From experimental applications of material to the unexpected retooling of common object typologies, the 71st edition showcase—on view at New York’s Park Avenue Armory till 2 February—reveals an undying tradition of invention amongst artists and artisans

There’s no question that talents operating in the decorative art sector have always somehow been afforded the time and space—financial incentive—to push the limits of their tried-and-true trades. Responding to changes in demands, the availability of raw materials, and advancements in the tools they used, artists and artisans throughout modern history have worked tirelessly to evolve their craft traditions. This year’s edition of The Winter Show—New York’s longest-established and one of the most revered platforms of its kind—presented a comprehensive survey of this impetus: a drive to innovate all while aiming to delight and amuse. 

The 71st installment of the fair—held from 24 January to 2 February—has cohered just over 70 exhibitors: specialized purveyors showcasing an eclectic array of everything from fine art paintings and jewelry to obscure printed ephemera and furnishings. The event benefits East Side House Settlement, an organization supporting 14 thousand residents in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan with essential services. While opening night brought together the Park Avenue set and others—noted interior decorators, curators, other industry insiders, and of course, collectors—braving especially frigid temperatures, the rest of the show’s run is being bolstered by a robust talks program and a series of evening cocktail receptions. These ticketed events—with proceeds going to the previously mentioned charity—include the Young Collectors Night on Wednesday 30 January and the Connoisseurs Night on Thursday 31 January. Notable daytime panels include the Voyages of Creativity: The Influence of Travel on Design talk held on 1 February and hosted by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. 

A topic addressed in this session will be the notion of cross-pollination as a means of experimentation, one through-line unifying the thinking behind the following selection of 10 standout pieces from this year’s The Winter Show.

Leon Tovar Gallery (New York): Astrologer’s Window by Marcelo Bonevardi (1969)

Created using acrylic and textured substrates, this abstract yet architecturally geometric and almost hyper-realistic assemblage takes on sculptural qualities as Argentina-born, New York-based artist Marcelo Bonevardi sought to break the convention dividing two- and three-dimensional applications. Like in this distilled depiction, the mid-20th-century talent often implemented near-primitivist but assuredly constructivist imagery to express spirituality and mythical thinking. A true polyglot, Bonevardi drew inspiration from everything from the work of his avant-garde contemporaries and reproductions of Renaissance masterworks that hung in his childhood home. The artist was noted for producing his own work; tapping into a diverse set of skills acquired as an autodidact craftsperson. A later work demonstrating much of this thinking, The Astrologer’s Window is being presented by expert Latin American Modernist art purveyor Leon Tovar Gallery.    

Kunsthandel Nikolaus Kolhammer (Vienna): Mantle Clock Mod. No. M0005 by Josef Hoffmann (1903)

A forerunner of the transitional Victorian to Modernist Art Nouveau subset Wiener Werkstätte school of thinking, Austrian polymath Josef Hoffmann is perhaps best known for his highly rational but still somewhat decorative cubic and grid patterns. Developed during the precipice of the movement, the Mantle Clock Mod. No. M0005—presented by Vienna gallery Kunsthandel Nikolaus Kolhammer—demonstrates Hoffmann’s ability to distill and even abstract natural and numerical forms in geometric articulations. This rare reinterpretation of an “old world” mantle clock with classical architectural cues was produced using a plethora of sumptuous materials such as alpaca and alabaster and specialized techniques including metal chasing and careful glass cutting.    

Thomas Heneage Art Books (London): ‘We Are Seven’ A Duck Egg Clock by Charles William Croydon (circa 1900)

Not just a purveyor of rare tomes and other obscure printed matter, London-based Thomas Heneage Art Books is known to pull out all the stops at The Winter Show. The long-established platform did not disappoint with its unveiling of unusual finds at this edition. Attributed to Charles William Croydon of Ipswich, England, the ‘We Are Seven’ A Duck Egg Clock is a whimsical if also clever reinterpretation of the staid time measuring device. Meticulously crafted using seven hollowed blown eggshells, the clock utilizes these forms as polished steel rod-mounted movements denoting the passage of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, tide patterns, and moon cycles respectively. A member of the British Horological Institute, Croydon was known for both creating and procuring dynamic scientific measuring tools.  

Joan B Mirvis LTD (New York): Asa no kase; Morning Breeze by Miyashita Zenji (2012)

Often seen as a transitional medium that transcends the traditional definitions of art, the decorative arts, and design, ceramics tend to have a strong presence at The Winter Show; especially as a more contemporary offering than everything else on view. Case in point: the late Japanese master Miyashita Zenji’s Asa no kase vase on view with Joan B Mirvis LTD. Demonstrating the craft-led talent career-definition exploration of color graduation—all while embodying his adherence to clear functionality—this unique piece takes on an almost ecological dimension with its layered depiction of mountainous forms cast in the fading rays of dusk or dawn. He achieved this by hand-forming bands of metallic-toned clay; a process she refined over decades.    

Maison Gerard (New York): Unique Fine Art Deco Coffee and Tea Set by Bloch-Eschwege Silversmith & Maurice Muller (c. 1930)

Emphatically Art Deco—an alternative, still decorative, style to the pared-back severity of High Modernism—this sumptuously crafted tableware set—on view with Maison Gerard—incorporates elements of sterling silver, noble wood, and precious stone. The comprehensive service is unified by the use of bold triangulated forms and streamlined curves. The various kettles, pots, and teacups take on an almost zoomorphic quality. Bloch-Eschwège was founded in 1920 by two German brothers-in-law, both from gemstone dealer families. Bringing their refined trade to the French capital like so many emigres did throughout the centuries, the duo began trying their hand at designing decorative art objects after the seminal Paris Exposition of 1925. This was one such result.

Galerie Gmurzynska (New York): Smoking Cigarette #1 by Tom Wesselmann (1980)

Produced through the deft transformation of otherwise mundane materials including wood, Masonite, and Formica, Tom Wesselmann’s Smoking Cigarette # 1 sculpture—presented by Galerie Gmurzynska as its piece de resistance at this year’s fair—is a cheeky, oversized, freeze-framed depiction of this every day, if now somewhat nefarious, item. Wesselmann was a proponent of the Postmodern Pop Art movement that sought to challenge the hierarchical conventions of what constituted high and low art—fine painting and the proliferation of visual material culture. As evoked in the late career piece, the artist was captivated by the idea of drawing lines in steel and other rigid industrial-produced composites. In this case, the movement of sidestream smoke is masterfully captured in a slightly kitsch but wonderfully accurate shape, almost as if extracted from an advert of the time.

David A. Schorsch – Eileen M. Smiles Fine Americana (Woodbury, Connecticut): Miniature Wallpapered Lift-Top Chest with Four Drawers (circa 1830-40)

It’s not uncommon to find widely experimental art and design objects without direct attribution but that are still somehow linked to a specific time period while also demonstrating a surprisingly anachronistic style. This distinctive chest of drawers—on view with Connecticut-based purveyor David A. Schorsch – Eileen M. Smiles Fine Americana—is one such piece. Produced in white pine and basswood, the miniaturized furnishing is adorned in gold and baby blue-toned hand-blocked wallpaper, cardboard, original brass hinges, and knobs; a composition nowhere near the heavy historicism of the various Victorian styles prevalent through much of the nineteenth century. According to the gallery, this work most likely emanates from the well-established Pennsylvania-German tradition of wallpaper-covered boxes. This exploration in furniture form—even if only useful for storing small items—was undoubtedly a one-off deviation; a craftsperson applying their trade in a different way. 

Cove Landing (New York): Pair of German Neoclassical Biedermeier cabinets (circa 1820)

Produced in sought-after satin and burr wood at the height of the Biedermeier period, these two emphatically neoclassical cabinets are both ornamental and functional. This interwar period of Central European stability saw the rise of a middle class and while pre-industrial furniture production was still craft-based and expensive, it became slightly less elaborate. Though still monumental and symmetrical, furnishings became cozier. This fall-front secretaire and matching armoire—presented by Cove Landing—is sturdy and useful with a writing desk and shelves cleverly concealed. And yet, both are still defined by temple-like pediments with oval inlays of contrasting wood. As the gallery noted; these furnishings were very much implemented as architectural extensions of a room at this time.    

Lillian Nassau (New York): Oriental Poppy Table Lamp by Tiffany Studios (circa 1910)

Though a controversial figure for not giving credit where credit was due—especially to the female talents in his studio—New York-based artisan and entrepreneur Louis Comfort Tiffany was revolutionary in his development of the favrile glass technique: essentially translating the age-old practice of stained-glass window making into ornamental glass shades. Introducing the United States to the Art Nouveau style—one mitigating the forward march of industrialization through a return to nature and individualized craftsmanship. As evidenced in the Oriental Poppy Table Lamp, on view with the Lillian Nassau gallery amid other examples of Tiffany luminaires, the studio and later thriving company drew influence from Japan as well. The bespoke mosaic-formed composition has an almost landscape quality.  

Michael Goedhuis (London): Good Times: Blue Mountain Blue by Yao Jui-chung (2020)

Taiwanese artist Yao Jui-chung is known for creating photographs, installations, performances, sculptures, and works on paper that are both visually stimulating and intellectually provocative. Much of his work centers on reevaluating his country’s history, language, and culture. To a certain extent, this career-defining preoccupation has also manifested in the revitalization of ancient image-making processes such as ink-wash paintings and Biro drawings. With recent pieces like the Blue Mountain Blue piece —on view with noted London-based purveyor Michael Goedhuis—Jui-chung implemented gold leaf and ink to compose a mash-up of traditional landscape paintings, rendering the technique as an almost textile-rendered pattern.