Laura Chasman: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Laura Chasman captures an art world that is increasingly transient and on the move. She paints fleeting moments observed at art fairs over the years with quickly rendered brushstrokes, showing us the art dealers at work, the visitors with glazed expressions, the waiting, the watching, and, of course, the art.
Art fairs are unique experiences. Constructed and installed in no time at all, they are small cities full of eye-grabbing art and quiet opulence that vanish in a matter of days. For Chasman, they offer irresistible settings for observation. She deftly captures both the human drama—collectors and dealers circling each other, the thrill of a big sale, the tedium of long days with little interest from buyers—and the particular strangeness of the rarefied surroundings. Each scene is a snapshot in time, preserving a moment that is quickly lost in the business of selling art.
— Sarah Freeman, curator
My first visit to an art fair was in 2013: The Armory Show in New York. The immensity of the space and the number of booths displaying art took me by surprise. Each one appeared like a small stage set where all the action was taking place between buyers and art dealers as streams of visitors wandered about. I found myself drawn into these myriad scenes, these hives of activity juxtaposed with the extensive collection of art on display. My camera in hand, I began photographing what I saw, thinking this could be the start of a new series, which, in fact, turned out to be true. Visiting art fairs became my new project.
Originally, my art fair scenes were painted on FedEx mailing boxes turned inside out. The size and dimensionality of these boxes appealed to me. Later, it occurred to me that painting on the outside of the FedEx box would add relevant commentary: the image of the FedEx logo, at times barely visible and at other times suspended above the scene, is a reminder of the mobility and transitory nature of the art world today. Art fairs are short-lived. They come together in a flurry of activity—so much enterprise and hustle and thought-provoking work—and in a few days, it is all gone.
— Laura Chasman
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Laura Chasman grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and Smith College School of Social Work. Artists need to support themselves and Chasman always had an interest in psychology. She worked as a psychotherapist and geriatric social worker, and at times, her clinical experience inspired her work as a painter of people.
Chasman has exhibited her work in galleries and institutions for over 40 years. She was awarded the Maud Morgan Prize, which included a solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; was a finalist for an Artadia Award; and received a Fellowship in Painting and two finalist awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her portraits were included in two Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Chasman received three grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and was awarded two Vermont Studio Center residency fellowships. She was a visiting artist at the Addison Gallery of American Art in conjunction with their exhibition “Alice Neel.” Her work is in private and public collections, including at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; New Britain Museum of American Art; Fidelity Investments; Simmons College; the Boston Public Library; Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and Smith College Museum of Art.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE
This exhibit is located in the Ticket Gallery, which requires visitors to ascend five shallow steps with a railing. A virtual tour is available below.
RELATED EVENTS
July 12, Saturday, 5:30 p.m. — Opening of Five New Exhibits
August 14, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. — Art Talk: Laura Chasman and Sarah Freeman
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