Painting is so hot right now. An abundance of Gerhard Richter's and Sigmar Polke's around Art Basel Miami isn't a fluke. Richter is subject of the documentary Gerhard Richter Painting, which had its American premiere here last evening, plus saw career-high bids for Abstracks Bild and other mind-melting paintings at Sotheby's NY last month. Meanwhile his countryman Polke, who passed away last year, set a record at Sotheby's London several months earlier for his '67 work Jungle. Just don't make the mistake of dubbing framed artwork "conservative": painting can be just as lyrical, energetic, experimental, or shocking as its three-dimensional kindred. Read on as The Art Newspaper "canvases" the fair.  - Brian Fee, Austin Contributor

Guyton/Walker’s "Untitled", 2009, sets the tone, Photo Courtesy The Art Newspaper

A Happy Medium: Why painting is all over the floor at this year’s fair
By Georgina Adam, Charlotte Burns and Riah Pryor.

A panorama of paintings greeted guests at yesterday’s preview of Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), with two-dimensional works dominating the booths near the VIP entrance and beyond. Michael Werner Gallery (B1) features work by artists including Georg Baselitz and Enrico David; Galerie Gmurzynska (B2), with an Art Kabinett booth, has fire paintings by Yves Klein and oils by John Cage; and Acquavella’s stand (C4) is hung with paintings by Twombly, Picasso and Freud. Three-dimensional works were in abundance last year, but many of this year’s offerings come in a frame. Sculpture is more expensive to make, crate and ship—and is slower to sell. Against a backdrop of economic turmoil, is this an indication of a more cautious market? READ MORE ON "THE ART NEWSPAPER"