Artexpo NY announces SOLO winner

Art Business News, May, 2005 by Lyndsey Walker

NEW YORK -- In a ceremony held on March 6, the closing morning of Artexpo New York, Eric Smith, vice president of the International Art and Framing Group (IAFG) and publisher of Art Business News, awarded the SOLO Prize to Adrian Prisecaru in recognition of his outstanding artistic talent. The prize is given to one promising independent artist found amongst the 150 exhibitors showcasing their art in the SOLO Independent Artists Pavilion.

"Selecting a recipient was difficult due to the incredible array of talent and potential amongst the independent artists" says Smith. "Like last year, many of them will walk away from this show having been discovered by art galleries, dealers and publishers."

Born in Bucharest, Romania, Prisecaru has lived in New York for more than 25 years. His works can be found in private collections across Europe, as well as Mexico and the United States. Working primarily in oils, Prisecaru uses vibrant colors and thick strokes of paint in abstraction to create a brilliance in aesthetic appeal.

The artist describes his work best, saying, "Inspiration comes from everything that surrounds me and travel. There is a permanent dialogue between myself and the intangible elements of nature that becomes materialized in the thick oil paint that I use on my canvases. I try to eliminate details so that the viewer would have a clear and simple image of my feelings when I create. Sometimes the form is liberated from meaning because I want to explore the interrelations of light and color. I move from representation to a mode of abstraction to make color a powerful expressive force."

A distinguished panel of judges comprised of Tom Bagley, managing partner of Pfingsten Partners, LLC; IAFG's Eric Smith; Tom Murray, celebrity photographer; and Charlie Kimbell, vice president and marketing director for Wild Apple Graphics, selected Prisecaru as this year's SOLO Prize recipient after examining a broad range of original artwork.

The judges walked the SOLO Pavilion individually to select the top two or three artists they felt had the most potential and whose work portrayed raw talent and garnered commercial appeal. Afterwards, a consensus meeting was held where the judges came together and exposed their top picks. Since no clear winner was revealed in the meeting, the judges walked the pavilion together to choose the "Best Upcoming Artist in SOLO for 2005."

Prisecaru was honored with a crystal champagne bucket and a bottle of champagne on NBC's early morning show, "Sunday Today in NY," broadcast live from NY.

'Growth Engine' Honored

Prisecaru was not the only SOLO artist to be honored at Artexpo NY. In fact, IAFG made it a point to pay tribute to all participating SOLO artists at the trendy Lot 61 dub in the Chelsea art district on Friday, March 4. Food, drinks and entertainment were provided as artists had the opportunity to mingle with one another.

"The Lot 61 party was our way of thanking the SOLO artists who are the growth engine for our future in the art business," says Rob Spademan, marketing director for IAFG. "The pavilion recognizes new and emerging talent that bring forth creative ideas and executions that people want to buy."

The SOLO Pavilion, sponsored by eBay, is a special section of the show floor at Artexpo, offering emerging independent artists the opportunity to be discovered and gain exposure in the art world. It allows artists the opportunity to represent and market themselves within the context of a large, international art show.

See page 36 for Artexpo NY feature. For more information, call 888-608-5300; visit www.artexpos.com.