Artists

Ahron Weiner on the Verge: Bringing "The Flood" to Brooklyn

Filed under: Art

There were breaks in the rain, but the day ended with small rivers flowing through the gutters in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood. It was the last day of Armory week in New York City, an event consisting of art fairs all over the city, ranging from colossal reputations and incredible valuations to emerging artists eager for their first tastes of success and notoriety. I was on my way to the Verge show, itself spread out over several locations.

If you want to find something unique or unusual, Verge is the place to go. You'll have to sift through a lot of good efforts (as opposed to successful results), but the one piece that blows your mind is worth it. I found it at 20 Jay Street: "The Flood," by Ahron Weiner.

There is nothing conventional about Weiner's photography, except, perhaps, for the fact that he uses a camera. After that, he's truly exploring new territory. "The Flood" is part of a larger effort that tells the stories of the Old Testament through rehabilitated advertising images.
Okay, that's a lot to digest. So, let's step through the concept.

If you ever see a tall (by my standards, at least) man with long blond hair chipping through the advertising posters on Manhattan scaffolds, there's a good chance it's Weiner. These posters are slapped up all over the city, with the new simply covering up the old ... and so on. It's endless. Weiner goes in the opposite direction. He peels away at the layers, looking for a story to emerge. Starting with what strikes him as an interesting advertisement, he pulls to see what lies beneath.

Gallery: "Cycle of Violence" at the DUMBO Arts Festival

Tags: Art Exhibition, art fair, art fairs, Art Gallery, art show, artist, Artists, brooklyn, new york, new york city

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The Classicist: Paradise Lost - 40 Years of Cafe Society

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books, The Classicist, Wealth

In the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s the so-called Café Society in Europe drew together aristocrats, millionaires, artists, authors, couturiers, choreographers and musicians in a "glittering world of fashion and frivolity, opulence and ostentation", notes Thierry Coudert in his ultra-stylish new book, Café Society: Socialites, Patrons and Artists 1920 to 1960 from Flammarion. Those decades were the "apotheosis of an era that was to have a profound influence on the history of taste" Coudert writes, with the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Lady Diana Cooper, Diana Vreeland, Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Cecil Beaton setting the tone and deciding which artists, designers, and musicians were in vogue. The cover of the book (above) depicts heiress Barbara Hutton, then the Countess von Reventlow, at a tennis match in 1940, while Yves Saint Laurent, Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and many more make cameos in the impressive volume.

Gallery: Cafe Society

Tags: Aristocrats, art, artists, books, Café Society, Cafe Society, coffee table books, Diana Vreeland, Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Duke of Windsor, Europe, fashion, France, Noel Coward, socialites, society, style, wealth, Yves Saint Laurent

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ArtWeLove: A Great First Step for Aspiring Art Collectors

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

When I first started writing about the art market, in the white-hot auction climate of the summer of 2007, I had the chance to interview Prof. Michael Moses of NYU. Co-founder of the Mei-Moses Index used to gauge the direction of art prices, he's pretty much the de facto source for issues at the intersection of art and investing. I'll never forget the advice he offered to my readers: start with prints of your favorite pieces, and as you can afford to, replace them with the real thing.

This is the exact concept I saw in action when I stopped by the ArtWeLove booth at the Affordable Art Fair to visit company founder Laurence Lafforgue.

Art We Love focuses on making works by high-caliber artists available to entry-level collectors. The archival pigment prints offered by the company are limited-edition reproductions of museum-caliber pieces from well-known artists who have agreed to work with Lafforgue to make the art luxury attainable to a broader constituency.

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art exhibit, Art Exhibition, art exhibits, art fair, art market, art show, artist, Artists

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"Earth Leak": Art Brings Disaster to Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

As I walked the aisles of New York's Affordable Art Fair this past weekend, hoping to meet artists who'll someday become the mainstays of the auction scene, a powerful installation stopped me dead in my tracks. Black paint dripped from a white orb, which was suspended above a pile of once-white everyday household items. A milk carton and shoe, among other things, slowly turned black, as did the map of the world upon which they rested. An entanglement of pipes spread out from the dirtying action, and a quiet man sat on the floor beneath one of them, looking content and relaxed.

So, I had to interrupt his piece.

This is how I met Kamol Akhunov, the artist responsible for "Earth Leak". Inspired by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Akhunov's installation drives home the message that a disaster thousands of miles away can affect our daily lives, as suggested by the black paint falling upon the pile of household goods, as well as the map beneath them.

Gallery: Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Artist Kamol Akhumov with Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art exhibit, Art Exhibition, art exhibits, art fair, art show, artist, Artists, artwork, gulf of mexico, Gulf of Mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Gulf of Mexico spill, manhattan, new york, new york city, oil, oil spill

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Five Ways to Protect Your Purchases at New York's Affordable Art Fair

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The Affordable Art Fair starts on September 30, 2010, and it comes with plenty of opportunities to pick up pieces by emerging artists. Featuring works priced from $100 to $10,000, the right choices can turn into astounding art investments down the road. While collectors are drawn to the pieces themselves first, it's hard to overlook the financial appreciation that can occur, especially as the art market claws its way back from financial crisis lows.

What happens if your artwork is damaged? Collectors don't always spend enough time thinking about the financial side of their holdings, and art insurance can be an afterthought. So, it might not be a bad idea to invest a little in protecting your work.

"After taking the time to evaluate a work of art, but before making a purchase, it is important that collectors consider how they are going to protect their investment," said Andrew Gristina, Fine Art Specialist, Travelers Inland Marine. "Most people buy art because of the aesthetic beauty, however, it's also a financial investment, which is why insurance coverage and proper handling should be a consideration with each purchase."

Here are three five steps you can take to protect what you pick up at the Affordable Art Fair (or anywhere else):

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art fair, art work, artist, Artists, awards-main, decor-pedia, emerging artists, financial crisis, insurance, luxist-awards, main-pedia, manhattan, new york, new york city

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Tough Year for Takashi Murakami as Auction Revenue Plunges

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Contemporary art values got spanked following the financial crisis, and even though there were signs of hope in October and November 2009, it's been a long road to recovery. Some artists, in particular, were beaten particularly severely by the collapse of the contemporary art market.

Takashi Murakami, a fervent self-marketer as well as artist, sustained a decline in total auction revenue from $8 million for the July 2008 – June 2009 period to $3.4 million for the 12 months running from July 2009 – June 2010. ArtPrice reports that only 223 of his pieces were brought to auction during the year ending in June 2010, and only nine brought in more than €100,000. None hit the seven-figure mark.

Though the cash isn't rolling in, ArtPrice notes that Murakami "is back in the limelight thanks to his theatrical exhibition in the Château de Versailles which runs until 12 December 2010."

[photo by achimh via Flickr]

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Tags: art market, artist, Artists, artwork, contemporary art, financial crisis, murakami, Takashi Murakami

Saudi Art Set to Surge

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The timing couldn't be better for Saudi artists. Just as the art market is recovering in the wake of a severe slump – the worst in almost 20 years – the world is starting to take notice of work that has long been limited only to a local market. Following an exhibition by a group of artists in London in October 2008 and another at last year's Venice Biennale, momentum is building. Shows are planned for Istanbul and Berlin. Auction prices are shooting higher. Excitement is abundant.

And the government is behind it.

King Abdullah's strategy for rebranding Saudi Arabia includes promoting the country's artists, even though there aren't many art galleries inside its borders. The combination of hype and low prices could translate to an amazing opportunity for art collectors. Get in now while the buzz is beginning, and you might be able to ride a sharp increase.

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Tags: art galleries, Art Gallery, art market, artist, Artists, artwork, King Abdullah, saudi arabia

May Art Sales to Bring Records and Liquidity

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The Impressionist and Modern Art sales on May 4 and 5, 2010 are likely to confirm a continued climb in art auction pricing. We're now six months or so into the badly needed upswing, and there's plenty of room for optimism. Not only are the presale estimates and sales on the way up, but the number of pieces being resold quickly is on the rise, as well. This means that there's a high degree of liquidity in the art market: collectors can sell easily and without worry (as long as the inventory doesn't suck, in which case there's no hope, of course).

The increase in art market liquidity is due in part to the return of guaranteed minimum pricing, in which the auction houses assume some sales risk for attractive or desirable pieces that they feel can beat the numbers and attract buyers and sellers of other strong works. According to ArtPrice, there are "tens of millions of dollars for major works" committed via guaranteed minimum pricing, indicating that confidence is up.

It's the price guarantees that have led to the arrival of some strong pieces at the early may auctions this year, including pieces from the collections of Mrs Sidney Francis Brody, Raymond and Miriam Klein, Bernard Goldberg and Michael Crichton. Brody's works alone could fetch up to $150 million. The high estimate for Christie's is $300 million, a target that doesn't include the top lot, "Nude, Green Leaves" by Pablo Picasso, which as Jared Paul Stern revealed in a recent column is expected to bring in as much as $90 million. Other artists with eight-figure estimates include Henri Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti.

Don't just look for good news – also a expect a few records to b set. Sotheby's has high hopes for pieces by Salvador Dali and Auguste Rodin.

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Tags: alberto giacometti, art auction, art auctions, art market, artist, Artists, auction, auction houses, auction-house, auctions, Christie, Christies, ChristiesAuction, ChristiesAuctionHouse, contemporary, contemporary art, giacometti, Henri Matisse, impressionist, impressionists, michael crichton, modern art, Pablo Picasso, picasso, rodin, Salvador Dali, Sotheby, sothebys

Artist Michael Varley at 25CPW

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

I snuck a peak into 25CPW over the weekend while taking my son for walk down Central Park West. Having been jammed for the past few weeks, I'd lost track of what's been passing through the unique gallery space on the Upper West Side. So, it was nice to have a chance to catch even a glimpse of the latest collection.

The action inside the art gallery caught my eye. New pieces were hanging, and gallery executive director Bess Greenberg was moving through the pace with a purpose, and a man I hadn't seen before wielded a paint roller at the end of a long handle. Not wanting to give up the perfect day, I pushed the stroller forward and back toward Central Park, but the curiosity stayed with me.

It turns out the new show contains selected works by Michael Varley and is on display until May 5, 2010. It can be viewed only by appointment, and the work is certainly interesting. Don't worry, there are more events coming.

Tags: art galleries, Art Gallery, artist, Artists, central park, central park west, manhattan, new york, new york city, Upper West Side

May Art Auctions Likely to Bring Back Excitement

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The May art sales are coming, and I, for one, can't wait to see what happens. The art market took an exciting turn at the end of 2009. Prices appeared to be on the mend, though nobody was willing to believe it fully – not after the tumult experienced for the year and a half before it. Tentative steps gave way to optimism at the beginning of this year, leading many to accept that the art market is coming back. Collectors opened their wallets. Auction houses put better works on the block. Everything looked good.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much action in the major categories since February. This is strictly a function of the auction seasons. Sure, we've had the Armory Show in New York and Phillips de Pury's anemic sex-themed auction, but this doesn't scratch the big-money art market itch. At the beginning of March, Sotheby's moved Andy Warhol's "Self Defense" for $420,000, well ahead of the presale estimate of $250,000 to $300,000. Christie's pushed "Two Jackies" for $446,500, more than 10 times more than the low-end presale estimate of $40,000. Yet, without piercing the million dollar mark, it's hard to capture anyone's imagination.

So, we've had to wait – and will have to continue to do so until May. In the meantime, anticipation has been mounting. What's coming up next?

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Tags: andy warhol, art, art auction, art auctions, art market, artist, Artists, arts-culture, auction house, auction houses, Christies, Pablo Picasso, Sotheby, sothebys

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Afghan Refugees to Benefit from 25CPW Art Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Charity, Video

The action at 25CPW has been nonstop. Following its successful show last week, featuring the artwork of guards from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the temporary art gallery on Manhattan's Upper West Side hosted a silent auction featuring the original creations of Afghan women and children. Several thousand dollars were raised at the event, which was organized by 25CPW guru Bess Greenberg and Brianne Leary, the driving force behind Saving Afghanistan and journalist who covered the Soviet/Afghan conflict through the 1980s. The financial result, says Leary, addresses an immediate need for specific refugees in transition.

The prices at the one-night auction were purposefully kept accessible, given the prevailing economic climate, says Leary, and the event was well-attended. Get the full story directly from Leary in the video below.

Gallery: Afghan Art Auction: A night of art, food and music @ 25CPW

Tags: 25cpw, afghanistan, art galleries, Art Gallery, artist, Artists, artwork, charity auction, manhattan, new york, new york city, Upper West Side

Four Reasons Optimism Was Seen at New York's Armory Week Art Fair

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

For the past week, the art community has focused on New York City's annual Armory event, in which artists put their best pieces forward, dealers and galleries are on the prowl and collectors look for new finds that will someday redefine their portfolios. Momentum from the contemporary art auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's was certainly present, as all in attendance seemed focused on opportunity rather than window-shopping. The efforts at the Armory were consistent with a marketplace that's active, not the crushing fear that characterized the art market through the second half of 2008 and most of 2009.

1. Koons went bare
What was expected to be the most controversial event of Armory Week turned out to be subdued, though well attended. Jeff Koons offered a tribute to open sexuality with an exhibition that opened last Tuesday. Protesters weren't in sight, but musicians Cyndi Lauper and The Edge (guitarist for U2) checked out the show.

2. Solo booths were back in style
According to ArtInfo, "Solo artist booths were everywhere you looked." Individuals were ready to put themselves out into the market. Collectors had the opportunity to focus on specific artists as a result, rather than see disparate artwork crammed together by galleries and dealers managing inventory as if they were grocers. The good news, however, is that this shift isn't indicative of an art market slump. Rather, it's a sign of optimism. There's a belief out there that art collectors are ready to buy, especially given what we've seen at auction so far this year.

Tags: armory, art, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art dealer, art fair, art galleries, Art Gallery, art market, art show, artist, Artists, Christies, contemporary art, galleries, gallery, Jeff Koons, manhattan, new york, new york city, sothebys, upper east side

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What Happened to Damien Hirst?

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

In 2008, an astounding 65 pieces by Damien Hirst fetched seven-figures each at auction. The total came to $230 million. The numbers are nothing short of staggering, especially when you compare it to what he did six years earlier, when the annual total for his work hit a mere $2 million. Clearly, some excitement was generated, and art collectors rode the wave. The last major sale was conducted at Sotheby's on September 15 and 16. "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever," as it was called, made a killing for the hottest living artist ... right before the financial world went to straight to hell. This bold move, however, led to a period of silence for the artist and stagnation for his collectors.

Shortly after the mortgage market mayhem became a global financial affair, unsold rates for Hirst's work shot from 11 percent to 55 percent by the end of the year. A mere 12 months after his he emptied the insides of his head -- not to mention plenty of inventory -- prices for Hirst's work returned to 2004 levels. A year after buying "Butterfly" painting "I Miss You" in late October 2008, Christie's unloaded it for a mere $450,000, only half what it had paid. In 2004, the piece's initial auction price was $415,000. I suspect this is at least part of the reason why the auction houses backed away from guaranteed minimum pricing ...

With the books closed on 2009, only two pieces by Hirst pierced the million dollar mark, both from the "Butterfly" series. "Tranquility" brought in $1.5 million back in May at an auction in Hong Kong. Almost half a year later, "The Importance of Elsewhere-The Kingdom of Heave" brought in close to $2 million, again at a Hong Kong auction. Both sales came from Seoul, not the usual New York and London communities.

Tags: art auction, art auctions, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtCollecting, ArtCollection, ArtCollector, artist, Artists, ArtMarket, auction, auction house, auction houses, AuctionHouse, AuctionHouses, auctions, Christies, damien hirst, DamienHirst, Hong Kong, HongKong, Sotheby, sothebys

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High Hopes for London Art Auctions

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The London art auctions are upon us, and a year has made a hell of a difference. The auctions at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips de Pury are expected to fetch at least $104 million, which would be an increase of 68 percent over the same season in 2009. If the houses can pull this off, the art market will probably breathe a collective sigh of relief after more than a year of downright awful results.

At this point last year, the art market was in miserable shape. It was already in trouble, as the recession had begun to crystallize over the summer of 2008, a process which was hardened by the financial market meltdown in September. By the end of the year, prices had plummeted, and the practice of guaranteed minimum pricing had generally been abandoned.

By the end of 2009, signs of a recovery began to emerge, though few were willing to commit to it. A few pieces, such as Andy Warhol's "200 One Dollar Bills" turned in strong performances, but nothing was solid enough to call a trend. Nonetheless, hopes are high for the next round of sales, which will include museum-caliber paintings by Peter Doig and Yves Klein. Shown at right is Andy Warhol's Dollar Sign estimated at $1,950,000 - $2,925,000 at Christie's London Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction on February 11.

Tags: andy warhol, AndyWarhol, art auction, art auctions, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtCollecting, ArtCollection, ArtCollector, Artists, ArtMarket, artwork, auction house, auction houses, AuctionHouse, AuctionHouses, basquiat, Christies, damien hirst, DamienHirst, england, jean-michel basquiat, Jean-michelBasquiat, Jeff Koons, JeffKoons, london, lucian freud, LucianFreud, peter doig, PeterDoig, phillips de pury, PhillipsDePury, sothebys, yves klein, YvesKlein

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Is Contemporary African Art Ready to Jump?

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

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.

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Tags: africa, art, art auction, art auctions, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, artist, Artists, ArtMarket, artwork, auction, auction house, auction houses, AuctionHouse, AuctionHouses, auctions, bonhams, BonhamsAuction, Christies, contemporary art, ContemporaryArt, sothebys, south africa, SouthAfrica