Pilgrimage to Miami Basel

All of Westchester was there. At least so it seemed. It was the annual pilgrimage to Miami Basel, an event with more than twenty venues, hundreds of art dealers, artists and collectors, and more art sales than could be reasonably counted over the long week. Some say works were sold before the shows opened and long after they closed. Galleries from around the world were represented from such far flung places as Budapest and Seoul. Huge temporary structures dominated the scene.  They were set up on the beach, in vacant lots and parks. The largest and most prestigious galleries brought major works to the Miami Convention Center. Other named exhibitions such as Scope, Untitled, Context, presented many emerging artists. Sculptor Barbara Segal (who btw lives in Yonkers) was there represented by the Gallery Biba of Palm Beach. Segal has a unique way with marble creating symbols of feminine adornment  out of stone. One such work is a monumental-sized Chanel handbag carved from a 100 lb “Snow White” Carrara marble imported from the Cave Michelangelo in Italy. Another handbag, this one carved from 150 lbs of orange Calcite from Utah, is an out-sized replica of a Birken bag by Hermes. To Segal, these objects are status symbols. “It’s a statement about what women want,” she says.  The Hermes bag was purchased at the fair by a handbag tycoon, however, don’t despair. There’s still a pair of marble flip-flops with sterling silver straps available to purchase, but not to wear.