| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Monday, May 10, 2021 |
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| | These Neanderthals weren't cannibals, so who ate them? Stone Age hyenas. | |
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A photo provided by Emanuele Antonio Minerva/Italian Ministry of Culture shows fossilised remains in the Guattari Cave in San Felice Circeo, south of Rome. An archaeological excavation south of Rome uncovered fossil remains of nine Neanderthals, along with the bones of hyenas, elephants and rhinoceroses. Emanuele Antonio Minerva/Italian Ministry of Culture via The New York Times.
by Elisabetta Povoledo
ROME (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- When a Neanderthal skull was discovered in a cave on the property of a beachfront hotel south of Rome in 1939, it prompted a theory, since debunked, that Neanderthals had engaged in ritual cannibalism, extracting the brains of their victims to eat. Now a find at the same site, made public Saturday, appears to have confirmed the true culprit: Stone Age hyenas. New excavations at the site in the coastal town of San Felice Circeo have uncovered fossil remains of nine more Neanderthals of varying sex and age along with the bones of long-extinct hyenas, elephants, rhinoceroses and even the Urus, or Aurochs, the now-extinct ancestor of domestic cattle. Experts say the findings, at the Guattari Cave, will offer fresh insight on the culinary peculiarities of the Neanderthal diet and much more. The story of the cave didnt finish in 1939 and still had a lot to give, said Mauro Rubini, chief anthropologist of the local branch of the Culture Ministry. Consider that the huma ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day 'Medium Blue Panel' by Ellsworth Kelly is on display during a preview of the upcoming 20th Century Evening Sale at Christie's on May 07, 2021 in New York City. Cindy Ord/Getty Images/AFP
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| Iraq's heritage battered by desert sun, rain and state apathy | | Napoleon fans outraged by horse memorial | | Long-overlooked Black artists dominate New York spring sales | 
A picture taken on April 25, 2021, shows a view of the Al-Aqiser archeological site in Ain Tamr near Karbala in Iraq, which includes what has been described as one of the oldest eastern Christian churches. Mohammed SAWAF / AFP.
by Salman Ameen with Haydar Indhar in Nippur
AIN TAMR (AFP).- One of the world's oldest churches is crumbling deep in Iraq's desert, another victim of years of conflict, government negligence and climate change in a country with a rich heritage. After Pope Francis made a historic visit to Iraq in March, many Iraqis hoped that busloads of tourists would flock to Al Aqiser church southwest of the capital Baghdad. But in a country that has been battered by consecutive conflicts and economic crises, the church -- like Iraq's numerous Christian, Islamic and Mesopotamian relics -- has been left to weather away. All that remains of Al Aqiser, which has stood in Ain Tamr for more than 1,500 years, are crumbling brick and red earthen walls. Archaeologist Zahd Muhammad blamed this on "climate conditions, the fact that under Saddam Hussein the area was transformed into a military firing range and the lack of regular conservation". Ain Tamr mayor Raed Fadhel said upkeep ... More | | 
French artist Pascal Convert poses next to his creation entitled "Marengo", a 3D skeleton of French emperor Napoleon's horse hanging over his tomb on May 7, 2021 at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP.
PARIS (AFP).- A reproduction of the skeleton of Napoleon's favourite horse Marengo has been hung over the French emperor's tomb in Paris -- to the outrage of his present-day fans as they commemorate 200 years since his death. The artwork dubbed "Memento Marengo" by artist Pascal Convert immortalises Napoleon's loyal steed, who bore the general through several battles before being captured by British troops at Waterloo in 1815. Convert based his work on ancient traditions of horses accompanying their masters to the grave, copying the skeleton from the thoroughbred's remains kept in London's National Army Museum. "I know some people might not understand this work, but it's anything but disrespectful," said Eric de Chassey, director of France's National Art History Institute (INHA) that has organised a series of modern art pieces displayed at the Invalides museum complex where Napoleon is buried. The horse skeleton "paradoxically allows a kind of rehumanisation of Napoleon," ... More | | 
'In This Case' by Jean-Michel Basquiat is on display during a preview of the upcoming 21st Century Evening Sale at Christie's on May 07, 2021 in New York City. Cindy Ord/Getty Images/AFP.
by Thomas Urbain and Peter Hutchison
NEW YORK (AFP).- Black artists are represented like never before at New York's spring sales next week after years of being overlooked and underappreciated, with several expected to set new records for their works. American-born Jean-Michel Basquiat, of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, becomes the first Black painter to headline both Christie's and Sotheby's main auctions, on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. The 1983 "In This Case," part of his trilogy of "skull" paintings, and his 1982 work "Versus Medici" are expected to fetch around $50 million each during the virtual auctions. The late Robert Colescott, renowned for expressionist paintings that dealt with Black identity and history, is expected to increase his record tenfold, with his 1975 "George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook" estimated at up to $12 million. Works by Norman Lewis, Mark Bradford and Kerry James Marshall are all expected ... More |
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| For Chakaia Booker, whose medium is tires, the art is in the journey | | Pace opens an exhibition dedicated to the paintings of Agnes Martin | | Samuel Pepys Cockerell collection to be offered for sale | 
For over 30 years, Booker has worked mainly with automotive rubber. Hannah Price/The New York Times.
by Siddhartha Mitter
ALLENTOWN, PA (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Chakaia Bookers studio here is 20,000 square feet of unheated space, with a roof that leaks and a squirrel problem. Its floor is grooved in places with tracks from its past life as a trolley maintenance shed. Now there is a woodworking area, a metal shop, a ceramics room. There are power tools, precision cutters and a forklift, as Bookers materials are heavy and her sculptures large. And there are tires stacked high on shelving; sliced in rounds, shredded, heaped pell-mell. For more than 30 years, Booker has worked mainly with automotive rubber. In the 1980s, she retrieved blown-out tires in Manhattans pregentrified East Village, where she still lives. Now, her sources include Michelin, which sends her used tires from racecars and motorcycles. Distinctive and idiosyncratic, her oeuvre transcends the materials utilitarian vocation and belies its uniformity. The sculptures can ... More | | 
Agnes Martin, Desert Flower, 1985, acrylic and pencil on linen, 72-1/8" x 72-1/8" (183.2 cm x 183.2 cm). © Estate of Agnes Martin /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- Pace Gallery is presenting a monographic exhibition dedicated to the paintings of Agnes Martin, whose work left an indelible mark on the history of modern and contemporary art and has continued to inspire generations of artists. For Martin, painting was defined by an ongoing exploration of its capacity to express a vision of beauty born of intuitive inspiration. Featuring a range of paintings from the 1970s to the early 1990s, from Martins multicolored striped works, to compositions of color-washed bands defined by hand drawn lines, to the deep gray Black Paintings that characterized her work in the late 1980s, this exhibition examines Martins attentive use of color in each of these phases. Agnes Martin: The Distillation of Color traces this evolution within the context of Martins broadening vision during the latter half of her careerone that crystalized her pursuit of perfection and quest to deepen her un ... More | | 
Portrait of Samuel Pepys Cockerell, Esq. (1844-1921) in oil on canvas, by George Frederic Watts (British 1817-1904). Estimate £30,000-£50,000
LONDON.- Dreweatts will present a group of works directly from the family of the British artist Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1844-1921). The works are coming to auction for the first time since leaving the artist's family collection and will be offered in Dreweatts upcoming Old Master, British and European Art sale on May 27, 2021. The collection is led by a stunning portrait of Cockerell, by George Frederick Watts (1817-1904) one of the leading portrait and Symbolist painters of the late 19th Century, known as `Englands Michelangelo. The collection has several works by the Cockerell himself, (lots 237-241 in the sale), including two portraits of the artists daughter, Frederica Lucy, which offer a wonderful personal insight into his life. Cockerell was the youngest son of architect, archaeologist and writer Charles Robert Cockerell, RA, RIBA (1788-1863). He established a career as a sculptor, painter and like his father, a writ ... More |
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| Musicians say streaming doesn't pay. Can the industry change? | | Jennifer Crandall lets Americans sing of themselves | | Ukraine's burial mounds offer meaning in a heap of history | 
Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music pulled the business back from the brink. But artists say they cant make a living. And their complaints are getting louder. Jon Han/The New York Times.
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- When the pandemic hit last year, British singer-songwriter Nadine Shah saw her income dry up in an instant. The concert bookings that sustained her vanished and, at age 34, she moved back in with her parents on the northeast coast of England. I was financially crippled, Shah said in an interview. Like musicians everywhere who were stuck off the road, staring into the abyss of their bank accounts, Shah whose dark alto and eclectic songs have brought her critical acclaim and a niche following began to examine her livelihood as an artist. Money from the streams of her songs on services like Spotify and Apple Music was practically nonexistent, she said, adding up to just a few pounds here and there. So she joined other disillusioned musicians in organizing online ... More | | 
The Sullivans. Still from Jennifer Crandalls Whitman, Alabama.
ATHENS, GA.- Journalist, photographer and filmmaker Jennifer Crandall combines art and poetry to tell the story of what it means to be American. The exhibition Whitman, Alabama, on view at the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia from May 8 to December 12, 2021, features 23 of Crandalls 52 films from her documentary of the same name, screening in a loop in the museums Alonzo & Vallye Dudley Gallery for time-based media. Whitman, Alabama is an ongoing documentary project inspired by the people of Alabama. Crandall began working on the series while she was artist in residence for the Alabama Media Group. She says, I came up with the idea of making a series of portraits hoping to show off Alabamas people but instead of using a traditional interview format, I wanted to use a poem as the common thread. And beyond that, let people speak for themselves. The poem she referen ... More | | 
Dmytro Teslenko, center, an archaeologist, leads excavation of a kurgan, or ancient burial mound, in Novooleksandrivka, Ukraine, April 14, 2021. Brendan Hoffman/The New York Times.
by Maria Varenikova and Andrew E. Kramer
DNIPRO (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Belching diesel exhaust, a bulldozer cut into a 4,000-year-old burial mound, peeling back the soil to reveal the mysteries hidden inside, including a skeleton. For archaeologists, this excavation in the flatlands of eastern Ukraine holds the promise of discovery. For a developer, it clears the way for new country homes. In recent years, government archaeologists, developers and farmers, who sometimes also level burial mounds in their fields to ease plowing, have seemingly been the only parties interested in the fate of Ukraines vast constellation of ancient graves. And few have paid much heed to preserving the dirt piles. Hoping to correct this history of neglect, a Ukrainian nongovernmental ... More |
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| Kasmin opens a solo exhibition of work by artist Ali Banisadr | | Sue-an van der Zijpp appointed as new Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Boijmans | | Gladstone Gallery opens an exhibition of new sculptures by Wangechi Mutu | 
Ali Banisadr, He Who Saw the Deep, 2021. Oil on linen, 20 x 16 inches, 50.8 x 40.6 cm. Courtesy of Kasmin, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- Kasmin is presenting the gallerys first solo exhibition of work by artist Ali Banisadr (b.1976, Tehran). Comprising nine recent paintings, several of which were included in Banisadrs critically-acclaimed museum show at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, in 2020-21, the exhibition also includes a new large-scale diptych, the first multi-panel work by the artist in six years. These Specks of Dust coincides with the publication of a major monograph by Rizzoli Electa featuring contributions from Negar Azimi, Robert Hobbs, Joe Lin-Hill, and John Yau. Banisadrs vivid and turbulent paintings conjure an energetic sense of the world by depicting the quintessentially cyclical nature of our collective history. Titled in homage to Francisco Goyas 1799 etching from the Los Caprichos series, Those Specks of Dust, the exhibition assembles varied art historical ... More | | 
Sue-an van der Zijpp worked at Groninger Museum. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
ROTTERDAM.- The collection of decorative arts and design at the Boijmans is to have a new custodian and exhibition creator. The former Groninger Museum curator Sue-an van der Zijpp is making the switch to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam this summer. Sue-an van der Zijpp (b. 1971) takes up her post on July 1st as the new curator of Decorative Arts and Design, taking over the baton from Mienke Simon Thomas, who has served in this role since 1993 and is now retiring. In her role at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Van der Zijpp will be working on the development of exhibitions. In addition she will care for the museums collection of Decorative Arts and Design, a treasure trove that ranges from medieval earthenware to creations by Viktor & Rolf. Sue-an van der Zijpp: Its an honour to be in a position to share my enthusiasm for and fascination with material culture with the visitors to this ... More | | 
Installation view, Wangechi Mutu, at Gladstone Gallery, New York, 2021. Courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels.
NEW YORK, NY.- Gladstone Gallery is presenting an exhibition of new sculptures by Wangechi Mutu, and the East Coast premiere of two bronze works: Crocodylus and MamaRay. Drawing upon her sculptural practice, a core aspect of her work, this installation brings to life otherworldly alternatives to the systemic modes of representation portrayed throughout global traditions in art. Through an incisive re-examination of relations between the body, the natural world, and social forces, the works in this exhibition represent a new kind of hybridized humanity and iconography through the artists intuitive and forward-thinking eye. Mutus bronze figures exude grace and mystery. Their powers are palpable, both through their postures and their dense materiality. The authority they wield offers a template for a new rethinking ... More |
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Inspirational Living: Hidden Wonders
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 Deep in the heart of Heritage Auctions' May 22 Texas Art Sale, something for everyoneDALLAS, TX.- Seven months after David Bates' painting Crab Legs set a world record for the Dallas artist, his hometown Heritage Auctions will offer yet another spectacular work in the upcoming Texas Art Signature Auction. Because it wouldn't be a Texas art event without a David Bates. His Burning Leaves from 1983, a decidedly Lone Star scene set among the swirling smoke and chopped wood and burnt-orange of late autumn, serves as one of the centerpieces in Heritage's May 22 Texas Art event. It features a man at rest, on break, his back bent against the barren tree upon which he has propped his rake. He is clad in green plaid and khaki work pants, his hat slightly titled away from his brow. You can almost hear the crackle of the flame; you can almost smell the wisps of smoke rising toward the gray sky. Burning Leaves is a decidedly Batesian ... More  Private collection of jewels by German royal jeweller Hemmerle to be offered at auctionLONDON.- A spectacular private collection of the ever-popular jewels by Royal jewellers Hemmerle are to come to auction this summer. The collection will be one of the highlights of Dreweatts Fine Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Objects of Vertu sale on Wednesday July 7, 2021. An established goldsmiths company, originally specialising in medals and orders, Hemmerles clients include Royalty and celebrity around the world, and previously even the Vatican. Innovation and quality are attributes to their collections, by using unusual metals and rare stones to great effect. This breaking of boundaries means that they are constantly developing creative jewels that capture the essence of the moment, while remaining contemporary, despite passing influences of the time. Their jewellery has become even more popular recently, by the combining ... More  'Dracula's castle' offers tourists Covid shotsBRAN (AFP).- Visitors to Romania's forbidding Bran Castle, widely known as the inspiration for the lair of Dracula, are being jabbed with needles rather than vampiric fangs this weekend in a coronavirus vaccination drive. "I came to visit the castle with my family and when I saw the poster I gathered up my courage and agreed to get the injection," said 39-year-old engineer Liviu Necula. Those who take the jab are handed a certificate hailing their "boldness and responsibility" promising they will be welcome at the castle "for the coming 100 years" -- as well as offered a free tour of the "torture chamber". Nestled in a misty valley in the Carpathian mountains, Bran Castle is associated with the 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Tepes, known as "the Impaler", although he never stayed there. Dracula author Bram Stoker is believed to have been ... More  Flawless diamonds were a buyer's best friend in Heritage Auctions' May 3 jewelry eventDALLAS, TX.- A flawless, colorless Type IIa heart-shaped 3.55 carat diamond became the object of one buyer's affection Monday, selling for $112,500 to top Heritage Auctions' Spring Fine Jewelry Auction. It was among a number of rarities to shine during a sale with enough sparkle to attract nearly 900 bidders worldwide to finish past the $2.9 million mark. Also among the event's top lots: an unmounted, marquise-shaped, 3.34 carat diamond. The GIA Type IIa diamond, absent any impurities, sold for $106,250 in the sale, more than $20,000 above its high estimate. A third GIA Type IIa diamond pear-shaped and weighing 3.01 carats realized $56,250. It should come as no surprise these three gems were among the standouts in the event given the standard they set for buyers of singular stones. After all, says Jill Burgum, Senior Director of Fine ... More  Jersey from Michael Jordan's NCAA 'Player of the Year' season scores $1.38 million at Heritage AuctionsDALLAS, TX.- The only known Michael Jordan game-worn University of North Carolina jersey photo-matched to his "Player of the Year" season is now The Most Expensive Michael Jordan Jersey Ever. Early Saturday morning, No. 23's Carolina Blue-and-white jersey from the 1982-83 season sold for $1,380,000 during the second night of Heritage Auctions' May 6-8 Spring Sports Catalog Auction. That's the highest price ever paid for a Jordan jersey, smashing the previous world record set in October, when Heritage Auctions sold a complete, photo-matched Jordan-worn Chicago Bulls uniform from the 1986-87 season for $480,000. "Over the last year Heritage has set dozens of world records in the red-hot Michael Jordan collectibles market, and now we're extremely proud to have shattered the records for a Jordan game-worn jersey," says Chris Ivy, Director ... More  Alexandra Landré appointed as new artistic director of Stroom Den HaagTHE HAGUE.- Stroom Den Haag, the platform for visual art in The Hague, announced that Alexandra Landré has been appointed as its new artistic director. As of this month she will be leading the Dutch art organization, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, adding a new chapter to Strooms rich history. Alexandra Landré is the right person at the right time. We are confident that she will contribute an inspiring vision to an institution like Stroom, which is known for its progressive stand, said an enthusiastic Sharon Gesthuizen, chair of the Stroom board. The Hague has a very dynamic art scene and isas the International City of Peace and Justicehome to many cultural communities. We feel assured that Alexandra will facilitate many inspiring encounters for a wide range of voices. Furthermore, the board is excited about the wealth of experience ... More  Estate of important nautical fine art and antiques debuts at Heritage AuctionsDALLAS, TX.- Kenneth Hill, Sr., turned his love of the water into a lifetime of collecting. The Fort Worth, Texas, resident and retired pharmaceutical pioneer sought only the finest examples of maritime fine art and antiques to complete a truly outstanding collection. From ship models, including a coveted Napoleonic prisoner-of-war ship carved from bone, to masterpiece paintings by Montague Dawson and Franz Richard Unterberger. "Hill's astute collector's eye pursued objects rarely seen outside of institutions," said Michelle Castro, Director of Trusts & Estates at Heritage Auctions. "His taste was impeccable and now his collection is ready for an entirely new generation of connoisseurs." "Hill's estate will be presented across three auctions. Highlights first appear in Heritage's Automobilia, Transport History and Mechanical Models Auction, ... More  Three important private collections to be offered in Dreweatts Asia Art salesLONDON.- Dreweatts will offer three important private collections in its upcoming sales of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (Part 1) on May 19, 2021 and Japanese & Chinese (Part 2) May 20, 2021. The collections include those from the former Governor of the BBC and Chairman of the National Portrait Gallery, Sir David Scholey, John Burke da Silva, Treasurer and Council member of the Oriental Ceramics Society and R. Ralph Parks, the former Executive Chairman of JP Morgan Chase for Asia Pacific. Commenting on the collections, Dr. Yingwen Tao, Dreweatts Chinese and Asian Art Specialist, said: We are thrilled to be able to offer such spectacular private collections in one sale. Each has been carefully curated by passionate collectors, who have chosen exceptional pieces of the very best quality. This is a wonderful opportunity ... More  Cirque du Soleil's return could be its most challenging feat yetMONTREAL (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Confinement has posed a particular challenge for Québécois aerialist Guillaume Paquin. Practicing signature moves, such as twisting his way up a 20-foot rope before spinning downward like a helicopter propeller, is a bit tricky from his cramped living room. Now, however, the former Cirque du Soleil performer may soon be able to trade in his Montreal apartment for the big top: The famed circus is returning to the stage after the pandemic forced it to shutter 44 shows, from Melbourne, Australia, to Hangzhou, China. With vaccinations accelerating across the world, the Cirque announced late last month that its two longest-running Las Vegas shows, O and Mystère, will return this summer. Luzia, a crowd-pleaser featuring acrobats jumping to and from a pair of huge swings, will open at Royal ... More  Fergus McCaffrey St. Barth presents "Barbarian Days"ST. BARTH.- Fergus McCaffrey St. Barth is presenting Barbarian Days on view until June 1, 2021 at the gallerys St. Barth location, exhibiting works by: Rachelle Dang, Koji Enokura, Herbie Fletcher, Francesca Gabbiani, Katharina Grosse, Julio Le Parc, Robert Levine, Robert Longo, Ari Marcopoulos, Catherine Opie, Joni Sternbach, and Lawrence Weiner. Taking as its inspiration from the autobiography Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir of New Yorker writer, William Finnegan, this unruly exhibition celebrates historic and contemporary artists who consider the ocean as a vehicle for an enriching and daunting personal psychosomatic investigation into creative catharsis. Presented at Fergus McCaffrey St. Barth, the gallerys intimate venue on the wild side of the island at Grand Fond, the exhibition ... More  Cuba's Chevy doctor keeping classic cars on the roadPLACETAS (AFP).- In Cuba, where American cars older than the average inhabitant are a common sight on city streets, Pablo Manso makes his living in a very particular niche: repairing Chevrolets from 1955, 1956 and 1957. The self-taught technician plies his trade in a workshop he built 15 years ago at his home in Placetas, a small city in the rural center of the communist island. He recreates Chevy parts with machines he built himself in a country where US sanctions have crippled imports of cars, parts and tools of the trade. "Modern cars do not interest me," the 53-year-old Manso told AFP with a shrug. It took him years to teach himself his craft, working day and night and learning through trial and error. "I was tearing my hair out," he laughs. His efforts have paid off, and today, Chevrolet owners from all over Cuba -- even further afield -- look ... More |
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PhotoGalleries 
Sophie Taeuber-Arp & Hans Arp: Cooperations â Collaborations 
Future Retrieval 
Clarice Beckett 
Kim Tschang-Yeul
Flashback On a day like today, Japanese painter and illustrator Hokusai died May 10, 1849. Katsushika Hokusai (c. October 31, 1760 - May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. In this image: A woman looks at the artwork 'Women in various walks of life' (around 1793) during a press preview of the Hokusai retrospective at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin, Germany.
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