Tragedies in the Art World

Cy Twombly Dies

Yesterday, July 5, Cy Twombly passed away in Rome, Italy. One of the most influential and successful abstract artists of all time, Twombly was born in Virginia, but lived most of his adult life in Italy. Twombly emerged in the mid 19th century alongside Rauschenberg, Motherwell, and Kline, and from then rose to fame. He was known for his "scribbling," linear, large-scale abstract paintings. Several examples are included below. He has always been a favorite artist of ours, and a constant source of inspiration.

Twombly was only the third contemporary artist given the honor of painting a gallery ceiling in the Louvre, the others being Kiefer and Braque. The painting, which is 3,750 square feet, can be found in the Salle des Bronzes.

(above image, Twombly's "Say Goodbye, Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor," courtesy of nytimes.com)

(image courtesy of www.dangolden.com)

As Jerry Saltz so eloquently said in his celebration of Twombly's life, which can be read here, "Twombly’s fusing of thought, mark-making, narrative, history, myth, and formalism made me see that there is no such thing as purely abstract or representational art. He’s the artist who made me see that all art is equally abstract and that something as simple as handwriting and scribbling, unleashed, can be art."

(image courtesy of www.artobserved.com)

Art Heist in San Francisco

(Picasso's Tête de femme, image courtesy of BBC News)

In other art news, yesterday a "well dressed" man walked into a San Francisco art gallery, grabbed a Picasso drawing off the wall, and walked back outside to an awaiting cab. He has not been apprehended. The Weinstein Gallery, which also carries the work of Chagall, Miro, and Dali to name a few high profile artists, fears that the painting will be discarded once the thief realizes it will be tough to resell. The piece, Tête de femme, is a pencil on paper drawing thought to have been created in 1965, and with an estimated worth of $200,000. Sounds a bit like The Thomas Crown Affair?

The end of the (art) world as we know it?

Jerry Saltz's lecture at the New York Studio School, April 22, 2009

A few days ago, Emily Amy Gallery artist Sarah Hinckley, sent me a link to Hrag Vartanian's response to Jerry Saltz' recent lecture at the New York Studio School entitled, "This is the End; The Rising Tide that Floated All Boats has Gone Out and All Boats are in Danger of Sinking."  Although a somewhat comical and certainly long-winded lecture title, the talk (aptly called "This is the End..." by many) has made major headlines and hit home across the art world in New York City and beyond.  A long-time critical voice in the New York arts scene (writing for the Village Voice for 9 years and New York Magazine since 2007), Saltz is well-known for his reviews of exhibitions--sometimes raving, but often censorious.  In his recent lecture, Saltz discussed and criticized the cycle that has occurred in the last 15 years in the "business" that is art.  As to its current state, Hrag summarizes, "The verdict: who knows, and anyone that tells you otherwise is lying."

Although as a gallery owner I would like to say that this statement is completely untrue and everything is currently on the "up and up", I am in fact unsure.  I have experienced increased traffic at the openings, excitement for the Westside Arts 3rd Saturday Art Walks, and an increase in sales since 2008, but as for the future, I can only speculate.  

In his lecture, Saltz points to many problems for the art world's recent demise, namely the plethora of over-academicized curators and critics that favor "late late late late conceptualism."  Saltz explains, "In the art world, the pleasure police came in, and sterility reigned."  He also cites the over-heated market and the "feeding frenzy" that is the art fair as capitalism and consumption gone completely awry.  He goes so far as to pinpoint that instead of the art market being so clever that curators and gallerists would only show the best work, in actuality, "the art market is so dumb that it buys anything other people are buying."  He goes on to state that this has led to the dominance of very few styles and the "celebrity" of four artists, in particular: Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince.  Though this has been the norm in the past...the times they are a changin'. 

Saltz concludes by indicating that the new art world, "will be something we won't recognize and will be dominated by names we don't know today."  Saltz rallies for a new plurality of the art world and buying art for more than just a financial investment.  And, although we are all venturing into unchartered territory, since "buy what you love" has always been my philosophy, I have to say, I am feeling pretty good about where we are headed.