MOSAIC OF ART - Episode 29; Jan. 2, 2011

ART BASEL; 18 RABBIT GALLERY. Thanks for your kind support during 2010. This first New Year's episode is a pot pourri of diverse interviews, mostly from early December and associated with the Art Basel constellation of exhibitions in South Florida.    Brooklyn's "No Agenda" arts collective exhibited at Fountain in Miami, where I spoke with two of the artists, ROSS BRODAR and KIMYON HUGGINS. "...just be creative and expressive with no particular aim in mind and just doing good work. That's no agenda". - KIMYON HUGGINS. LEAH BROWN of 18 Rabbit Gallery in Fort Lauderdale describes a couple of pieces from the show, "Madame," curated by Jackie Tufford. HALLIE HARRISBURG of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery presents one of the few mosaics on view in the main exhibition hall of Art Basel. She gives some historical context for LEE KRASNER's table, made in 1947. Is it akin to "women's work?" Harrisburg says No! I ran into XAVIER CORTADA at the Hardcore Contemporary Space Gallery. His 80.15W is the name of a series of drawings of endangered animals that dramatizes critical environmental issues. He uses dot matrix and carbon papers - nearly extinct technologies - to echo the condition of these imperiled species. BORKUR ARNARSON came all the way from Iceland to exhibit the i8 Gallery's stable of artists at Art Miami. The gallery director provides the connecting thread to understanding the conceptual works of featured artist HREINN FRIDFINNSON. It's more of a poetic connection than a logical one. Collector, MARTY WATSON: ?When you get into an artist's studio you're really in the inner sanctum, and it's kind of like you're walking around in their brain a little bit. And you just have great conversations. CHRIS DORLAND is one of the artists Watson and his wife, Tippi, collect. Their collecting approach, strategy and emotional connections to the work emerge in our conversation.