Inside the Affordable Art Fair, where artists pose as dealers and paintings fly off the walls:
The gallerist at Booth E14 approached me first, plowing straight into a sales pitch. He explained that what appeared to be paintings on the wall behind us were actually ultra-high-resolution photographs taken by the artist Dan Piech with a camera about 140 times more powerful than an iPhone.
Amanda Schneider, a media professional in her thirties, found the atmosphere on the floor more welcoming than many blue-chip art-world events. “I had visited galleries before, but nothing was ever in my price range,” she explained, speaking over a Jessie J pop song in the background. “Things aren’t so hoity-toity in here.”Schneider was a repeat customer: The last time she purchased an artwork was at the fair several years ago.
This year’s edition included nearly 70 galleries and received about 7,500 visitors before the fair ended on September 25. A spokeswoman said that $1.8 million of business was conducted on site, though other sales will continue to be reported over the next few weeks.