Even with miles of art to cover for the Armory Show and ancillary art fairs last week — we still found time to hit the flea market. This one, called Antiques Garage, is a visual delight. Located at 112 W 25th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) — the Antiques Garage is open every weekend from 9am–5pm — and is the perfect place to get inspired by retro sparkle and other oddities. More than 100 vendors can be found on two levels of this Manhattan parking garage.
You may notice by the photos that I am preoccupied with strange doll heads, it’s always been one of my obsessions and a common component of my sculptural work. My finds included an old magic trick with the face of tiger (which I plan to hang on the wall as art), plus a couple of small plastic vintage sKwirls to add to my ever-growing collection. The vendor I made my purchases from, Mike Reffie, Jr., has been at the Antiques Garage every weekend since 1970-something and has only missed 11 weekends since. Talk about stick-to-it-tive-ness! His determination and dedication to his business was admirable — and spawned a lengthy conversation and some commerce. Lesson learned? Love what you do, and do it well. Karl found a thin slab of pink stone to make a light from. This is how we gather materials and blend life into our work — mixing the joyous collection process with interesting cultural experiences.
Happiness.
