Left to right: De Kooning, "Clam Digger," 1972, private collection Degas, "Dancer Looking at the Sole of her Right Foot," modeled between 1896-1911, cast between 1921-31, Musée d'Orsay, Paris Donatello, "Reliquary Bust of Saint Rossore," c. 1425, Museo Nationale di San Matteo, Pisa The Big D's---De Kooning, Degas, Donatello (et al.)---bucked the museum trend this year towards … [Read more...] about De Kooning, Degas, Donatello (to Bellini): Ambitious Loan Shows that Bucked the Permanent-Collection Trend—Part I (with video)
Archives for December 2011
“Sense of Betrayal”: NY Times’ Staff Rebellion (including culture writers and editors) UPDATED
Janet Robinson, exiting NY Times Co. CEO and president The rebellious spirit of the times has just hit the Times, in the form of a Dec. 23 Open Letter to Arthur Sulzberger Jr. (the newspaper's publisher). NY Times culture reporters Carol Vogel, Randy Kennedy, Robin Pogrebin, Daniel Wakin, Patrick Healy and Larry Rohter, as well as co-chief art critic Roberta Smith, chief … [Read more...] about “Sense of Betrayal”: NY Times’ Staff Rebellion (including culture writers and editors) UPDATED
More Frankenthaler Tributes: Time for a Memorial Retrospective?
Installation view: "Frankenthaler at Eighty: Six Decades at Knoedler & Company," 2008In finding commonalities between two recently deceased artists whose work couldn't have been more different---Helen Frankenthaler and John Chamberlain---Roberta Smith in today's NY Times appraisal, demonstrates her knack for synergistic thinking.Roberta writes:They occupy such similar … [Read more...] about More Frankenthaler Tributes: Time for a Memorial Retrospective?
Battle of the Classified Obits: Pace vs. Gagosian on John Chamberlain
Recently installed in the rotunda of the reopened National Academy, New York: John Chamberlain, "Tasteylingus," 2010, courtesy of the late artist and Gagosian Gallery While we're on the subject of recently deceased famous artists, we also take note of the passing last Wednesday of sculptor John Chamberlain, 84. His demise occasioned an unseemly classified-obit war in the NY … [Read more...] about Battle of the Classified Obits: Pace vs. Gagosian on John Chamberlain
“A Search for Truth and Beauty”: Helen Frankenthaler, Dead at 83 UPDATED
Helen FrankenthalerPhoto © Chris FelverHelen Frankenthaler, 83, who died today after a long illness, was never a comfortable artworld fit. Her unabashed commitment to subtle beauty and ethereal lyricism set her apart from the rough-and-tumble Abstract Expressionist circles in which she gracefully moved. She stayed her artistic course throughout, with steadfast disregard of new … [Read more...] about “A Search for Truth and Beauty”: Helen Frankenthaler, Dead at 83 UPDATED
Catch-Up Times: NYT’s Roberta Smith on Crystal Bridges Museum
Crystal's Chris Crossed? The Bentonville museum's soon-to-depart founding curator, Chris Crosman Now that we've all dutifully returned to our computers after quaffing eggnog and eating latkes (not a good pairing) during the concurrent Christian and Jewish seasonal celebrations, it's time for us to stop opening presents and start opening the saved tabs on our web browsers. … [Read more...] about Catch-Up Times: NYT’s Roberta Smith on Crystal Bridges Museum
Guggenheim Helsinki: The View from Finland (plus my second Finnish TV gig)
Ivan Puopolo, reportier for the "Strada" program of Finnish Broadcast Company's YLE TV1, standing on the presumed site of the proposed Guggenheim HelsinkiThe City of Helsinki yesterday reported that the feasibility study for the proposed Guggenheim Helsinki will be completed by Dec. 30, as scheduled. But it will not be publicly released until Jan. 10. So what kind of museum … [Read more...] about Guggenheim Helsinki: The View from Finland (plus my second Finnish TV gig)
Crystal Bridges vs. Wal-Mart Workers: Jeffrey Goldberg’s Irrational Either/Or
Miniature replica of a Wal-Mart shopping cart (left) and Sam Walton's 1979 Ford pickup truck---part of a display on life in Northwest Arkansas at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtFar be it for me to become a champion of Alice Walton (on whom I've been notably hard in the past) or of Wal-Mart (where I don't shop). But Bloomberg View's Jeffrey Goldberg has gone off the … [Read more...] about Crystal Bridges vs. Wal-Mart Workers: Jeffrey Goldberg’s Irrational Either/Or
The Art of Sloan Kettering—Part II
Pat Steir, "Lovely Day Waterfall," 2009 [Part I is here.] I try to enjoy art wherever I find it, and I did get a welcome aesthetic charge yesterday from gazing at Pat Steir's lyrical "Lovely Day Waterfall." But it wasn't such a "lovely day" for me, because of where I was situated for a good part of the afternoon---the waiting room of an outpatient facility (above) for … [Read more...] about The Art of Sloan Kettering—Part II
New U.S. Artists’ Equity Bill is an Auction-House Inequity Bill
Congressman Jerrold Nadler I'm all for artists' resale royalties---a cause I've been espousing since the '70s. But it's not a good plan to redress one perceived inequity by creating another. That's what the newly introduced Equity for Visual Artists Act of 2011 appears to do, by singling out large auction houses as the only sellers required under the proposed law to … [Read more...] about New U.S. Artists’ Equity Bill is an Auction-House Inequity Bill
The Name Game at Miami Art Museum: Fundraising Tool or Vanity Insanity?
Construction webcam shot of the newly named Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade CountyI've been pondering the controversy surrounding the Miami Art Museum's infelicitous renaming as the [take long breath] Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. The balancing act between private fundraising and public purpose is a difficult one, fraught with sensitive issues. But … [Read more...] about The Name Game at Miami Art Museum: Fundraising Tool or Vanity Insanity?
Reader Support: CultureGrrl’s Urgent End-of-Year Appeal
This is it, art-lings.Notwithstanding the dubious ego boost of being featured on Finnish television (with Part II, on the proposed Helsinki Guggenheim, airing today), I've come to an obvious, long overdue conclusion: There's not enough financial support out there from you---CultureGrrl's devoted readers---to justify continuing this five-and-a-half-year experiment in trying to … [Read more...] about Reader Support: CultureGrrl’s Urgent End-of-Year Appeal
Off “Chasing Aphrodite’s” Facebook Wall: Tales from the Getty/Cuno Staff Meeting UPDATED
Felcholino and their Getty tell-all, "Chasing Aphrodite"[UPDATE: David Bomford, in response to my direct query, said that he is not in talks with the Courtauld, as suggested by Felcholino's source.]Felcholino (Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino), of Chasing Aphrodite fame, apparently still have their "Deep Throat(s)" at the J. Paul Getty Trust, ready and eager to spill the beans … [Read more...] about Off “Chasing Aphrodite’s” Facebook Wall: Tales from the Getty/Cuno Staff Meeting UPDATED
Explaining the Bomford Bombshell: My Q&A with Michael Brand, Getty Museum’s Ex-Director
Michael BrandJames Cuno, president of the J. Paul Getty Trust, is scheduled to meet with the Getty Museum's staff this morning to discuss "the transition and moving forward," as Getty spokesperson Julie Jaskol confirmed this morning, responding to my query (which was prompted by this Chasing Aphrodite tweet). Yesterday, the Getty's press office stonewalled my efforts to get … [Read more...] about Explaining the Bomford Bombshell: My Q&A with Michael Brand, Getty Museum’s Ex-Director
Chunk of the “Hunk”: Stanford Names Ennead as Architect for $30.5-Million Anderson Collection Facility UPDATED
Stanford's Big Catch: Jackson Pollock, "Lucifer," 1947, Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson CollectionStanford is on a major arts binge.The university's previously amorphous plans have now been somewhat fleshed out for its new facility to house 121 works from the legendary 20th-century American art collection of Harry W. ("Hunk") and Mary Margaret ("Moo") Anderson. As announced … [Read more...] about Chunk of the “Hunk”: Stanford Names Ennead as Architect for $30.5-Million Anderson Collection Facility UPDATED