Category Archives: American art

Inspiring Artists

PAINTERS’ PAINTERS: Artists of today who inspire artists of tomorrow, Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3, until 28th February 2017

Installation view, Raffi Kalenderian © Stephen White, 2016 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

Installation view, Raffi Kalenderian
© Stephen White, 2016
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

The theme of this show is to celebrate painting at a time when painting is just a strand among the diverse array of contemporary art in other media and formats on show in museums and galleries.

Installation view, David Brian Smith © Stephen White, 2016 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

Installation view, David Brian Smith
© Stephen White, 2016
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

The nine artists featured are either UK or USA based and their age range is between 30s and 60s.  Although they are not part of a school or group their very individualistic approach to painting is proving a source of inspiration to a younger generation of artists in leading art schools around the world.

Installation view, Bjarne Melgaard and Ryan Mosley © Stephen White, 2016 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

Installation view, Bjarne Melgaard and Ryan Mosley
© Stephen White, 2016
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

These inspirational artists are Richard Aldrich, David Brian Smith, Dexter Dalwood, Raffi Kalenderian, Ansel Krut, Martin Maloney, Bjarne Melgaard, Ryan Mosley and David Salle. Please do go and take a look.

 

http://www.saatchigallery.com

The Flair of Fleur Cowles

Christie’s Interiors including Flair, The Fleur Cowles Collection

Wednesday 23 November 2016 at 6.00 pm

Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

It is totally appropriate that the section of this Interiors sale devoted to the collection of Fleur Cowles should be a special stand-alone evening sale. What a lady! Publisher, journalist, author, artist, patron and fashionista.  She was a major part of society in both New York and London and included Cary Grant, the Windsors, the Reagans, Princess Grace, the Queen Mother, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Vivien Leigh among her friends. When I had the great delight of meeting her many years ago at exhibition of her work she was with the British actress Dulcie Gray.

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Cowles and her fourth and last husband Thomas Montague-Meyer (they married in 1955 with Cary Grant as their best man) lived in two connecting ‘sets’ in London’s famed Albany, Piccadilly. The colourful interiors remained unchanged and so it is an exciting chance to acquire something which has real resonance and flair and reflects its owner.

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Flair was the title of the short-lived but glamorous magazine that combined striking design and great editorial using cut-out covers and unfolding pages for illustrations.  Although popular, it was costly to produce and so only lasted for twelve issues. But it has been a source of inspiration to editors ever since and copies are still eagerly fought for.

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Lot estimates range from between £500 and £30,000 and include a Picasso drawing, artworks by René Gruau and Frederico Pallavicini who worked with her at Flair.  Furniture, Dior hats, photographs and her own pictures all combine to make this sale a remarkable tribute and insight of her taste and life.  I know that I count myself lucky to have actually met her!

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

http://www.christies.com

 

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol, Haynes Fine Art London, 70 Pimlico Road, London SW1, until 7th December 2016

ANDY WARHOL American 1928-1987 (ref. 13738) 'Abstract Drawing' Tempera on paper, signed verso, drawn circa 1954 Paper size: 13.25 x 15 inches

ANDY WARHOL
American 1928-1987
(ref. 13738)
‘Abstract Drawing’
Tempera on paper, signed verso, drawn circa 1954
Paper size: 13.25 x 15 inches

What better way to open a new gallery in London than with an exhibition of twenty-seven original works by Andy Warhol?  Well this is exactly what well-known Haynes Fine Art has done with their exciting gallery space in Pimlico Road where they show early drawings, Polaroid’s and gelatin silver photographs.

ANDY WARHOL American 1928-1987 (ref. 13731) 'Debbie Harry' Unique gelatin silver print, dated 'Oct 27 1980' verso Paper size: 10 x 8 inches

ANDY WARHOL
American 1928-1987
(ref. 13731)
‘Debbie Harry’
Unique gelatin silver print, dated ‘Oct 27 1980’ verso
Paper size: 10 x 8 inches

Their managing director Tony Haynes says: “We are excited to have secured this remarkable selection of works by Warhol. They offer a unique opportunity to acquire a piece of Pop Art history by one of the world’s most famous artists.  These are fantastic entry-level works for new collectors and rare one-off pieces for seasoned buyers. ”

ANDY WARHOL American 1928-1987 (ref.13883) 'Reducing Salon' Graphite on coloured paper, drawn circa 1979 Paper size: 18 x 20 inches

ANDY WARHOL
American 1928-1987
(ref.13883)
‘Reducing Salon’
Graphite on coloured paper, drawn circa 1979
Paper size: 18 x 20 inches

“The opening of the new Haynes Fine Art gallery in Pimlico Road is a major step as we celebrate 45 years of our business this year, and the arrival of a 3rd generation to the Haynes family team.  It is a deep commitment not only to our international customers but also to our belief that London is the most important and vibrant art centre in the world.”

Haynes Fine Art London Gallery

Haynes Fine Art London Gallery

www.haynesfineart.com 

BOOK REVIEW: Going Once

Going Once: 250 Years of Culture, Taste and Collecting at Christie’s

 going-once-jacket

ISBN: 978 0 7148 7202 5

Phaidon

£39.95

 

What better way to celebrate two hundred and fifty years as a leading art business than through the two hundred and fifty objects selected for this book.  It is a wonderful survey of these remarkable sales and the high prices achieved whether for a 3,000-year-old Assyrian frieze or Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Paintings, furniture, gold and silver, sculpture, wine, even a London Routemaster bus are included.  One feature I like is that as well as giving the original sale price they also give today’s equivalent value.

 

This is a great book to dip into time and time again as there is much to learn and enjoy from it.

phaidon.com

Room Portraits by Jeremiah Goodman

Jeremiah – Inspired Interiors, Room Portraits by Jeremiah Goodman, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 39 Brook Street, London W1, until 5th December 2016

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To me this is the perfect subject for the last exhibition that Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler will host in the famous Yellow Room, so beloved by Nancy Lancaster, before they finally move out completely to Pimlico Road and Fulham Road. It has been curated by Dean Rhys Morgan.

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The American artist Jeremiah Goodman (b. 1922) is renowned for his evocative pictures of interiors. After studying at the Franklin School of Professional Art he became a successful advertising illustrator with his work appearing in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Interior Design Magazine. It will come as no surprise that his work attracted the interest of architects, industrial and interior designers.

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Goodman was always interested in creating portraits of interiors but a meeting with the renowned actor Sir John Gielgud in 1948 changed things.  Jeremiah sums it up: ‘Before I met him I painted interiors for my own pleasure, but he invited me to England, where I went in 1949, and began to introduce me to his friends. It was all very Brideshead Revisited and I found myself in the company of people like Cecil Beaton, John Fowler and Ivor Novello. I was invited to stay in glorious country houses.’ Since then he has been creating portraits of rooms from the homes of the rich and famous.

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His distinctive informal style – often using transparent watercolour and opaque gouache on illustration board – perfectly captures details on textiles and the patterns of light in these exquisite rooms. These room portraits are the perfect finale for the Yellow Room and I seriously encourage you to see them.

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www.jeremiahgoodman.com

www.sibylcolefax.com

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Frieze London 2016

Frieze London, The Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NR, (the entrance is off Park Square West), 6th-9th October 2016

Pilar Corrias Gallery Shahzia Sikander Singing Suns, 2016 HD-Video Animation music by Du Yun 3'24"

Pilar Corrias Gallery
Shahzia Sikander
Singing Suns, 2016
HD-Video Animation music by Du Yun
3’24”

This year’s Frieze is a week earlier than usual and it and the accompanying Frieze Masters as well as the other Fairs taking place will make London an art lovers dream destination. Over a hundred and sixty specialist contemporary galleries from around the world are taking part and there will be a new section The Nineties where major, influential exhibitions from that era will be recalled.  The popular Focus and Live sections will also be making a welcome return.

Marian Goodman Gallery William Kentridge Sister Box, part of the Three Sisters series. Bronze Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris & London

Marian Goodman Gallery
William Kentridge
Sister Box, part of the Three Sisters series.
Bronze
Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris & London

The Director of Frieze Fairs, Victoria Siddall, sums it up saying: ‘Frieze has become known for its strong curated sections and this year I am particularly excited to see Nicolas Trembley’s selection of artists who changed the conversation in the 1990s. This adds to the great range and diversity of work shown throughout the fair by the world’s leading galleries. I am also thrilled that we will have two official museum acquisition funds at the fair this year, including the Frieze Tate Fund – this was used to purchase Tate’s first-ever performance work at Frieze Art Fair 2004, Roman Ondák’s Queue, which was shown for the recent opening of the new extension. In the fair’s non-profit programme, Raphael Gygax will give a new perspective on Frieze Projects, contributing to the many elements which will make this an unmissable week.’

Stephen Friedman Gallery Juan Araujo ‘Goethe’s Triangle’ 2016 Oil on canvas 40 x 30cm (15 3/4 x 11 7/8in) Copyright the artist. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Photography: Bruno Lopes

Stephen Friedman Gallery
Juan Araujo
‘Goethe’s Triangle’ 2016
Oil on canvas
40 x 30cm
(15 3/4 x 11 7/8in)
Copyright the artist. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Photography: Bruno Lopes

The popular Sculpture Park in The Regent Park’s English Gardens will have eighteen works on display (this year they will be on view until 8th January 2017). Clare Lilley (Director of Programme at Yorkshire Sculpture Park) who has both chosen and placed the works said: ‘From the contemplative and ephemeral to the robust and monumental, the exhibition includes the park’s first-ever conceptual work – a remaking of a rare 1969 piece by Ed Herring – and classic painted sculptures by Claes Oldenburg and Jean Dubuffet alongside a newly created work by Eddie Martinez.

Frieze Sculpture Park Claes Oldenburg, 'Fagend Study' (1975). Courtesy Luxembourg & Dayan

Frieze Sculpture Park
Claes Oldenburg, ‘Fagend Study’ (1975).
Courtesy Luxembourg & Dayan

 British post-war artists are represented by Eduardo Paolozzi, Barry Flanagan and Lynn Chadwick, whilst young and established international artists Nairy Baghramian, Zeng Fanzhi, Claude Lalanne, Huang Rui, Jose Dávila, Matthew Monahan and Goshka Macuga amplify the selection.

Mikayel Ohanjanyan, Renato Nicolodi, and Fernando Casasempere each offer newly made works, as does Conrad Shawcross, whose six-metre-high steel sculpture is a study for his major 2016 commission for the Greenwich Peninsula, while Henry Krokatsis’s imaginary sauna-shed reflects the traditional bandstands and shelters found in London’s parks.’

 The exhibition will captivate and energise both Frieze and Park visitors and I’m gratified that Camden Council has again agreed to extend the end date until January 2017, giving Londoners a wonderful cultural resource over the winter months.’

Lisson Gallery SIER160001-2 Santiago Sierra Línea de 30 cm Tatuada Sobre Una Persona Remunerada, Calle Regina # 51, Mexico D.F., Mayo 1998 / Person paid to have a 30 cm line tattoed on them, Regina Street # 51, Mexico City,May 1998, 2016 Black and White print 211 x 150 cm, 83 x 59 in © Santiago Sierra; Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

Lisson Gallery
SIER160001-2
Santiago Sierra
Línea de 30 cm Tatuada Sobre Una Persona Remunerada, Calle Regina # 51, Mexico D.F., Mayo 1998 / Person paid to have a 30 cm line tattoed on them, Regina Street # 51, Mexico City,May 1998, 2016
Black and White print
211 x 150 cm, 83 x 59 in
© Santiago Sierra; Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

 

Timothy Taylor Eddie MartinezUntitled, 2013 Oil paint and enamel on bronze 16.5 x 16.5 x 7.6 cm ©Eddie Martinez, courtesy Timothy Taylor, London Photo: Kristy Leibowitz

Timothy Taylor
Eddie MartinezUntitled, 2013
Oil paint and enamel on bronze 16.5 x 16.5 x 7.6 cm
©Eddie Martinez, courtesy Timothy Taylor, London
Photo: Kristy Leibowitz

 

303 Gallery The Nineties: Karen Kilimnik My blue pinafore sundress

303 Gallery
The Nineties: Karen Kilimnik
My blue pinafore sundress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHEWDAY'S Female figure Marble 4500 - 4000 BC. H. 8 7/16 in. (21.4 cm) Courtesy CHEWDAY'S, London

CHEWDAY’S
Female figure
Marble
4500 – 4000 BC.
H. 8 7/16 in. (21.4 cm)
Courtesy CHEWDAY’S, London

 

Hauser & Wirth Louise Bourgeois Echo IV 2007 Bronze painted white, and steel 91.4 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm / 36 x 12 x 12 in © The Easton Foundation / DACS, London Courtesy the Foundation and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Christopher Burke

Hauser & Wirth
Louise Bourgeois
Echo IV
2007
Bronze painted white, and steel
91.4 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm / 36 x 12 x 12 in
© The Easton Foundation / DACS, London
Courtesy the Foundation and Hauser & Wirth
Photo: Christopher Burke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chi-Wen Gallery 《超距作用》Action at a Distance Three Channel Video Installation | Color, B&W | Stereo | 9min 16sec | 2015 Image Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Chi-Wen Gallery

Chi-Wen Gallery
《超距作用》Action at a Distance
Three Channel Video Installation | Color, B&W | Stereo | 9min 16sec | 2015
Image Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Chi-Wen Gallery

 

Proyectos Ultravioleta Vivian Suter Untitled Mixed media on canvas, n.d. 171 x 121 cm Installation view of Monstera Deliciosa Proyectos Ultravioleta, June 2016 Courtesy of the Artist and Proyectos Ultravioleta

Proyectos Ultravioleta
Vivian Suter
Untitled
Mixed media on canvas, n.d.
171 x 121 cm
Installation view of Monstera Deliciosa
Proyectos Ultravioleta, June 2016
Courtesy of the Artist and Proyectos Ultravioleta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laura Bartlett Gallery, Sol Calero Solo Pintura, 2016 Acrylic and mosaic on canvas 152 x 122.5 x 3 cm 59 7/8 x 48 1/4 x 1 1/8 in Courtesy Laura Bartlett Gallery, London

Laura Bartlett Gallery,
Sol Calero
Solo Pintura, 2016
Acrylic and mosaic on canvas
152 x 122.5 x 3 cm
59 7/8 x 48 1/4 x 1 1/8 in
Courtesy Laura Bartlett Gallery, London

 

 

 

frieze.com/fairs/frieze-london

 

FRIEZE MASTERS 2016

Frieze Masters, The Regent’s Park, London NW1 4HA, (the north-east corner of The Regent’s Park, near the London Zoo), 6th-9th October 2016

Prahlad Bubbar Ltd. Ladies celebrate Holi on a Pleasure Pavilion Leaf from an album made for Antoine Polier Attributed to Mihr Chand, with calligraphy by Hafiz Nur Ullah Lucknow, India, c. 1775-1780 Opaque watercolour and gold on paper Folio 45.5 x 62 cm; Painting 29 x 42.5 cm

Prahlad Bubbar Ltd.
Ladies celebrate Holi on a Pleasure Pavilion
Leaf from an album made for Antoine Polier
Attributed to Mihr Chand, with calligraphy by Hafiz Nur Ullah
Lucknow, India, c. 1775-1780
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Folio 45.5 x 62 cm; Painting 29 x 42.5 cm

 

The well-known architect Annabelle Selldorf has designed the structure for this the fifth edition of Frieze Masters and it will play host to one hundred and thirty-three leading historical and modern galleries from around the world.

BLAIN|SOUTHERN LONDON Lynn Chadwick, The Stranger, 1954, Courtesy The Estate of Lynn Chadwick and Blain|Southern, Photo: Matthew Hollow

BLAIN|SOUTHERN LONDON
Lynn Chadwick, The Stranger, 1954,
Courtesy The Estate of Lynn Chadwick and Blain|Southern,
Photo: Matthew Hollow

 

As Frieze’s Director Victoria Siddall commented: ‘The quality and breadth of work in Frieze Masters keeps it fresh and exciting each year. I am looking forward to seeing even more antiquities dealers in the fair, as well as Indian art, alongside the best Old Masters and 20th-century work. Curators play an important role in this fair as well as in our contemporary fairs, and this year we welcome Tim Marlow (Director of Artistic Programmes, Royal Academy, London) who is co-curating Frieze Masters Talks, and Toby Kamps of the Menil Collection in Houston who is presenting his first edition of Spotlight.

 Once again we will see galleries from different fields collaborate on ground-breaking presentations, as the fair continues to offer new models for looking at and collecting art.’

 

 

 

Daniel Crouch Rare Books Benjamin Read, View in the Colosseum Regents Park London, Summer Fashions for 1836. London, 1836. Image courtesy of Daniel Crouch Rare Books.

Daniel Crouch Rare Books
Benjamin Read,
View in the Colosseum Regents Park London, Summer Fashions for 1836. London, 1836.
Image courtesy of Daniel Crouch Rare Books.

 

Luxembourg & Dayan Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), Untitled (mud painting), 1953-1992 Courtesy Luxembourg & Dayan

Luxembourg & Dayan
Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008),
Untitled (mud painting), 1953-1992
Courtesy Luxembourg & Dayan

 

Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books AG Beauchamp-Corbet Hours, manuscript on vellum, illuminated by the Milemete workshop, mainly by the De Bois Master. England, London, dated 1328 image courtesy of Dr. Jorn Gunther Rare Books

Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books AG
Beauchamp-Corbet Hours, manuscript on vellum, illuminated by the Milemete workshop, mainly by the De Bois Master. England, London, dated 1328
image courtesy of Dr. Jorn Gunther Rare Books

 

Mayor Gallery Ad Dekkers Relief met drie circkels 1967 Polyester, paint Ø 180 x 3 cm Ø 70 7/8 x 1 1/8 in

Mayor Gallery
Ad Dekkers
Relief met drie circkels 1967
Polyester, paint Ø 180 x 3 cm Ø 70 7/8 x 1 1/8 in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waddington Custot Manolo Millares, Ínsula, 1967, mixed media on burlap. Courtesy Waddington Custot

Waddington Custot
Manolo Millares, Ínsula, 1967,
mixed media on burlap.
Courtesy Waddington Custot

 

Kallos Gallery Archaic Cretan Bronze Helmet, circa 650-620 BC. Credit Steve Wakeham & Kallos Gallery

Kallos Gallery
Archaic Cretan Bronze Helmet, circa 650-620 BC.
Credit Steve Wakeham & Kallos Gallery

 

Bernard Jacobson Gallery Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) Untitled (New England Elegy No.5) 1967 Oil on canvas 296.6 x 355.6 cms (116 3/4 x 140 ins) RM12608

Bernard Jacobson Gallery
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991)
Untitled (New England Elegy No.5)
1967
Oil on canvas
296.6 x 355.6 cms (116 3/4 x 140 ins)
RM12608

 

 

frieze.com/fairs/frieze-masters

Milkmaids in St James’s Park

Benjamin West: Milkmaids in St James’s Park, Spencer House, 27 St James’s Place, London SW1, until 29th January 2017

Benjamin West Milkmaids in St. James's Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond (ca. 1801, oil on panel, Paul Mellon Fund) Courtesy of the Yale Center for British Art

Benjamin West
Milkmaids in St. James’s Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond (ca. 1801, oil on panel, Paul Mellon Fund)
Courtesy of the Yale Center for British Art

I have had the great delight of writing about the fabulous London home of the Spencer family with its remarkable early neo-classical interiors by James ‘Athenian’ Stuart over many years now.

It is hard to believe that it is now twenty-five years since the house was re-opened to the public following the restoration of the fine interiors carried out for RIT Capital Partners PLC, under Lord Rothschild’s chairmanship. The house’s collection is managed by the Rothschild Foundation.

Among the paintings on display in the house are a group of paintings by the American-born artist Benjamin West from the Royal Collection. In the Dining Room are the Death of Wolfe (1771), The Death of Chevalier Bayard (1772) and The Death of Epaminondas (1773) which were commissioned by George III, while upstairs in Lady Spencer’s Room visitors will discover The Family of the King of Armenia before Cyrus (1773) and The Wife of Arminius brought captive to Germanicus (1773).

The Dining Room, Spencer House Courtesy of The Rothschild Foundation

The Dining Room, Spencer House
Courtesy of The Rothschild Foundation

These have been joined by a special loan (to mark the 25th anniversary) from the Yale Center for British Art of West’s Milkmaids in St. James’s Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond (ca. 1801, oil on panel, Paul Mellon Fund). And a very interesting loan it is for this is an unusual subject in West’s oeuvre with its combination of pastoral and urban life.  It depicts the eastern end of nearby St James’s Park where milkmaids had kept cows from the late 17th century onwards and by the time of the painting it had become somewhat fashionable to visit that part of the park to imbibe either milk or a mixture of milk and wine known as syllabub (one of my favourite deserts). Appropriately enough the painting hangs in the Dining Room.

 

Spencer House: Open every Sunday 10am-5pm, £12 (£10 concessions) also for pre-booked and private tours

 

http://www.spencerhouse.co.uk