artist actually intend these things or was he playing a joke on the art market? Was the gallerist playing a joke on me?

Cardboard works seemed to be en vogue at the Independent. At first, I was not clear on whether or not the “sculpture” (? found object? interactive art piece?) pictured above was in fact an art piece. I was in fact visiting the Independent on a preview day, so perhaps the gallery had not finished unpacking its works on time. Initially too frightened to ask and potentially appear unintelligent or (worse) uninformed, I walked past the cardboard crate without a word.

However, after later experiencing The German Cardboard Box two floor ups, I was emboldened. I needed to go back to the Large Cardboard Box in Saran Wrap and enquire about its story. I needed to know if it was indeed a piece on show, for sale.

It was indeed. The artist, Hugh Scott-Douglas, titled this 2015 piece “Untitled”. As the German gallerist somberly explained, Scott-Douglas makes multiples of this art work, each one containing the pieces of a large old billboard. The client may choose which billboard design goes inside the cardboard packaging, and then he or she may also choose whether or not the package is opened at all, whether or not the billboard is assembled however they may like. This art piece starts at $12,000.

I asked the gallerist if there was indeed a billboard in each sculpture? Is it possible that the box could be empty? What if the client chooses to never open the art piece and chooses to imagine that there is a billboard inside, even if there might be nothing at all? Is the billboard real if we never see it? Would we never know for sure? Is it a sculpture or an interactive piece or is it up to the client to decide the label as it is up to the client to interact with the piece and open the box or leave it as is?

He stared at me blankly, not cracking a smile. I guess I’m not allowed in on the joke.