7-sided by Joe Kievitt

crossed by Joe Kievitt

Toasty Tuesday greetings collectors! This soupy hot (and, yes, somewhat stinky--we are in NYC, after all) morning has me looking forward to sweater weather. All the months-ahead planning at JBP HQ is flashing me further forward to December's art fairs. By that time, the tropical heat of Miami will be a welcome respite from the teeth-chattering winter weather it's so hard to imagine as I sit here sleeveless and sandal'ed. Miami's flurry of fairs also heralds the warm welcome of art world friends, Joe Kievitt's dealer from New Mexico being one I can count on for the sunniest of greetings.

Today's editions, 7-sided and crossed, are created from the original works that have appeared on the walls of Richard Levy's Albuquerque gallery. Richard and his team were among the most welcoming of colleagues as we learned the ropes of doing fairs in NYC and Miami. Sharing hellos and how are yous, and the occasional nugget of art world gossip with Richard throughout the years has helped me feel more at home. My late arrival to the scene, through a decidedly unconventional path at that, meant that my new-kid-on-the-block jitters were particularly acute. Having a friendly neighbor like Richard to chat with over the proverbial fence smoothed the path considerably and I'll always be grateful for that.

7-sided and crossed are likewise friendly and approachable. Invoking an appreciation for history as well as order and pattern, Joe's works are backed by some serious thought about art-making. Their modesty belies a process that considers the qualities of ink on paper, the effects of colors as they lie beside one another and the significance of lines and shapes and the complicated forms they can make. The cheerful, quilt-like patterns are a result of studied calculations. They are a potent reminder that nothing's as simple as it seems.