If one were interested in spotting celebrities among the booths and aisles of Frieze Los Angeles, the fair’s new venue at the Santa Monica airport might be the ideal environment.
The place is flush with bright, diffused light—enough so that upon entering, a gallery assistant told ARTnews that she wished she could be wearing sunglasses. “But that’s not very inviting, is it,” she said before asking that her name not be used.
Surprisingly, the light did not make it any easier to spot the Hollywood elite as they prowled the fair grounds, moving through the aisles with an ease that one would expect is typical only in places like Santa Monica. While very few of these celebrities were seen firsthand, ARTnews was able to depend on a bevy of reliable sources who saw famous fairgoers take in the art.
Actor Owen Wilson, a staple at Frieze LA, was seen admiring the work at Pace Gallery’s booth. The easy-going Wilson will soon appear in the Bob Ross–inspired Paint as the good-natured, frizzy-haired painter Carl Nargle, who stars in Vermont’s highest-rated painting show.
Gwyneth Paltrow, also a Frieze LA regular, was also spotted among the booths. Evidence of her attendance at the fair was posted to Instagram by artist Ryan Gander.
ARTnews heard that Margot Robbie, star of Babylon and the forthcoming Barbie, was gracefully walking about the fair early in the afternoon during VIP day. Meanwhile, later in the afternoon Piper Perabo, who reportedly did not phone in her kiss with Kevin Costner on the fourth season on Paramount’s Yellowstone, was seen snapping pictures of works that caught her eye.
Two musical geniuses from different generations were said to be at the fair: Tyler, the Creator and Lionel Ritchie.
Art aficionado and hotheaded tennis legend John McEnroe was also spotted among the crowds, as was the German American supermodel Heidi Klum, who looked both casual and glamorous in a long khaki trench coat.