January 27, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 4:02 am
Haroon Mirza of Sheffield won the Northern Prize, with a sum of £16,500 last night. Mirza, only 33, is the youngest artist to ever be awarded the prize, and the first from Yorkshire. Mark Lawson, author and broadcaster, as well as judge for last year’s Northern Art Prize, gave the announcement to 700 people in Leeds.
Mizra was especially surprised winning the award this year, since last year he had only placed among the top 23, rather than the final four.
“This was really my year,” he said. “I was a nervous wreck, because your sitting on pins and needles up to the point when they call your name. It’s frightening.”
The Sheffield artist’s work, Anthemoessa, integrates Islamic elements, such as the call to prayer, azaan, with both The Siren, a 19th century painting by Edward Armitage, and Greek myth. The presentation includes sound, image, and light.
The artist explained, “In this I question the organization of religion and how it is related to the experience of death. The answers are not there, but only the questions. That’s why I work.”
The NAP was established to encourage artists that they do not have to be sucked into London’s gravity in order to find prominence in the art world. Pippa Hale, a Leeds artist, was the founder. Now it is obvious that the respect for the NAP is quickly growing.
Mirza beat out his colleagues, Lubaina Himid, Alec Finlay, and David Jacques. However, Himid took the popular vote, counted on the Net from the opening day of the exhibition two months ago.
The exhibition will run at the Leeds Art Gallery up to the 6th of February.
January 26, 2011
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 2:43 am
It’s unlucky for some art thieves. Three valuable artworks, worth over £200,000, out of a total of thirteen that had gone missing in the 1990s, from various locations in and around Glasgow, including storehouses at council-owned Kelvingrove, the Museum of Transport and a site in Maryhill, have been found by police.
Eagle-eyed experts at the Kelvingrove gallery alerted police when they saw the first exhibit, ‘Wooded Landscape With Figures’ being offered for sale by established Edinburgh auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, who quickly took action and removed it from their sale.
A second, ‘Landscape’, by Scottish colourist Samuel John Peploe, was sold by the same source to Glasgow art dealer Ewan Munday, and was recovered by police on 21 December.
A third, ‘The Infant Christ’ by Italian Renaissance artist Federico Barocci was recovered from the seller’s home. Another, as yet unnamed auction house is also implicated in the thefts, another ten artworks that could be worth millions, including ‘ Salmon Fishers, Carnoustie’, by Kintyre-born William McTaggart, are still missing.
The story has only just come to light after more than ten years, as it was feared that otherwise the works would be sold on the black market and never recovered. Yesterday, a Ewan Munday Galleries spokesperson said, “The Peploe work came into our hands from an auction.”
A spokesman from Glasgow Life, which runs the city’s museums and galleries, commented, “We’re very grateful for the work of the police in bringing these paintings home.”
January 22, 2011
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 7:18 am
The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square will be the spot for a small boy sitting on his rocking horse and a big, blue cockerel.
Katharina Fritsch’s controversial “Cock”, filled with sexual innuendo, will stand erect against the splash of the traditional Georgian architecture. “There it is! That huge blue cock in Trafalgar Square, and that’s all there is to it,” announced London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, as he revealed the winners of the proposals.
“In a couple of years there will be a huge French cockerel standing in the square. If you are terrified that is symbolizes the occupation of the French in England, the only assurance I can give is that Nelson still has a watchful eye from above.”
The artists remarked, “That small boy on his horse represents the bravery of maturation from childhood, but it questions quietly tradition of military based monuments celebrating either defeat or victory.”
Johnson had far less to say regarding its substance. “You’ve got me what it means. Maybe it has something to do with Rolf Harris. Perhaps it alludes to Lawrence’s ‘Rocking-Horse Winner’.”
He pointed out that it would be on display in time for the Olympics, but joked that it symbolized Team GB’s expertise in the competitions that involved sitting, such as sailing, cycling, equestrianism, and rowing.
Michael Elmgreen laid out the purpose of the art, indicating that its intention was to make fun of the aggrandized war heroes and generals who circle the square.
“Not everything should focus on defeat or victory, failure or success. This work reminds us of the normal, daily, and very predictable aspects of life.”
“This child on his rocking horse is not yet a general and his horse is only wood, but he is nonetheless as heroic as any general in battle. This boy has no victims, as do the generals, and that is what makes him heroic in his own special way.”
January 12, 2011
Filed under: Art News — Alan @ 8:44 am
Art lovers of Britain can rejoice, and be proud of themselves too. The 1602 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger titled “The Procession to Calvary” will return to its place in the Nostell Priory in West Yorkshire, to remain there for the public to enjoy, instead of going into a private collection.
The acknowledged masterpiece has been hanging in the Priory for about 200 years, but the owner of what is now a magnificent family home, Lord St Oswald, put the painting up for sale last year, and it would have gone to public auction if the asking price was not met by Christmas of 2010. The country’s art enthusiasts, both public and private, have come up with a total of £2.7 million, against all expectations and to the lasting delight of everyone involved.
A massive fund-raising drive launched by the National Trust and the Art Fund managed to raise £1.7. That included about £680,000 from public trusts, foundations and individual members of national art associations. Another £500,000 came from the Art Fund, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund has come up with the balance of £1,034,000, so the painting is saved for posterity.
Brueghel’s masterwork is the Flemish artist’s depiction of Christ’s walk to his death, carrying His own cross; it is a stunning, tragic and beautiful painting, and presents an incredible visual impact both to adults and to children, who become engrossed in the vivid, detailed imagery.
Nostell Priory is a National Trust property, and the paintings and other objects in its gallery date back to the 18th century. According to the National Trust, “The Procession to Calvary” is the most important item in that collection, and all those who have helped to preserve it are deserving of sincere gratitude. However, such an effort may be even more challenging in future, since the annual £10 million grant from Treasury funds to NHMF will be cut in half this year.
January 11, 2011
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 6:26 am
His notoriety and riches comes from outraging people with his so-called art. Examples include cut up sharks and pickled lambs. The artist, Damien Hirst, turns political and hits below the belt with his latest work, utilizing the skull of a dead infant.
The piece is called For Heaven’s Sake and displays a casting of a baby’s skull created from platinum, with over 7,000 pink and white diamonds mounted on it from the royal Bentley & Skinner jewellers.
It is part of a collection of his new works going on exhibit later in January in Hong Kong at the Gagosian Gallery. The exhibit will arrive in London later this year. There is no comment from the gallery in reply to the question of the cost of the work.
The child’s skull used as a model is thought to have been under two weeks in age and to have belonged to a 19th century pathology collection the artist purchased.
Of course parents are outraged. Certain support groups for parents who have lost a child are the most up in arms.
The director of Hirst’s primary company for producing art, Judy Tyrrell of Science Ltd., agreed that it is a difficult theme. She replied that is was from an old Victorian collection, when they were fascinated with acquiring even the strangest of the strange. “Of course it is unusual and out of place in our eyes. I am a mother, myself. Yet I think it is bizarrely beautiful.”
Hirst’s artwork from 2007 called For the Love of God, was the second largest hired work of art made with diamonds in history, second only to the Crown Jewels of England. That piece by Hirst ran £50 million and was another skull covered in diamonds. It was also the costliest modern work of art.
January 9, 2011
Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 5:19 pm
The growth of modern technology has left a significant impact upon the development of art in the modern age. Indeed, video, sound and many different technological features have been used to make compelling pieces of art that reach viewers in an entirely new way. This has helped spur creativity and ensured that the artistic community has not fallen out of step with the rest of the world. The camcorder is one high-tech device that is becoming increasingly popular amongst artists.
Camcorders open up fantastic avenues for artists as they allow easy recording of events. Traditional film equipment requires a great deal of set up and precise lighting to provide a good effect. Camcorders allow users to shoot on the fly: this lends itself to a type of spontaneous art which captures moments with a precision that evades more traditional forms of filming. Additionally, artists can carry their camcorders with them all the time. Fitting into a bag, or a backpack, these devices can be pulled out at a moment’s notice to capture unexpected events or scenes. Indeed, the camcorder is the perfect tool for spontaneous artists.
This form of art links up particularly well with the Internet. Small videos can be easily uploaded onto the Internet where they can be viewed by millions. This is a tremendous advantage to artists as they can get their work out cheaply and easily. It seems every day a new video goes viral, many of which involve budding artists and their camcorders.
Perhaps the biggest reason behind the number of artists using camcorders is their price. These devices used to be very expensive and most people could not afford to buy one, but now they have become much more affordable. Indeed, anyone can pick one up at a local store for a very reasonable price, especially when you consider the cost of professional cameras or more traditional filming equipment.
For many contemporary artists the camcorder is a natural tool of choice. It is affordable, easy to use and lends itself to capturing spontaneous expression. Best of all it links up well with the Internet, an avenue which was proved incredibly conducive for artist expression around the world. This is part of an established trend where technological tools are adopted by artists; this helps produce excellent, evocative and contemporary art that ensures that the art world stays fresh and exciting.
January 5, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 7:04 am
On Monday Susan Philipsz won the Turner prize to become the first sound artist to win the £25,000. The winning piece triumphed over works from sculptor Angela de la Cruz, painter Dexter Dalwood, and art-film collective the Otolith Group.
However, guests were hardly able to hear the replay of the winning piece, a 16th century Scottish lament – Over the Sounds of River Clyde. From outside, came the sound of London’s art students protesting against the impending government’s raising of tuition fees and of the looming university funding cuts. The noise invaded the Tate Britain’s walls and drowned the winning performance.
According to Sculptor Richard Wilson, the timing of the Arts Against Cuts’ protests shows intelligence. ‘These things are not to be done in reticence,’ added Wilson.
Moreover, the winner sympathized with the cause in her acceptance speech. Having been a political activist herself, Philipsz expressed her support for the students.
Meanwhile, Michael Glover have criticised the decision to award the prize to the winning piece. He said that the winning piece does not, as claimed, redefine the space nor is it immersive. Glover described the award decision as “dismal”. However, he expressed his pleasure that sound art has re-established itself.
