Art

There's a new show at the Eden Rock Gallery on St. Barths this month ... and it represents a bit of a departure from past exhibitions. Doubtless, some considerable talent has moved through the resort's art gallery, with names such as Richard Prince not to be taken lightly. And, the relationship with the New York Academy of Art has ensured that the artists in residence have been unmatched in talent.

The latest show is not short on talent and remains consistent with the reputation the Eden Rock Gallery has defined for itself, but the artist comes from a little closer to home. Jane Matthews will be showing her work in an exhibition entitled "Between Places and People," which features simple but direct subject matter in a fluid style slightly reminiscent of Gaugin (just a hint).

Jane owns Eden Rock with her husband, David Matthews, and it's their commitment to the arts that led to the gallery and the careful selection of pieces to hang in the property's various villas (such as Villa Rockstar).

With "Between Places and People," Jane proves that she doesn't just know how to pick art – she can create it, too. The photos alone caused me to fall in love with this show.

Liya Alfred by Brian Alfred

Christie's own New York gallery outpost Haunch of Venison is hosting a special benefit Monday night for The Time In Children's Arts Initiative, a HiArt! outreach program that is dedicated to bringing arts-inspired curriculum to at-risk schoolkids.

Galleries all over the city and individual artists have donated special works and experience packages to the auction to raise much needed funds, as schools across the city continue to cut their art budgets. Time In has spent the last year immersing Harlem kindergarteners and first graders in art, including gifting them with art supplies to sketch in HiArt! studios or in museums and galleries across the city. It's an inspiring new program that is set to grow exponentially with a little help from New York art patrons.

This delicate little piggy bank vase is unexpectedly attractive considering it's meant to represent the ushering in of digital currency and the extinction of physical money, paused at the exact moment the hammer hits the piggy. I suspect in this recession some will also be inspired to see it as representative of the need to break into savings to survive. The Killing of a Piggy Bank is the result of a collaboration between Marcel Wanders and Royal Delft for Moooi, and is the latest addition to the Delft Blue Collection of porcelain vases. $1,288

All of Los Angeles wants to know where billionaire Eli Broad and his Broad Art Foundation will land. Ever since Broad decided in 2008 that he wouldn't be installing his 2,000 work contemporary art collection at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, the question of where he would establish his own museum has been up in the air. First it seemed that he might head to Beverly Hills or Santa Monica but the latest info from the LA Times seems to indicate the potential for a downtown move.

Broad's museum could end up as part of the ambitious, Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue project. Broad has long been a supporter of the development which would revitalize the heart of downtown's arts district with hotels, condos and retail space. Until recently Broad was a member of the committee overseeing the project on behalf of the Grand Avenue Authority but he resigned a few months ago, clearing the way for his transition into being a possible part of the project. The Grand Avenue Authority has said they will be considering a proposal from the Broad Foundation. As the LA Times points out, the project has stalled out in the face of the economic decline when the developer was unable to get a multibillion-dollar construction loan. If Broad chooses to put his museum here it will be in good company, Disney Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art and other cultural venues are located nearby. Broad, who is 76, is likely mindful of the story of another famous art collector, the late Donald Fisher who recently died without having secured plans for his museum. Broad isn't going anywhere but this museum is his legacy to the city of Los Angeles and I'm sure he is eager that it find a good home soon.

While at the Geneva Time Exhibition 2010 recently I got to meet with one of my modern watch making heroes, Yvan Arpa. I have discussed his exploits during his time at Romain Jerome, and his new project is Artya. In addition, he will be designing a line of watches for Volna. Artya is interesting concept that could only come from a mind like Arpa's. An artist himself, he sees a large niche for watches made by talented people who consider themselves artists above only watch makers. Arpa is also interested in exclusivity. For that reason, each and every Artya watch will be totally unique - as well as relatively affordable. In a time when a totally unique watch costs over $100,000, how is it possible that Artya watches will mostly cost under $10,000?

It has to do with Arpa's vision for how the watches are made. Instead of making totally unique cases in the manufacturing process, Artya creates unique cases more organically. The workshop's process involves a tesla coil. Making artificial lightning that "tortures" the watches. The result is mostly cases that are too destroyed, but in the experimentation comes pieces that are interesting in style and suitable for the necessary level of water resistance.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has ordered a new yacht, the "Eclipse", which is due for delivery from Blohm & Voss sometime this year and is being heralded as the world's biggest private yacht at 560 ft long. Among its many outstanding features are armor plating and a missile defense system, plus a laser shield that shoots bolts of light at cameras to ruin photographs and foil the paparazzi. He must feel safe leaving valuables inside (I guess!) because over the last several months he's been busy buying up art from the Millennium gallery in south England to decorate the yacht's massive interior. Although details on the specific pieces and prices purchased have not been released, we do know it totals 35 pieces so far and the collection is valued at over $300,000 dollars.

I would love to see that interior!

It was synchronicity: you happened to have your camera ready and Mother Nature just happened to look at you in that special way and smile. On your camera's tiny screen it looks divine – like nearly every other shot. But when you get it on your computer you blow it up to its full resolution and you find out... it looks divine. There is no Facebook page nor inkjet printer that can do this image justice. Obviously, it's time for CanvasPop.

That is where you can have your keen timing committed to high quality canvas – you know, just like a real artiste. Upload your photo and then choose from a hefty number of options such as filter effects, like oil painting or hand sketch effect, multiple canvases to create diptychs, triptychs, and quads, and six different types of rolled canvas depths and floating frames. It works even for low-resolution images, or you can send them an image you need scanned, and CanvasPop will send you a free proof to make sure you approve.

Then choose any one of their 14 standard sizes or choose your own custom size, and pretty soon the mailman will be delivering your vision made real. Shipping is free to the U.S., Canada, and the UK, while unbranded drop shipping to the rest of the world requires just $14. With CanvasPop having it made it that easy, a few more moments of inspiration on your part and Cartier-Bresson and Adams might find themselves giving up the parlor for the spare bedroom...

I love it when hotels get involved with the arts. The new art hotels opening in Australia excited me, and I had a blast exploring the art-themed properties in Orlando. The latest hotel to jump on this trend is The Opposite House, in Beijing. Through March, The Opposite House will be showing two painting installations by Peng Wei, an artist famous for the delicate ink color paintings she creates on silk and paper.

Her new series, Bodies, consists of female forms on rice paper. The pieces are lit from within, providing a soft glow and likely to mesmerize anyone who passes by them. Rock Garden, also on display, is a series of rocks painted on transparent pastels, coming together in a garden representing the scholarly tradition.

The tone of your stay is set when you cross into a hotel's lobby, and the commitment made by The Opposite House is sure to get your visit started in a manner that will be tough to top.

The first decade of the new millennium was the domain of Latin America, Asia, Turkey and Russia. A robust art market emerged in the Middle East, which brought with it plenty of interest in the region's artist. But, what about Africa? The continent has been underrepresented in galleries and at auction, but it looks like collectors eager to try something new may be developing an appetite for African art.

The region's offering is both large and incredibly diversified, according to a report by Artprice, and over the past 20 years, several African artists have been able to garner some attention at international art fairs and major exhibitions. Pieces have been featured sporadically, with a show at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1989 and anther two years later at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. The Africa Remix exhibition toured from 2004 to 2007 ... and that's about it.

There's been a bit more action in the auction market, with Sotheby's becoming the first major house to sell contemporary African art in June 1999, when it sent the Jean Pigozzi collection under the gavel in London. It generated less than $16,000 but still set a record. Since then, Sotheby's hasn't dedicated any London or New York sales to African art (aside from its work with South African auctioneer, Stephan Welz & Co). Bonhams has taken more of an interest in the category, holding an African art sale back in April and moving 64 percent of the lots offered.

Corporate art collections are falling right and left and some pricey pieces are hitting the market. Next month, Sotheby's London will auction off a Giacometti sculpture, L'Homme Qui Marche, that was once part of the corporate collection of Germany's Dresdner Bank. Commerzbank acquired the piece when it took over Dresdner Bank last year.

The sculpture is estimated at £12-18 million and is part of the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on February 3. Wealth Bulletin reports that proceeds from the sale will benefit both Commerzbank and selected German museums. Other works formerly in the collection of Dresdner Bank will be placed on permanent loan with museums in Frankfurt, Dresden and Berlin.

The sculpture was executed in 1960 and cast in bronze in a numbered edition of 6 plus 4 artist's proofs. This one was cast in 1961 and is inscribed Alberto Giacometti and numbered 2/6 and with the foundry mark Susse Fondeur Paris. Giacometti's "L'Homme Qui Chavire" made the list of top pieces sold in 2009 in the ninth position with a price of $19.4 million.

The Fresno Metropolitan Museum announced yesterday that it is closing. In a letter on the museum website, museum president Stewart Randall called a museum "an exercise in hope" and expressed regret that the museum is closing after more than two decades in the California town. The museum is closing because of financial woes. It had struggled to stay afloat and was over $5 million in debt. The museum has laid off 12 employees and 10 others are staying on for a couple of months to close the museum. The city of Fresno owns the building after spending $15 million to cover the museum's recent of the former Fresno Bee newspaper building which went over budget. The museum's art collection and any other assets subject to creditor claims will be sold off over time. The building will be available for lease from the city and may house the Pop Laval photo collection gallery and the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.

This isn't the only museum to recently close in California. Last month, the Claremont Museum of Art closed and moved its permanent collection to a warehouse.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is hosting an exhibition comparing the lost world of ancient Rome to modern America -- they're not so different as one might think.

"The profound and pervasive legacy of ancient Rome is deeply embedded in the western culture of today; the lasting effects of Roman domination can be found almost anywhere," said Linda Carioni of Contemporanea Progetti. "They can be seen in our judiciary and monetary systems, in our art and architectural patrimony, in the modern Romance languages, in our alphabet of 26 letters, as well as the calendar of Julius Caesar."

History buffs and pop culture fans alike will be fascinated by the comparisons of our nation to the much-romanticized empire, including artifacts such as:

• "Two eagles depicting this classic symbol shared by ancient Rome and America. The American eagle is carved from gilt wood. It was made in 1804 by Samuel McIntire, an important early American architect. Of the Roman eagle, only the bronze head remains. It likely originated from the top of a Roman army military standard."
• "Roman busts of Scipio Africanus, Julius Caesar, and Cicero. American busts of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, each portrayed in togas."
• "Gladiator/Football helmets. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael's helmet will be on display with a gladiator helmet and four original pieces from the gladiator barracks of an amphitheater in Pompeii – a 'greave' (shin guard), two spearheads, and a dagger."
• "Excavated remnants from Pompeii, including silverware, a preserved piece of a wall fresco, and the cast of a man who did not escape the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius."
• "Slave collars from ancient Rome and the United States. Both ancient Rome and America prior to 1865 were slave societies. Made in the early 1800s, the slave collar from the US is a rare artifact that can be tied to one man's quest for freedom. Ben, a slave who worked on a farm in Pennsylvania, tried to escape three times, and after the third time, his owner had an iron collar made for him."
• "A selection of classical works belonging to the Founding Fathers that helped shape their political thought during the early years of the American republic. John Adams' personal copy of Plutarch's Lives, John Dickenson's personal copy of the works of Roman historian Tacitus, and John Quincy Adams' personal copy of Cicero's De Oratore."
• "Two letters from August 1776 exchanged between John and Abigail Adams. In them, Abigail signs her name 'Portia' after the wife of the Roman Senator Brutus. The letters are filled with classical references and ideas of republican virtue."

If you're looking for something to boost your patriotism and encourage deeper thinking about our nation in these troubled times, this multi-million dollar exhibition might be exactly what you need. Perhaps we can learn from the Romans how to create a better future. A video at the end of exhibit regarding the fall of the Roman Empire leaves visitors to "ponder the lessons" of ancient Rome.

The Ancient Rome & America exhibition will be on display from February 19 to August 1, 2010. Visit constitutioncenter.org for more information. Check out Kimpton Hotels' brand new Hotel Palomar for accommodations, and click through the gallery to preview some of the artifacts (images courtesy of The National Constitution Center).

Although we don't like to talk about it, it's hard not to speculate, when purchasing the work of a living artist, if the work will be worth more once the artist shuffles off the mortal coil. Tasmanian millionaire David Walsh takes that speculation to a new level by buying the life of an artist. He has entered a unique arrangement to film an artist's entire life until he dies. The French artist Christian Boltanski will be filmed 24 hours a day in his Paris studio. The Herald Sun reports that the video will be streamed live to Walsh's $70 million Museum of Old and New Art once it opens in 2011. Boltanski will be paid a fee until he dies so the longer he lives, the better a deal it is for him. Boltanski is currently 65. Boltanski has called the deal a game, to win he must stay alive at least eight years. Walsh is essentially gambling that he won't. Filming began yesterday.

Another article goes deeper into the terms of the agreement. Apparently if Boltanski dies within the first two years during the project, Walsh will pay Boltanski's next of kin a discounted price for the footage in installments over eight years. But should Boltanski live beyond the eight years, Walsh will pay full price. Should Boltanski die before the eight years the footage goes to Walsh but if he lives then it belongs to him. Boltankski wants to prove to Walsh, who says he never loses a bet, that no one can beat the odds all the time. In an earlier AFP piece, Boltanski said that Walsh told him he would die before the eight years are up because he never loses and while Boltanski conceded that he doesn't take the best care of himself he still is willing to bet with the man he calls a devil.

More and more art collections held by financial institutions seems to be making their way to market. Once an art collection held by a business was considered an investment and a sign of status. Lately it's looking more and more like a liability. The Royal Bank of Scotland is reportedly looking at selling parts of its £10m to £15m art collection when the art market improves. The move is part of an overall trend in having state-owned banks get rid of anything not essential to doing business.

The collection of the bank, which is majority owned by the UK Government, includes pieces from artists LS Lowry, Anne Redpath, Jack Vettriano, Patrick Caulfield and Peter Howson. The bank inherited many of the pieces through a merger with NatWest in 2000. The bank is planning to loan out some of the pieces to public galleries next year including The National Galleries of Scotland and The National Gallery, The art is currently mostly displayed on office walls but with around 400 of its existing 2,250 banking and insurance branches in England and Wales closing there will be a lot less wall space available.

A spokeswoman for the bank as quoted in the Wall Street Journal said that the bank will not sell pieces that are of historical importance or that national galleries might wish to exhibit. Other pieces however may be up for sale if it is deemed that the market is strong enough and a good price could be realized.

The action in Tribeca on Saturday night gave me a bit more proof that the art market is looking for a bounce. I attended an art show held by local artist Ben Krell and Lindsey Nobel, who came in from Los Angeles, and the action was palpable. At last count, six pieces sold at the event, and there were many serious buyers with an eye to add emerging artists to their collections again.

Krell and Nobel have vastly different styles, but the pieces complemented each other in the loft where the event, billed as an "open studio," was held. Krell's work through several periods was on display, from the tight geometric styles he favored several years ago to the organic approach he uses today. Nobel offered pieces using several media – including photography and plastic. Works by both artists captivated the guests who crowded the venue as the evening unfolded.

Nobel's work features intricate designs connecting larger abstract shapes that are based on photographs she has taken of sculptures. The intentional result is an interconnectedness reminiscent of neural networks, linking stations of consciousness into a greater, unified presence.

Unlike his partner at the event, Krell prefer broader, sweeping themes on his canvases (which he shapes himself). His latest movement evokes feelings of creation – in the cosmic sense – with concentrations of energy yielding to calming effects.

The Tribeca art exhibition was a trip home for Krell, who painted in that particular loft back in the 1990s. He also held a show there in September 2008, shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The mood couldn't have been more different this time around. Attendees were considerably more upbeat ... and in greater number. The sheer level of participation was enough to suggest that the art market is getting ready to turn, and the fact that several collectors made purchases reinforces the notion.


[Photo courtesy of Ben Krell]