Art for What I Would Buy a Plane Ticket to See

Artworks available in shows in Chicago, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, Montréal, New York, Shanghai, and Toronto

Good morning! In the recovery wake of Anne Parke Birthday Week, I can’t wait to share contemporary artworks from a slew of international galleries. Sometimes when I discover an artist and begin to follow their career, I will see their name in previews from galleries around the world.

My favorite example is Elizabeth Jaeger. I first saw her work in NYC in 2019 at Jack Hanley. Five years later, I saw her exhibition at Capsule Shanghai: Venice when I was visiting the Biennale. Last year, I saw her in Marie Catalano’s exhibition upstate at Octagon House, and this year I have been placing her flower sculptures from her current exhibition at Silke Lindner with collectors who read this newsletter. (Honorable mention to Elizabeth’s incredible ice skating at my birthday party this weekend!)

Another example of these accumulated encounters comes from this newsletter itself. A subscriber replied to last week’s issue inquiring about the Michael Thompson piece. I had placed a Thompson work in her collection a few years ago and was thrilled to see her continued connection to his practice when I shared this note with her:

The source image is a photo of Diana Ross that he found on the reverse of a greatest hits album of hers. MT is particularly interested in the sequins and textiles from that period, so it feels nicely connected to the [artwork by Michael] that you have.

I love when a reader engages with this newsletter, and it is even more gratifying to watch a collector’s taste develop over time through the artists they first discover here! Over the years I have noticed that this kind of engagement accumulates into something larger than market awareness and becomes a form of cultural stewardship. Just wait till you see the newest Michael Thompson painting below, encapsulating a powerful moment of collision.

Collectors rarely decide they love an artist all at once, I see it occurring after repeated encounters. And occasionally those encounters become the reason you start pricing flights. For collectors who want to live intelligently with contemporary art, following that curiosity across cities can often be where the real stewardship begins.

For now before you book those flights, I hope you enjoy my selections below!