| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Friday, December 25, 2020 |
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| | Seeing the Met's greatest hits as artists painted them | |
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Hans Memling, Tommaso di Folco Portinari and Maria Portinari (1470), at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts A New Look at Old Masters, in New York on Dec. 21, 2020. Goya, Caravaggio, Rubens, Velázquez and more are in skylit splendor in the European galleries. And the museum is acknowledging the shaping force on art of colonialism, slavery, the disenfranchisement of women. Jeenah Moon/The New York Times.
by Holland Cotter
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- In a dark time, the eye begins to see, the poet wrote. And after the dark, dark time weve been through, this years winter solstice, marking the start of slow climb back into light, may carry more metaphorical weight than usual. Coincidentally, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has some restorative illumination of its own underway. In recent decades, the skylights that brought natural light into the European paintings galleries had grown timeworn and semifunctional, leaving some spaces half-dark. In 2018, the museum initiated a four-year project to replace all the skylights. The job required that half of the 45 galleries be closed down in two phases and chunks of the collection be temporarily stored or relocated. (The museums Dutch paintings are on view in the Robert Lehman Wing.) With half of the new skylights now in place, 21 galleries, holding some 500 paintings and a few sculptures, have been reinstalled and reopened. As seen on a recent overcast December ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day Custos of the Holy Land Friar Francesco Patton (L) and Israeli archaeologists Amit Reem (R) from the Israel Antiquities Authority show the remains of a recently discovered church, believed to have been founded at the end of the Byzantine period (sixth century CE), at the Garden of Gethsemane, in east Jerusalem on December 21, 2020. Atef SAFADI / POOL / AFP
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| FIFA lodges criminal complaint against Blatter over museum | | The Cleveland Museum of Art announces new acquisitions | | Los Angeles based artist John Outterbridge dies at 87 | 
In this file photo taken on July 20, 2015 FIFA president Sepp Blatter looks on as fake dollar notes fly around him, thrown by a British comedian during a press conference. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP.
by Agnès Pedrero
GENEVA (AFP).- FIFA on Tuesday announced it had filed a criminal complaint against former president Sepp Blatter over the finances of its loss-making museum in Zurich. In a statement FIFA said it had "lodged a criminal complaint with Zurich's cantonal prosecutor as evidence of suspected criminal mismanagement by FIFA's former management and companies appointed by them in relation to the (museum) has surfaced." Blatter's lawyer, Lorenz Erni, told AFP "the accusations are unfounded" and vehemently denied wrongdoing. According to FIFA, the museum generated a bill of 500 million Swiss francs ($564 million) that instead "could and should have been channeled into the development of global football". "We came ... More | | 
The Family (In Memory of a Summer in the White Mountains), 1917. Marguerite Zorach (American, 18871968). Silk; wool embroidery; unframed: 86.4 x 72.4 cm.
CLEVELAND, OH.- Recent acquisitions by the Cleveland Museum of Art include Paul Fehérs Muse with Violin Screen, a masterpiece in metalwork realized in 1930 by one of the most acclaimed foundries in the U.S.; a 17th-century Japanese handscroll depicting Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers that augments the museums renowned collection of Asian paintings; a modernist embroidery by Marguerite Zorach that reinforces the CMAs commitment to collecting work by women artists; and 10 contemporary videos that significantly enhance the museums representation of this important time-based medium. The monumental Muse with Violin Screen is celebrated as one of the most significant works ever produced by craftsmen at the Cleveland foundry Rose Iron Works. Designed on the eve of the ... More | | 
The strength of the work reflects the man; John was a friend, a philosopher and a mentor.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Tilton Gallery shared the news of beloved Los Angeles based artist, griot, humanitarian and community activist John Outterbridges passing, announced by his daughter Tami Outterbridge via Facebook. John Outterbridges groundbreaking work from the 1960s through the mid-2010s has influenced countless artists and his wisdom and mentorship has guided many of us in the art world. Born in 1933 in Greenville, North Carolina, Outterbridge moved to Los Angeles in 1963 by way of Chicago. Known as one of the early Los Angeles assemblage artists to address the social and political moment, his work is poetic while always created with intent, voicing a pointed commentary on the state of this world and the history of African Americans. His poignant sculptures often embrace a gentle sense of humor and love of humanity, avoiding the didactic. First exhibited by Brockman Gallery in Los ... More |
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| Leslie West, 'Mississippi Queen' rocker, is dead at 75 | | Art Paris to take up residence in the Grand Palais Ãphémère | | Scientific team finds surprising connection between dinosaurs and mammals | 
When Mountain first appeared, Rolling Stone called the band a louder version of Cream, a comparison underscored by Pappalardis role as the producer of many of that British bands best-known recordings.
by Jim Farber
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Leslie West, whose meaty guitar riffs and snarling lead lines powered the hit band Mountain through Mississippi Queen and other rock anthems of the 1970s, died Wednesday in Palm Coast, Florida. He was 75. The cause was cardiac arrest, said a spokesman, Steve Karas. West had battled various health problems over the years. In the early 2000s he had bladder cancer. In 2001 his lower right leg was amputated because of complications of diabetes. West, who struggled with his weight for most of his life, used his ample size to his advantage onstage. In an era ruled by rail-thin rock stars, his physique stood out. His guitar tone matched it in girth: It was uncommonly thick, with a vibrato that could shake with earthquake force. ... More | | 
This forthcoming edition will bring together 140 galleries from 19 countries, displaying art spanning post-war to the contemporary period.
PARIS.- After being the first art fair in the world to open its doors in September 2020 after lockdown restrictions ended, Art Paris will also be the first art fair to take up residence in the Grand Palais Ãphémère on the Champ-de-Mars from April 8 to 11, 2021. Designed by reknown architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, this spectacular temporary structure which is situated in front of the Ãcole Militaire and close to the Eiffel Tower, will host events scheduled at the Grand Palais until the building reopens for the Olympic Games in 2024. Art Paris has established itself as Pariss major Spring Art fair for Modern and Contemporary art. This forthcoming edition will bring together 140 galleries from 19 countries, displaying art spanning post-war to the contemporary period. Whilst Art Paris is a place for discovery, its distinctive feature is a special emphasis on the European scene combined with the exploration of new horizons of international ... More | | 
A thin section of a partial gorgonopsian canine under polarized light. Serrations are evident on the right side of this specimen. Photo: Megan Whitney.
WINNIPEG.- When thinking of fierce predators of the past, its difficult not to imagine dinosaurs, considering theropods are well known for having blade-like teeth with serrated cutting edges used for biting and ripping their prey. Next, one might imagine another creature sabre-toothed cats only they roamed the earth hundreds of millions of years later. But, a team of researchers discovered a surprising connection between the two vastly different prehistoric animals. And yes, the similarity is in their teeth. In a paper published in Biology Letters, Megan Whitney from Harvard University, Aaron LeBlanc from Kings College London, Ashley Reynolds from the University of Toronto, and Kirstin Brink from the University of Manitoba, examined thin slices of fossilized teeth belonging to a gorgonopsian, a large predatory animal that lived roughly 260 million years ago and resembled a cross between a dinosaur and a saber-toothed c ... More |
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| Estate collection of rare rock concert posters to be auctioned Jan. 1 by Stephenson's | | Virginia Shackles, painter of vivid scenery, dies at 99 | | Israel's violin genius Gitlis dies at 98 | 
Original first-print uncut printers proof of Pink Floyd Art of Rock AOR-4.47 concert poster, Oakland (Calif.) Coliseum, May 9-10, 1977. Artist: Randy Tuten. Est. $1,000-$1,500.
SOUTHAMPTON, PA.- In August, rock music fans the world over took a nostalgic trip back to the 1960s and 70s as Stephensons Auction sold 339 concert posters from the estate collection of pioneer poster collector/dealer Perry Pfeffer (circa 1949-2020). The private collection featuring artist-signed rarities from San Franciscos Summer of Love and the heyday of New Yorks Fillmore East grossed nearly $300,000. On New Years Day 2021, Stephensons will present Part II of the Perry Pfeffer estate collection, with a 420-lot selection that is every bit as impressive as that seen in the initial offering. All of the posters and handbills are in mint or near-mint condition, and some are signed by the artists, including Bonnie McLean, David Singer, Randy Tuten, Lee Conklin and Stanley Mouse, said Cindy Stephenson, owner of Stephensons Auction. At the top end, there are some very rare posters that ... More | | 
In a family photo, Virginia Shackles, a watercolor painter, celebrating her 99th birthday on Dec. 4, 2020. Family photo via The New York Times.
by Christina Morales
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Virginia Shackles was painting a foggy scene on canvas one day when she gave her young grandson a lesson in how to make infinite colors with different blends of shades. Colors dont exist only in a box of crayons, she told him. Using photos, sketches and postcards from trips, Shackles painted elaborate scenes with oil and watercolors throughout her life. She often included her grandson on her inspiration-seeking travels, part of her effort to expose him to the world. Shackles died Dec. 16 at the Riverview at the Park nursing home in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The cause was complications of COVID-19, her daughter Paula Dustman said. Shackles celebrated her 99th birthday at the nursing home Dec 4, without family but with cards and her favorite dark chocolate cake. The next day, as she was painting a watercolor landscape, ... More | | 
In this file photograph taken on August 9, 2011, Israeli violonist Ivry Gitlis looks on during a rehearsal with Una Stella Baroque musical ensemble in Marseille, southern France. BERTRAND LANGLOIS / AFP.
PARIS (AFP).- Israeli virtuoso violinist Ivry Gitlis has died in Paris aged 98, his family told AFP Thursday. As one of the modern greats of classical music, he not only performed with the best orchestras in the world but never stopped experimenting, seeking new fans far beyond the elite. Gitlis was as comfortable playing with the Rolling Stones or jazzman Stephane Grapelli, with African storytellers or gypsies, as he was with classical repertoire. Hugely charismatic, he took "the time to meet people, to seduce them, to learn to like them," Le Parisien newspaper wrote of the musician, who lived in the French capital. With dishevelled white hair and piercing blue eyes, the maestro had a reputation for being whimsical, wild and narcissistic, playing eyes closed, often improvising rather than using sheet music. The first Israeli artist to perform in the former Soviet Union in 1955, Gitlis was also a staunch advocate of the Israeli-Palestinian ... More |
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| Three new exhibitions at Asian Civilisations Museum spotlight the people behind the museum | | Amazing and spectacular original comic book art in Heritage Auctions' January event | | A new Pinocchio film returns to the tale's dark origins | 
Dancing Ganesha. Image courtesy of Asian Civilisations Museum.
SINGAPORE.- Asian Civilisations Museum opened three new exhibitions on 23 December 2020, and they run through 28 February 2021. They are: Faith Beauty Love Hope Our Stories, Your ACM, a special exhibition of stories from the heart and imagination of staff and supporters of the museum, inspired by the best of ACMs collection; Perfect Stranger by Singaporean artist Dawn Ng, revealing the wonder of human connection; and thINK: Chinese Calligraphy, Connoisseurship, and Collecting (read "think ink"), an exhibition presenting the intimate relationship between collector, collection, and the making of a legacy. thINK will run for a longer period till 25 April 2021. Together, the three exhibitions spotlight the community of people behind ACM, revealing the lesser-known human side of the museum through stories and perspectives of staff, tenants, partners, artists, and collectors. Kennie Ting, Director of the ... More | | 
Neal Adams' front for Green Lantern No. 77.
DALLAS, TX.- At the beginning of 2020 Forbes pondered why collectors are increasingly drawn to original comic-book art and whittled down the list to a few factors, among them: rarity (Hey, there's only one!), approachability (Well, everyone knows Superman!) and displayability. Because, well, nothing looks cooler than a Todd McFarlane-drawn Spider-Man splash page as decoration, the Wall-Crawler hung on the wall. The story missed only one further pull to these original works: They are the raw, hand-crafted building blocks of modern myth and memory, blank pages upon which handmade heroes and villains strain and struggle before their adventures were mass-reproduced and placed for sale on spinner racks and comic-shop shelves. They're first drafts of comics history, nostalgic fragments from beloved books, fond memories, cultural touchstones. Art, in other words, plain and simple, without need of qualifier or apology. And for ... More | | 
The Italian director Matteo Garrone with the wooden puppet he used to help depict Pinocchio in his film, in Rome, Dec. 21, 2020. Gianni Cipriano/The New York Times.
by Elisabetta Povoledo
ROME (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Carlo Collodis Pinocchio is one of the worlds best-loved childrens books, translated into over 280 languages and dialects, and the subject of countless films and television series. When Italian director Matteo Garrone decided to put his spin on Pinocchio, which opens in cinemas in the U.S. on Christmas Day, he took an unusual path: fidelity to the original The Adventures of Pinocchio, first published as a book in 1883. The result is a far more realistic, at times darker, telling of the tale. Gone are the cute kitties, goldfish and cuckoo clocks that enlivened Disneys 1940 version. There are no catchy songs destined to become classics. Instead, Garrone has immersed his Pinocchio in the landscape and the ... More |
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An Edifice for Art: The Architecture of the Met
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 "Travelling across the Italian Art" exhibition opens at Ottocento Art Gallery ROME.- Ottocento Art Gallery is offering important masterpieces coming from several private collections gathered in the usual monthly exhibition aimed to the sale. The selection starts from an oil on canvas, made by Giuseppe Canella, Entrance of the Royal Gardens in Venice. In this painting, Castelli painted the view of Venice taken from the entrance to the Royal Gardens portraying Punta della Dogana and the Chiesa della Salute in the center of the painting while in the background on the left is visible the Basilica del Redentore on the Giudecca island. The selection of the proposal displayed by Ottocento Art Gallery continues with a wonderful watercolour sketch life by Mosè Bianchi. Born in Monza, he belonged to a family moved to Milan who let him enroll at the Brera Academy. Having interrupted his studies to serve in the second war of independence, ... More  New publication brings together a variety of authors and artists reflecting on darknessROTTERDAM.- I See That I See What You Dont See presents a layered, non-binary perspective on darkness. Navigating cosmic, automated, and seemingly invisible environments, this publication examines what we do not generally getor chooseto see, and the consequences of these choices on notions of visibility, oppression, and emancipation. In this publication, the exercise of seeing and revealing what generally remains concealed purposely avoids the metaphor of light as wisdom and knowledge. Instead, its contributors aim for an increased understanding of the contrasting effects of light access, deprivation, and overexposure on different bodies, including the influence of radiation on human and non-human behaviours, our coexistence with the invisible yet pervasive architecture of the digital, instances of synchronicity with the cosmos, ... More  Ayyam Gallery exhibits works by Mouteea Murad at the Roger Dubuis boutiqueDUBAI.- Ayyam Gallery presents Art meets Hyper Horology, a collaborative project with Roger Dubuis. In a world where exuberance rules and creativity reigns supreme, Serial Innovator, Roger Dubuis, known for pushing the boundaries of watchmaking, has extended the boldness of its flagship boutique in The Dubai Mall with a contemporary art exhibition by Sharjah based artist, Mouteea Murad. The result of a collaboration with leading international arts organization, Ayyam Gallery, the works of art by Murad draw inspiration from geometric forms that perfectly reflect elements of the luxury watchmakers avant-garde spirit, disruptive attitude and Expressive Singularity. Roger Dubuis is constantly looking to push the boundaries of watchmaking and to bring art into the world of Haute Horlogerie. As an indisputable choice for an exclusive tribe ... More  After catastrophic year, Bollywood hopes for a 2021 comebackBANGALORE (AFP).- The dancers stopped strutting on Bollywood film sets this year as the Indian film industry struggled to find any spring in its step during a disastrous 2020. The annus horribilis for the world's most prolific movie industry began with the heartbreaking deaths in April within 36 hours of luminaries Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. Others to pass away included composer Wajid Khan, who died from the coronavirus at 42, director Basu Chatterjee, Bollywood's first female choreographer Saroj Khan, and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, singer of an estimated 40,000 film songs. But it was the suicide in June of 34-year-old star Sushant Singh Rajput that had the widest repercussions. India's sensationalist TV news channels -- eager to cast the film industry as a den of iniquity -- accused Rajput's former girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, of driving him ... More  Foreigners shake up Egypt's belly dancing sceneCAIRO (AFP).- At a Cairo wedding hall, Russian belly dancer Anastasia Biserova shimmied to the dance floor in a bright, high-slit skirt and an elaborately sequined bra top. She swirled her diaphanous pink shawl and glided through the hall as a band pumped out music, while the crowd broke into rapturous applause -- all captured in a video posted online. "There is no country around the world that appreciates belly dancing like Egypt," she later told AFP. "Here, there is a growing trend to invite foreign belly dancers to weddings, nightclubs and other events." Biserova came to Cairo more than four years ago and has built a solid name for herself. Belly dancers from Eastern Europe, Russia, Latin America and elsewhere have dominated the scene in recent years in Egypt -- long regarded as the birthplace of belly dancing. But the North African country ... More  Museo di San Marco opens Fra Angelico Room with new layout and enhancementsFLORENCE.- The Italian Ministry for Cultural Assets and Activities and Direzione Regionale Musei della Toscana announced the opening of the new Fra Angelico Room in the Museo di San Marco, which has been completely renovated thanks to support from Friends of Florence. This momentous event caps the celebrations marking the Museums 150th anniversary which began with the restoration of Fra Angelicos Last Judgment and San Marco Altarpiece in October 2019. Renamed the Fra Angelico Room, the large-scale hall had been known as the "Pilgrim Hospice" and subsequently the "Hospice. The name change reflects that the space now exclusively displays work by the founding father of the Early Renaissance in Florence. The new layout radically alters the design devised by then Director Giorgio Bonsanti in 1980. New structural elements, ... More  This band is fun on TikTok. In Belarus, it's serious.MINSK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- On a recent Saturday night, Hide, a trendy nightclub in Belarus capital, was packed. More than 600 clubgoers were jostling for a view of the stage in the tiny venue, hidden in an inner-city courtyard. Social distancing was impossible, but none of the crowd seemed worried about the coronavirus. Instead, they just looked happy to have gotten in to see Molchat Doma, a moody local synth-pop trio that this year became a lightning rod for younger people in Belarus and an unlikely internet phenomenon abroad. Since August, when President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, who has been called Europes last dictator, claimed an implausible election victory, mass street protests and a brutal police crackdown have put a spotlight on the former Soviet country. But even before that, Molchat Doma was bringing ... More  With a beloved cafe threatened, Broadway stars put on a showNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- When Tom DAngora got the news that the West Bank Cafe a popular show business hangout whose basement theater hosted the first Sunday in the Park With George rehearsals and Joan Rivers final performance was in danger of closing, he sprang into action. Youre not closing, DAngora, a theater producer, told the restaurants owner, Steve Olsen, in an early December text. Over my dead body. But Olsen could see no way out: His outdoor dining revenue had dropped to almost nothing since Thanksgiving as temperatures plunged, and even before the city moved to ban indoor dining, his new air filters and constant cleaning efforts had failed to draw many eaters into the 42-year-old restaurant. He was already thinking about how to empty out the space and considering where to put the artwork. ... More  'Blue' Gene Tyranny, whose music melded genres, dies at 75NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Robert Sheff, a composer and pianist who worked under the name Blue Gene Tyranny as a solo performer and a collaborator with artists including Iggy Pop, composer Robert Ashley and jazz composer and arranger Carla Bley, died Dec. 12 in hospice care in New York. He was 75. The cause was complications of diabetes, Tommy McCutchon, the founder of the record label Unseen Worlds, which released several albums by Tyranny, said in an email. His memorable pseudonym, coined during his brief stint with Iggy and the Stooges, was derived partly from Jean, his adoptive mothers middle name. It also referred to what he called the tyranny of the genes a predisposition to being strongly overcome by emotion, he said in Just for the Record: Conversations With and About Blue Gene ... More  Aristocratic British model Stella Tennant dies at 50NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Stella Tennant, the unimpeachably aristocratic model and inspiration to designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Gianni Versace, died suddenly on Tuesday, five days after her 50th birthday. Her death was announced in a statement by her family. The cause of death was not given. Police reports noted no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death, according to the BBC. The granddaughter of Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke of Devonshire and Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest of the Mitford sisters, Tennant was directly descended from Bess of Hardwick, builder of the opulent Elizabethan manor, Hardwick Hall, and once reputed to be the richest woman in England. Tennant wore her rarefied heritage lightly throughout her three-decade run in fashion, during which she ... More  The year of TelfarNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- In January, around the time word first began to leak of COVID-19 in China, Telfar Clemens, the queer Liberian American designer who has been preaching the gospel of inclusivity for 15 years, had a wine-drenched banquet and sleepover for more than 40 of his closest creative collaborators and friends at the Pitti Palace, a former home of the Medicis in Florence, Italy. They dined and danced and reveled in his new collection courtesy of Pitti Uomo, the menswear organization that had invited Clemens to be the guest star of the season (despite the fact that his clothes are unisex). The next day, amid the detritus, he let critics and retailers in to see what they had missed. It was so elegant, said Terence Nance, a filmmaker who was there, along with Solange Knowles, Kelela and Michele ... More |
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PhotoGalleries 
Anne Truitt Sound 
Islamic Metalwork 
Klaas Rommelaere 
Helen Muspratt
Flashback On a day like today, sculptor and painter Louise Bourgeois was born December 25, 1911. Louise Joséphine Bourgeois (25 December 1911 - 31 May 2010) was a French-American artist. Best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Bourgeois was also a prolific painter and printmaker. She explored a variety of themes over the course of her long career including domesticity and the family, sexuality and the body, as well as death and the subconscious. In this image: Louise Bourgeois, The Found Child, 2001. Black fabric, 30.5 x 68.6 x 40.6 cm. Collection The Easton Foundation. Photo: Christopher Burke, (c) The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, NY.
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