The Independent 20th Century art fair opened to VIPs on September 4, featuring dealers who present deep dives into canonical and under-recognized artists. Notable stands include Galerie Lelong's survey of Elda Cerrato (1930-2023), an Italian-born artist who worked in South America, with works priced between $80,000 and $100,000; Rosenberg & Co's showcase of Gertrude Greene (1904-56), a Constructivist and Abstract Expressionist; and Forum Gallery's presentation of Gregory Gillespie (1936-2000), known for surreal, layered paintings. The fair's founder Elizabeth Dee notes that some stands take two to three years to organize, aiming to bring important exhibitions to New York that might not otherwise travel there.
This matters because Independent 20th Century highlights historically overlooked artists, particularly women and those who worked outside mainstream trends, offering them visibility in the art market. By staging focused surveys of figures like Cerrato, Greene, and Gillespie, the fair challenges the canon and provides collectors and curators with opportunities to discover or reassess significant but lesser-known 20th-century practitioners. The event underscores a growing market interest in recovering marginalized art histories and the role of specialized art fairs in shaping curatorial narratives.