 | The First Art Newspaper on the Net | Established in 1996 | Friday, December 10, 2010 | | | Exhibition of Works by Painter Amedeo Modigliani Opens at the Municipal House in Prague
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A visitor walks past a painting of Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani as he visits the Modigliani exhibition in Prague, Czech Republic, 09 December 2010. Unique exhibition of the works of the world-renowned early 20th-century Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani is open from 09 December 2010 to 28 February 2011 at the elegant venue of the Municipal House in Prague. EPA/FILIP SINGER.
PRAGUE.- The Municipal House opens a unique exhibition of the works of the world-renowned early 20th-century Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920), which will run from December 9 to February 28, 2011 at the elegant venue of the Municipal House in Prague. The organisers chose the artist’s own magically sounding name as the exhibition’s title. The exhibition aims to acquaint the public not just with Modigliani’s work, but also with the man himself and his life. To complement the works of Amedeo Modigliani the exhibition will also show paintings by Modigliani’s friends and peers, such as Pablo Picasso, Max Jacob, and Gino Romiti, and the last curatorial section of the exhibition will be a parallel display of the work of Amedeo Modigliani and the Czech artist František Kupka (1871-1957), whose paintings will be part of the Amedeo Modigliani exhibition. The curator of the exhibiti ... More |
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Surrealist Triumph at Galerie Charpentie; Contemporary Art Sale Totals €13.7 Million
André Masson, Gradiva,1939 (detail). Huile sur toile, 97 x 130 cm. Estimate €1.500,000-2,000,000. Sold for: for €2.3m. Photo: Sotheby's.
PARIS.- Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Contemporary Art totalled €9.3m, led by Jean-Michel Basquiat's iconic Water-Worshipper (1984) at €2,416,750. This magnificent painting echoes Basquiat's Haitian origins, combining personal cultural memories with the evocation of oppressed minorities in the Americas. The second highest price in this first session, €1,352,750, went to Jean Dubuffet's monumental sculpture Métalogie aux Turbulences (1971) from his celebrated Hourloupe cycle, with its flat expanses of red, blue, white and black – a contrasting approach to his earlier works, with texture banished in favour of compartmentalized surfaces of flat colour, an approach Dubuffet also used for paintings and installations. The sale posted world record prices for two European artists: Germany's Emil Schumacher – €480,750 for his Solluk (1962); and Czech ... More | | Mexican Archaeologists Report Finding Prehispanic Objects at Nevado de Toluca
Ceramic fragments. Photo: DMC.INAH. M MARAT.
MEXICO CITY.- Diverse Prehispanic objects, mainly ceramic fragments and greenstone beads, 1,300 years old, were found in the crater of Nevado de Toluca Volcano, Estado de Mexico, by researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The material found dates from the Late Classic period (650-900 AD) and Early Post Classic (900-1200 AD), representing the earliest ritual objects found to present at the high mountain ceremonial space. After a fruitful exploration season in 2007, research focused in the analysis of material found; during the last week of November and the first of December 2010, 30 specialists conducted a second in-site research season, in charge of archaeologist Roberto Junco. The specialist explained that 3 environments were prepared for the integral season: excavation, surface covering as well as sub aquatic sounding at the Moon and Sun Lagoons, found in the crater of the volcano also k ... More | | Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich Buys an Island to Show His Art Collection
Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (r) and his wife Daria Zhukova (l) during a soccer match in Moscow, Russia. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY.
MOSCOW.- The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow announced it is developing plans for new projects in Russia. These will include expanding to St Petersburg as part of the re-development of the island of New Holland, as well as a continuing presence in Moscow. Dasha Zhukova, Founder of The Garage, said: “I am excited about this next stage of The Garage’s development and the possibility of expanding to the cultural landscape of St Petersburg. We will release more details of our plans for New Holland once they are finalised in the coming year.” The Garage’s programme in Moscow for 2011 will have an international focus with exhibitions including: Over 180 photographs exploring one of the most spectacular political events of the twentieth century - the Cuban Revolution of 1959 - by thirty ... More |
 | New York City's Museum of Arts and Design to Start Exploring Scent as an Art Form
The Museum of Arts and Design in it's new space at 2 Columbus Circle in New York. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer.
By: Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP).- The nose rarely figures in the sensory experience of a museum visitor. That is about to change at one New York City museum. The Center of Olfactory Art dedicated to scent as an art form was launched at the Museum of Arts and Design on Thursday. "What we're going to be able to do ... with the center is place scent directly in the mainstream of art history and demonstrate that it is the equal of paintings, sculpture, architecture and all other artistic media," said Chandler Burr, the former fragrance critic of The New York Times whom the museum said it hired as its — the nation's — first curator of olfactory art. More a curatorial department within the museum than a separate entity, the museum created the new center because "scent is a really interesting part of the world of design," museum director Holly Hotchner told The Associated Press. It fits the institution's DNA as a "sensuous, sensory ... More | | The Year of the Rabbit: From Dali to Marilyn Monroe, Playboy Sells Art at Christie's
A photograph of Brigitte Bardot that appeared on the March 1958 cover of Playboy magazine. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2010.
By: Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP).- A Dali watercolor of a reclining nude that hung in Hugh Hefner's bedroom was among 125 artworks Playboy magazine offered at Christie's on Wednesday. It was one of 11 works chosen for "The Playmate as Fine Art" pictorial for the magazine's January 1967 Playmate review issue that asked artists to create Playmate-inspired art. The nude sold for $266,500, above its presale estimate of $100,000 to $150,000, to an anonymous buyer. Another top draw was an iconic, sexually charged oil of a scarlet-lipstick mouth by pop artist Tom Wesselmann. "Mouth No. 8" sold for $1,874,500 to an anonymous buyer. The 1966 work had been estimated to bring $2 million to $3 million. Aaron Baker, curator of the Playboy Art Collection, called it a great example of Wesselmann's work "from his best ... More | | Bonhams to Sell Eric Clapton's Guitars and Amps in Aid of the Crossroads Centre
The sale will feature over 70 guitars and 70 amps which have helped create Clapton's legendary sound.
NEW YORK, NY.- Bonhams announce this landmark auction, which includes more than 150 lots from Eric Clapton's personal collection. The sale will feature over 70 guitars and 70 amps which have helped create Clapton's legendary sound. This is the first time the rock icon has donated his historic amplifiers to auction and gives fans a rare opportunity to purchase a piece of Clapton history. The auction is being held to benefit The Crossroads Centre, Antigua. A spokesman for the Centre says, "The Crossroads Centre is very excited to be the beneficiary of Eric Clapton's guitar and amp auction at Bonhams which will directly assist those who are in need of addiction treatment. As we know, recovery from addiction is possible and with quality treatment and support, is often lifesaving." The auction will be held in New York, on Wednesday 9th March 2011, with pre-sale viewing also planned at Bonhams London during January, and Bonhams & Bu ... More |
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Exhibition of Vintage Photographs by Leopoldo Poméson at Michael Hoppen Gallery
Leopoldo Poméson, Paralelo, 1956, vintage silver gelatin print, © Leopoldo Pomès courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
LONDON.- Photographs by Leopoldo Pomés are on exhibition for the first time in the UK at Michael Hoppen Gallery. Born in Barcelona in 1931, Pomés, a self-taught photographer, had a highly successful and celebrated late career in advertising in his native Spain. However, it is his evocative early photographs of Barcelona that will form the basis of this new exhibition. Taken between 1947 and 1969 these vintage photographs of Barcelona show a city in flux. With humour Pomés captures the ancient and the modern existing side by side in post-war Barcelona: a horse and cart being overtaken by a motorcar (1947), a knife sharpener oblivious to a risqué Sophia Loren poster, graffiti on a crumbling wall and a piano on the street waiting to be played during the fiera. Pomés’ intimate relationship with the fabric of Barcelona is evident in these images and he admits that he has never ... More | | Burgeoning Interest in Collecting Push 19th Century Oriental Rugs to Forefront in Art World
"A Rare Tree of Life" Persian Sultanabad (circa 1850). Architect/designer: BraytonHughes Design Studio; Photo: Karl Neumann.
OAKLAND, CA.- Highlighted by a world record-price for an Oriental carpet sold at auction and the remarkable interest in rug-based interior design projects, the year 2010 has pushed the level of interest in art-level Oriental rugs to unprecedented heights. So says Jan David Winitz, president and founder of Claremont Rug Company, internationally acknowledged gallery specializing in art-level, 19th century Oriental carpets. In January, Winitz predicted that 2010 would be “The Year of the Rug” and events throughout the year have more than confirmed his declaration. As proof he points to: • The $9.5 million paid for a historic Oriental rug at Sotheby’s auction in London, double the previous record. • The unprecedented response at his Gallery of a 185-piece private collection of 19th century art level pieces which “sold out” out at a recor ... More | | Seminal Works by Eve Sonneman on View at Nohra Haime Gallery in New York
Eve Sonneman, Sight/Sound: For Mike Godberg, Samos. Greece, 1977 (detail), diptych photographs on Cibachrome paper, 20 x 30 in. Photo: Courtesy Nohra Haime Gallery.
NEW YORK, NY.- Eve Sonneman: Sight/Sound, an exhibition comprised of 7 color photographs is on view at the Nohra Haime Gallery from December 8th through January 29th. These seminal works, previously exhibited in Starburst: Color Photography in America 1970-1980, mark the artist’s transition from black and white to color photography.Known for pairing stills taken seconds apart, Sonneman creates unified visual narratives that expose the minute, yet captivating, moments in time. Taking part in the controversial move to color photography in the mid-1970’s, Sonneman shifted from black and white diptychs of daily social life to a more cinematic approach in her work. She began describing the colorful reality of life in her diptychs with shorter time spans between stills, much like the jump cut in film editing. ... More |
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Picasso Auction from the Collection of His Longtime Chauffeur Canceled Amid Mystery
A drawing of a guitar by Picasso. AP Photo/Succession Picasso.
By: Angela Doland, Associated Press
PARIS (AP).- A Paris auctioneer called off the scheduled sale Thursday of a trove of drawings Picasso gave his longtime chauffeur, after a separate cache of previously unknown Picassos turned up in an electrician's garage — a revelation that stunned the art world. The sale at the Drouot auction house was to have included several dozen sketches and minor Picasso works given to driver Maurice Bresnu, a brawny man nicknamed "Teddy Bear" who was close to the artist and who sometimes inspired his work late in life. Here's where things take a surprising twist: Since Bresnu and his wife have both died, one of the six heirs who stood to profit from the sale is a relative named Pierre Le Guennec — a former electrician for Picasso who recently announced that he had kept 271 of the master's creations in his garage for decades. The electrician and his wife said the works were a gift from Picasso's ... More | | Guggenheim Museum Announces Winners For Rob Pruitt's 2010 Art Awards
John McCracken, "Think Pink", 1967. Polyester resin, fiberglass, and plywood, (266.7 x 46.4 x 8 cm. Photo: Ellen Page Wilson. Courtesy: The artist and David Zwirner, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- At an awards ceremony and dinner on December 8, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum announced the winners of Rob Pruitt’s 2010 Art Awards, the second annual celebration honoring notable individuals, exhibitions, and projects that made a significant contribution to the field of contemporary art during the past year. Awards in 15 categories were presented at a fundraising event benefiting the Guggenheim Foundation and visual arts nonprofit White Columns on Wednesday, December 8, 2010, at the nightclub and music venue Webster Hall. Artist Rob Pruitt, whose conceptual practice is rooted in a pop sensibility and a playful critique of artworld structures, conceived the event as a performance-based artwork that follows the format of a Hollywood awards ceremony. Designed with a flourish of showbiz glamour, the Art Awards ... More | | A Significant Exhibition of Gustave Moreau Opens at the National Gallery of Victoria
Gustave Moreau French 1826–1898 Jupiter and Europa 1868 oil on canvas 175.0 x 130.0 cm Musée Gustave-Moreau (Cat. 191) © Photo RMN – René-Gabriel Ojéda.
MELBOURNE.- Be seduced by femmes fatales, goddesses and temptresses of history and legend at the NGV this summer in Gustave Moreau and the Eternal Feminine, the first significant exhibition of Gustave Moreau (1826–1898) to be seen in Australia. From 10 December, the superb craftsmanship of Gustave Moreau will be celebrated with over 100 paintings, watercolours and drawings from the unique and acclaimed Musée Gustave Moreau in Paris. Gerard Vaughan, Director, NGV said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Australians to see these captivating works by Moreau. “Visitors will embrace Moreau’s portrayals of familiar historical and mythical characters. From famed femmes fatales including Salomé, Helen of Troy and Lady Macbeth to the rugged depictions of Hercules and Cyclops, this spectacular exhibition will reveal the many faces of Gustave Moreau. ... More |
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Top Guns from SAS Founder, African Game Hunter and Field Marshall Hit Bullseye at Bonhams
LONDON.- A pair of Purdey shotguns once owned by Colonel William Stirling, one of the two brothers who founded the SAS, were sold yesterday (8.12.10) for £42,000 at Bonhams Sporting Gun Sale in Knightsbridge. Colonel William Stirling formed 2 Special Air Service in 1943, after his brother David, the original founder of the SAS was captured. The pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons had been offered for sale with an estimate of £18,000 to £25,000. The makers confirmed that the guns were completed in 1949 for Colonel W. Stirling, and were rebarrelled by the makers in 1975. They have remained in the same family since new. William Stirling was the eldest son of Brigadier Archibald Stirling of Keir, and was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1932. He joined the Scots Guards, and during the Second World War commanded 62 Commando before forming 2 Special Air ... More
Sotheby's Hong Kong to Sell the Andrew Lloyd Webber Wine Collection
HONG KONG.- Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most prolific and best-known composers of our day. Famed for writing such musical greats as The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Evita and Cats, his music is universally recognised and performed in theatres around the world. A committed and knowledgeable collector of both art and wine, Lord Lloyd Webber has built up a magnificent cellar over many years, part of which will be offered for sale at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 22nd January, 2011. The sale of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Wine Collection offers a total of 748 lots and is expected to fetch HK$21.8 – 32 million / US$2.8 – 4.1 million / £1.8 – 2.6 million*. Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine, Sotheby's International Head of Wine, said:"The Andrew Lloyd Webber wine collection has seen many enthusiasms and a plethora of vintages, but the discernment and selectivity have remained a consta ... More
Exhibition of Works from 1976-2010 by Herlinde Koelbl at the Munchner Stadtmuseum
MUNICH.- Herlinde Koelbl is one of Germany’s most renowned photographers and producers of documentary films. This exhibition at the Münchner Stadtmuseum displays her multifaceted works. Special emphasis is placed on her photo series “Das deutsche Wohnzimmer” [The German Living Room] which was started in 1980 and portrays people from different social strata inside their living rooms. Similar in topic is her 2002 work “Schlafzimmer” [Bedrooms]. For this series, Herlinde Koelbl traveled to numerous international metropolises to photograph inhabitants in their most private of refuges. The depictions of the male body in her book “Männer” [Men] which was published in 1984 combine sensuality with aggression. The photographer also takes an unusual and entirely new look at the naked female body. Her book “Starke Frauen” [Strong Women] shows not the common image of the beautiful and ... More
Lawsuit: Cezanne at New York City's Metropolitan Wrongly Acquired
NEW YORK (AP).- A man claims a Paul Cezanne painting at New York City's Metropolitan Museum was stolen from his great-grandfather during the Russian Revolution. The Wall Street Journal reports that Pierre Konowaloff sued the museum Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. The work is called "Madame Cezanne in the Conservatory." A collector bequeathed the work to the Met in 1960. The museum said in a statement that it believes it has good title to the painting and will fight the lawsuit. Konowaloff, who lives in France, filed a similar lawsuit against Yale University last year over a work by Vincent Van Gogh. Yale says it is the rightful owner. Konowaloff says he is the great-grandson of industrialist and aristocrat Ivan Morozov. ... More
Fossilized Hyena Dung Found Off Dutch Coast
AMSTERDAM (AP).- Researchers say a curled-up brown fossil dredged up off the Dutch coast is an ancient piece of hyena dung, the first found in the North Sea dating back to the Late Pleistocene era, 12,000-100,000 years ago. Jelle Reumer, director of the Rotterdam Natural History museum called the prehistoric piece of poop "a beauty." It was found during work to expand Rotterdam's port and went on display Thursday. Reumer, a paleontologist, said the dung was dated by its sediment layer. He hopes a second example is found so it can be broken apart, studied and dated more exactly. "Cave" hyenas were once common in Europe, and the fossil closely resembles modern hyena dung. But its color is misleading since before fossilization it would have been chalky gray. ... More
New Museum Launches Competition for Temporary Outdoor Strcutures
NEW YORK.- The festival of ideas for a new city is a major new collaborative initiative between scores of downtown organizations, from large universities to arts groups and community organizations, working together to affect change. The Festival is a first for New York and will demonstrate the power of the creative community to imagine the city of the future. The Festival will serve as a platform for artists, architects, designers, and other thought leaders to exchange ideas, propose solutions, and invite the public to participate in improving urban life. For the occasion of the inaugural Festival of Ideas for a New City in New York City, Storefront for Art and Architecture jointly with the new Museum and new york city's Department of transportation (NYCDOT) are launching a competition for the design, management and construction of temporary outdoor street tents that produce new ways for collective gathering and city engagement. These structures will be part of an innovative ou ... More
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