Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Matisse Radical Invention: 1913-1917 | The Art Institute of Chicago | NOW



Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917 examines what is without question the most innovative, momentous, and yet little-studied time in the artist’s long career. Nearly 120 of his most ambitious and experimental paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints from the period are on view. Matisse himself acknowledged the significance of these years when he identified two paintings, Bathers by a River and The Moroccans, as among his most pivotal. These monumental canvases from the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, inspired the collaborative work of this exhibition and serve as major touchstones within it. This is the first exhibition to offer an in-depth investigation of Matisse’s art from this time, revealing information uncovered through extensive new art-historical, archival, and technical research.

To purchase tickets, click HERE.

Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60603
www.artinstituteofchicago.org

Dealer Larry Salander Pleads Guilty to Stealing $120M| The Slammer



On March 18, 2010, a red-faced, stooped Larry Salander sat in a Manhattan criminal courthouse, the walls bare of any art, finally admitting he had masterminded schemes to defraud his clients, consignors, investors and banks. Salander was accompanied by two of his seven children. His wife Julie did not appear.

Salander’s lawyer said the dealer had had a stroke about ten days earlier. The DA said Salander was abusing alcohol. The hearing was one of the most depressing events I have witnessed in nearly a decade on the arts beat. Was greed the only reason Salander had begun stealing from his friends, clients and colleagues? How does someone fall so far, so fast?

With his guilty plea, Salander waived rights to a trial or appeal. He will be sentenced to 6 to 18 years in prison and $120 million in restitution. Bloomberg News’ Philip Boroff, who has doggedly covered the story from the start, covered yesterday’s proceedings here.

Representatives from artist’s estates — Earl Davis, son of Stuart Davis, John Crawford, son of Ralston Crawford, and Kinney Frelinghuysen, nephew of Suzy Frelinghuysen — looked on.

Salander read from a prepared statement, a litany of admissions including he had “sold greater than 100% of works,” and “failed to inform investors when artworks were sold,” and “defrauded consignors of artwork in a variety of ways.” He admitted he had “sold artworks to dealers at prices the dealer knew were below consignor prices.” This made me wonder about the validity of sales Salander had conducted with a small group of dealers from 2004-2009, selling works at prices obviously below market value.

Here is an incomplete list of victims and amounts stolen:

$45 million from Renaissance Art Partners (investor)

$15 million -$25 million from Earl Davis (estate of Stuart Davis)

$6.45 million Morton Bender (investor)

$6 million Hester Diamond (collector)

$2.8 million Roy Lennox (hedge fund investor)

$2 million Saundra Lane (collector)

$2 million Bank of America

$1.8 million Carol Cone

$2.23 million Estate of Alex Pearlman

$1 million Stanely Moss

$311,312 Gerald Peters (dealer)

$2.1 million Estates Frelinghuysen and Morris (artist estate)

$526,000 Estate Giorgio Cavallon (artist estate)

$200,000 Elaine Rosenberg (landlord)

$126,000 Neelon Crawford (artist estate)

$154,000 Helen McNeil

$1.3 million Estate of Elie Nadelman (artist estate)

$6.6 million Lachaise Foundation (artist estate)

$1.25 Estate of Robert de Niro, Jr. (artist estate)


SOURCE: Lindsay Pollock

Keith Haring | Tseng Kwong Chi: Remembered



Best of friends during their lifetimes, artist Keith Haring and photographer Tseng Kwong Chi are currently being commemorated in two New York exhibitions. Keith Haring 20th Anniversary, which runs through April 10 at Tony Shafrazi Gallery, offers a wide array of Haring’s energetic paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, while the exhibition Tseng Kwong Chi at Paul Kasmin Gallery, on view through March 27, presents the photographer’s 1983 collaboration with Haring and choreographer Bill T. Jones. Haring painted Jones’ naked body with his signature motifs and Tseng photographed Jones in a variety of lively poses.

Taken together, these shows, which honor these artists 20 years after their untimely deaths, capture the vitality of the ‘80s NYC art scene through the work of two of its most talented contributors.

To access slideshow, click HERE.

SOURCE

Monday, March 22, 2010

WALRUS TV | Brian Barneclo | "Spare Paint"

Nathan Sawaya | Agora Gallery | "Brick by Brick"



Internationally known Lego brick artist Nathan Sawaya is part of a special exhibition occurring at the Agora Gallery. This is the first time that an exhibition will be solely devoted to Lego and its creation.

Agora Gallery
530 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10001

This exhibition runs from March 23-April 13, 2010.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Edwin Ushiro | "at night,lights fell and loved ones returned home"




This show runs from March 24th-April 17th, 2010

Sloan Fine Art
128 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
www.sloanfineart.com

'AFRICA NOW' | Bonhams| Auction



NEW YORK, NY.- Bonhams’ March 10th ‘Africa Now’ sale was met with great enthusiasm by both American and International buyers. Taking place at the auctioneers’ Madison Avenue galleries this was the first sale of modern & contemporary African art ever to be held in New York. Consisting of 140 lots the auction featured work by both new and established artists from fourteen African Nations. As part of the celebrations surrounding the sale the ‘Keep a Child Alive’ charity and Afren partnered with Bonhams to host a reception which took place the evening before the sale. To continue reading, click HERE.