| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Saturday, April 11, 2020 |
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| | Christie's to pay up to $16.7 million fine over tax violations | |
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In this file photo auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen leads the auction during the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale at Christie's Auction House in New York. Kevin Hagen/The New York Times.
by Julia Jacobs
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- As part of an agreement to avoid prosecution, Christies will pay up to $16.7 million for failing to properly collect New York sales tax from 2013 to 2017 on private purchases made in the state or ultimately delivered there, the Manhattan district attorneys office said Thursday. The fine comes after a yearslong investigation into the tax-collection practices of the auction houses London-based private sales arm, as well as those of other Christie's-affiliated companies overseas including ones in Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong conducting business with clients in New York. The settlement requires $10 million to be paid up front and the remainder to be paid in about two years. According to public documents describing the agreement, the tax violations arose from bureaucratic changes and flawed tax advice. In 2013, Christies started operating a separate company called Christies Private Sales that would centralize private purchases. When planning for ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day The Church of Our Lady of Consolation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is empty on Thursday, April 9, 2020. All churches in Brazil are closed during Holy Week, with Masses broadcast online. (Victor Moriyama/The New York Times)
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 | | Roy De Forest's greatness shines even in a virtual display | | The Beatles' legend lives on, 50 years after break-up | | Paul McCartney's "Hey Jude" lyrics sold for $910,000 at Julien's Auctions | 
Roy De Forest, Texas, 2002, Acrylic, mixed media on board, wood, 48 x 42 x 12 in (121.9 x 106.7 x 30.5 cm). © 2020 Roy De Forest Estate / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy Venus Over Manhattan, New York.
by Roberta Smith
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Sometimes viewing an art exhibition online isnt so much an inconvenience as a comfortable buffer. Consider, for example, the irreverent, relentless visual cornucopia created by the great but under-known artist Roy De Forest (1930-2007), a large selection of which booms forth from the website of the Manhattan gallery Venus Over Manhattan. The shows 37 paintings, drawings and assemblage wall reliefs span from 1960 to 2006 and constitute the largest De Forest show in New York since a 1975 survey at the Whitney Museum of American Art. His efforts bristle with saturated colors, notably red, reflecting a love of early Matisse, and surprising textures, ... More | | 
In this file photo taken on March 22, 1969 Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono visit the Paris Flea Market. MYCHELE DANIAU / AFP.
by Joe Jackson
LONDON (AFP).- When The Beatles went their separate ways in the early 1970s, few thought that half a century later the pioneering band would still influence pop music culture. But, with Friday marking 50 years since their unofficial break-up, the so-called "Fab Four" are still popular and present, in spirit if not in the flesh. "The Beatles were said to have been the 20th century's greatest romance, but no one then could have foreseen that such an already phenomenal accomplishment would extend into the next century," band historian Mark Lewisohn told AFP. "50 years now after breaking up, The Beatles remain an artistic ultimate, leading creative people everywhere to the limitless playing field, open to all," said the ardent author of "Tune In", the first instalment in a trilogy, "The Beatles: All ... More | | 
Paul McCartney studio used handwritten lyrics to 'Hey Jude", 13 by 8 inches. Sold for $910,000.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Juliens Auctions held its marquee Beatlemania auction event of the year, All Beatles, today Friday, April 10 on the 50th anniversary of the Fab Fours historic breakup live online at Julienslive.com. Over 250 Beatles items featuring some never-before-seen memorabilia, guitars and instruments, autographed items, rare vinyl, obscure licensed material and other rare and collectible artifacts were sold in an online live streaming setting. The top selling item was Paul McCartneys handwritten lyrics to the 1968 Beatles' classic "Hey Jude" (estimate: $160,000-$180,000), used in studio for its recording at Trident Studios, London in July 1968 which sold for an astounding $910,000 well over its original estimate of $160,000. Another top seller was a vintage Ludwig brand bass drumhead bearing The Beatles logo used at the Cow Palace Arena in San Francisco on August 19, 1964 sold for ... More |
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| | Ongoing exhibitions and sales at Messum's despite isolation | | Mort Drucker, master of the Mad caricature, is dead at 91 | | Russia opens probe after Prague removes Soviet statue | 
David Messum.
LONDON.- Established in 1963, Messums has navigated many strange and difficult times in the art market, but never such an extraordinary situation such as we are all currently facing. With a new gallery opening in St. Jamess London, scheduled for 1st April 2020, and with nearly twenty exhibitions planned before the end of 2020, Messums is proud to be continuing the exhibition schedule using new and innovative platforms so collectors can continue viewing exhibitons and acquiring artworks from the comfort of their own home. Over their fifty year history Messums has developed a reputation for Bringing Art from our Home to Yours and never has it proved to be so important. ° The exhibition of Lucien Hector Monod (1867-1957), available since late March 2020, has produced in excess of £100,000 sales to date. ° Exhibition catalogues for Messums next exhibition, sculpture by the enduring Guy ... More | | 
Mort Drucker joined Mad magazine in 1956 and illustrated his last movie parody in 2008. I think Ive drawn almost everyone in Hollywood, he once said.
by J. Hoberman
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Mort Drucker, a longtime contributor to Mad magazine known for his caricatures of actors, politicians and other celebrities, died Thursday at his home in Woodbury, New York. He was 91. His death was confirmed by his daughter Laurie Bachner. Drucker, who specialized in illustrating Mads movie and television satires, inspired several generations of cartoonists. To me, hes the guy, caricaturist Drew Friedman said. I used to imitate his work in Mad when I was a kid. I wanted to be Mort Drucker; I even loved his name. Druckers facility was best expressed in multi-caricature crowd scenes. His parody of the 1986 Woody Allen film, Hannah and Her Sisters, opened with a panel depicting a Thanksgiving dinner that, in ... More | | 
A man covers the statue of Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovic Konev laying on a truck as it is made ready for removal on April 3, 2020 in Prague. Michal Cizek / AFP
MOSCOW (AFP).- Russia said it would launch a criminal investigation on Friday after Czech officials removed a statue of a Soviet-era general in Prague. The bronze statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev was taken down last week to make way for a World War II memorial, prompting the Russian embassy to protest. City officials in the Czech capital said the statue would be moved to another site. Removal of Soviet statues by Western-leaning countries once loyal to Moscow often sparks outrage in Russia as a visible sign of its waning influence. On Thursday, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu wrote to his Czech counterpart Lubomir Metnar asking him to hand over the statue to Russia. The Czech minister responded this was not possible because the figure belongs to the city. Russia's Investigative Committee, ... More |
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| | Can comic books survive the coronavirus era? | | NADA updates 2020 event calendar due to COVID-19 | | Bernie Wrightson original art, Frank Frazetta painting, 'Variety Store Collection' make auction debuts at Heritage | 
Letterer and cartoonist Chris Eliopoulos, founder of Virtual Calligraphy, a studio that handles lettering and other production duties for Marvel, works at his office in River Vale, N.J. Karsten Moran/The New York Times.
by Dave Itzkoff
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Comic-book superheroes are used to finding themselves in life-or-death situations and fighting back against seemingly impossible odds. But who can they turn to when comic books themselves are imperiled? Like every other business that has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, comic-book publishing a wellspring of material for countless hit films and TV shows is in considerable jeopardy. In recent weeks, the industry has been throttled at every juncture. Comic-store owners have shuttered their shops and the distribution of new titles has been frozen. Writers and artists continue to produce work, not knowing how or when readers will be able to see it. The dollars at stake are substantial: In recent years, sales of comics and graphic novels ... More | | 
NADA is committed to supporting its members and its community, in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Photo: Courtesy of Casey Kelbaugh.
NEW YORK, NY.- After careful consideration surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, New Art Dealers Alliance has made the decision to cancel the second edition of NADA Chicago the contemporary art fair that takes place throughout three floors of the iconic Chicago Athletic Association Hotel which was scheduled for September 2427, 2020. While this decision was difficult to make, the health and well-being of our galleries, staff, and community is our number one priority. We are looking into alternative initiatives for our members and galleries to showcase work, said NADA Executive Director Heather Hubbs. In a show of support for the community of dealers, EXPO Chicago will be making contributions to the NADA Gallery Relief Fund which supports galleries most impacted by COVID-19 from the proceeds of the fair. NADA will continue to explore ways to support its members in the Chicago art ... More | | 
Frank Frazetta The Serpent (aka Aros) Paperback Novel Cover Painting Original Art (Paperback Library, 1967).
DALLAS, TX.- The stunning original art for Bernie Wrightsons Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein Front Endpapers Illustration Original Art (late 1970s) and a Frank Frazetta painting that appeared on the cover of The Serpent each could bring $250,000 or more in Heritage Auctions Comics & Comic Art Auction April 30-May 3 in Dallas, Texas. Wrightsons original art for Mary Wollstonecraft Shelleys Frankenstein is an absolute rarity. Starting in 1975, he spent six years creating images, only three of which are landscape format pieces (the wraparound cover and the back endpapers are the others). Wrightson is so revered for his work on the project that even the images he created that did not end up getting used in the book are in high demand among serious collectors. Part of the popularity of Bernie Wrightsons work stems from the unbelievable amount of detail he works into his images, Heritage ... More |
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| | Ahmed Ismail Hussein, venerable Somali musician, dies at 91 | | Bendigo Art Gallery presents an online tour of Bessie Davidson & Sally Smart: Two artists and the Parisian avant-garde | | For shut-in pilgrims, the world's holiest sites are a click away | 
In a photo provided by Ali Naji, Ahmed Ismail Hussein, one of Somalias greatest musicians, was a master of the oud. Ali Naji via The New York Times.
by Abdi Latif Dahir
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Ahmed Ismail Hussein, whose sweet-stringed and melancholic melodies captivated generations of Somalis and made him one of Somalias most important musicians, died Tuesday in London. He was 91. He had been infected by the novel coronavirus, according to Hanna Ali, artistic director of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, based in London, with which Hussein had been affiliated in recent years. Hussein was famous for playing the oud, the pear-shaped lutelike instrument that is central to Arab and Middle Eastern music. The oud is my greatest pleasure, he told a BBC interviewer in 2003. If theres an oud lying near me, Ive just got to play it. He moved between Somalia, Djibouti and ... More | | 
Online tour available now for new Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition.
BENDIGO.- Audiences can take an online tour of Bessie Davidson & Sally Smart: Two artists and the Parisian avant-garde, a new exhibition curated by Bendigo Art Gallery featuring over 50 impressionist paintings by Australian artist Bessie Davidson, who forged a successful career in Paris early last century. Davidsons paintings are shown alongside works by her great-niece, renowned Australian artist Sally Smart. Bendigo Art Gallery Director, Jessica Bridgfoot said the gallery was pleased to be able to present a virtual tours of the exhibition while the gallery remains closed as a response to the global Covid-19 crisis. The Bessie Davidson/Sally Smart exhibition had been planned for well over eighteen months, and over the course of a lifetime for Sally, who had also travelled to Paris on the Bendigo Art Gallery Goodsir scholarship retracing Davidsons life and work. This ... More | | 
The Holy City allows you to experience the Old City of Jerusalem during Passover, Easter and Ramadan in one of the most complex volumetric VR Projects produced to date.
by Debra Kamin
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- For nearly two years, Eilat Lieber, director and chief curator of the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalems Old City, has been excited for this April, when Passover, Easter and Ramadan touchstone holidays of three major religions would collide for the first time in nearly two decades. To prepare for the 400,000 or so tourists who had been projected to visit Jerusalem in April, the Tower of David Museum began collaborating with two virtual reality production houses Blimey, based in Israel, and OccupiedVR, based in Canada to create an immersive augmented reality experience for the crowds expected at its medieval stone citadel. And ... More |
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Per Kirkeby Interview: We build upon ruins
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| | More News |
 Lessons in constructive solitude from ThoreauNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- During most of his life Henry David Thoreau was, by conventional standards of success, a failure. He rarely left the farm town of Concord, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1817. There he was viewed by at least some of his neighbors as a marginal figure, standoffish, politically radical, a loner, a crank. As a member of the New England literary world he cut a graceless figure and had an inauspicious professional start. His first book, A Week on the Concord and the Merrimack River, self-published in 1849, was a bust. He sold a mere fraction of its 1,000-copy press run. When the printer dumped the remainders on him, Thoreau stacked them up in his bedroom and wrote in his journal: I now have a library of nearly nine hundred volumes, over seven hundred of which I wrote myself. His second ... More P·P·O·W to represent Guadalupe MaravillaNEW YORK, NY.- P·P·O·W announced its representation of the transdisciplinary visual artist, choreographer, and healer, Guadalupe Maravilla. At the age of eight, Maravilla was part of the first wave of unaccompanied, undocumented children to arrive at the United States border in the 1980s as a result of the Salvadoran Civil War. In 2016, Maravilla became a U.S. citizen and adopted the name Guadalupe Maravilla in solidarity with his undocumented father, who uses Maravilla as his last name. As an acknowledgement of his own migratory past, Maravilla grounds his practice in the historical and contemporary contexts of immigrant culture, particularly those belonging to Latinx communities. Combining elements of pre-colonial Central American ancestry, personal mythology, and collaborative performative acts, Maravillas performances, objects, ... More The Royal Institute of British Architects announces new Board of TrusteesLONDON.- The Royal Institute of British Architects has today (Thursday 9 April) announced the inaugural members of its new Board of Trustees. The appointment of the new Board members follows a change in the RIBAs constitution in order to streamline its governance structure. Sir Nigel Carrington, currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Arts London, will join the Board, alongside experts from the worlds of architecture, business and culture. He will take up the role of Chair in September 2020. The newly created RIBA Board will oversee the RIBAs operations. Trustees will work closely with RIBA Council - the representative body which oversees the organisations strategy on behalf of the architecture profession. The new RIBA Board comprises a range of RIBA Council and independent members, with portfolios of expertise, alongside ... More Extremely rare silver penny of the boy king Edward the Martyr to be sold by Dix Noonan WebbLONDON.- An extremely rare Silver penny of the boy king Edward the Martyr - the teenager who ruled Saxon Britain in the 10th century has been found on the Isle of Wight and is estimated to fetch £5,000-7,000 when it is sold in an online/ live auction at Dix Noonan Webb, the international coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists in their sale of Coins on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10am. Due to the current COVID 19 situation, there will be no physical viewing of the auction. Prospective bidders are encouraged to consult DNWs website (www.dnw.co.uk) where all lots are illustrated and further condition reports can be requested if required. Customers are able to bid online (DNW make no additional charge for this service) or leave commission bids prior to the auction. Please note that the situation with regards to dispatch of lots is subject ... More Overlooked no more: F.N. Souza, India's anti-establishment artistNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- In 1949, curious art lovers in Bombay (now Mumbai) gathered at the Art Society of India to see the work of a rising young painter named Francis Newton. They were in for a surprise. On the gallerys center wall hung an expressionistic self-portrait of the artist, stark naked, paintbrush in hand, looking directly at the viewer with total assurance and a complete lack of shame. Nearly 6 feet tall, it made a powerful impression. A scandal ensued. The police rushed in, covering up the figures private parts. Obscenity charges were filed. Then, after removing all four paintings in the show, the police raided the artists studio in a search for pornographic material. Once again, Newton, who soon gained fame under the name F.N. Souza, his actual surname, had delivered on the promise of his Progressive Artists Group, a handful ... More Lincoln Center cancels summer programs because of coronavirusNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Lincoln Center canceled its summer programming Thursday, spiking the Mostly Mozart Festival, Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of Doors events because of the continuing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. It was yet another signal that large-scale cultural performances may not go forward even well into the summer. On Wednesday, Broadway announced it would remain closed at least through June 7. But industry leaders said they expected the theaters to remain shut at least a month longer than that, and possibly through Labor Day. At a news conference Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was too early to determine when large gatherings like plays or concerts could resume. Before you go to Broadway theaters, he said, people are going to say, When can I go back to work? ... More Trees are planted on Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen's rooftop gardenROTTERDAM.- Wednesday 8 April saw the installation of 75 trees on the roof garden of Rotterdams Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the worlds first publicly accessible art storage facility, designed by MVRDV. Over the next two weeks, the contractor in charge of building the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Royal BAM Group, will finish construction of the garden. A special crane was used to lift 75 birch trees onto the 35-meter-high roof of the building, where they were planted in a roof garden with adjacent restaurant and spectacular views of the city. The tree that has been selected is the downy birch (Betula pubescens), a soft birch that grows up to ten meters in height and is resistant to the weather conditions on the roof. The trees are between ten and fifteen years old and have been acclimatised to an elevated situation over the past three ... More Quinn's to auction antique and collectible dolls, fine and decorative art, April 15FALLS CHURCH, VA.- On April 15, Quinns Auction Galleries, in partnership with LiveAuctioneers, will conduct a 392-lot online sale of collectible dolls, antiques, militaria, and fine and decorative arts. Bidders may view the fully illustrated catalog and bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers. The highlight of the auction is a single-owner collection of dolls and automata, with dates of manufacture ranging from the mid-19th century to present day. Antique makers include some of the greatest names of their era: Jumeau, Gaultier, Vichy and Lambert. The modern doll selection features coveted designs by Francirek & Oliveira, and Koukinova. Automata are early wind-up dolls that were made as showpieces rather than playthings. Like the fine-quality dolls produced in the 19th century, automata were dressed in expensive fabrics silk ... More From prominent Turkish philanthropist to political prisonerNEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- During a tumultuous day in court in February, Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala was unexpectedly acquitted of trying to overthrow the government and then rearrested before he could walk free. He described it as the best day of his life. We were acquitted, he told his lawyers, referring to the eight others tried with him. Never mind that the two years he had already spent in solitary confinement had been extended indefinitely this time on specious charges of supporting a 2016 coup. He was happy that at least in one case, he and 15 others had been given the chance to show that the original charges against them were baseless. Nothing can affect that composure and attitude, Murat Celikkan, a campaigning journalist and longtime friend and colleague, said of Kavala. I would ... More Virtual museum: Walters Art Museum announces new digital engagement effortsBALTIMORE, MD.- The Walters Art Museum has created new digital content to engage visitors with its collections and programming during the museums temporary closure due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The new efforts are distributed through the Walters website and social media channels, and include Look at Art, Make Art, a weekly step-by-step art making tutorial, and Walters Ed Delivery, a helpline for questions from students and teachers staffed by the Walters education, curatorial, and conservation departments. Future plans include talks from curators, conservators, and local artists, expanded resources for K-12 teachers, and interactive galleries of art from the community. We believe our commitment to free, open access extends into the digital world, especially during a time of crisis when creativity and community ... More Art Gallery of South Australia encourages virtual engagement for young people with teen-led eventADELAIDE.- Neo, the " target="_blank">Art Gallery of South Australias dedicated program for teens, is shape shifting into a digital space! While the doors to the Gallery are closed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Monstrous Neo Digital Teen Takeover will take place online and over social media. On the night of Saturday 25 April, an interactive program will launch especially for 13-17 year olds on AGSAs website. Featuring exclusive online experiences responding to the 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Monster Theatres, Monstrous Neo Digital Teen Takeover is led by Neos Teen Ambassadors, South Australian contemporary artists, and youth and arts focused organisations. Monstrous Neo Digital Teen Takeover promises a program full of online creative experiences and tutorials, live music, and studio sneak-peeks facilitated by local artists and ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, American artist Chris Burden was born April 11, 1946. Christopher Lee "Chris" Burden (April 11, 1946 - May 10, 2015) was an American artist working in performance, sculpture and installation art. In this image: Operator Alison Walker watches miniature cars move along the roads in Chris Burden's latest kinetic sculpture, "Metropolis II," at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles
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