Intersect Palm Springs
An Annual Art & Design Fair
Various Galleries & Makers
February 8 – 12, 2023
In the Coachella Valley, a recent explosion of art was both ignited and relished by gallerists, art lovers, and makers alike. Swarms of guests strutted their best stuff while perusing dynamic displays of paintings, sculptures, and many other forms of consummate design. The event was Intersect Palm Springs, an annual art and design fair, held this year at the Palm Springs Convention Center over the weekend of February 8-12th. The occasion is a national fair whose mission is to globally connect galleries with collectors amid inspired settings.
The three annual events take place in Aspen, Chicago, and Palm Springs, and always include unique programming and an excellent roster of exhibitors. This month, it showcased a dazzling mixture of notorious and established artists of various disciplines represented by more than 50 galleries from around the country. Although there was undoubtedly much to absorb, ArtNowLA happily managed to spotlight a few noteworthy displays.
Fisherman, by Allois
As an introduction to the forthcoming exhibition, Investigations: Zombie Forest, which takes place at the Museum of Art and History this fall, the Palm Springs exhibit focused on the endangerment of the vital Joshua tree, in which small and large-scale renderings of desert flora decorated the booths’ walls. All works offered a unique angle from which to contemplate the sensitive Mojave Desert ecosystem. For example, Catherine Ruane’s collection of 8-inch tondo graphite drawings, mounted on birch wood, offered lush, realistic close-ups of the intricate Joshua tree blossom and its many waxen petals.
Joshua Tree Blossoms, by Catherine Ruane
bG Gallery, whose brick & mortar location is at Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station, featured an eclectic range of visuals, including fantastical, creature-ridden paintings by Allois, immaculate stick-and-pencil sculptures by Gil Bruvel, hazy seascapes by Gay Summer Rick, and much more. As a contemporary gallery that focuses on slightly unconventional art ideologies, bG’s is a mixed bag of expressions contained within this mini-exhibit.
Joshua Tree Roots Mid Elevation, by Juniper Harrower
John Natsoulas Gallery, from Davis, CA, featured a selection of striking paintings that easily drew in viewers. One such image was, Seongmin Yeo’s Wake Up Call. This surrealistic dreamscape showed two nude figures, one of green complexion apparently anesthetized underwater, and the other a crimson hue, which was curiously reaching towards the ocean floor from above the water’s surface.
Wake Up Call, by Seongmin Yeo
Whether pensive or comical in nature, pictures and objects coincided to create a vibrant atmosphere that spanned the Civic Center building like a mosaic of color and energy. As the fair has a little something for everyone, it continues to serve as a flourishing event for the galleries it hosts. Visitors, potentially looking to acquire something new for their collections, have numerous pieces to choose from, be they bijoux, coffee table figurines, paintings edgy or classical, or playful neon tube sculptures meant to show off a swanky lounge area, with the sophistication of the represented artists weaving the exhibit into an elegant, cohesive tapestry.
Cover image, October Heat, by Gay Summer Rick; all images courtesy of the artists as photographed by the author.
