Installation view of New Photography 2023, on view at The Museum of Modern Art, New York from May 28, 2023 – September 16, 2023. Photo: Jonathan Dorado.
by Yinka Elujoba
NEW YORK, NY.- A boy, his face out of focus, is walking toward you. He holds a bucket, and there is a slight spring in his steps. In the foreground, clothes hang above the frame, like obstacles preventing you from looking. And this boy, where is he coming from? Where is he going to? Why does he seem happy, even though he is surrounded by heaps of trash and bush? If you have ever lived in Lagos, Nigeria, then you will know that these clothes are most likely his school uniform that he had just washed and spread out to dry, and that his happy strides are from finishing the day’s laundry. Everything — the boy, the heap of trash, the bush — is out of focus, and what is truly seen are the clothes that frame his life. This scene from “Coming Close” by Logo Oluwamuyiwa, one of seven artists in the ongoing “New Photography 2023” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, embodies the springing zigzag of Lagos presented in a delicious and nuanced manner through the show. Althoug ... More
White Cube, Seoul, Courtesy White Cube. In autumn 2023, in addition to the new space in Seoul, White Cube will also open its first public gallery in New York. It will be located on the Upper East Side at 1002 Madison Avenue.
SEOUL.-White Cube has announced the opening of a second permanent gallery in Asia this autumn in Seoul, South Korea. Situated in the heart of the bustling Gangnam-gu district, White Cube Seoul will comprise of exhibition spaces, a private viewing room and offices spanning over 300m² (3230 sq ft) and will be led by the gallery’s Korean Representative and Director Jini Yang, who joined in 2018. The ground-floor, street facing gallery is in close proximity to Dosan Park and cultural institutions including the SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation. It is located in a striking, ceramic-encased building, which is also home to the Horim Art Centre, a renowned private museum with an extensive collection of Korean modern art and antiquities. One of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, White Cube represents over 60 international artists and artist estates. The gallery’s ... More
HONG KONG.- This spring, Christie’sHong Kong presented a series of four live 20th and 21st Century Art auctions — the “20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale” and the thematic “Post-Millennium Evening Sale” on 28 May, followed by the “20th Century Art Day Sale” and “21st Century Art Day Sale” on 29 May – which achieved a combined sale total of HK$1,244,623,520 / US$159,653,335. Competitive bidding was witnessed across the auctions, with participants from 29 countries across 6 continents, making this a truly international event. Evelyn Lin, Deputy Chairman, Co-Head of the 20th and 21st Century Art Department, Christie’s Asia Pacific, commented, “The results achieved across our 20th/21st Century Art sales demonstrate Asian collectors’ continued demand for the category. Works by Asian artists continued to garner strong results, with Chinese contemporary artists in evening sales 100% so ... More
Joseph Mallord William Turner, (London 1775-1851), East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate, the seat of Lord Keith.
LONDON.- An early architectural watercolour, East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate, the seat of Lord Keith, by J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851) is to be offered at Bonhams Old Master Paintings sale in London on Wednesday 5 July 2023. It is estimated at £30,000-50,000. Bonhams Director of Old Master Paintings, Caroline Oliphant, said: “East Cliffe Lodge dates from 1796-7 when the artist was in his early 20s and is one of several architectural watercolours Turner executed around this time. Topographical commissions were a good and dependable way of earning a living for young aspiring painters but, this being Turner, the results are, of course, rather special.” East Cliffe Lodge was designed in the gothic revival style by Charles Boncey and completed by 1794. Early owners included George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith (1764-1823), a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was Commander in Chief of the ... More
Indian, Andhra Pradesh, Picchwai, late 18th century. Cotton with pigments, gold and silver paint, 74 × 52 in. (188 × 132.1 cm). Banoo and Jeevak Parpia Collection.
HOUSTON, TX.- A selection from one of the most significant private collections of Indian textiles outside of India will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 10 – September 4, 2023. From folk textiles to the most sophisticated court textiles, produced from the 14th to early 20th centuries, the collection of Banoo and Jeevak Parpia illustrates the preeminence of textile arts produced in India over 600 years. “The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has a longstanding commitment to the arts of India,” commented Gary Tinterow, MFAH Director and Margaret Alkek Williams Chair. “Banoo and Jeevak Parpia have over recent years brought their insight and expertise to programs and to our collections of textiles from India. With this exhibition from their exceptional collection, we will be able to further our representation of the rich cultural heritage of Houston’s South Asian community, while exploring the history of one of India&# ... More
Lot 214: Gustav Klimt, Das Werk von Gustav Klimt, complete with 50 printed collotype plates, Vienna and Leipzig, 1918. Estimate $25,000 to $35,000.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Thursday, June 15 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts is set to auction by Swann Galleries by a standout offering of rare autographs and books with a special selection dedicated to illustration art. The autographs portion of the sale opens the auction with remarkable items signed by U.S. Presidents, musicians, and entertainers, as well as a special selection of autographs by historical figures who aspired to great heights, be they revolutionaries, writers, artists, or aviators. Of note is Pancho Villa, whose letter implores the governor of Chihuahua to persuade authorities to release him from prison. The letter was signed and written entirely in his hand while facing execution by firing squad ($7,000-10,000). Also on offer are letters and documents by Emiliano Zapata, Antonio López de Santa Anna and others. Additional highlights feature three lots from Mahatma Gandhi, including an autograph letter signed to descendants of his ol ... More
Painted: Our Bodies, Hearts, and Village includes these critiques as an important element for understanding how the TSA’s output has traditionally been exhibited, but goes beyond that framework, positioning Taos people as empowered agents within their own lives and own portraits.
WATERVILLE, ME.- More than three years in the making, and with the support of a wide community of collaborators, Colby College Museum of Art is presenting Painted: Our Bodies, Hearts, and Village (May 19, 2023–July 28, 2024), a collection installation centering Pueblo perspectives on the context that informed the social and cultural landscape of Taos from 1915 to 1927, when the Taos Society of Artists (TSA), a group of Anglo-American painters, was active. It also sheds light on issues that affect Native people today, in the Southwest and beyond. The exhibition features paintings by TSA artists from the Lunder Collection–which is widely recognized as one of the most important collections of American art ever assembled by private hands–in dialogue with works by twentieth- and ... More
COLUMBUS, OHIO.- A monumental work of art by internationally recognized sculptor Janet Echelman has transformed the skyline of Columbus, Ohio. A marvel of engineering and artistry, Current floats above a major downtown intersection, suspended 126 feet in the air at its highest point. The sculpture will be introduced to the public on June 9 at a community celebration. Developer and philanthropist Jeff Edwards funded the project and donated the work to the Columbus Museum of Art, who will oversee care and maintenance of the sculpture as part of its permanent collection. Constructed with an engineered fiber that is 15 times stronger than steel by weight, the 229-foot-long soft fiber sculpture was made with 78 miles of twine and intricately handwoven into more than 500,000 knots. Current is Echelman’s first permanent installation to be suspended over a street and her first in the Midwest. ... More
William Wylie (American, b.1957), Portrait of young man in blue visor hat (on backwards), blue, long-sleeved shirt, apron, Photographed in interior with cement block backdrop. Pigment print, 2005. Gift of Jeanne Press and Richard S. Press '60, P' 90, P'08, P'12. Photo: The David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University.
PROVIDENCE, RI.- Photographs from the 1963 March on Washington. Rare portraits of artists and socialites taken by Andy Warhol. Early conceptual sketches of scenes from “Blade Runner.” A seldom-studied Rembrandt painting. There’s a wealth of artwork to explore in the David Winton Bell Gallery’s permanent collection at Brown University — and now, its treasures are easier to find than ever. The Bell Gallery, a contemporary art gallery at the University, recently launched a new web-based database where scholars, curators and members of the public can easily search through more than 7,300 unique works in its collection, which includes ... More
Richard Mosse at his concurrent exhibition, “Occidental,” at Altman Siegel Gallery in San Francisco, Calif. on May 11, 2023. The artist wanted to photograph orchids but ended up making “Broken Spectre,” a film about the destruction of the rainforest — his most powerful work yet. (Ian Bates/The New York Times)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.- In 2018, artist Richard Mosse was understandably weary. He had spent most of the last decade in places torn by conflict and civil unrest. In the early 2010s, the Irish-born New York-based artist had worked for five years in Congo, photographing and filming the humanitarian disaster that has claimed millions of lives and displaced millions more. That project led to another video and photographic series focusing on the European refugee crisis unfolding around the Mediterranean. Before that, he had embedded with the U.S. Army in Iraq. “I was exhausted,” Mosse said recently, as he recounted the events that led to his latest film ... More
Naomi Gariff, Programme Curator at Lakeland Arts, receives the inaugural Sir Nicholas Goodison Award to develop the contemporary craft collection at Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria.
KENDAL.- The £60,000 Art Fund award is available for one early to mid-career curator to undertake a focused collecting project aimed at developing their museum or gallery’s collection of contemporary craft in exciting ways, whilst supporting their own professional development. The Award for Contemporary Craft was created in recognition of Sir Nicholas Goodison’s notable contribution to the work of Art Fund and investing in the future of the museum sector. The award will fund an ambitious, research-led project at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house that will culminate in the acquisition of new and important works for Blackwell’s collection; enriching its scope and diversifying its narratives. Rooted in maintaining the existing philosophy of Blackwell, the project will ensure that new works reflect the core principles of the Arts & Crafts Movement. As part of the award Naomi Gariff will receive funding toward ... More
An early 20th century Sri Lankan yellow sapphire pendant weighing 15.60 carats, in claw setting, suspending a triple knife-edge mounted drop below, set with a larger cushion-cut yellow sapphire, weighing 32.66 carats.
LONDON.- A sparkling array of stunning diamond rings will highlight the sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu at Noonans Mayfair on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Leading the diamonds is a 9.03 carat brilliant-cut diamond single stone ring, expected to fetch £40,000-60,000. A diamond dress ring with the cut-cornered modified brilliant-cut diamond, weighting 5.01 carats of E colour, is estimated at £36,000-40,000 and a diamond ring with a cushion-cut diamond weighing 5.04 carats carries an estimate of £30,000-40,000. An early 20th century platinum set old mine-cut diamond ring of 3.72 carats, is expected to reach £18,000-26,000. Several of the rings were consigned at Noonans’ regular valuation days in Colchester and Hampstead. The sale also includes an early 20th century Sri Lankan untreated yellow sapphire pendant and a pair of yellow sapphire earrings ensuite, retailed between 1903-191 by leading ... More
LONDON.-Tiwani Contemporary announced its move to a new gallery space at 24 Cork Street, Mayfair, London. This move, alongside establishing and opening a Lagos gallery space in 2022, represents a significant milestone for Tiwani Contemporary and foregrounds the Gallery’s plans for the next ten years and beyond. Cork Street Galleries, an initiative of The Pollen Estate, is delighted to welcome Tiwani Contemporary as the final permanent gallery to sign on Cork Street, marking a new chapter in Cork Street’s history and heralding a new era for modern and contemporary art in London. Designed by Matheson Whiteley architectural studio (London), with interiors and furnishings by designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello (Lagos), the gallery will be located on the ground floor corner of Burlington Gate, a recently completed mixed-use building by renowned architect Richard Rogers. Founded in 2011 by Maria Varnava, Tiwani Contemporary’s primary miss ... More
Quote Christ was the greatest of all artists. Vincent van Gogh
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Can a dance class free men's bodies in a place meant to contain them? CHINO, CALIF.- Think of men in prison and you probably don’t think of dancing. But that’s what some at the California Institution for Men here were doing — dancing for invited guests. It might not have seemed like much: some walking, some running, a bit that resembled Duck Duck Goose. Yet the men were moving freely in an environment that restricts and regulates motion. They were moving together, suddenly vulnerable, physically open, trusting — in ways that regular prison culture and the lives that led them to prison had taught them not to be. The dance was allowing the men to be seen, and to see themselves, differently. The performance was the graduation ceremony for a new program called Embodied Narrative Healing, a class that is at once representative of changing norms in American prisons and quite unusual. From one angle, ... More
Hardcore punk is looking (and sounding) different now NEW YORK, NY.- One afternoon in April, in between sets at a daylong hardcore punk fest, three fans — Shani Nanje, 23; Dominique Wooten, 25; and Elizabeth Zaldivar, 31, all in town from Atlanta — stood in the backyard of the roomy, bare-bones Bushwick venue the Brooklyn Monarch in New York City, breaking down how they’ve seen their musical community change. Wooten, like her friends, a woman of color, recalled meeting Nanje at a hometown show featuring Jesus Piece, a spectacularly intense Philadelphia band whose vocalist, Aaron Heard, is Black, and drummer, Luis Aponte, is Puerto Rican. “That was the first time I saw people of color onstage,” Wooten said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, wow ...’” Zaldivar turned to Wooten. “You were one of the first brown, Black girls I’ve seen at a show,” she said, “so that was a moment for sure.” ... More
Tony predictions: Expect wins for 'Kimberly Akimbo' and 'Leopoldstadt' NEW YORK, NY.- What do you get when you toss together a brassy grifter, an Elvish-speaking anagrammist, a show choir and, oh yes, a teenager with a life-threatening genetic condition? This year, it seems, you get a Tony-winning musical. “Kimberly Akimbo,” a small show with a huge heart, is likely to win the most coveted prize at the 76th Tony Awards ceremony Sunday, according to my annual survey of Tony voters. Over the past week, I have connected, by email or telephone, with 158 voters who generously agreed to discuss their picks (and, often, their concerns about, and hopes for, the theater business); they are distributing their votes widely among the nominees after a season with few consensus favorites. There are a total of 769 Tony voters, and they are mostly industry insiders — producers, investors, actors, writers, directors, designers ... More
Fresh-to-market Bhupen Khakhar triumphs at Bonhams South Asian sale LONDON.- Residency Bungalow (1969), an important early work by Bhupen Khakhar (Indian, 1934-2003), smashed its pre-sale estimate at Bonhams’ Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art sale today (Tuesday 6 June) in New Bond Street, London. Painted in 1969, the work was exhibited at the 1969 São Paulo Biennale before being acquired by a private American Collection in the early 1970s, where it has remained ever since. The work achieved a hugely impressive £1,984,400 against a pre-sale estimate of £250,000-350,000. The 49-lot sale made a total of £2,945,746 with 69.39% sold by lot and 99.38% sold by value. Priya Singh, Bonhams specialist, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, commented: “We are thrilled with the results from this sale, and delighted to achieve such a fantastic price for this early work by Bhupen ... More
Rewind and unwind with the sealed and slabbed blockbusters stocked throughout the June 29 Home Entertainment event DALLAS, TX.- The New York Times' April 13 story about Heritage Auctions opened with a photo of the 1982 Rocky VHS that sold two months earlier for five figures. The videocassette was also mentioned in the headline: "Yes, People Will Pay $27,500 for an Old ‘Rocky' Tape. Here's Why." In the end, that answer was a simple one provided by Jay Carlson, Heritage's VHS and video tapes consignment director, who, upon discovering a still-sealed copy of Ghostbusters decades after its release, told his wife he was about to begin collecting video tapes ... again. "I was taking a piece of my childhood back," Carlson, a former video-store clerk turned collector, told The Times' David Streitfeld. "These tapes are historical ... More
Zhang Zipiao: Swallow Whole now on view at LGDR art gallery NEW YORK, NY.-LGDR has opened Swallow Whole, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Zhang Zipiao (b. 1993, Beijing, China; BFA 2015, School of the Art Institute of Chicago), whose processed-based canvases are noted by the artist’s rich, visceral palette and lush, painterly hand. The new work furthers Zipiao’s exploration of the human body and organic matter, but represents a thematic and technical departure brought on by her experience during the prolonged pandemic lockdown in Beijing. Zipiao’s gore-like palettes and twisting forms capture a psychological unease inextricably tied to the perilous social conditions in which the body of work was first developed. Diverging from her practice’s earlier allusions to beauty, lust, and euphoria, lockdown led to the artist’s experimentation with darker themes and new approaches to process; notably, the artist ... More
Genius at Play, first comprehensive exhibition exploring life, art, and adventures of Tony Sarg at NRM STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.-Norman Rockwell Museum presents Tony Sarg: Genius at Play, the first comprehensive exhibition exploring the life, art, and adventures of Tony Sarg (1880-1942), the charismatic illustrator, animator, puppeteer, designer, entrepreneur, and showman who is celebrated as the father of modern puppetry in North America and the originator of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons, floats, and animated store windows. On view from June 10 through November 5, 2023, this new exhibition will present original illustrations, marionettes, animations, interactive elements, and ephemera, including stage sets, illustrated books, commercial products, and archival photographs. Curated by Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and guest curator ... More
Greg Miller: Once Upon a Time now opening at William Turner Gallery SANTA MONICA, CALIF.- The William Turner Gallery presents Once Upon a Time, marking the eighteenth solo exhibition of Austin-based artist Greg Miller with the gallery. These innovative, mixed-media paintings render familiar imagery and text into assemblages saturated with poignant slices of Americana. Nostalgic nods to ubiquitous tropes, such as: billboards, pulp fictions, comic books, magazine adds and cinema marquees figure in fractions across the canvas. With carefully selected images he composes vignettes to articulate a vernacular about American life and the pervasive symbology of American consumer culture. Disparate objects and figures combine their relationship to one another, coalesce and become a singular subject. The exhibition’s title, suggests a fairytale and both the glamour and illusion which Hollywood exports. ... More
David Hockney painting featured in Clars Auction Gallery June Modern and Contemporary Art Sale OAKLAND, CALIF.- This June at Clars Auction Gallery, we are excited to offer several exceptional pieces by esteemed artists spanning the Modern and Contemporary periods. One of many highlights to be offered is a photo-collage by influential English artist David Hockney (British, b. 1937). Titled “Gregory Watching the Snowfall, Kyoto, February 21st, 1983,” the arrangement of violet-toned photographs depicts Hockney’s partner, assistant, and frequent model Gregory Evans lying in bed, gazing through the Japanese washitsu window at the garden outside. This work will be offered with an estimate of $25,000 - $35,000. Another important work in the June sale is an oil on board painting by French Fauve artist Louis Valtat (French, 1869-1952). The work, titled “Fraises” and valued at $20,000 - $30,000, depicts a cluster of bright red strawberries on a deep ... More
Helsinki Biennial's second edition opens to the public on Sunday 11 June HELSINKI .- By envisioning various speculative futures, Helsinki Biennial: New Directions May Emerge brings together 29 international artists and collectives to explore alternative ways of living in, and understanding, the world. Curated by Joasia Krysa with five curatorial collaborators, the second edition engages with some of the pressing issues of our time, addressing environmental damage, political conflict and the impact of technology. On view until 17 September 2023, the biennial comprises around 50% new commissions and site-specific works that span installation, sculpture, film and performance. Building on the first edition’s responsible approach to exhibition making, the biennial fosters collaboration with sustainability agency Positive Impact to create a new sustainability programme for both the biennial and wider HAM Helsinki ... More
Detroit Institute of Arts welcomes Robin Groesbeck as new Director of Interpretations DETROIT, MI.- The Detroit Institute of Arts announced the appointment of Robin Groesbeck as the new Director of Interpretations. With an impressive career spanning over 20 years in the museum industry, Robin brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to fostering meaningful connections between art and diverse audiences. In her new role at the DIA, Groesbeck will lead the museum’s Interpretation Department in its efforts to make the DIA's collections and exhibitions accessible to non-specialist audiences, ensuring inclusivity, relevance, and thoughtfulness. “Robin’s arrival comes at an exciting time as the museum embarks on the reinstallation of its contemporary galleries and lays the groundwork for a reinstallation of the Native American galleries,” said Anthony Smith, Vice President of Learning and Audience Engagement at the DIA. ... More
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Flashback
On a day like today, French-Swiss painter Gustave Courbet was born
June 10, 1819. Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the Romanticism of the previous generation of visual artists. In this image: A visitor observes the painting 'The girl at the Seine'(1856/57)of French painter Gustave Courbet at the Schirn museum in Frankfurt Main, Germany. The artwork is a part of the exhibition 'A Dream of Modern Art - Courbet', which is under the patronage of German President Christian Wulff and French President Nicolas Sarkozy and at the Schirn from 15 october 2010 until 30 January 2011.
