During Art Basel 2015, I covered the fairs, events, art walks and collections for American Photo's Instagram. American Photo interviewed me about the experience. Below is a recap of the fairs through my lens. These images were cross posed to my Instagram account.

Hey @americanphotomag followers — I'm @harlanerskine and I'm a Brooklyn based artist and photographer. I'm doing the takeover this week and touring around #Miami for #ArtBaselMiamiBeach and the related #ArtFairs and events. I'll be using the tag #APArtBasel. Greeting us as we leave the airport is "Meltdown" a mural by friend and artist @jenstark

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 1, 2015 at 6:15pm PST

I just arrived to Miami tonight in Miami's Design District. There are a handful of pre-Basel art openings. I have work in a group show called #100DegreesInTheShade. If you're in Miami come by 3900 North Miami Avenue. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 1, 2015 at 8:35pm PST

Here is a shot from inside #100DegreesInTheShade This is an installation by the @tmsisters Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 1, 2015 at 8:56pm PST

At the main #artbaselmiamibeach fair. Today is the #vernissage when the fair is only open to invited collectors, VIPs and media. This is when you hear a lot of large numbers flying around and the biggest hottest art is sold. This picture is row N of the fair which includes 267 galleries from 32 countries. The main convention center part of the fair includes 191 galleries. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 2, 2015 at 1:31pm PST

There are lots of photographs spread throughout #artbaselmiamibeach - Here is one of the many blue chip examples. This photograph by #AndreasGursky ("SH IV" created in 2014) is one of the largest in the fair, measuring 120 7/8 x 89 x 2 3/8 inches. It shows a towering building containing a Hermes store on the lower left with #TobyMcGuirre inside the store and #SpiderMan on the outside window shopping. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 2, 2015 at 3:45pm PST

More art from the floor at #artbaselmiamibeach. This is artist #MatthewBarney, "In vain produced, all rays return, Evil will bless, and ice will burn," 2015 Four #Woodburytypes on copper mounting with electroformed copper, nickel and 24 karat gold, in red oak frame, edition of 12. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 9:11am PST

More art from the floor at #artbaselmiamibeach. This is the #GavinBrown's Enterprise booth with work by #RirkritTiravanija Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 11:19am PST

#Wynwood is a warehouse neighborhood in #Miami that has blossomed since #ArtBasel began. It is now a major outdoor gallery of murals. #Wynwoodwalls is a trending hashtag tag on @Instagram. The art is amazing and the variety and quantity is huge! This image is from inside a former #RCCola plant that @manawynwood has taken over. Just outside the empty plant hundreds of artists are painting and a crew of people are preparing for a block party. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 12:39pm PST

The #NADAartfair is one of the original satellite fairs of #ArtBasel (starting in 2003). This year's fair is in the famed #Fountainbleau hotel, run by the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), a non-profit "arts organization dedicated to the cultivation, support, and advancement of new voices in contemporary art." Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 4:35pm PST

#NADAartfair one of my favorite finds is at #NewYork based #RecessActivities booth with this series by #RittaIkonen and #KarolineHjorth "Eyes as Big as Plates." Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 5:12pm PST

While not officially part of the #NADAartfair, finding this #JamesTurrell - "Third Eye," 2008, installed in the #Fountainbleau hotel was a fun accidental discovery. Amazingly there was no line to take selfies in front of the art. #hotlinebling #1800hotlinebling Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 4, 2015 at 4:50pm PST

The new building for the #PAMM museum (locally known as #MAM) is a showstopper. I made this photo last night at their gala event. The building designed by Swiss #architects #HerzogdeMeuron references south Florida buildings like Stiltsville to create a must see space for any museum lover. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 4, 2015 at 7:37pm PST

At the #PAMM museum gala (locally known as #MAM) – I was happy to run into my photography professor's work. #PenelopeUmbrico, "28,524,323 #SunsfromFlickr (partial)" Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 3, 2015 at 7:50pm PST

Last night #Jamiexx brought the house down. Jamie played on the second night of the #iiipoints #artbasel festival held at #manawynwood Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 5, 2015 at 9:01am PST

Got to give @uber credit. They won for the media opportunity of #artbasel in #miami with their #uberboat. For $35 an SUV picks you up on one side of Miami, delivers you and up to five others to a #yacht for your #imonaboat Miami experience. On the other side, they have a car waiting to bring you to your art destination. We got lucky and timed our boat trip just as the skies cleared a little. This Art Basel has been plagued with heavy rains. #🌧 Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 5, 2015 at 2:24pm PST

Back exploring the vast convention center at #ArtBaselMiamiBeach. New York gallery #MatthewMarks is exhibiting this massive photograph by #ThomasDemand. "#Altier" (2004) measures in at a gigantic 94.5 x 134.25 inches. It is tack sharp and flawlessly produced. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 5, 2015 at 3:57pm PST

No, my image is not out of focus. But this large photograph by #CathrineOpie @csopie is. At Los Angeles based gallery #ReganProjects this is "Untitled #15" (2015). This pigment print measures in at 77 x 51.25 inches. Photographing this famous landscape of #YosemiteNationalPark is a healthy challenge to the thousands of images that tourists make. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 5, 2015 at 4:16pm PST

At #ArtBaselMiamiBeach not all the photography is large. Here is a classic spotted at #EdwynnHoukGallery from #RobertFrank "#Parade – #Hoboken, NJ" (1955) this #gelatinsilverprint comes in at 8.125 x 12.375 inches. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 10:05am PST

One of the more talked about walls at #ArtBaselMiamiBeach was by artist /Photographer #LeighLedare. HereLedare presents a series of intimate portraits of his mother. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 10:43am PST

In the corners of #ArtBaselMiamiBeach's Convention Center there are small green oasis parks with rolling hills, trees and space to decompress. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 11:28am PST

Visiting the #untitledArtFair a major satellite #artfair in during #ArtBaselMiamiBeach. It's relaxing here because the fair's tent is right on the #SouthBeach sand. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 2:17pm PST

@theholenyc had one of my favorite spaces at #untitledArtFair or and #artfair. Also, they have one of the best sales dogs, @bertiebertthepom.

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 3:05pm PST

This studio photography creation by #RodrigoValenzuela at #untitledArtFair was quite compelling. The artist made landscape photographs, printed them and then rephotographed them in a studio. Cross-posted for @americanphotomag #artbasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 3:29pm PST

Roaming the floor of the #untitledartfair was a book cart by @exilebooks. That's @edau signing a copy of his new artist book. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 5:27pm PST

Last stop of the night #scopeartshow - another satellite #airfair just down the #beach from Untitled. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 7:02pm PST

Big crowd around this oversized hyper realistic #FriedaKahlo #sculpture at #scopeartshow. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 6, 2015 at 7:39pm PST

The fairs are over but I have a few more highlights to check out if you're visiting miami anytime a soon. This is the @rubellcollection one of the preeminent private art collections is the world. Their current exhibition #NoMansLand" has many fantastic examples from women artists in their collection. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 7, 2015 at 5:00pm PST

One of the many compelling works in the @rubellcollection exhibition "#NoMansLand" were these "fifty-seven digital ink jet prints by #RachelHarrison - "Voyage of the Beagle" (2007). Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 7, 2015 at 8:26pm PST

The #wynwood area of #miami is always changing every time I visit. This sign is new to me as well as many of the murals. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 8, 2015 at 5:31pm PST

Around the corner from that last #wynwood #miami image is this classic mural boom box. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 8, 2015 at 7:14pm PST

Near #wynwoodwalls the old #RCcola plans sits as a rotting shell. Now a mural museum, it was recently purchased and is part of @manawynwood — I look forward to seeing how they change the area. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 10, 2015 at 11:13am PST

A block away from the former RC Cola factory in #wynwood is the @margulieswarehouse / #marguliescollection one of the premier art and photography collections in the world. Currently exhibiting a large show of mixed media artist #AnselmKiefer. This #sculpture is called "Sprache Der Vöge" (1989) and has a 17 foot wingspan. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 10, 2015 at 1:34pm PST

Here is another mixed media creation in the @margulieswarehouse / #marguilescollection's #AnselmKiefer show. This creation is called "Ödipus auf Kolomos" (2008) and it is made from a large #assemblage of #photography, #brambles, #acrylic, #fabric, #emulsion, #charcoal in a steel and glass frame. Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 10, 2015 at 4:11pm PST

I was first introduced to the #marguliescollection when they were mostly a photography collection that was overflowing with images. They have since rehung their warehouse several times, each time creating a more curated space. This room is in the back of the warehouse. On the left there is a #photography show with work by Willie Doherty, Ursula Schultz Dornburg, Domingo Milella, Jackie Nickerson, Wael Shawsky, Simcha Shirman, Michael Spano, Alec Soth, Pavel Wolberg, and Manabu Yamanak. The #redneon #sculpture on the back wall blinks between #breath and #death. It's by #KendellGeers and titled “Et in Arcadia Ego” (2005). Photo by @harlanerskine #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 10, 2015 at 5:43pm PST

Big thanks to all the @americanphotomag followers and to @jeanettedmoses and @debbbieg for giving me this opportunity to share #artbasel through my eyes. Please keep in touch and follow me over on my page @harlanerskine. This is me in front of 3 images from my series #tenconvenientstores at the group show #100degreesintheshademiami. Thanks to curator @janehartinmiami for putting together this show. #📷 by @crissachappell #APArtBasel #ArtBasel2015

A photo posted by American Photo (@americanphotomag) on Dec 10, 2015 at 7:23pm PST

This post was cross-posted in The Camera Club of New York's Blog.

A few weeks ago the Andreas Gursky print, Rhine II, was auctioned for $4.3 million, breaking the record previously held by Cindy Sherman. Guardian Article: The world's most expensive photographs - in pictures. I always admired Rhine II. I think it was one of the first prints by Gursky I encountered. Its striking formalism speaks of a manufactured landscape, but also of pattern, color and texture. I'm not sure it if is stronger then his 99 cent store image which previously held the record of the most expensive photograph. I encountered this image earlier in my photographic education so I appreciate it differently, I suppose.

This got me thinking about the economics of the art photography market. Normally we don't really know how popular an art photographer's work is. Sure, we see their prices at a gallery and the editions they are claiming they will print, but it's hard to determine the final sale prices and whether their show actually sold out. For the big names, auctions are the best way to see what's going on.

Recently, I went to the Camera Club's benefit auction for the first time. It got me thinking about economics, as well. This event is a strikingly open way of seeing the popularity of an art object for the established and emerging artists who participated. It's not as exacting as a Christies auction, but it folds back the art curtain a bit.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled, color coupler print, executed in 1981 — Cindy Sherman, *Untitled*, color coupler print, executed in 1981

I'm down in Miami this week for Art Basel Miami Beach. The economics of art are all around me. Here they are secretive and deceptive. Please post your comments below if you have any questions for the art fairs and galleries here.

harlan erskine, Art Basel Miami Beach, 2002

If you're in New York, Gursky has a show currently up at Gagosian Gallery—coincidentally timed for this new auction record. I'll be sure to check it out when I get back. Here it the info:

ANDREAS GURSKY NOVEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 17, 2011 Gagosian Gallery 522 West 21st Street New York, NY 10011

Instagram Takeover — Art Basel Miami Beach for American Photo

Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 Recap

The Economics of Art Photography

/blog

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