15+ Minutes of Fabulous: Art Basel Weekend Highlights

Lance Bass, Fabian Basabe and Ward Simmons at a dinner in honor of Diddy and photographer Raphael Mazzucco's book on heinies, Culo by Mazzucco, at Mr. Chow, W South Beach.

The final days of Art Basel 2011, as we predicted, were a delicious blur. On Friday evening, Diddy celebrated the release of the coffee table tome Culo by Mazzucco, a book on heinies, with a VIP dinner hosted at Mr. Chow where Will Smith, Roberto Cavalli and Adrien Brody held court in a secret back area. Later, producer/singer-songwriter Rico Love celebrated his 29th birthday at Vic & Angelo's with a packed house that included Mary J. Blige and Usher, who gifted his pal with his own Grammy for 2010 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, a category that has since been retired.

Laura Garcia with husband, sexy Latin crooner Diego Garcia, and Reinaldo Bibolini at Mr. Chow.

Rico Love, who celebrated his big 29, and Usher at Rico's birthday party at Vic & Angelo's. Usher gave the producer/singer-songwriter the ultimate gift: his 2010 Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, a category that was retired last year.

Mary J. Blige at Rico Love's birthday dinner.

Come Saturday morning, sunnies plastered to our bloodless faces, we visited Miami artist Carlos Betancourt's works at his official Art Basel Artist Studio Visit. We got to see some of his Tiffany-blue cake sculptures, which sold later in the evening for $500 each, a true deal, at the 10th Anniversary Miami Museum of Art Ball, where they were among the artist-designed table centerpieces.

Carlos Betancourt's "Of Cakes and Scrapbooks V," a custom centerpiece for the MAM Ball, at Carlos Betancourt's Art Basel Artist Studio Visit. Artist Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre at Betancourt's Artist Studio Visit.

The MAM Ball, held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, that 1950s icon designed by the great Morris Lapidus, had so much energy we were exhausted by the close of cocktail hour, what with guests that included museum director Thom Collins, MAM's $35 Million Man Jorge Perez (whose generous donation is giving him naming rights), artist Bruce Helander, husband-and-wife designers Naeem and Ranjana Khan, and Donald and Lisa Pliner, philanthropist/real estate queen Alicia Cervera, and many, many others. Standout look of the night: Anne Deli's gold Jason Wu gown, an art piece in its own right.

Designers Ranjana Khan and Naeem Khan at the 10th Anniversary Miami Art Museum Ball at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Rotating Jen Stark centerpiece at the MAM Ball. Husband-and-wife footwear designers Lisa Pliner and Donald J. Pliner at the MAM Ball. Elizabeth Sobieski, Bruce Helander and Norka Saad at the MAM Ball. Bruce, collage assemblagist and EIC of the Art Economist, was the most colorful man of the night, sporting a neon orange bowler he had made in Denmark. Elizabeth, actress Leelee's mom, accessorized with the sweetest 1960s bejeweled wooden handbag. Anne Deli

Then it was off to A) The Tomata du Plenty tribute art show at the wonderfully grungy Purdy Lounge, B) the Vogue Missoni Fashion Show at the uber-glamorous Ridinger estate (Loren and JR, please adopt us), where we wanted literally everything we saw on the runway -- especially the yellow-fringe hot shorts number, C) Trey Speegle dinner at Hotel Breakwater, where we fell in love with one of the artist's rugs (tip: Anthropologie.com has one for a mere $250) and D) The Playboy Soiree d'Art, where zaftig "Femlins" were body painted in macabre fashion by Kembra Pfaler.

"Maneater" by Tomata du Plenty, the late South Beach trailblazer who was once a punk rocker, in a never-too-late Basel moment at Purdy Lounge. Floribbean looks at the Vogue Missoni Fashion Show at the Ridinger Estate. Miami Real Housewife Lea Black and friend, Girls Gone Wild entrepreneur Joe Francis, at the Vogue Missoni Fashion Show. Known for her jewelry collection, Lea is determined to walk away with either Lot 10 or 20 from the Liz Taylor Auction at Christies: "Roy [husband and attorney Roy Black] says I'll be paying a premium. I say, you can't take it with you, and I could be wearing it right now." "Femlins" at Playboy's Soiree d'Art at HIGHBAR at Dream South Beach, with body paint by Kembra Pfaler.

The next morning, we awoke surprisingly fresh (so much so, we even made it to morning mass) and took advantage of our newfound energy to actually see some, ahem, art. Loved NADA Miami Beach, obsessing over artist/DJ Jimmy Trotter's "Gasoline Rainbow/Dripping with Ice," a vintage toy shrine composed of icons of many a baby boomer's childhood, including board games and odd little animal-people with dog snouts. (Nostalgia can be lucrative: The piece sold for $8,500 to a buyer from LA.) Next: The very worthy Pulse and Scope art fairs, where we saw various incarnations of Geoff Hargadon's "CA$H For Your Warhol" art signs, which even included a billboard on the streets of Miami's Midtown area.

"Gasoline Rainbow/Dripping with Ice" vintage toy shrine, which sold for $8,500, by Kansas City artist Jimmy Trotter, at NADA Miami Beach. Geoff Hargadon's "CA$H For Your Warhol" billboard in Midtown Miami.

Back in the car, homebound, the reality sank in. Basel was over. Art was being packed up, the crowds were thinning. And, for the first time in nearly a week, Miami was quiet. Part of us celebrated, but the other part already missed the noise.

 

Follow Tara Solomon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tarasolomon

Comments

[TBurton]

11:18 AM on 12/07/2011

Just read about the launch of an inaugural art fair Art Wynwood for President's Day Weekend, February 16 - 20, 2012 in Miami. The event will coincide with the annual Miami International Yacht & Brokerage Show. The show is offering some complimentary incentives to get the momentum as it it 2 months away. It is a logical pairing of affluent visitors to the city and local artists. http://bit.ly/sYFnq2

[Jose Fuentes]

01:21 AM on 12/07/2011

Cash For Your Warhol!