Donald Ellis Gallery Stands Apart at the Winter Antiques Show

Writing for the New York Times, Holland Cotter reviews the 52nd Annual Winter Antiques Show, now open on Park Avenue. In a fair distinctive for the variety of the work on view, the art presented by Donald Ellis Gallery ‘is beyond beautiful,’ the author marvels.

In comparison to the many eccentric installations ‘the Ellis display style — white box, no frills — is an oasis of visual clarity,’ Cotter writes. Among the works that caught his attention are an early 19th century sun mask from the Kwakwaka'wakw nation of British Columbia and a Ghost Dance hide shirt from the Southern Plains dating to ca. 1890. The Ghost Dance movement flourished to ward off the advancement of United States government forces into the Plains. ‘Painted with images of a moon, a star and a river filled with floating trees the shape and colors of autumn leaves,’ Cotter ponders, this single piece of garment ‘could do something to deepen the still-shallow discourse about fashion-as-art.’

Although the Winter Antiques Show now faces significant competition it continues to stand apart as New York’s most exciting art fair. ‘Most, if not all, of the objects that were called antiques 50 years ago are called art now,’ Cotter observes. ‘The objects haven't changed; we have. We are less uptight, or we should be, about all those old-time hierarchies: art versus craft, high versus low, etc.’