World Renowned Body Painter Trina Merry to Exhibit Acclaimed "Lust of Currency" Series at the 2018 Superfine! New York Art Fair this May

"I created 'Lust of Currency' as a means to reflect on today's art world, and how our most famous paintings are being used as commodities to be sold, bought or traded by a rarefied audience," said Merry. "Some of our greatest pieces of art are better known by their auction price, which is a telling sign that societal, political and economic forces have greatly impacted our culture. Superfine! is an important, hip art fair that bridges the gap between collectors and admirers, and I'm honored to have been asked to exhibit my series at the New York event, as well as other soon-to-be-announced collaborations."

"We started Superfine! to be an inclusive experience that inspires and informs people who are interested in art," said founder Alex Mitow, who created the annual festival with James Miille. "It's a fun and transparent market that brings creators, collectors and admirers together to celebrate and appreciate great art. Trina Merry is an emerging talent who is distinguishing body painting as a fine art, and her 'Lust of Currency' series demonstrates her incredible talent and keen insight into the role of art in an ever-changing landscape."

Merry is one of several female artists who will be featured during this year's Superfine! New York (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/superfine-art-fair-nyc-2018-tickets-43043994747 ). The festival will be highlighting the performance art and spoken words of many women throughout the four-day event. "We are often marginalized in the art world," said Merry, "and it's incredibly meaningful to have fairs like Superfine! showcasing and celebrating our work and accomplishments. This is an incredible statement Alex and James are making, and I'm very proud to be among the formidable female talents who will be exhibiting during this year's fair."

Merry's showcase, which will be presented in booth #53, will include altered, limited edition prints from the "Lust of Currency" series. As part of the exhibition, the artist will do a rare live body paint performance into da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" and Edvard Munch's 1895 pastel "The Scream" during the fair's Twilight Vernissage from 9pm-midnight on Wednesday May 2. The controversial da Vinci painting was recently sold for a record-breaking $450.3 million last November during a 19-minute auction held by the auction house Christie's, which marketed the painting as "The last Da Vinci." The anonymous buyer was later revealed to be Saudi prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud. The first time Merry recreated the painting it was valued at $127.5 million. "It's the only time I've had to change the name of an art piece before," she said. Munch's "The Scream" was sold to a New York financier in 2012 during a Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art auction; at the time it was the fourth highest priced painting ever sold. 

Trina Merry is an acclaimed body painter known internationally for camouflaging people into environments and making living sculptures out of multiple bodies, then photographing her creations. Through her work, she has raised the profile of the medium to a fine art as she is exhibited in prestigious galleries, museums and showrooms across the globe, including the Whitney Museum of American Art's Biennial. She discovered the craft unexpectedly – she was struck by lightning while driving in Los Angeles and developed a sensitivity to electricity and power grids. She moved to Yosemite National Park, where she began to body paint, inspired by the work of artists like Yves Klein, Yayoi Kusama, and Verushka. She also studied with acclaimed talents Robert Wilson and Marina Abramovic as a Watermill Center Summer Participant, where she created five living body paint installations on site. She has studied drawing and painting with Alex and Allyson Grey and was a body paint apprentice with Craig Tracy, judge for the TV show "Skin Wars".

For the second year in a row, Superfine! NYC will hold its annual fair at the High Line-adjacent Milk Building in the historic Meatpacking District.  Located at 459 West 14th Street, the fair will present a full roster of 78 global exhibitors including progressive galleries, curators, and independent artists. In total, eighteen gallery programs and sixty solo artist projects from New York and around the globe will present. Superfine! is a sophisticated yet approachable means for real people to discover real, meaningful art, and to connect directly with artists and their representatives. Superfine! Founders Alex Mitow and James Miille devised a tried and tested non-traditional formula to build a better and more inclusive art market that benefits artists, galleries, and collectors. Each fair is a unique cultural experience where everyone's inner collector can shine. The highest curatorial standards in the industry coupled with an accessible, transparent model leads to an atmosphere designed to foster collecting. The fair enters 2018 with a bang as it prepares for its second New York edition this May in the Meatpacking District while simultaneously launching a new fair in Washington DC's Union Market, opening on Halloween.

360bespoke is an all-inclusive media agency offering bespoke services in public relations, marketing, brand management, content development, media training, and events. With a very select group of first client talents, brands and endeavors in its collection, 360bespoke concentrates its experience in the luxury travel, fashion, beauty, lifestyle and arts. Its clients include Trina Merry; violin virtuoso Charlie Siem; world renowned counter tenor opera star Lestyn Davis; global skin care brand Heaven by royal family esthetician Deborah Mitchell; and French fashion brand Vicomte-A, among others. www.360bespoke

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