There’s an Art Basel for Kids—and These Artists Aren’t Playing Around. See Work by the Precocious Stars of KidsBasel

Lucien Smith was only in his
early twenties when his “Rain Paintings” became art-market gold.
But at KidsBasel, the talent is even younger. This unsanctioned
companion event to Art Basel Miami Beach features art stars aged 9
to 15—although their prices are more grown-up, ranging from $1,000
to a whopping $75,000 for a work by Elisabeth Anisimow, 13, perhaps
the most celebrated artist of the bunch.

“How do you get people to take it seriously?” ponders Ashley
Sidman, founder of KidsBasel (now in its second year), when I reach
her by phone just before the opening. “There’s some backlash.
They’re told all the time that they’re just kids, not artists. But
they don’t need to be talked down to; they understand that. So when
we told them we wanted to take them seriously, it’s not like I had
to explain it to any of them.”

In total, nine artists—Yung Lenox, Anisimow, Aelita Andre,
Rodrigo “Dyno” Barrera, Brigette Roseman, Andrea Zorilla, and Jada
and Elijah Mason—will show works in separate galleries at the
former Rubell Family Collection building in the Wynwood District of
Miami. Works will range from prints capturing Anisimow’s “live
paintings,” where she camouflages people against painted
backgrounds (the young artist won’t be in attendance, as she’s also
presenting work at Hong Kong’s K11 Art Mall); Barrera’s abstract
art paintings, some of which bear a resemblance to Katherine
Bernhardt’s work; and Yung Lenox’s drawings of rappers on
paper.

“Elisabeth [Anisimow] is doing
these incredible giclee prints,” says Sidman. “You’ll be floored
that these are real people that are in these paintings. You should
see what she does with gouache. When you see them, you’ll say,
‘These are things that when I go into the Louvre, I’m going to see
there.’ They’re pretty shocking.”

Sidman says it’s her job to make sure people
do take this show seriously. She tells me
that she’s confirmed Peter Tenney from Wynwood Walls will be there
and that the Rubells “are planning on stopping by.” And of course,
Jada and Elijah’s father, former NBA player and prominent art
collector Desmond Mason, will attend. (Desmond Mason is an artist
in his own right, having sold work to George Clooney, says
Sidman.)

KidsBasel is a curious venture. There are plenty of prodigies
when it comes to mathematics, chess, or music. Sure, Picasso’s
father famously quit painting after witnessing his 13-year-old
son’s technique. But generally, in the art world, a certain amount
of seniority rules. All nine of the artists showing here exist
outside of traditional gallery models, and maybe that’s a good
thing.

“Yung Lenox hasn’t had a show in
four years,” explains Sidman about the now-13-year-old who was
profiled in dozens of publications, from The Guardian to NME to Vice, when he was 9. “He took a break from the
spotlight. He went to Japan and it was overwhelming. He wanted to
take the pressure off. It’s easy for these kids to feel overworked,
and he just wanted to chill. When you’re 7 or 8, and it’s no longer
fun, then the artwork suffers.”

Plus, parents can start to see dollar signs. It’s why KidsBasel
makes it their mission to make sure the kids come first. “The art
world is like any business,” says Sidman. “They’re on YouTube,
getting interviews—it gets confusing. ‘Are you my parent, or my
manager?’”

Plus, says Sidman, the kids don’t normally have a chance to
interact with other artists their own age—most of their peers don’t
even really understand what they’re doing.

“They literally come into the install and instead of looking at
their own work first, they look at the other kids’ [work]. ‘I love
that piece; I love her style’—they complement each other. They
exchange Instagrams, and they start to build this community and a
following together.”

Sidman says she approaches KidsBasel like its own agency
representing young artists. She has floated the idea of opening a
gallery in a more permanent space. But for now, she’s focused on
her artists, and this year’s edition of KidsBasel, which she says
might travel to Hong Kong next.

“We do what they want, and we make sure they’re doing what they
want,” she adds. “We’re just their crew. As long as the goal is
there’s a sense of achievement and happiness, and it doesn’t become
profit-driven, then we’re doing it right.”

The post There’s an Art Basel for Kids—and These Artists
Aren’t Playing Around. See Work by the Precocious Stars of
KidsBasel appeared first on artnet News.