The above books are the all-time favorites, while these here below are the latest books on O’Keeffe:

My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz: Volume One, 1915-1933 (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson

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Contains interview video clips, commentary and visuals of Ansel Adams’ outstanding nature photography and source materials.

PART 1

Part 2 of this series will be published Wednesday.

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.

Adams always had a eye for the extra-ordinary in nature.  His photography of the Yosemite National Park and natural reserves in and around California is breathtaking. He received his first camera, a Kodak Brownie box camera, at age 16 on his first trip to Yosemite, an event which changed his life forever.

Moon and Half Dome, Yosem… Ansel Adams Buy From Art.com

It is also well-known that Ansel Adams was one fo the greatest environmentalists of the twentieth century. By exhibiting & publishing his art and writings, his presidency over the Sierra Club, Ansel Adams effectively advocated the preservation of America’s wilderness.

Ansel Adams Books

However, besides being a fantastic photographer and an environmentalist, Ansel Adams also was a great teacher of his art.   He did the whole gamet: wrote series of instructional books, taught photography workshops and college classes, and was involved in research. At first, Adams published essays in photography magazines. Then in 1935, he wrote his first instructional book ‘Making a photograph: An introduction to photography. ’. This is now a ‘rare’,photography ‘how to’- book.

Another well-known book by Ansel Adams is ‘The Camera‘. It is a photography classic, which is illustrated with some of the most welll-known photos by Adams.  A second book is called ‘The Print’. And a third instructional manual is called The Negative‘. These three books form the core of the legendary series of technical instructional manuals, first published by And Adams in the early 1950s.

Ansel Adams Workshops & Classes

In 1940 he began teaching a series of workshops, which then evolved into the annual photography workshops he led in Yosemite – Carmel from 1955 to1984.  He taught at the San Francisco Art Institute. There is well known for his work in codifying a method for negative and print exposure, called the Zone System. The zone system is still taught today at the institute and beyond, amongst others as the basis for intuitive photography.

Other Articles Relating to Ansel Adams

The Best of Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams: Art from His Secret Closet, ON EXHIBIT

Photography as Fine Art

Timeline of Art History ~ United States & Canada  ~ 1900 to present

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The Art Basel ~ Art Film Program – Highlights

One of my favorite programs of Art Basel, the Art Film Program, will be on all week long. The Art Film program at Art 42 Basel features a varied program of films by and about artists, screened at the Stadtkino Basel.

The nightly program from Tuesday to Sunday, curated by film scholar Marc Glöde (Berlin), presents films by artists including Jennifer Bornstein, Anna Gaskell, Anthony McCall, Nathalie Djurberg, Agnieszka Polska, Huang Ran, Lawrence Weiner and Sam Samore.

On Wednesday evening, This Brunner, the Zurich film connaisseur, will present the Swiss premiere of the feature-length 3D documentary film’The Cave of Forgotten Dreams’ (2010) by Werner Herzog.

Another highlight will be the Swiss premiere of Lawrence Weiner’s film ‘Dirty Eyes’ (2010) on Friday, followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.

See the Art Basel 42 detailed, day-by-day art film program overview below.

About Art Basel

The premier annual art show, Art Basel feels like the summer reunion of the international artworld scene.  300+ galleries from 35 countries showcase contemporary art work by 2,500+ interesting artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Founded by a group of local gallerists, the first Art Basel took place in 1970 and the event has long ranked as the most prestigious annual art show worldwide.

::

Art Film | Program Overview

TUESDAY | June 14
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Landscapes of/for Theatricality | The screening is followed by a conversation with Huang Ran
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Animated Worlds

WEDNESDAY | June 15
8pm | Cinema Rex | The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog | 3D projection | Swiss Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Harald Floss, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.

THURSDAY | June 16
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Landscapes of/for Theatricality | The screening is followed by a conversation with Anna Gaskell.

FRIDAY | June 17
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Dirty Eyes by Lawrence Weiner | Swiss Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Animated Worlds

SATURDAY | June 18
11am | Cinema Rex | The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog | 3D projection
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Hallucinations/Paradise by Sam Samore | European Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Sam Samore.
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Dirty Eyes by Lawrence Weiner | The screening is followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.

SUNDAY | June 19
11am | Stadtkino Basel | Hallucinations/Paradise by Sam Samore

  ::

(image source: Galleri Bo Bjerggaard)

::

Art Film | Program Details
The Cave of Forgotten Dreams | 2010 | by Werner Herzog | 3D projection | Swiss Premiere, Running Time 95′
Since the Chauvet Cave’s discovery in 1994, access has been extremely restricted due to concerns that overexposure, even to human breath, could damage the priceless drawings. Only a small number of researchers have ever seen the art in person. Legendary film director Werner Herzog gains exclusive permission to film inside the Chauvet Caves of southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind. Putting 3D technology to profound use, he takes us back over 30,000 years in time.
Curated by This Brunner

The screening on June 15 is followed by a conversation with Harald Floss, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.
The screening on June 18 is followed by a conversation with Jürgen Wertheimer, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.

Landscapes of/for Theatricality | Curated by Marc Glöde, Running Time 59′
The program addresses questions relating to theatricality in the landscape and the theatricality of the landscape. The screened works alternate between performances in landscapes and processes in which landscapes themselves become performative, raising questions about the relationship between body, image, and space.
Anna Gaskell | SOSW Ballet, 2011, 27’04” | Galerie Gisela Capitain
Chen Quilin | Garden, 2011, 14’36” | Long March Space
Huang Ran | Blithe Tragedy, 2010, 14’52” | Long March Space
Elina Brotherus | Bright, bright day, 2010, 2’19” | gb agency
Jennifer Bornstein | Frauenkörperbewegungsbilder, 2011, 5’15” | greengrassi
Anthony McCall | Landscape for Fire, 1972, 7’05” | Galerie Thomas Zander, Sprüth Magers
Anthony McCall | Landscape for White Squares, 1972, 1’45” | Galerie Thomas Zander
Anthony McCall | Earthwork, 1972, 1’45” | Galerie Thomas Zander
The screening on Tuesday, June 14, is followed by a conversation with Huang Ran.
The screening on Thursday, June 16, is followed by a conversation with Anna Gaskell.

Animated Worlds | Curated by Marc Glöde, Running Time 35′
This program brings together some of the most interesting new and historical trends in animated film. A cross-section of works ranging from clay animation to the latest developments in CAD demonstrates the diversity and aesthetic scope of the medium.
Keiichi Tanaami | Good-Bye Marilyn, 1971, 4’25” | Nanzuka Underground
Per Dybvig | Hunter Hare Dog, 2009-2010, 6’51” | Christine König Galerie
Magnus Wallin | Elements, 2011, 5′ | Galerie Nordenhake, Elastic Gallery
Agnieszka Polska | The Forgetting of Proper Names, 2009, 3’45” | ak Branicka foundation
Józef Robakowski | The Dynamic Rectangle, 1971, 3′ | ak Branicka foundation
Józef Robakowski | Attention: Light!, 2004, 5′ | ak Branicka foundation
Nathalie Djurberg | Untitled, 2010, 6′ 05”, Music by Hans Berg | Gió Marconi Gallery

Dirty Eyes | 2010 | by Lawrence Weiner | Swiss Premiere | Konrad Fischer Galerie, Mai 36 Galerie, Running Time 49′
Lawrence Weiner’s latest film, ‘Dirty Eyes,’ probes cinematic conditions per se. In conjunction with the conceptual text pieces that typify his work, cinematic images transmute into questions about the specific conditions of looking and seeing.
Curated by Marc Glöde
Both screenings are followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner and Art Film curator Marc Glöde.

Hallucinations/Paradise | 2010 | by Sam Samore | European Premiere | Galerie Gisela Capitain, Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Running Time 70′
In his most recent film the American artist Sam Samore tells the story of three couples who have moved from other cities to Shanghai. Oscillating between reality and fiction, the story is told in a non-linear way and reminds the viewer of fragmented fairy tales or dream sequences. Samore describes ‘Hallucinations/Paradise’ as ‘a fable about everyday life, madness, love and Shanghai.’
Curated by Marc Glöde
The screening on Saturday, June 18, is followed by a conversation with Sam Samore and Art Film curator Marc Glöde.

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The Dalí’ Museum, A New Era

In line with Dali’s amazing sense of lines and space, the museum is an  amazing structure in about itself. The ceremony was symbolic of one of the surrealist’s works – and of the birth of a new era for the museum. The $35 million project, on the waterfront just south of Mahaffey Theatre, will contain 66,540-square-feet of exhibit and meeting space. The design features a glass sculpture that flows along the south side of the building. Architect Yann Weymouth said he tried to create an abstract expression of Dali’s style.

Dalí’ Museum Collection

With oils spanning from 1917 through 1970, the collection provides an excellent overview of Dalí’s major themes and symbols. Characterized by its diversity, it includes the Impressionist and Cubist styles of his early period, abstract work from his transition to Surrealism, the famous surrealist canvases for which he is best known, and examples of his preoccupation with religion and science during his classic period.

The 68,000 square feet structure houses the biggest collection of Salvador Dalí’s artwork outside Spain:

a. 2140 pieces of Dalí’s work

    b. 96 oil paintings

    c. Eight master works (measuring over 5′)

It is already called one of the most acclaimed collections of a single modern artist in the world.  The core collection was donated by Cleveland industrialist, A. Reynolds Morse and his wife Eleanor. It represents the culmination of a 45-year friendship between the Morses and Dalí and his wife, Gala. The old Dali museum first opened on March 7, 1982.

A Highlight-  The Curator’s Choice

Le désir hyperrationnel

1984

Pâte de verre and bronze 249/300

This most elegant of Dalí’s Surrealist objects, Le désir hyperrationnel (The hyperrational desire)- utilizes the Venus de Milo, the most famous antiquity in the Louvre. In 1936, Dali created the Venus de Milo with Drawers by cutting six drawers into the famous statue. By perforating the Venus, Dalí engages in the defacement of a classic symbol and demonstrates his preoccupation with Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories.
Dalí’s later interpretations are based on his obsession with modern physics and contemporary scientific discoveries. In this new version, Venus’s head and abdomen are "dematerialized" from the body to an adjacent pedestal demonstrating the dissolution of gravity and the divisibility of matter.

Dalí’ Museum Mission

The Museum aims to regularly change exhibitions showcasing the large and varied permanent collection and frequently incorporate historical and contemporary art borrowed from top worldwide museums and collections. A specialized schedule of films, lectures, music series, adult and family friendly tours, and education programs for all ages are developed for each new exhibition.

Photo: HOK/Moris Moreno

The new Dali Museum Opening

Salvador Dali look-alike burst from a giant egg today as part of an elaborate groundbreaking for the city’s new Salvador Dali Museum.

photo/info: www.salvadordalimuseum.org

Reference:

Some of Dali’s Most Famous Works of Art

Dream Caused by the Fligh… Salvador Dali Buy From Art.com

Soft Watch at the Moment of First Exp… Salvador Dal?? Buy From Art.com

Rose Medidative, c.1958 Salvador Dal?? Buy From Art.com

More on Dali/Surrealism

Salvador Dali: Art Surrealism at its Best and Weirdest

Rene Magritte’s Surrealism Meticulous Witty Illusions

Francis Bacon: Painting Sale

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Today, 19 January, was Cézanne’s  birthday, so let’s bestow him with some honor….

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) ~ Famous Works

In particular, let me show you a couple of Cézanne’s most famous paintings and why I include them here. There are several subjects (which Cézanne called ‘motifs’) that were most precious to him.  These are 1) still life paintings with apples (akin to Van Gogh’s obsession with sunflowers), 2) landscapes and  particularly those featuring Mont St Victoire, and 3) bathers.  I am showcasing an artwork for each motif.

1.

Apples and Oranges Paul C??zanne Buy this fine art print From Art.com

Arguably, Cezanne’s still life paintings are most appreciated by the public. This is possibly because Cezanne’s still lifes are not so still, and seem to be quite alife.

Though Cézanne painted still life compositions from the start of his career, it was only in later years that this genre began to occupy an essential place in his work. Apples and Oranges belongs to this period. This most famous artwork ‘Apples and Oranges’ is probably painted in the last 5 years of the 19th century, however, as the painting is not dated, none actually knows exactly when it was finished.

It forms part of a series of six still lifes produced in 1899 in Cézanne’s Parisian studio. Each painting features the same accessories: earthenware dishes and a jug decorated with a floral motif. Their arrangement is also similar, with a draped cloth, reminiscent of 17th century Flemish still lifes, closing the perspective. However, the dynamic effect created by a complex spatial construction and Cézanne’s subjective perception of the arranged objects illustrate his essentially pictorial approach. 

This artwork is currently in Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France. According to this prestigious art museum, Apples and Oranges, which combines modernity and sumptuous beauty, is the most important still life produced by Cézanne in the late 1890′s.

2. 

Mont Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine-… Paul C??zanne Buy this fine art print From Art.com

The painting motif which held his interest through his years in Aix-en-Provence was the mountain depicted here, Mont Sainte Victoire.  This lime stone mountain is not impressive by Alpine standards, but it dominated the landscape of his Provence in a noble and commanding manner.  As Cezanne grew up in Aix, he grew up with this mountain.  As an artist, it could be said that Cezanne studied Mont Sainte Victoire the way Monet studied his water lilly pond garden.

To Cézanne, the mountain was alive. Firm as a rock, however always changing. Either Cézanne changed his perspective of the mountain by focusing in on a particular part of it, or the light changed transforming the colors and energy the mountain transmitted. He painted Mont Sainte-Victoire a many a times in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s.

3.

Study of Bathers, circa 1895-98 Paul C??zanne Buy this Fine Art Print From Art.com

While I think that his fruit still lives and his landscape paintings outnumber his paintings of ‘bathers’, this painting could be called one of his most famous paintings. 

About Cezanne ~ a Role Model on How to Never Give, Even if you have “NO Talent’”

Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence, France, on January 19, 1839.  He was raised in a well to do family and poised to become a lawyer. However, after initiating his law school, he confronted his father with his wish to become a painter in Paris instead. Eventually his father agreed to support him in his dream, however he already returned from Paris after 6 months, disillusioned with his own capacity to paint. He had destroyed many of early paintings.   A year later, he went to Paris to try again, however he failed the entrance exam for the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (the official Painting School in Paris).

It took him till he was 30 years old for his fate and self-confidence as an artist to start taking a more positive turn.  He changed subjects (moving from morbid blacks to more colorful landscapes), he met Hortense Fiquet, who became his girlfriend. 

Subsequently he had a son, moved to the countryside and met Pissarro, a fatherly figure to him, who became his mentor.

Interior of Cezanne’s Studio at Aix-E…   Buy From Art.com

Cezanne’s Influence on the Art of Painting

Paul Cézanne was a leading French Post-Impressionist. He bridged the way from 19th century Impressionism to a revolutionary new world of 20th century Cubism. Both Matisse and Picasso are quoted saying Cézanne was “the father of us all.”

Although his radical departures were underappreciated and even ridiculed in his time, Cézanne’s studies of visual perception, geometric simplification, and experimentation with complex fractured forms kept his style changing significantly over his lifetime. Cézanne was an eccentric, solitary enigma, often working in isolation, removed even from his own family.

More on Cezanne

http://eartfair.com/blog/the-other-museums-of-paris/

http://eartfair.com/blog/the-modern-art-movements/

references:  Musee d’Orsay, gardenofpraise.com/

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Art by Frida Kahlo is
Art on Frida Kahlo

Articles Featuring Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo Auto-biographical Artwork

A glimpse of the real life of Frida Kahlo (video)

The life of Diego Velasquez

Art Books on Frida Kahlo

To celebrate her, may we suggest some excellent biographical and coffee-table art books on Frida Kahlo:

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.

In my mind Art Basel is the premier international art show in the world. And this year, on its 40th anniversary year, it will do doubt out-do itself in splendor.

As per usual, the 40th edition of Art Basel takes place in the culturally-rich city of Basel, Switzerland. The show will be on June 10 – June 14, 2009. Mark that week, and if you can, go there.

As the world’s most important art show, Art Basel is an annual reunion of the international art world. This year’s 300 exhibiting galleries from all over the globe were selected from a record number of more than 1,100 applications, and will be showing works by over 2,500 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Art Unlimited hall, with its 60 large-scale projects, and the Public Art Projects on the exhibition square offer further highlights.

One of the most spectacular events this year will be the presentation of “Il Tempo del Postino” at Theater Basel. Curated and directed by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno and co-curated by Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija, a group of leading visual artists will create a major experimental time-based presentation each using up to 15 minutes of exhibition time with the stage assuming the role of the gallery space. Participating artists will include Doug Aitken, Olafur Eliasson, Liam Gillick,Pierre Huyghe, Koo Jeong-A, Philippe Parreno, Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija.

And Basel’s museums once again feature fascinating exhibitions plus a broad range of events.

Founded by a group of local gallerists, the first Art Basel took place in 1970 and has since then become the most prestigious art show worldwide. This 40th anniversary edition of Art Basel begins with a vernissage for invited guests on June 9 and opens to the general public from June 10 through June 14. This annual event regularly attracts some 60,000 artists, collectors, gallerists, curators, and art enthusiasts from across the globe, eager to see the most rigorously chosen overview of the international art market and to meet key movers of the international art scene. Covered by more than 2,300 media representatives, Art Basel enjoys a formidable reputation based both on the quality and diversity of the exhibited art works.

Over 300 of the world’s leading galleries will be exhibiting at Art Basel. The galleries were chosen by the Art Basel Committee, an international jury of renowned gallerists, in accordance with strict quality criteria.

Selected from a record number of more than 1,100 applicants, the sectors Art Galleries, Art Statements, Art Premiere and Art Edition includes 75 galleries from the U.S.; 56 from Germany; 33 from Switzerland; 28 from Great Britain; 26 from France; 22 from Italy; 9 from Spain; 8 from Belgium; 7 from Austria; 5 from Japan; 4 each from Brazil, China and Poland; 3 from the Netherlands; 2 each from Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico, Norway and South Korea; and one each from Argentina, Finland, India, Israel, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Art 40 Basel will showcase all forms of artistic expression, including paintings, drawings, editions, and sculptures, installations, photography, performances, and internet and video art. Works costing a few thousand Swiss francs, by emerging artists, will be on display alongside museum-quality masterpieces priced in the millions.

Art Galleries

Once again more than 99 percent of last year’s exhibitors reapplied in the Art Galleries sector. This year’s strong roster of participants is reinforced by the additions of Johann König (Berlin), Dvir Gallery (Tel Aviv), Vitamin Creative Space (Guangzhou), Nils Staerk Contemporary Art (Copenhagen) and J Crist Gallery (Boise, Idaho, U.S.).

The line-up of galleries showing 20th-century classics is augmented by Knoedler & Company (New York), Galerie Zlotowski (Paris), and Galerie Susanne Zander (Köln). The specialists in Art Edition are joined by Galerie Helga Maria Klosterfelde (Hamburg) and Galerie de Multiples (Paris), and the roster of photographic galleries is enhanced by the return of the Galerie Zur Stockeregg (Zürich).

After a brief hiatus, David Nolan Gallery (New York), Galleria Raucci / Santamaria (Napoli), Greene Naftali (New York), Stuart Shave / Modern Art (London) and Team Gallery (New York) also rejoin Art Basel’s exhibitors.

Art Statements

A frequent site of discovery by those seeking emerging artists, Art Statements features 27 single-artist projects from rising galleries worldwide. The projects on display are new and often created specifically for presentation in this highly regarded sector for young artists. Since 1999, the Baloise Insurance Group has awarded its annual Baloise Art Prize of CHF 25,000 each to two outstanding Art Statements projects. This year the prize has been raised to CHF 30,000 for each artist, to a total amount of CHF 60,000. The company also acquires works by the prize winning artists and donates them
to two important museums in Europe.

Art Premiere

The Art Premiere sector, which focuses on the curatorial aspects of the gallerist’s practice, this year presents 19 gallery projects, featuring either an artistic dialogue juxtaposing two artists from all generations, a presentation by a single artist of any age or exceptional art historical material – a new possibility within the sector.

Art Unlimited

Art Unlimited will spotlight approximately 60 ambitious works. The platform enables artists to exhibit works that do not fit in standard display booths due to spatial, temporal, technical, financial, contextual, or conceptual constraints. With the accent on innovative and large-scale works, everything from outsize sculptures and installations to video projections, wall paintings, and performances will be on show and for sale. Many of the exhibited pieces are created especially for Art Unlimited. The exhibition has once again been devised in collaboration with Geneva curator Simon Lamunière.

Public Art Projects

The exhibition area on the exhibition square in front of the buildings hosting Art Basel will again serve as an arena for art projects in public space. Displayed in the public space, the sector places art in the urban context and encourages interaction with the general public. Many of the projects are being created especially or installed site-specifically for Public Art Projects. The sector is again curated by Basel curator Martin Schwander.

Il Tempo del Postino

One of the most spectacular events this year will be the presentation of Il Tempo del Postino at Theater Basel. Curated and directed by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno and co-curated by Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija, a group of leading visual artists will create a major experimental time-based presentation each using up to 15 minutes of exhibition time with the stage assuming the role of the gallery space. Participating artists will include Doug Aitken, Olafur Eliasson, Liam Gillick, Pierre Huyghe, Koo Jeong-A, Philippe Parreno, Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija.

By focusing on time-based work, this group show aims to redefine how visual arts can be experienced. Within up to 15 minutesof exhibition time, each artist creates their own distinctive work. Set in a classic theater architecture, it transforms the established gallery exhibition model into an exhilarating, shared audience experience. Il Tempo del Postino is organized by Art Basel, Theater Basel and Fondation Beyeler and was originally co-commissioned by the Manchester International Festival and Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris for the World Premiere in Manchester in July 2007.

Art Basel Conversations and Art Lobby

Staged every morning (June 10 to June 13), Art Basel Conversations bring together prominent members of the international art scene. Topics include “Artistic Production: Collecting Performance,” “The Future of the Museum: Digital Frontiers” and “Public / Private: Institutions: A Time of Crisis – and Opportunity?”. Additionally, a daily program of artist conversations, book signings, discussion forums, and other presentations will take place in the Art Lobby forum in the afternoons.

Art Film

The Art Film program once again features an outstanding program of films, screened at the Stadtkino Basel. This Brunner, a collector with profound knowledge of the international film scene, and artist John Armleder will each organize an evening with special guests, while the rest of the Art Film program, including many shorter artist films and videos is curated by Berlin-based film scholar Marc Glöde.

Art Basel Weekend

On the weekend of June 12 to June 14, 2009, Art 40 Basel will celebrate the Art Basel Weekend, highlighting special activities (solo shows, performances, book signings etc.) at the booths of the participating galleries. A variety of panels and presentations geared to art professionals will also be held during the weekend in the context of Art Basel Conversations and Art Lobby.

Art Basel Catalogs

Art 40 Basel is accompanied by a lavish catalog published by Hatje Cantz in May 2009. The richly illustrated publication contains reproductions of approximately 600 works, from Modern classics to the latest in cutting-edge art. The separate catalog, published to accompany the Art Unlimited exhibition, will be available at Art Basel.

Museums in Basel

The museum exhibitions in and around Basel are again exceptional this year.

On show at the Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel: “Giacometti”; at the Kunstmuseum Basel: “Vincent van Gogh, Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes”; at the Schaulager: “Holbein to Tillmans”; at the Museum Jean Tinguely: “Armor and gala dresses”; at the Kunstmuseum Basel – Museum für Gegenwartskunst: “Little Theatre of Gestures”; at Kunsthalle Basel solo exhibitions with Danh Vo and Lucy Skaer titled “A Boat Used as a Vessel”.

Design Miami/Basel

Design Miami/Basel, the global forum for collecting, exhibiting, discussing, and creating design runs June 9 – 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is this year located in hall 5 of the Basel fairgrounds.

Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Basel’s sister event in the USA, takes place December 3–6, 2009, in Miami Beach, Florida.

More Information re Art 40 Basel

For the latest information on Art 40 Basel, stay tuned, as we’ll provide more details closer to the event, as well as offer videos of the event.

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.

I know that Basquiat’s work is not everybody’s cup of tea, but I personally love his work because it is vibrant, articulate, offers social commentary and is overall interesting: there’s stuff to see and learn from every painting.

To me, his paintings read like a personal art journal, which displays his cultural history, his heros, his beliefs of social justice, his poetry and overall his personal identity.

Learn more about the graffiti and other art by Jean Michel Basquiat.

Selected Works by Jean Michel Basquiat

Worthy Constituant Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

The Dingoes At The Park Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

Icarus Himself Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

Mona Lisa Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

Untitled, 1981 Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

Untitled, 1981 Jean-Michel Basquiat Buy This Fine Art Print (Art.com)

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This video art clip nicely demonstrates some of the unique nature of graffiti art:
* its illegality bringing the need to work ‘under cover’ and enhancing the importance of signature tags
* it being performed at night, i.e. a time when none is watching, which brings a different mood and reality to the surface
* it being directed by night light, night guards, and the likes
* its need to be completed fast
* its incorporation of unique surface features: poles on a wall, the curves of cars, or hard to reach places
* it being a cryptic street language to communicate with others on the street scene ~ a hard to understand by the general public
* it being a competitive art: to gain respect one has to be prolific (besides skilled & understanding locality)

“I don’t think about art when I’m working.
I try to think about life.” ~ Jean-Michel Basquiat

2 Lives: Graffiti Wall Artist & Graffiti Canvas Painter

Before becoming a famous and an outrageously well-paid canvas painter (style: neo-expressionist), Jean-Michel Basquiat was a celebrity graffiti artist who developed his public reputation as SAMO.

Actually, both Basquiat and his buddy Al Diaz signed their cryptic massages and drawings on the walls of New York with SAMO, together with the copyright mark ©, often a stylized crown above. SAMO was his graffiti tag, a signature, standing for ‘same old shit’. Then, sometime in 1980s, graffiti statements that ‘SAMO is dead’ appeared. It was a time when Basquiat showed up in person in public. He moved into his second life as as artist.

By A. Lee
© copyright A. Lee, http://www.eArtfair.com 2009

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.