The Other Art Fair Returns to Brooklyn

The Other Art Fair returned to Brooklyn from April 16-19 at the Agger Fish Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Dumbo, after taking place in Gowanus in November.

It was a winding path to get to the Agger Fish Building, but there were signs and kind attendants directing everyone to the event. Once inside, there were over 125 artists with their work in their own little sections available to chat with those in attendance. There was also music playing and a bar with food and drinks.

After spending some time walking up and down the aisles of the exhibit, a few of the pieces that stood out were created by John Dessereau. They were all brightly colored, and one was of basketballs and hoops, which, as a basketball fan, immediately caught my attention.

“I did a lot of free arts programs for kids when I was growing up,” said Dessereau, who grew up in the Bronx. “I always made art, and it’s what I did the best, so it’s what I decided to do, and I think that people should do what they’re best at.”

Dessereau said he was inspired by the artwork in comic books like Jack Kirby’s work and the X-Men, and by street art, like graffiti and the work of Keith Haring. He tries to incorporate ordinary things in extraordinary ways with bright colors.

“I got the idea for this clock piece called ‘Hands of Time’ when I was on vacation in Paris, and a street vendor opened a blanket and was selling a bunch of different watches, while I was still getting used to being in a different time zone,” Dessereau said. “It inspired me to have this idea that there are so many different times going on at once in this moment, so the painting is a bunch of different watches. They all have different times, different colors, and they’re all facing in different directions, so it can be hung in any direction.

“I like the collector to be able to have some say in the artwork, and for them to be able to hang it on all four sides gives them that autonomy of ownership that I think collectors should have. I like for the work to pass through me and be shared with other people for them to enjoy. The same goes for prices. I have things that are priced from $55 to $5,000 because I want anyone to be able to participate in my work at the price they feel comfortable with.”

Dessereau also explained that basketball is his favorite sport because it forces him to stay in the present with no distractions. He has ADHD, and basketball helps him stay focused. His piece “Hoop Dreams,” which caught my attention initially, is an ode to basketball.

Another piece that caught my eye as I looked at the artwork was a painting of a bodega by Eileen Lunecke.

“I live in Chile, but I travel a lot to show my work and to get inspiration for new pieces,” Lunecke said. “I’m 39 now, and I was 15 when I developed this passion for art, and my parents were the ones who encouraged me to follow my dream. They encouraged me to put myself out there and show the world what I could create.

“I studied fine arts at a university in Santiago, Chile. From then on, I started creating and never stopped. I made it my full-time job, and it’s what I do every day. It fills my soul and makes me very, very happy.”

Lunecke created the bodega piece after a bodega caught her attention in New York, and it reminded her of similar places in Chile. Some of her other pieces were of places in Chile, in Europe, and in different parts of the United States. When she sees a place she thinks is interesting, she takes a picture and then starts painting.

“I’ve been to The Other Art Fair in Dallas six times, Los Angeles three times, and now twice in Brooklyn,” Lunecke said. “I’ve seen so many incredible places and met so many incredible people. I’m really grateful to everyone who has gotten a piece of my art and taken it home. It has been an amazing experience.”