Alias Arts

These art lottery stories always make me think about the stupidity of the art market. If money motivated me I would find a lost masterpiece at a flea market every few years. A $5 painting worth $50 million is a wonderful story, but it’s a story that should be in the fiction section. Just because a Jackson Pollock sells for $140 million doesn’t mean that paintings which look like Jackson Pollock also increase in value.

My art lottery rant is purely based on common sense though, so maybe the painting is worth $50 million.

The Gallery Delisle in Toronoto, Canada has the “Jackson Pollock” painting up for sale with a price tag of $50 million. The retired truck driver Teri Horton bought the painting for $5 back in 1992 and has been nicknamed “Teri’s Find.” It was rejected by the “elite U.S. art community” but received “forensic authentication.”

For me, a quote on CBSNews from Teri Horton sums this painting up.. “Do I personally think it’s worth $50 million? Hell no. It’s worth the $5 I gave for it. It’s ugly.”
>> Art Controversies, Jackson Pollock

Sotheby’s has a video preview of their upcoming Sotheby’s Contemporary Art auction in New York on the 11th of November online here. There’s a few important works in it that must have billionaire art collectors licking their lips. Click on “Browse the Catalogue” on the video preview page above to see all the works up for auction.

My favorite painting in the auction is easily Philip Guston’s “Beggar’s Joys” work from 1954/55. There’s no estimate for the work on the Sotheby’s website, but I’m guessing that it’s out of my price range by quite a few million.

PHILIP GUSTON 1913-1980
BEGGAR’S JOYS
1954-55
71 1/8 x 68 1/8 in. or 180.7 x 173.1 cm
oil on canvas

In the Sotheby’s video preview I almost giggled at the explanation of the Jeff Koons painting called “Cheeky” as I just didn’t believe that the guy liked it. It’s not a criticism of the guy talking about it, it’s the ugly painting that the poor guy had to get excited about.

JEFF KOONS Born 1955
CHEEKY
2000
Estimate 4,000,000—6,000,000 USD
108 x 79 1/2 in. or 274.3 x 201.9 cm
oil on canvas
>> Sotheby’s Art Auctions

An important Pablo Picasso painting has been withdrawn from a Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern art auction in New York. The 1909 work titled “Arlequin” was expected to make more than $30 million.

Recent art auctions in London, Sydney and Hong Kong have shown that the world financial crisis is knocking on the door of the art market. Sotheby’s says that the owners withdrew the painting for personal reasons.

The harlequin painting was owned by the late Italian born American surrealist painter Enrico Donati. Donati paid $12,000 for the work back in the 1940s.

>> Sotheby’s, Pablo Picasso

Last week the Australian surrealist painter James Gleeson passed away at the age of 92. Gleeson has been exhibiting in Australia for more than 70 years.

Whilst surrealism was never my favorite ism, I liked how James Gleeson didn’t feel it necessary to change like fashion. He found a certain way of painting that suited him and explored it all his life.

James Gleeson
Born 21st of November, 1915
Died 20th of October, 2008

“I’ve never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth.. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us.” James Gleeson Quote

>> Artist Deaths

Greenfuse films has released a film called “Between the Folds” which looks at a group of paper folders or origami artists.

Here’s their introduction to the film..
“Between The Folds” uncovers the stories of 10 fine artists, intrepid mathematicians and theoretical scientists who have abandoned careers and scoffed at hard-earned graduate degrees – all to forge unconventional lives as modern-day paperfolders. As these eccentric and provocative characters converge on the unlikely medium of origami, they reinvent an ancient art, and demonstrate the innumerable ways that creativity and ingenuity come to bear as they struggle to understand and honor the world around them. The film paints an arresting portrait of the mysterious artistic and scientific threads that bind these exceptional minds, bringing forth a rare mix of sensibilities towards art, expressiveness, interpretation, and meaning.

A preview of Between the Folds can be seen here, with more details on where the full film can be seen.

There’s some origami art below by two of the artists from the film. I have always loved good quality paper, especially hand made papers, but I didn’t realize just how much could be done with a single piece of paper.

Giang Dinh does some fascinating faces, people, and animals with paper.

Monks by Giang Dinh

Bear by Giang Dinh

Michael LaFosse does mostly origami animals and has some books and guides on his website for those that want to do their own origami.

Bat by Michael LaFosse

Squirrel folded with one piece of paper by Michael LaFosse

Hazel Dooney has released a free art print for download to celebrate her 400th blog post. It’s available for 30 days and she’ll sign and inscribe it for you if you send your print to her studio.

It’s not quite as sexy as her last print, so you could probably even use the printer at work if its better than your home printer.

The work is a drawing called “Iku, For You” which means I’m coming for you.

The print can be downloaded Here. There’s also postal details of her studio on the same page if you wish to get it signed by the artist.
>> Nude News, Art Print News, Being an Artist