Monday, July 13, 2015

Mock theft

Cleveland artist Frank Oriti said the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, has assured him that a painting he submitted for an exhibition is safe and in good condition after having been subjected to a mock theft by protesters on Sunday.
 Read the story here.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this mutant!
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:08:15 -0700
From: mrsmichaelanderson@zoho.com
Subject: Order enquiry


Hi there,
During the last exhibition campaign /competition, I'm just wondering if your gallery would be able to ship to my Country In Europe?And shipping costs shouldn't be  prohibitive for sending paintings overseas
Kindly get back to me with your online portfolio for more information about your available works and price guide list.

Yours sincerely.
Stari Grad, Zelene beretke 
15A Sarajevo
71141 Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Hypocritical art or political art?

Gone are the days when modern art used sex to earn your embarrassed attention. The latest Venice Biennale shows that to get international visibility these days, contemporary art must play with something much hotter: politics.
 Hypocritical art or political art? Details here.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Stolen Rodin recovered in NYC

From the folks at Art Recovery Group:
LONDON, 9 JULY 2015 – A version of Auguste Rodin’s ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ stolen 24 years ago has been recovered in New York.

In 1991, thieves stole artwork valued at over $1 million USD in a series of raids on a private residence in Beverly Hills whilst the owners were out of town. Among a number of high-value works of fine art stolen during the robberies was an edition of ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ by esteemed French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917).

The residence was left unoccupied for several weeks, allowing multiple visits by thieves whose access had been arranged by the victims’ trusted housekeeper. It is understood that the individual in whose care the residence was regularly left had bragged about his employers’ wealth at a local bar and was convinced to sell a duplicate of the house keys for $5,000 when propositioned by criminals.

Upon their return, the victims described their home as looking as though it ‘had been hit by an earthquake’ and, with no sign of their housekeeper, they immediately informed the Beverly Hills Police Department of his assumed involvement in the crime. A police search identified the existence of a previously-unknown arrest warrant for the housekeeper, issued in his native Switzerland. He was subsequently tracked to a Miami hotel and arrested whilst sunbathing by the pool.

The location of all stolen items remained unknown until Rodin’s ‘Young Girl with Serpent’ was identified when consigned for sale at Christie’s in New York.  Art Recovery Group was appointed by the insurer and led the negotiations with the consignor’s legal representative. With title to the work unconditionally relinquished by the consignor, the sculpture has been offered back to the theft victims in line with the benefits of their insurance policy.

Speaking this morning, Christopher A. Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery Group, said:

“This case was a perfect example of public and private sector collaboration. We are extremely grateful for the steadfast determination of the Beverly Hills Police Department, and in particular the perseverance of Detective Michael Corren, in keeping this case open for 24 years and seeing through its resolution."

Additional artworks taken in the raid remain unaccounted for but the outstanding losses have been recorded on the ArtClaim Database. The last time the Rodin was offered for sale at Christie’s, its value was estimated at around $100,000.

In accordance with the confidential resolution agreed between the loss victim and their insurance company, this work will now be consigned for sale later this year.

Artist's Talk

My good friend Philip Brookman (former Corcoran photog curator, current NGA) has a new book combining his photos and a novella. 

He's speaking at the new Takoma Busboy on July 21st in the reading room named after Communist poet (and suffocater of Cuban voices while he was the President of the National Cuban Writers' Union), Nicolás Guillén.

Brookman will be in conversation with Henry Allen, a former WaPo journalist, poet, and novelist. He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2000.
  Details here.

Thursday, July 09, 2015

Goslee and Carlson at the Athenaeum

The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) has announced exhibitions by David Carlson and Pat Goslee, in the Athenaeum Gallery. Carlson and Goslee are abstract artists whose works "explore the fields of energy and consciousness inherent in their creative process."

Opening Reception: Sunday, July 26, 4:00 — 6:00, FREE

Carlson’s paintings, video and performance pieces have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world including the Pretoria Art Museum, Wichita Falls Museum of Art, Ludwig Forum, John Cabot University, Korean Embassy Cultural Service, Yacine Art Gallery, Asilah Arts Festival, Musee Des Tapisseries, Tutun Deposu, Arlington Arts Center, McLean for the Arts, and the Washington Project for the Arts. His paintings are represented in numerous collections both private and corporate, national and international. He has taught design, drawing and painting for 25 years at Marymount University and has participated in artist exchanges with Central Asia, West Africa, and North Africa and Europe.

Goslee’s work is included in the permanent collections of the National Institutes of Health, the Children’s National Medical Center, the US Embassy in Ethiopia, the US Embassy in Nepal, the Wilson Building (DC City Hall), the Washington Post, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the University of Georgia as well as in many private collections. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Washington Arts Museum (WAM) and the DC Arts Center (DCAC), and the Advisory Committee for International Arts & Artists’ Hillyer Art Space. She received a BFA in graphic design from the University of Georgia and an MFA in painting from Catholic University. She has been a visiting artist lecturer at local institutions including American University and the Corcoran College of Art + Design.
 
The Athenaeum Gallery, 201 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA  22314  703 548 0035   nvfaa.org

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Campello at Auction

This art school drawing of mine somehow made its way to an European auction house and will be at auction July 16.

"Bailarina" c. 1977-1980 by F. Lennox Campello


Check it out here - going for a good price.