Beatle Art News

"Police were called to the country estate of former Beatle Paul McCartney after his estranged wife reported the theft of paintings — including a Picasso and a Renoir — from the lodge they once shared, police said Friday.

'We checked the premises, and spoke to Heather Mills (McCartney), and as a result it was found to be a civil matter between her and her husband,' Sussex Police spokesman Paddy Rea said. 'There's been no theft.'"

Looks like Paul "had taken the paintings and reprogrammed the estate's alarm codes, and informed her Thursday night by text message."

Read the whole mess here.

Kolakowski on Amy Lin

The WCP's Nick Kolakowski comes in with a good biographical review of Amy Lin's current solo show at the District of Columbia Arts Center. Read the review here.

I've been harping for a while now that this hard-working and talented artist is a "must buy" now for anyone with a contemporary collection of DC artists. Lin is already in the collection of several DC area ubercollectors, always a good thing for any emerging artist.

Sex and DC Blogs

"Lurid testimony about spanking, handcuffs and prostitution aside, the Washingtonienne case could help establish whether people who keep online diaries are obligated to protect the privacy of the people they interact with offline."

The AP reports on the coming lawsuit involving the Washingtonienne releasing details of her sex life on her blog.

Details here.

Congratulations

To DC area arts patron Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, who was recently awarded the National Medal of Art by President Bush.

CAG now online

Contemporary Art Gallery Magazine is now online.

Visit their website here.

Risky Business

DMV area artist Afrika Midnight Asha Abney posted the bad news in ArtDC.org about one of her works being stolen from a restaurant in Adams Morgan in DC, where they were being exhibited.

I responded to Afrika and passed to her my regrets that her art had been stolen, and also let her know that it has happened also to me in the past.

Let's examine this from both aspects:

First of all: stealing is a crime, so for someone to commit a crime over a work of art speaks something about how much they liked that art. When my work was stolen many years ago from an exhibition in Portsmouth, VA, I took a small breath of pride in knowing that artwork caused a person to risk getting caught and possibly going to jail. I know that it may have been a kleptomaniac, willing to steal anything, but I'd like to think that it was someone who wanted the art so badly, that they were willing to risk becoming a thief over it.

Now for the legal issues: Unless the artist has a signed contract with the exhibition venue (including galleries and museums) where it says that the venue is responsible in the event of damage or loss, then the artist eats the loss.

Warning: this can also happen in a "regular" art gallery - in fact most art galleries do not have insurance (or contracts for that matter), as art insurance is quite pricey.

You can also get (privately) what is called "event insurance" which insures your artwork just for that exhibition or event. There are several companies that advertise for event insurance in Sunshine Artist magazine.

And she was right!

Remember the story I discussed last month of the lady truck driver who has found an alleged Jackson Pollock painting in a thrift shop?

The issue of Horton versus the "art world" has predictably developed into a class war of sorts, but it seems that she may have the last laugh after all.



I'm up in the Poconos for a few days, and yesterday I caught the tail end of a TV show discussing the fact that Horton's alleged Pollock has a fingerprint that apparently has been found to be the fingerprint of Jackson Pollock.

The show also mentioned that forensic experts had also determined that the paint in the alleged Pollock is the same paint used in certified Pollocks.

Read the forensic report here.

Normally that would be enough to certify that this is a Pollock, right?

But that assumes that the art world "experts" that swore up and down that Horton's find was not a real Pollock are willing to admit that they were wrong.

So in spite of a fingerprint and same exact paint... don't hold your breath.

Is this a class issue?

I think so. It has always surprised me the curious reaction that most art world illuminati have towards the general American public when it comes to art.

Not exactly a loving, nurturing relationship, is it?

And on the art world side, we're all supposed to be militant lefties, always on the side of the poor, downtrodden masses, always on the prowl and look-out for the evil Republicans' latest plots and ideas, especially when it comes to art, in any manner or form.

But the art world left makes a curious right turn when it comes to the masses and to the public in general.

If the public likes it, it can't be high art. If a trucker discovers the art find of the century, it can't be true.

So it is easy to see why the Horton affair has been picked up by Hollywood and others as an example of a convenient class battle between art world elitists and people who drive trucks and have no idea who Jackson Pollock was.

And it makes it juicier when the "experts" and elitists are proven wrong (by science), and rather than offering a good ole "aw shucks folks, we wuz wrong," apology, they retreat into their galvanized white cubes and refuse to admit that probably science is right and what Horton found in a California thrift shop is not only going to make this tough lady super rich, but according to the TV show, she now plans to sue the two art world experts for defamation (I think).

And as usual, classy or class-less, money talks, and if I was in those experts' expensive shoes, I'd be worried, because now they may be dealing with a tough, trash-talking, ex-trailer mamma, and soon to be a super rich, pissed off, lady.

Go get them Terry!

"The bottom line for me is that most of the educated world lives by science and technology in the 21st Century. However, a small segment of the art market has chosen to stand apart. This is the only reason why Teri's painting has not yet entered the market. While the museum, academic, and legal world has no problems with forensics, a few in the art market do."
Peter Paul Biro