| | Christie's Latin American Art Sale Establishes Fourteen New World Auction Records
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The top lot was Miguel Covarrubias' Offering of Fruits for the Temple, 1932 (detail), for which Christie’s established a new world auction record for the artist, realizing $1,022,500 — more than three times the high estimate of $300,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011.
NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s Latin American Art Sale achieved a strong total of $22,571,450 (£13,763,079/ €15,895,387). Held in two sessions on May 26 and 27, the sale was sold 75% by lot, 79% by value and established an impressive 14 new world auction records. The top lot was Miguel Covarrubias Offering of Fruits for the Temple, 1932, for which Christie’s established a new world auction record for the artist, realizing $1,022,500 — more than three times the high estimate of $300,000. The magnificent painting was inspired by one of the Mexican artist’s extended trips to Bali in the 1930s. Covarrubias’ pictorial ode to the idyllic beauty of the Balinese women shows a group of beautiful women elegantly balance baskets of fruit on their heads, swathed in brightly colored sarongs. South American artists performed exceedingly well as Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín’s Quito en rojo, realiz ... More |
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British Museum Study Shows Britain is an Amateur Treasure Seeker's Paradise
A Roman erotic knife handle, found in Lincolnshire, central England. REUTERS/Portable Antiquities Scheme.
By: Stefano Ambrogi
LONDON (REUTERS).- Britain is bursting with ancient buried treasure and the masses have been bitten by the bug for digging it up -- ironically with the full approval of the government and leading museums. Latest figures released by the British Museum on Wednesday showed a "massive" jump in the number of antiquities and spectacular objects classed as treasure being found by ordinary citizens with a passion for history. In 2010, over 90,000 archaeological objects were reported to museums across the country -- a 36 percent rise on 2009 -- through what is known as the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). The scheme, which experts say is near enough unique to Britain, also allowed 859 separate items of treasure -- loosely defined as objects containing gold and silver, or hoards of ancient coins -- to be lawfully un- ... More | | Maya Funerary Offering Found by Archaeologists in Cenote Near Chichen Itza
Skull, human bones. Photo: UADY Arqueología Subacuatica.
MEXICO CITY.- Underwater archaeologists discovered in a cenote near The Castle pyramid at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, a Prehispanic funerary offering deposited in the flooded cave to ask for rain in 9th and 10th centuries, during 2 different drought periods. The offering contains human bones of at least 6 individuals, probably sacrificed during a pair of intense dry season periods, one nearly 1200 years ago and the other, 900, as well as ceramic vessels; jade and shell beads; flint and double leaf knives, shell round artifacts that might have been Tlaloc goggles, animal bones and a great amount of charcoal probably used during the ritual. The finding was made 26 meters deep down the cenote, 5 of them underwater, where a natural platform leads to a flooded cave, accessed diving horizontally during 25 meters. The position of the human bones reveals they were carefully placed there. Where the cenote ends, at a 50 meters depth, bone remains of at least 20 humans and more than a hundred ... More | | Richard Long, A Pioneer of Land and Conceptual Art, Exhibits at Haunch of Venison
Richard Long, Stone Print Spiral, 2011. Danish river stones, 550 cms diameter © Richard Long. Courtesy of Haunch of Venison.
LONDON.- Haunch of Venison presents its fourth exhibition with Richard Long. Long is widely recognised as one of the most important artists to have emerged since the 1960s and is a pioneer of Land and Conceptual art. Human Nature is Richard Long’s first show in London since his acclaimed retrospective at Tate Britain in 2009. It features new works made in Spain, Switzerland, China and South Africa, as well as in Long’s ‘home’ landscape of Dartmoor. Long’s work is rooted in his deep affinity with nature, developed during solitary walks. Walking in the landscape is the basis of Long’s practice but over the past 40 years he has extended his concerns to encompass photographic and text-based work, sculptures made in stone and wood, small-scale works using handprints and fingerprints on paper and driftwood, and monumental wall drawings made using mud and clay. Richard Long’s work is charact ... More |
Sotheby's Russian Art Auctions to be Led by Important Group of Paintings by Vereschagin
Ilya Efimovich Repin, Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Vera Repin, signed in Cyrillic and dated 1878 l.l. Oil on canvas, 101.5 by 82.5cm, 40 by 32 1/2 in. Estimate: 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON.- Sotheby's Summer Sales of Russian Art, which take place in London this June, will present for sale Russian Paintings, Works of Art, Fabergé, Icons and Contemporary Art. The Evening auction of Important Russian Paintings will take place on Monday, June 6, 2011, the Russian Paintings Day Sale will be staged on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 and Russian Works of Art, Fabergé and Icons takes place on Wednesday, June 8, 2011. Combined, all three auctions are estimated to realise in excess of £20 million. Commenting on the forthcoming series, Jo Vickery, Senior Director and Head of Russian Art Department, Sotheby’s London said: “Sotheby’s global total of $82 million achieved in 2010 for sales of Russian Art combined with the success of our April Sale of Russian Art in New York, which brought more than $16 ... More | | For the First Time Ever, National Gallery Painting by Van Gogh Comes to Life
The living painting has been constructed by specialist horticulture and design company ANS using over 8,000 plants of more than 26 different varieties.
LONDON.- For the first time ever, a painting is being made into a ‘living wall’ outside the National Gallery. With over 8,000 living plants, General Electric (GE) has brought a masterpiece to life with a version of Van Gogh’s famous painting A Wheatfield, with Cypresses as part of the Gallery’s carbon plan. Situated on hoarding on the western side of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the painting will be grown throughout the summer and autumn, remaining in place until the end of October 2011. 'A Wheatfield, with Cypresses' was chosen because the strong bands of colour can be reproduced effectively using living plants. The living painting has been constructed by specialist horticulture and design company ANS using over 8,000 plants of more than 26 different varieties. To create the artwork, each plant was selected for its unique colour to m ... More | | After 10 Years, Astronomers Unveil Most Complete 3-D Map of Local Universe
The 2MASS Redshift Survey is a wonderfully complete new look at the local universe – particularly near the Galactic plane.
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Yesterday, astronomers unveiled the most complete 3-D map of the local universe (out to a distance of 380 million light-years) ever created. Taking more than 10 years to complete, the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) also is notable for extending closer to the Galactic plane than previous surveys – a region that’s generally obscured by dust. Karen Masters (University of Portsmouth, UK) presented the new map yesterday in a press conference at the 218th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. “The 2MASS Redshift Survey is a wonderfully complete new look at the local universe – particularly near the Galactic plane,” Masters said. “We’re also honoring the legacy of the late John Huchra, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who was a guiding force behind this and earlier galaxy redshift surveys.&# ... More |
Many Artists at ART HK International Art Fair Revel in Freedom to Support Ai Weiwei
The curator of the "Love the Future" exhibition Kacey Wong poses on his installation titled "Grass Mud Horse" in Hong Kong. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu.
By James Pomfret
HONG KONG (REUTERS).- Ai Weiwei may be languishing in Chinese detention, but the influence of the prominent artist and social activist has permeated Hong Kong's burgeoning art scene, from glitzy art fairs to edgy street art. The cavernous halls of the ART HK International art fair straddling the iconic harbor are filled with a blitz of works, from the nature-inspired art of Iceland's Olafur Eliasson to male nude photographs by Zhang Huan. But tucked inside one of nearly 300 galleries cramming the stark white spaces, a single marble sculpture of a life-sized arm and hand giving an unseen person the middle finger has gained widespread attention for its particular poignancy. Created ... More | | LACMA Presents 32 Images of Elizabeth Taylor in Iran: Photographs by Firooz Zahedi
Firooz Zahedi, Wearing a chador at the Shah Cheragh Shrine, Shiraz, 1976. 11 x 14 in. © Firooz Zahedi.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Elizabeth Taylor in Iran: Photographs by Firooz Zahedi, featuring thirty-two images taken in 1976 during Elizabeth Taylor’s first and only visit to Iran. Accompanying her was Firooz Zahedi, today a successful Hollywood photographer but then a recent art school graduate just learning his craft. Iran provided an exotic and engaging locale for Taylor, a tireless global wanderer still at the height of her fame. For Zahedi, who had left Iran as a child and only returned twice before, this was a reintroduction to his own country, which he experienced not only through the camera lens but through Taylor’s eyes. This visit in 1976, prior to the Islamic Revolution, proved to be his last to the country of his birth. The exhibition is on view until June 12, 2011. Shown together here ... More | | The MFA Houston Selects Three Architecture Firms to Submit Design Proposals for an Expanded MFAH
Rendering of the Phare Tower, currently under construction, La Defense, France. Courtesy of Morphosis Architects.
HOUSTON, TX.- Cornelia Long, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, announced at yesterday’s annual meeting of the board that the MFAH has selected three architecture firms—Morphosis, Snøhetta and Steven Holl Architects—to submit conceptual design proposals for an expanded MFAH. The project entails the construction of a building intended primarily for post-1900 art, a parking garage and the integration of surrounding MFAH buildings and public spaces. The decision follows several years of focused internal discussion to assess the museum’s future needs, and a year-long series of interviews with 10 international architecture firms. “This decision marks an important step forward for the future MFAH,” said Richard D. ... More |
Newly Revitalised Learning Spaces Open at Tate Modern Alongside the Turbine Hall
The new Clore Learning Centre includes gallery-like spaces for the display of work, a welcome room full of resources and information and a small cinema.
LONDON.- Today the Clore Learning Centre at Tate Modern, located alongside the Turbine Hall, re-opens with a suite of newly revitalised spaces. Architects Herzog and de Meuron have worked closely with Tate’s Learning team to rework the gallery’s learning spaces, allowing visitors more opportunities to make, construct, contribute, display and join in. The new Clore Learning Centre includes gallery-like spaces for the display of work, a welcome room full of resources and information and a small cinema. The Clore Studio, similar to an artist’s studio, has been designed to allow visitors to develop and explore art practice and the McAulay Seminar Room is for discussion events. The McAulay Schools and Family Room is a new space for school groups and families to relax and eat their lunches in ... More | | Cooper-Hewitt Announces Winners and Finalists of the 12th Annual National Design Awards
Lifetime Achievement Winner: Matthew Carter. Photo: Steve Marsel.
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will celebrate outstanding achievement in design this fall with its 12th annual National Design Awards program. Today, Cooper-Hewitt Director Bill Moggridge announced the winners and finalists of the 2011 National Design Awards, which recognize excellence across a variety of disciplines. The award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner Thursday, Oct. 20, at Pier Sixty in New York. “As the nation’s design museum, Cooper-Hewitt raises awareness that design is everywhere,” said Moggridge. “The work of this year’s National Design Awards winners represents extraordinary solutions to the design problems central to the landscape of daily life, from how we dress, shape our personal and private spaces, frame communication and interact with the world at large.” First launc ... More | | Sotheby's London to Sell Newly Discovered Gustav Mahler's Personal Copy of Third Symphony
The Rare Full Score Contains the Composer’s Extensive Autograph Revisions and Performance Markings. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON.- On 8th June 2011, as part of its Music, Continental and Russian Books and Manuscripts sale, Sotheby’s London will sell Gustav Mahler’s newly discovered personal copy of the first edition of the Third Symphony. Coming to the market for the first time, the full 1902 score of this seminal work contains the composer’s extensive alterations and performance markings, vividly amended in coloured ink, crayons and pencil. It is estimated at £100,000 - £150,000. Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Books and Manuscripts Stephen Roe said: “This is a magnificent new source for Mahler’s Third. It is a spectacular and beautiful score revealing the passion of Mahler’s creation and the exuberance of his musical thinking.” The score itself is a very rare edition (by Weinberger of Vienna), published shortly after ... More |
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 Bellevue Arts Museum Honored with 2011 Eastside Business AwardBELLEVUE, WA.- Bellevue Arts Museum, the Pacific Northwest's center for the exploration of art, craft and design, has just been honored with the prestigious 2011 Eastside Business Award in the Non-Profit/Community Impact category by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes outstanding Eastside organizations that uphold a strong commitment to quality, community and innovation. "We're so pleased to receive this important award," says Stefano Catalani, Director of Curatorial Affairs/Artistic Director of Bellevue Arts Museum. "The Museum is a vital part of the socio-economic fabric of Bellevue and the greater region. We appreciate that the business community and chamber recognize the important role BAM plays in enriching our community and as a destination for national and international travelers." Incorporated in 1975, Bellevue Arts Museum has grown alongside the city of Bellevue. ... More AIA Selects the 2011 Recipients of the Small Project AwardsWASHINGTON, D.C.- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the eight recipients of the 2011 Small Project Awards. The AIA Small Project Awards Program, now in its eighth year, was established to recognize small-project practitioners for the high quality of their work and to promote excellence in small-project design. This award program emphasizes the excellence of small-project design and strives to raise public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects bring to projects, no matter the limits of size and scope. The jury for the Small Project Awards includes: Deborah Pierce, AIA (jury chair), Pierce Lamb Architects; Obie G. Bowman, FAIA, Obie G. Bowman, FAIA, Architect; Randy Brown, FAIA, Randy Brown Architects; Lance Hosey, AIA, LEED AP, GreenBlue and Wendy Evans Joseph, FAIA, Wendy Evans Joseph Architect, Cooper Joseph Studio. Award recipients are categorized into two groups; category 1), Small P ... More Unabomber Manifesto Draws $17,500 Bid Online ATLANTA, GA (AP).- A handwritten copy of the unabomber's infamous manifesto has a high bid of more than $17,500 with a week to go in an auction of personal items meant to benefit his victims. As of Thursday, the item had drawn nine bidders. The auction ends June 2. A U.S. district judge ordered Ted Kaczynski's personal items sold so the proceeds could benefit his victims' families. The high bid for his typewriter is $11,100. The item most in demand? Kaczynski's hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, with 19 bidders so far and a high bid of $20,025. The 69-year-old Kaczynski is serving a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty in 1998 to setting 16 explosions that killed three people ... More Some of Last Madoff Items Set for Florida Auction MIAMI, FL (AP).- More art, artifacts and other items that once belonged to convicted swindler Bernard Madoff are being auctioned in South Florida. The auction is set for June 4 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The U.S. Marshals Service says the items are the last remaining from Madoff's homes in New York and Palm Beach. Proceeds will go to compensate victims of Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty. A Marshals spokesman says sales of Madoff assets and property so far have brought in more than $103 million. Much more has been recovered from Madoff investors who made big profits before the scheme ... MoreArgentina Intercepts Mailed Pre-Inca Mummy, Skulls BUENOS AIRES (AP).- The shipping label said the mailed package contained replicas of Peruvian ceramics. An X-ray machine used by customs agents discovered it really held three skulls and a mummy more than 2,000 years old. Authorities said Friday that the package was intercepted at Argentina's central post office, and an Argentine citizen who was waiting for the shipment has been detained as part of an investigation into illegal trading in ancient cultural artifacts. Officials speculated the package would have been relayed to a museum or a private collector in Europe, where such old bones are in demand because of the blankets and other woven material that surround ancient South American mummies. A preliminary evaluation by Argentina's national archaeology institute determined that the bones are from the pre-Inca Paracas culture on Peru's coast, and date from between the 7th and 3rd centuries B.C., ... More Sotheby's Latin American Art Sales Total $26.9 million NEW YORK, NY.- “We are delighted with our total of $26.9 million – the second highest ever for Latin American Art at Sotheby’s.” said Carmen Melián, Head of Latin American Art at Sotheby’s. “Throughout the evening sale we saw results that were consistent with the estimates we set, with strong prices achieved for Rufino Tamayo, Fernando Botero, Wifredo Lam, Joaquín Torres-García and many others. Whist we were disappointed that the Frida Kahlo Self Portrait did not find a buyer last night, I am pleased to have sold it privately today. There was great excitement throughout the day sale where it was wonderful to see a series of strong prices for the women who did so much to advance abstraction in Latin American painting. These were led by Carmen Herrera whose 1965 painting West was one of 19 records that were set in the sale.” The evening sale was led by a number of strong prices for Rufino Tama ... More Blackbeard's Anchor Recovered Off NC Coast MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP).- Archaeologists recovered the first anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship off the North Carolina coast Friday, a move that might change plans about how to save the rest of the almost 300-year-old artifacts from the central part of the ship. Divers had planned to recover the second-largest artifact on what's believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge but discovered it was too well-attached to other items in the ballast pile, said project Mark Wilde-Ramsing. Instead they pulled up another anchor that is the third-largest artifact and likely was the typical anchor for the ship. Apparently, pirates had everyday anchors and special anchors just as the rest of us have everyday dishes and good china. "That's a big ship to be putting that out to stop it," Wilde-Ramsing said admiringly as a pulley system of straps and men holding ropes moved the anchor from a boat to the back of truck. It's the first large anchor that diver ... More |
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