A sensual entanglement of female form and mythical sea creature awakens our gaze and draws us into an eclectic exhibition of sculptures and paintings spanning modernism and contemporary art.

The focal point of the expanse Gmurzynska Gallery double stand Art + Design Salon, Terracotta sculpture by Henri Laurens Great Mermaid (1945), engages us in a struggle between the corporeal and the archetypal and takes us on a journey of elegant feminine ferocity.

The second largest terracotta created by the French sculptor and illustrator Laurens (1885-1954) was a highlight of his retrospectives, and the famous curator Bernard Dorival of the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris (today known as name of Center Pompidou) described it as “Lauren’s indisputable masterpiece” when the public museum purchased a bronze counterpart in 1946. Later bronze casts are in the collections of the Musée Cantini in Marseille, France, (long-term deposit of the Center Pompidou); Kunsthalle Mannheim in Germany; and Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.

Laurens’ sculpture is juxtaposed with a wide range of artists’ works, including Marjorie StriderRoberto Matta, Wifredo Lam and László Moholy-Nagy on the Galerie Gmurzynska stand. The window must be seen from several angles, because we approach it from two aisles. In a fair where design commissions many installations serving as living spaces, the Gmurzynska exhibition itself is a great feat of design, highlighting the power of fine art to evoke emotion and mood. Furthermore, exhibiting a Strider (1931-2014) alongside a Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) reaffirms his rightful place in art history. by Wesselmann Great American Nude #48 (1963) sold for $10.7 million at Sotheby’s in New York in May 2008, while Strider awaits its posthumous celebration as an auction darling.

Throughout the Park Avenue armory, Art + Design Loungewhich was on display from November 7-11, an array of environments created by the curation of each booth evoke a myriad of feelings and implore us to consider design objects within the context of fine art.

By transporting our gaze from the museum-quality masterpiece to the design, we are invited to “touch” Willi SiberIt is Triptych of Wall Objects (2024) to Karl Kemp stand. While the freedom to physically interact with the artwork is always intriguing, what appealed to my son Michael and I was the way the colors oscillated between pink, purple, and teal depending on the the impact of light and the viewer’s point of view. We follow the wave-like movement of the three panels created on medium density fiberboard (MDF) with an interference varnish milled into the surface.

It’s no surprise how seamlessly texture, medium, color and technique align to create movement. Triptych of Wall Objectsas we learn that the work of the German painter, sculptor and object artist (born 1949 in Eberhardzell) covers a wide range of functional and decorative works on display at the Karl Kemp stand.

In its 13th edition, Salon Art + Design, produced by Sanford Smith + Associateswelcomed its largest crowd to date, over 2,500 guests, at the premiere alone. This year’s Show brought together 54 leading exhibitors showcasing unique environments that collectively transform the Armory into an exploration of how art and design, and art and object, inform each other.