NEW YORK— Art lovers who visited The Armory Show last year might remember someone shoving a sticker or flyer in their hand bearing a quirky orange image of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, the infamous readymade urinal that shocked the world in 1917. They were promotions for the Fountain fair, then the newest, and smallest, of the satellite art fairs to crop up during Armory week.

Back then Fountain could hardly be called an art fair, with just three Brooklyn galleries renting space at a warehouse less than two blocks from Pier 92. And even at that distance, many collectors skipped the fair, heading straight downtown in shuttles to Scope.

Now, after a run alongside Miami Basel, Fountain is back and starting to grow into something promising. A total of 10 exhibitors filled out the fair’s 5,000-square-foot space on 12th Avenue, this year a few blocks farther from the Armory.

David Kesting, a co-founder of the fair, observed that the added distance has helped Fountain establish its independence. “Last year we were catching more run off,” said the co-owner of Capla Kesting Fine Art. “This year people who are coming are here specifically to see this exhibition.”

Won’t Break the Bank

The fair sits squarely in the affordable niche, with most works ranging from $50 to $5,000. A steel-and-resin wall sculpture by Philip Simmons, shown by Front Room Gallery, pushed the upper end of the spectrum at $7,500. Pricier works like Simmons’ cowboy-themed sculptures were generally slow to sell, noted Front Room director Daniel Aycock, but cheaper items—such as multiples—were going like hot cakes.

The gallery had already sold out of five snow globes with the cheery message “Fuck” inside for $90 each. The signed globes were the fourth edition of 50 by Marshall Reese and Nora Ligorano. Other bargain items included faux credit cards by Marcin Ramoki, a set of seven representing each of the deadly sins, available for $100 each or $500 for all.

“People have been really excited about them because they’re more affordable,” Aycock said. “I’m kind of worried that we’re going to run out of them completely.”

Far and away the most expensive work at the fair was Steven Gagnon’s Around the World in a N.Y.C. Taxi, a video installation projected in an actual yellow cab. The piece, shown by Gagnon himself, was available for $50,000.

Lot of Nibbles, Few Bites

About 30 people milled around Fountain’s main space Saturday afternoon, but few were buying. The crowd was a mish-mash of artists and curious browsers, sporting bleached faux-hawks and wire-rimmed glasses, but not flashing a ready stack of credit cards. Most galleries had only sold a few works, despite the early public opening on Thursday.

“The big collectors haven’t really showed up yet,” said Aycock, who assured us that things were still looking good. Another gallerist suggested sales would pick up Sunday and Monday, after collectors had a chance to think things over.

The slower traffic was a change of pace from Thursday night, when gallerists said the space was wall-to-wall packed for the opening night party, attended by none other than Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show.” The comedian admired a group of works by Suzi Matthews at McCraig-Welles, but walked away from the small white canvases—covered with rows of colorful numbers—without buying, said gallery owner Melissa McCaig-Welles. A piece by Matthews already resides in the Stewart collection, she added.

The Head-Turners

Throughout the fair there was plenty to catch ArtInfo’s eye. At McCaig-Welles, a group of dark, grotesque portraits by Amy Hill ranged around $1,200 each, and delicate works by Deedee Cheriel, of copulating human figures with animal heads painted on rough brown paper, also were going for about $1,200 each.

A large, 6-foot Steve Ellis canvas at Capla Kesting paid homage to Amanda Lepore, depicting the transsexual nightlife maven in the nude on a giant pink ballpoint pen. The Lepore canvas was available at $3,000, as was a hyperrealistic painting of a metal-handled butterfly knife, also by Ellis, for $1,500.