Mark Borghi - Master Curator
The success of Mark Borghi Fine Art stems from Mark Borghi’s lifelong dedication to the Arts and his unique personal history of growing up within his family’s gallery operation. His father, Paul Borghi, had a series of galleries throughout his life, sometime in New Jersey, for a long time in New York, in the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles and he even opened the first commercial gallery allowed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He states: “I used to go with my father to work. I was moving paintings around at that point. Around the age of nine I actually started selling things. I would be dressed up and people would come in. I don’t remember which paintings I sold, but I remember talking about such and such a painting who it’s by. My entire life has been in a gallery. I literally grew up in it.” In New York city in 1976, the family opened Borghi and Co. on 50th Street between Madison and Park showcasing works by 19th and 20th century American and European artists. After his father passed away; Mr Borghi’s mother purchased a brownstone on 80th Street and moved the gallery. This location was in use until 1996 when his mother retired. Mr. Borghi became a private dealer in 2001 and opened his own New York space on 76th Street; which is functioning as a private viewing space today. He came to the South Fork of Long Island around 2003 and opened a location in Bridgehampton at 2426 Main Street. He opened a third location last year at 34 Main Street in Sag Harbor. In December, the gallery participates annually at the Art Miami fair.
In terms of Mr. Borghi’s curatorial sensibilities, he began to focus on a more modern aesthetic since operating on his own. “We’re primarily postwar,” he said. “We start with Pollock and Kline and move up to the present. My taste is in the ‘40s and ‘50s Ab-Ex guys, but as that has become harder and harder to find, we keep shifting.” Mark Borghi’s stable of artists now includes influential contemporary artists such as: Chakaia Booker, John Armleder, Donald Baechler, George Condo and Pat Steir, among many others. Impressive earlier works are still at the forefront of his exhibitions with works often on view by artists such as: Pollock, de Kooning, Motherwell, Rothko, Stella, Frankenthaler, Krasner, Gorky, Gilliam, Perle Fine, Yves Kline, Joan Mitchell, Mercedes Matter, Warhol, Basquiat and Keith Haring. Although he selectively works with some living artists and maintains close relationships with many artist estates; he sees himself as part of the secondary market, meaning he is buying work that has been previously owned, not representing the particular artist.
Mark Borghi’s current exhibition at his Bridgehampton location, Pollock – Orozco, uniquely explores the historical dialogue between Jackson Pollock and Jose Clemente Orozco. Mr. Borghi’s historical insights into the proven influence of Orozco on Pollock’s work are powerfully captured by the impressive selection of works on view by both artists, juxtaposing one another. This heavily academic exhibition is offset by the Catherine Lepp solo exhibition on view at the Sag Harbor location, which is a beautiful series of contemporary, highly stylized/ abstracted portraits of figures in water. Mark Borghi’s curatorial talents seem to bridge postwar modernism and the varied, new trends of contemporary art. He is the exclusive representation of Chakaia Booker and has worked closely with ICA Miami on the important exhibition currently on view at the museum, Chakaia Booker: The Observance.
For more information regarding current & upcoming exhibitions please visit: www.markborghi.com.
