Gallery Talk

Recession Affects Sale of Rare Painting

"An economic chill blew through the art world yesterday when a rare painting of Francis Bacon by Lucian Freud sold for £1.6 million less than expected. The unfinished portrait, one of only two Freud painted of his friend and fellow artist, was predicted to go for at least £7 million at the auction at Christie's last night. The only other painting by Freud of Bacon was stolen in Berlin in 1988, making the one sold yesterday even more desirable.

                      

But in a sign of the frail financial climate, the sale netted only £5.4 million, perilously close to the auction house's low estimate of £5 million. In contrast, Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold for £17.2 million in May, the highest price paid in an auction for a work by a living artist. The poor sale is likely to be seen as the canary in the coalmine in the art world - a clear warning that the market may be about to blow."

See full article Times Online 

Beryl Cook 81 dies at her home in Plymouth.

 

Beryl Cook, one of Britains best loved artists has died at her home in Plymouth at the age of 81. She had been fighting cancer but kept it a secret from all.  

Beryl had an enthusiasm for life which was infectious and this was what made her so popular.  She could find humour in almost any situation and depicted this in all her paintings of the instantly recognisable fat ladies.  Who else, could ever depict scenes like

                        'Dirty Dancing' ,                                               

                             

                                           

Beryl is an artist whose humour filled work will be greatly missed.

Quentin Blake Illustrates Little Britain's Stars First Book

Quentin Blake the illustrator of the well loved Roald Dahl Stories is to illustrate the first childrens book written by comedian David Walliams.

Walliams's children's book The Boy in the Dress is due to be published in October by publisher HarperCollins and will be aimed at 8-12year olds.

The story is as "a fable about what happens when an ordinary boy does something extraordinary and the way that people, even the petty and cruel, can surprise you in the end".

Walliams said: "I am thrilled beyond measure to be working with the legendary Quentin Blake."

"I have adored his work since I was a child, and having him illustrate the book is a great honour."

Quentin Blake illustrated books such as 'The BFG', 'The Enormous Crocodile', 'Georges Marvellous Medicine' and 'The Twits'

An Official Collectors Edition Print from 'The BFG' written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Quotes from

The Press Association

Scottish Artist helps talented youth of Scotland

John Lowrie Morrison (also known as Jolomo) one of Scotlands leading artists, is encouraging talented scottish youngsters set up their own businesses in the Arts, Craft and Creative Industires. John Lowrie Morrison has gone into partnership with the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust forming a The Jolomo PSYBT Awards, being mainly aimed at young people in North West Scotland, the Highlands and Islands.

Eligible candidates can be anything from Fine Arts, such as scultpure, quilting and wood crafts.

Jolomo has said "This is a wonderful initiative and I’m truly excited to be involved. The awards will not only help us showcase the talent and creativity of Scotland’s young people but will also help to boost the local economies and communities of rural Scotland whilst also encouraging a renewed passion for Scottish arts and crafts.” (as reported in allmediaSCOTLAND.com)

John Lowrie Morrison is well known for his dramatic and colourful landscapes of Scotland, with images like Autumn Moon over Bunessan, Island of Mull being very typical of his work.

Jack Vettriano paints Royalty for Sports Relief

The Queens 26 year old Granddaughter posed for the unconventional painting by Jack Vettriano to raise money for sports relief.

"I don't really do portraits, so I told them I would only do it if Zara Phillips agreed," said Jack. "To be honest, I never thought she would say yes."
The renowned painter wanted the royal equestrian champion to pose in jodhpurs sitting on a haystack, but Zara had other ideas and told him in no uncertain terms what she would be wearing - Black jeans and a black top.

Vettriano, who painted Zara in her approved clothes sitting in a chair draped with a Union Jack flag, explained he was not used to models refusing his requests.

The painting is to be auctioned later this year, along with paintings of boxer Ricky Hatton and Chelsea football ace Didier Drogba.

From Articles: The Cheers.org Magazine, Hellomagazine.com

Threat to axe London Exhibition

A landmark exhibition due to open at The Royal Academy of Art maybe cancelled. The art show was expected to open on January 26th exhibiting a collection of paintings by Gauguin, Matisse, Renoir, Van Gogh and Russian artists on loan from four Russian museums.

The exhibition should have consist of 120 paintings including 'The Dance' by Matisse but Russia said Britain was not guaranteeing the pictures' protection from legal claims on ownership.

An article in 'AFP' is optimistic the row may be resolved and the exhibition will go ahead

View article in full 'Timesonline' and 'AFP'

  'The Dance' by Henri Matisse

Abstract Painting Found in Rubbish in New York

This image originally provided by Sotheby's auction house in New York shows the 1970 painting, "Tres Personajes" (Three People), by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo. The abstract painting was found, lying in trash on the street on Manhattan's Upper West Side. (AP Photo/Sotheby's, file)

The painting "Tres Personajes" by Rufino Tamayo was discovered in 2003 by Elizabeth Gibson, who spotted it on her morning walk on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She said she took it home because "even though I didn't understand it, I knew it had power."

The brightly colored abstract work was purchased for $1,049,000 by an unidentified private American collector bidding by phone at Sotheby's Latin American Art sale.

Full Article

Quentin Blake Gives Travellers A Cheerful Welcome

Quentin Blake has worked with property developers to make an entire building in central London disappear. He was commissioned to provide a giant drawing to hide the empty and boarded up Stanley Building South, which stands on the edge of the £2bn King's Cross redevelopment. It was felt thet it was too much of an eyesore to be the first thing that passengers see as they step off the high-speed train from Paris.

Blake, 75, was asked to create "an imaginary welcoming committee". He has included characters singing and dancing, swigging beer and enjoying food. "It is a scene of celebration with bunting and flag-waving to greet the new arrivals. It is an arresting image to make visitors feel that they have arrived somewhere fun, welcoming and memorable."

Blake, who illustrated Dahl classics such as The Twits and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, was chosen because he was interested in a proposal to open a Museum of Illustration somewhere on the redevelopment site.

Richard Oseley quotes Blake in the Camden New Journal. He said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to work on this exciting project, and see my drawings reproduced on such a huge scale.
“We hope it will give travellers a cheerful welcome to London as they arrive at St Pancras International.”

See article from The Independent for the full story

Henry Moore Sculpture Exhibition

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is hosting a landmark exhibition of monumental works by Henry Moore. 28 large-scale bronze sculptures have been exhibited throughout Kew’s unique 300 acre World Heritage Site. There have been previous exhibitions of Moore’s work in London but never on such a scale and in a landscape setting. 

Each site at Kew has been specifically selected to ensure maximum impact complementing and enhancing the 300 year old gardens. The sculptures sit amongst the great glasshouses, majestic trees and glorious gardens of the site.

Sculpting was Moore’s primary interest and he saw the world around him as an ever-changing inspirational display of natural forms. His work includes themes of reclining figures, mother and child,
organic forms, interlocking forms and internal/external forms.
The Princess of Wales conservatory shows a film about Moore and The Nash conservatory houses an exhibition of sketches, plaster models and objects used to create the wonderful work.

The Exhibition began in September and runs until the end of March 2008.

 

'Large Reclining' Figure' 1984

'Double Oval' by The Orangerie

Andy Warhol's Liz Taylor sold for $23m

An Andy Warhol painting of actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor has been sold for $23.7m (£11.4m) at an auction in New York.

The 1963 portrait, called Liz, was bought by an anonymous bidder.

The painting had been expected to fetch more than $25m (£11.9m) at Christie's.

The auction house refused to confirm reports that it was British actor Hugh Grant who sold the portrait after he bought it in 2001 for a reported $15m.

Warhol created 12 portraits of the actress as she recovered from illness.

"I started those a long time ago when she was so sick and everybody said she was going to die," the artist said at the time.

"Now I am doing them all over, putting bright colours on her lips and eyes."

In May a painting of a car crash sold for $71.7m (£36.3m), a record for a Warhol piece. The 1963 painting, Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I), depicted an overturned car on fire.

Full article.