Sotheby’s and Christie’s - Are They in Conflict of Intrests with the Natural Art Market? - part 1
January 28, 2008
Warning: the below article is a ‘rant and rave’-article, which you will not usually find on this site. I do however consider it a worthwhile read for all art investors to help better understand the art market, including art auctions. Besides which, it’s not a bad read to boot! By Gerard Van Weyenbergh “Are Sotheby’s and Christie’s or all major auctions houses still the reference to establish the value of your art works? It is not my intention to have them sue me for my thoughts in this letter. Nonetheless there are so many events these last months that I want to bring in daylight some... Read more »
Who Needs TV When You Can Watch a Painting? -2
January 27, 2008
Continuation of part 1 of the article by : Sometimes a painting really draws you in. Growing up, being fascinated by the Civil War and looking at illustrated histories of it, there was always a specialness to the naval battle scenes. I could spend hours looking at the pictures and playing the scene in my head, famous scenes such as the Monitor and the Merrimack. I could see the smoke, hear the distant resounding shots of the guns, the splashes of the missed shells, the crackle of the grapeshot, and the orders of the officers on both sides, sometimes within earshot as a maniacal maneuver such as... Read more »
Who Needs TV When You Can Watch a Painting? -1
January 26, 2008
By Daniel Kretschmer When I look at a painting, the artist speaks to me. I can picture the painter at work at his easel, making the brush strokes, mixing the paint and pigments. I see the blank parts of the canvas and the colors and I can almost imagine what they are thinking. And I listen carefully. Whatever the picture is, its elements are telling a story, conveying a feeling, offering a sensation of the mind, or giving a message. Sometimes it reveals a secret, a chance to look into the artist’s mind. Much like a writer is vulnerable, and bleeds onto the pages, the painter bleeds himself... Read more »
Tips on How to Buy and Shop for Authentic Native Indian Carvings
January 24, 2008
By Clint Leung Many visitors to the Pacific Northwest will be exposed to Native Indian art while touring the region, especially in British Columbia. Among this aboriginal artwork are the magnificent hand made Pacific Northwest Native Indian wood carvings by the Canadian aboriginal artists in BC. While in some of the major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal) or other tourist areas popular with international visitors such as Banff, such carvings will be seen at various retail shops and displayed at some museums as well as some public areas such as parks. Since Pacific Northwest Native... Read more »
Regarding Rene Magritte’s Letter to Michel Foucault
January 19, 2008
By Rajesh Shukla Surrealist painter Rene Magaritte After reading postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault’s book ‘the order of things’ wrote a letter to him with some photographs of his paintings. Letter was about relationship between things and words, thought and visuals, resemblance and similitude, Magaritte seeks confirmation on what he believes about thought and things. He says things do not have resemblances; they do or do not have similitude, only thought resembles. It resembles by being what it sees, hears, or knows; it becomes what the world offers it. Agreeing what Foucault discussed... Read more »
Art Patron William Bowmore, who gifted $17+ million to museums, died.
January 10, 2008
William Bowmore was a life-long art patron and one of Australia’s most generous philanthropists. He died at age 98 on January 9. Bowmore’s fine art gifts to the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) and other Australian museums such as the Newcastle Region Art Gallery have been valued to be in excess of $17 million. Following his heart and lifelong passion for art, Bowman started collecting Australian art. In the late ’60s, he began traveling to London. There he made the connections at auction houses and beyond enabling him to purchase international paintings from old masters,... Read more »
French Impressionism In The Heart Of Paris
January 1, 2008
By M. Davies It’s safe to say that for many of us, when we think of the centuries of art that have served to fix Paris as the cultural capital of Europe, what comes to mind above all else, perhaps even the soaring towers of Notre Dame and the Place de la Concorde’s gold capped obelisk, is the work of the French Impressionists. Manifesting a sense of urban bustle that is unexpectedly punctuated by moments of aesthetic sublimity, it is no wonder that these painters of light have come to define a collective and indelible visual representation of the City of Light’s true vibrancy. The term impressionism... Read more »
Where to Commission a Portrait
December 22, 2007
When you need a photograph changed to art form, you can commission a portrait. Now what do we need for commissioning a portrait? All you need is a photograph even a fuzzy old photograph will do. The artist tries to make an exact replica of the photograph given. When there are missing elements in the photograph the artist adds those details through active imagination, bringing the image to life. Portraits can be made of headshot, half-length or full length for the same price. The artist makes various changes and shows the work at various stages through digital image of the portrait being made. The... Read more »
The Inventor of Oil Paintings
December 20, 2007
By Sara Swansson In comparison to many other art forms, oil painting is still considered relatively new. Oil painting is the use of oil in pigments in order to paint. Oil paintings date back to the 1400’s. Before oil painting, paint was mixed with plaster found in frescoes or egg in tempera paints. The invention of oil paintings occurred because of a new desire for realism in art. Jan Van Eyck is the man credited with the invention of oil painting. The desire for a more realistic look in art started in early fifteenth century Europe. Previously, art was very mythological and decorative, but with... Read more »
PULSE Contemporary Art Fair 2007
December 18, 2007
PULSE Contemporary Art Fair capped off an extraordinary year with its third Miami edition, held December 5-9, which drew substantial crowds and impressive sales. PULSE Miami confirmed the Fair’s role as a leader in the highly competitive art market. It is a pioneering art fair. From Chicago: Carl Hammer Gallery’s Chris Ware - Branford the Bee, The Best Bee in the World, 2003. Pen and Ink Drawing w Blue Pencil Overmarking on Bristol Board With a record attendance of over 16,000 visitors, strong sales from the first day, a new venue that allowed expanded cultural programming and... Read more »
