| The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Friday, March 18, 2016 |
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| | Scans show '90% chance' of hidden chambers in Tutankhamun tomb | |
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Egypt's Antiquities Minister Mamduh Damati speaks about radar scans of the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun in the ancient necropolis of Luxor which show a "90 percent" chance of two hidden chambers, possibly containing organic material, during a press conference at the antiquities ministry in Cairo on March 17, 2016. Archaeologists had scanned the tomb to find what some believe could be the resting place of Queen Nefertiti, the legendary beauty and wife of Tutankhamun's father whose mummy has never been found. MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP.
By: Tony Gamal-Gabriel
CAIRO (AFP).- Radar scans of the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun in the ancient necropolis of Luxor showed a "90 percent" chance of two hidden chambers, possibly containing organic material, Egypt's antiquities minister said Thursday. Experts had scanned the tomb to find what a British archaeologist believes could be the resting place of Queen Nefertiti, the legendary beauty and wife of Tutankhamun's father whose mummy has never been found. Preliminary scans of Tutankhamun's tomb reveal "two hidden rooms behind the burial chamber" of the boy king, Antiquities Minister Mamduh al-Damati told reporters. "Yes, we have some empty space, but not total empty, including some organic and metal material," Damati said in English. When asked how certain he was, he said there was a "90 percent" chance. A study by renowned British archaeologist Nicholas ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day NEW YORK.- DAG Modern is presenting an exhibition of masterpieces of Indian Modern art as part of Asia Week New York 2016. In this image: SH Raza, Jala Bindu (1998), acrylic on canvas, 47.3 x 47.3 inches.
| After lifejacket art and border piano recital, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei gets migrant haircut | | Christie's London to offer the first four folios of William Shakespeare's collected works | | Francis Bacon's finest self-portrait set for sale for the first time at Sotheby's New York | 
A migrant barber shaves the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's head at a makeshift camp. SAKIS MITROLIDIS / AFP.
IDOMENI (AFP).- Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei on Thursday sat for a haircut and trim from a migrant barber at the Greek border camp of Idomeni to once again draw attention to the plight of thousands trapped there in squalor. "I needed a haircut ... And of course, it is obviously symbolic. Anything we do is symbolic," Ai said afterwards. "For me that means I have permanently (left) some of my hairs on this ground and they will never come back to me," he said. Ai has taken a personal interest in the thousands of refugees and migrants who have risked their lives to get to Europe, only to find their path barred by a barrage of border closures. On Saturday, the artist set up a white grand piano in the muddy, rain-drenched refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border, allowing a young Syrian woman to tinkle the ivories for the ... More | | 
Published in 1623, the present copy of Shakespeares First Folio is one of the most desirable examples remaining in private hands. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2016.
LONDON.- Christies commemorates 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) with a landmark sale of the first four folios, the first four editions of his collected works. The Folios will be offered in a four-lot auction celebrating the Shakespeare anniversary in London on Wednesday 25 May 2016. The sale is led by an unrecorded copy of the First Folio, the first collected edition of Shakespeares plays, widely considered the most important literary publication in the English language. The First Folio contains 36 plays, 18 of which had not previously been printed and would have otherwise been lost forever (estimate: £800,000-1.2 million, illustrated above). The plays of Shakespeare, preserved for posterity in these ... More | | 
Francis Bacon, Two Studies for a Self-Portrait, 1970. Photo: Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- A rare Francis Bacon self-portrait is set to come to auction for the first time in May, having remained in the same private collection since soon after it was painted over forty-five years ago. Widely acknowledged as the finest self-portrayal Bacon ever produced, Two Studies for a Self-Portrait (1970) will lead Sothebys Evening Auction of Contemporary Art in New York on 11 May 2016, with an estimate of US$22-30 million. While Bacon is renowned for capturing the tortured psychological depths of human existence in his portraits, the overwhelming positivity of Two Studies for a Self-Portrait renders this work almost unique in the artists oeuvre. Here we see an elated Francis Bacon on the cusp of his career-defining retrospective at the Grand Palais in 1971 (Bacon was only the second living artist, after ... More |
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| The Phillips Collection accepts first gifts of work by Dutch artist Karel Appel, on view this summer | | Sothebys partners once again with legendary dealer of street art Steve Lazarides | | Romania seeks public help to pay for celebrated sculptor Constantin Brancusi masterpiece | 
Karel Appel, Head As A Tree, 1959. Oil on canvas, 76 3/4 x 38 3/16 in. Gift of the Karel Appel Foundation, 2016. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC.- The Phillips Collections Director Dorothy Kosinski announced today a gift of seven extraordinary worksfive paintings and two sculpturesby the late Karel Appel (19212006), given by the Karel Appel Foundation in Amsterdam. Greatly enriching the museums growing collection of postwar European art, these exceptional works are given in conjunction with Karel Appel: A Gesture of Color (Paintings and Sculptures, 19472004), a concise survey of the artists work, on view at the Phillips June 17September 18, 2016. This acquisition fully represents the artists career, as the works span more than 50 years. The five paintings, including Red Signs (1948), Woman with Flowers No. 1 (1963), and Landscape with Wheel (1980) illustrate the thickly applied radiant primary colors and fiercely figurative content that defined Cobra, the last avant-garde movement of the 20th ... More | | 
KAWS, Untitled, 2012. Acrylic on canvas, Diameter: 101.6 cm. Photo: Sotheby's.
HONG KONG.- A creative form of expression ever growing in popularity, street art has evolved from an underground movement rooted in graffiti and hip hop to a highly regarded genre on the global art stage. Following the tremendous success of the 2014 Banksy selling exhibition in London, Sothebys partnered once again with Steve Lazarides, the legendary London-based dealer of street art, for a second exhibition, in Hong Kong. On view at Sothebys Hong Kong Gallery from 17 to 26 March as part of the citys vibrant spring art season, They Would Be Kings - Sothebys first street art exhibition in Asia - charts the trends and progression of the dynamic art form, from the pioneering works of Basquiat and Haring to todays contemporary creations. To mark the arrival of Hong Kong art week at Sotheby's Hong Kong Gallery, a pop-up bar sponsored by BiBO will concoct complimentary art-inspired cocktails for gallery visitors, av ... More | | 
This file photo taken on October 3, 2014 shows "The Wisdom of the Earth" sculpture displayed at Cotroceni Art Museum in Bucharest. Romania called on its citizens on March 17, 2016 to dig deep into their pockets to keep a masterpiece by celebrated sculptor Constantin Brancusi in the country. DANIEL MIHAILESCU / AFP.
BUCHAREST (AFP).- Romania called on its citizens Thursday to dig deep into their pockets to keep a masterpiece by celebrated sculptor Constantin Brancusi in the country. The government in one of the EU's poorest countries has agreed to pay 11 million euros ($12.5 million) for "Wisdom of the Earth", considered one of the finest works by the Romanian-French artist. But the state is putting up just five million euros from its own coffers for the sculpture, a national treasure which was seized by the communist regime and has been at the heart of a decades-long legal battle over its ownership. It is seeking to raise the rest from the public and has launched an appeal to Romanian citizens, private companies and the diaspora, Culture Minister Vlad ... More |
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| Phillips April auction of photographs in New York to feature works spanning 130 years | | Spruth Magers open their Los Angeles gallery with exhibition of works by John Baldessari | | Solo exhibition of recent paintings by William Wegman opens at Sperone Westwater | 
Walker Evans, Penny Picture Display, Savannah, Georgia, 1936. Gelatin silver print, printing date unknown. 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (24.8 x 19.8 cm). Estimate $25,000-35,000.
NEW YORK, NY.- On 4 April, Phillips will present its first Photographs auction of 2016, featuring 264 lots that span the history of the medium. Among the top lots are works by contemporary masters, Andreas Gursky, Richard Prince and Andres Serrano, balanced by a beautiful selection of prints by Walker Evans and other photographic legends, such as Robert Frank and Diane Arbus. This sale brings together remarkable examples from over 130 years of photographic practice from acclaimed photographers around the globe. Specifically, we are thrilled to bring to the market an exceptional selection of photographs by Düsseldorf Art Academy alumni, including Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff and Elger Esser, said Sarah Krueger, Phillips Head of Sale for Photographs in New York. Leading the sale is Andreas Gurskys striking diptych, Athens, 1995. These monumental color photographs are a prime ... More | | 
Installation view, John Baldessari, Sprüth Magers, Los Angeles, February 24 - April 09, 2016. Courtesy the artist, Marian Goodman Gallery and Sprüth Magers Photography: Joshua White, 2015.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Over the past 50 years, no one has come to epitomise the visual arts in Los Angeles more than John Baldessari. With his vibrant wit and his vast and unclassifiable oeuvre, which includes painting, photography, sculpture and video, he has become a hugely influential artist, while his generosity and brilliance as a teacher has made him a beloved figure among generations of students. Sprüth Magers has been exhibiting John Baldessari for almost 30 years, and now they open their Los Angeles gallery with one of the west coasts greatest living artists. From his earliest text paintings in the late 1960s to his recent storyboard paintings, John Baldessari has always revelled in the playful dislocation between text and image. His most recent body of work, a series of paintings made over the past year, further expands this distinct Baldessari mode. Featuring banal found photographs, altered with his ... More | | 
William Wegman, Bridge In Question, 2012. Oil, ink, graphite and postcard on wood panel, 20 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches. Courtesy William Wegman Studio and Sperone Westwater, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sperone Westwater presents William Wegman: Postcard Paintings, a solo exhibition of recent paintings by the celebrated American artist. The exhibition coincides with the publication of William Wegman: Paintings (Abrams, 2016), a new monograph featuring essays by Bob Elliott, Martin Filler, Amy Hempel, Robert Krulwich, and Susan Orlean. This is Wegmans sixth solo show with the gallery. Wegmans postcard paintings reflect a lifetime of engagement with narrative, perspective, art history, humor, and popular culture in art. As he notes in the forthcoming text, I studied painting in art school but by the time I graduated in the 1960s, painting was dead. He turned to photography and video, for which he became well known, but resumed painting in the 1980s. An avid collector of vintage postcards, Wegman first turned a group of postcards into a painting while working on an artists ... More |
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| Solo exhibition of paintings by Keiichi Tanaam opens at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. in New York | | Sotheby's Hong Kong announces Modern Asian Art Spring Sale 2016 to take place from 2 6 April | | Asia Week results underscore Bonhams' position as a market leader in Asian art | 
Keiichi Tanaami, Pleasure of the Mimicry, 2015. Acrylic paint, digital pigment print, silk screen print, glass powder on canvas, 50.375 x 35.375 inches (128 x 90 cm). © Keiichi Tanaami. Image courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sikkema Jenkins & Co. presents Visible Darkness/Invisible Darkness, a solo exhibition of paintings by Keiichi Tanaami, on view at the gallery from March 17 to April 23, 2016. This is the artists second solo show at the gallery and his first solo exhibition in America to feature new large-scale paintings. Tanaami, born 1936 in Tokyo, has had a decades long career working in a broad array of mediums including graphic design, film, collage and animation. Since the early 2000s he has been making mixed media paintings. This body of work contains powerful images drawn from dreams and memories, most notably those from his experiences as a child during World War II. Animated skulls ... More | | 
Ju Ming, Taichi Series - Single Whip. Photo: Sotheby's.
HONG KONG.- Sothebys Hong Kong Spring Sale Series 2016 will take place from 2 6 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This seasons Modern Asian Art sales explore the ways in which modern Asian artists understand, reflect upon and reaffirm the value of their heritage in dialogue with Western modes of cultural exchange. Magnificent artworks created by these artists will be offered in the Modern and Contemporary Art Evening Sale (3 April) and Modern Asian Art Day Sale (4 April), highlighted by two masterpieces of nudes by Xu Beihong and Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, created during their respective times in Paris; three monumental paintings by Wang Huaiqing; and three rare works documenting Chao Chun-Hsiangs journey in reinventing ink art. In total, the two sales will offer more than 120 works, estimated in excess of HK$285 million / US$37 million. Vinci Chang, Sothebys Head of Modern Asian Art, said: ... More | | 
The top sale was a beautifully intricate and fine jade archaistic vase and cover from the Qianlong period that soared past its estimate and claimed $1,025,000, including premium, more than eight times its high estimate. Photo: Bonhams.
NEW YORK, NY.- The four Asian art auctions at Bonhams during Asia Week New York achieved impressive results totaling U.S. $8.7 million. Bonhams three distinguished Asian art departments presented tightly-curated sales of distinct items from important private collections, and saw a community of international collectors vying for choice pieces throughout the week. The Asia Week auction results at Bonhams are proof that the Chinese market is vibrant and thriving, demonstrating a stability and sophistication in the market, said Dessa Goddard, head of Asian art, Bonhams North America. We are pleased to see the market remain robust and responsive at all price levels. The two Chinese art auctions realized close to $3.6 million with a ... More |
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 Chrysler exhibition surveys history of landscape photographyNORFOLK, VA.- Travel to lands near and far, and survey the history of photography in this exhibition of images rarely on view at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Whether pastoral or polluted, the landscape has been an enduring subject in the history of photography. The exhibition, New Light on Land, draws from the Museums rich photography collection to explore how nature has inspired photographic innovation and creativity since the advent of the medium. The exhibition complements Edward Burtynsky: Water, the museums spring keynote exhibition. While Burtynskys photographs depict bodies of water around the world, New Light on Land focuses on the other 29 percent of the worlds surface, displaying snowy mountain peaks, lush forests and fields of wheat. The show offers eclectic viewpoints, from environmentalist statements to grand visions of the untrammeled earth. ... More Paul Storr wine coolers could see $50,000 in Heritage Auction's spring Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu AuctionDALLAS, TX.- Extraordinary and rare examples from history's finest silversmiths and manufacturers including a pair of Paul Storr Silver Wine Coolers, circa 1808-09 (est. $50,000+) highlights Heritage Auction's spring presentation of Fine Silver & Vertu auction April 12 in Dallas. More than 300 lots range from one of a kind examples by Tiffany & Co., and Gorham Manufacturing Co. along with classics by Whiting Mfg. Co. and Dominic & Haff. "This auction offers collectors a strong group of American late 19th century work showing the wide range of inspiration characterizing these years," said Karen Rigdon, Director of Silver and Decorative Arts at Heritage. "From Russian and Persian to Japanese inspired forms and decoration, this auction offers a wide range of special examples hand-selected for our clients this season." Examples of late 19th century Japanese inspired ... More Notable artist creates new, extensive work for the National Gallery of DenmarkCOPENHAGEN.- Take off your shoes, place your belongings in the tray and empty your pockets. What happens when we unquestioningly subject to airport security regulations or other, less overt protocols in society? This is one of the questions addressed by artist Ed Atkins in a new work produced especially for the x-rummet venue at the SMK, National Gallery of Denmark. British artist Ed Atkins (b.1982) has enjoyed a stellar career in recent years, presenting solo shows at some of the most esteemed art institutions in the world, including Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London and MoMA PS1 in New York. From 17 March, visitors to the SMK can experience his new work Safe Conduct in x-rummet. Comprising three huge video walls suspended from the ceiling like information displays, Safe Conduct is a ... More Exceptionally rare naval large gold medal for sale at BonhamsLONDON.- An extremely rare gold medal commemorating the victory of the British Fleet at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars is to be sold at Bonhams Medals, Bond, Banknotes and Coins sale in London on 23 March. It is estimated at £140,000-160,000. The medal was awarded to Admiral Lord Graves as captain of HMS The Royal Sovereign and was one of only seven large gold medals struck to mark the victory. Bonhams Director of Coins and Medals, John Millensted said, This is an incredibly scarce and desirable medal in excellent condition and its rarity is reflected in the high estimate. I expect it to have wide appeal to collectors all over the world. The Battle of the Glorious First of June was the culmination of months of indecisive skirmishing between the British Navy and the Atlantic Fleet of Revolutionary France. ... More William Robinson Leigh's Indian Rider may bring $400,000 at Heritage AuctionsDALLAS, TX.- Offered for the first time at auction, William Robinson Leigh's iconic Indian Rider, 1918, is expected to exceed $400,000 on May 7, in Heritage Auctions' spring American Art Auction in Dallas. With its expressive force, dramatic movement, bold color, and compositional integrity, this dynamic masterwork has been held in private hands for the last century and will be offered alongside legendary works across California, Western and Illustration Art. "This auction defines the term 'fresh to market'," said Aviva Lehmann, Director of American Art. "The selection we've assembled includes fresh works never before seen at auction many of which embody the height of these artists' talents. For institutions and advanced collectors, this is a must-watch sale." In the arena of Illustration Art, the original promotional art for the 1960 film "Cinderfella" (est. $300,000-$500,000) is ... More Shaker Museum receives Ellsworth Kelly / Jack Shear Shaker collectionNEW LEBANON, NY.- The Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon has received a gift of the Shaker pieces collected and used by Ellsworth Kelly and his husband Jack Shear. The collection was promised to the Museum in 2011, following the Museums honoring of Ellsworth and Jack at its annual benefit event. Ellsworth Kelly passed away on December 27, 2015. The collection of 24 pieces includes cupboards, tables, boxes, trays, and a cast iron stove. The pieces represent several time periods and originated at a number of Shaker communities: Watervliet and Mount Lebanon, NY and Hancock, MA are included, among others. Of particular note is Ellsworths Shaker work table, which he actively used for many decades. The gift is the result of a long relationship between the Museum and Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Shear, who shared an interest in the Shakers and their material culture. ... More Exhibition of works by Glauber Ballestero opens at House of ErgonBERLIN.- Glauber Ballestero creates Cetus Quasar, a critical examination of three pillars of Western civilisation: capitalism, colonisation and modernity. Opening on 18 March at House of Egorn in Berlin, the young Cuban artists new series of work is based on video fragments by Buñuels The Milky Way, P.T. Andersons Magnolia and Lars Von Triers Melancholia. Cetus Quasar presents 8 oil paintings, a site-specific installation and a video work, alongside a wax sculpture representing a sea mammal. Adding to the 88 registered constellations depicting animals, inanimate objects and mythological characters, the artist has invented a new constellation: Cetus Quasar, referencing the existing Cetus constellation, commonly known as The Whale, associated with the Hebrew myth of Jonah, swallowed by a sea monster and then saved by God. For ancient Greeks, the constellation ... More Exhibition of works by Raymond Hendler opens at Berry CampbellNEW YORK, NY.- A first-generation action painter, Raymond Hendler started his career as an Abstract Expressionist in Paris, as early as 1949. In the years that followed, he played a significant role in the movement, both in New York, where he was the youngest voting member of the New York Artists Club and a friend of Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Harold Rosenberg and in Philadelphia, where he ran an avant-garde gallery between 1952 and 1954. Around 1957, his work evolved from overall tightly-wound linear webs into a personal language of abstract pictograms. Hendler continued to seek clearer lines and harder edges during the 1960s, so that by the end of the decade, he had eliminated the drag of the paint brush, commonly emphasized by the Abstract Expressionists. Remarking on Hendlers departure from the popular Abstract Expressionist style, ... More Sarah Suzuki promoted to Curator in the Department of Drawings and PrintsNEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art announces the promotion of Sarah Suzuki to Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints. Suzuki, who has served as Associate Curator in the department since 2010, began her career at the Museum as a research assistant in 1998. Sarah has an acute understanding of the Museum's collection across periods, mediums, and departments. Her work consistently prompts us to question assumed historical narratives and has greatly contributed to the enrichment and diversification our holdings and programs, said Christophe Cherix, the Robert Lehman Foundation Chief Curator of Drawings and Prints. I am delighted to see Sarah taking a more senior role at the Museum. At MoMA, Suzuki has organized critically acclaimed exhibitions that reexamine the Museums collection, including Soldier, Spectre, Shaman: ... More Sotheby's New York sales of Chinese works of art total $22,613,552NEW YORK, NY.- Angela McAteer, Head of the Chinese Works of Art Department commented: With a packed salesroom and strong prices across the board, demand for Chinese Works of Art remains robust. The $22.6m total exceeded the high estimate and was in line with previous seasons. We assembled a series of sales built around the strongest parts of the market which attracted vigorous bidding on the many distinguished collections being offered. In particular, there was unprecedented demand for Classical Furniture, with pieces continuously selling for multiples of their estimates as bidders recognized the elegant beauty of these refined works of art, as well as Qing Dynasty ceramics which remained highly sought after. Offered without reserve, 63 lots from the San Francisco home of Reverend Richard Fabian drew tremendous interest in the room, online and on the telephones. ... More Nationalmuseum Sweden announces new acquisition: Art Nouveau glass vase by Betzy ÄhlströmSTOCKHOLM.- Nationalmuseum has acquired a unique piece of art glass designed by Betzy Ãhlström. The Christmas Cactus vase was manufactured in 1902 at the Reijmyre glassworks where she was hired for a brief period. Ãhlström is now considered one of the female pioneers in the history of Swedish glassmaking and only a few works by her are known. The vase represents an important addition to Nationalmuseums art glass collection, and specifically to the group of glass pieces dating from the early 20th-century Art Nouveau period. This period had long been represented solely by the works of male designers. Over the past two decades, Nationalmuseum has made several attempts to add pieces by female designers of the time. Although their contribution was not large in quantity, in quality terms their work was at least as interesting as that of their male contemporaries. ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, American artist William H. Johnson was born March 18, 1901. William Henry Johnson (March 18, 1901-1970) was an African American painter born in Florence, South Carolina, and is becoming more widely recognized as one of the greatest American artists of the 20th Century. He became a student at the National Academy of Design in New York. This his image provided by the Smithsonian's American Art Museum shows the painting Children Dance, ca. 1944, by William H. Johnson. The work is on loan from the museum to the White House of President Barack Obama, where it is currently on display. Photo: Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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