art

If you're looking for a crafty excuse to visit London in the next few months, I've got a good one for you: Quilts 1700 - 2010, a new exhibit opening at the V&A Museum.

The exhibit, which opens March 20th and runs through July 4th, focuses on quilts both historic and contemporary. The quilt pictured above, "At the End of the Day", is a 2007 creation of artist Natasha Kerr; historic quilts include those commemorating the lives of Admiral Lord Nelson, Charles II and the Duke of Wellington, among others.

(Bonus for fans of Tracy Chevalier, who wrote the novel Girl with the Pearl Earring, which became a movie starring Scarlett Johansson -- she's written a story based on the George 111 quilt, which is in the museum's magazine. There's a great video of her research process here.)

For the past week, the art community has focused on New York City's annual Armory event, in which artists put their best pieces forward, dealers and galleries are on the prowl and collectors look for new finds that will someday redefine their portfolios. Momentum from the contemporary art auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's was certainly present, as all in attendance seemed focused on opportunity rather than window-shopping. The efforts at the Armory were consistent with a marketplace that's active, not the crushing fear that characterized the art market through the second half of 2008 and most of 2009.

1. Koons went bare
What was expected to be the most controversial event of Armory Week turned out to be subdued, though well attended. Jeff Koons offered a tribute to open sexuality with an exhibition that opened last Tuesday. Protesters weren't in sight, but musicians Cyndi Lauper and The Edge (guitarist for U2) checked out the show.

2. Solo booths were back in style
According to ArtInfo, "Solo artist booths were everywhere you looked." Individuals were ready to put themselves out into the market. Collectors had the opportunity to focus on specific artists as a result, rather than see disparate artwork crammed together by galleries and dealers managing inventory as if they were grocers. The good news, however, is that this shift isn't indicative of an art market slump. Rather, it's a sign of optimism. There's a belief out there that art collectors are ready to buy, especially given what we've seen at auction so far this year.

It's almost time to turn the clocks forward and what a fine collection of clocks will be on display as part of the Bonhams & Butterfields Los Angeles Fine European Furniture and Decorative Arts sale on March 29, 2010. The 500-lot sale will feature pieces for varied tastes and collecting levels from the 16th through the 20th centuries with a focus on English, French, Italian, Spanish and German property. Highlights from the sale will include a strong selection of more than 30 clocks by prominent makers. One of the marquee lots of the fall auction is a Regency style gilt bronze mounted marquetry regulateur (est. $50,000 - 70,000). The case is ornamented with gilt bronze and has a white enamel dial with Arabic hours and twin train movement striking on a bell. Also offered in the clock section of the auction is a French gilt bronze mounted marble regulateur from the 19th century. That piece, shown at right, is 117 inches in height and is estimated to bring $70,000-90,000.

Other incredible ways to mark the passage of time include a Louis XVI style gilt bronze mantel clock by Beurdeley, Paris, (est. $15,000 - 20,000); a Napoleon III gilt bronze mounted marble floor clock (est. $15,000 - 20,000); a musical movement Dutch Baroque paint decorated tall case clock (est. $8,000 - 12,000) and a cartouche outline Louis XV style gilt bronze clock garniture with twin train movement striking on a bell (est. $15,000 - 20,000). Not a clock but truly worth a look is an Italian late Renaissance pietra dura panel (est. $40,000-60,000) that mimics engraving by the Flemish painter and engraver Aegidious Sadeler II rendered in delicately placed Florentine stones with a lapis-lazuli sky.

Director David Slade is known for providing movie watchers with chills and thrills in movies like "Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night" and he's set to delight Cullen fans with "Twilight 3: Eclipse," but Slade also has a side that is downright sweet. The LA Times reports on Slade's Fubear Studios website which features adorable and quirky illustrations and charmingly weird animated films.

He has come out with his first line of giclee prints celebrating two cute characters, Scarfdog and Duck. Their story is one of unrequited love, Scarfdog loves Duck but she doesn't share his feelings. The signed, limited-edition 8.5-by-11-inch prints are sold exclusively at Yolk in Silver Lake for $30 each or $100 for the set of four which illustrate the story of Scarfdog's devotion. Slade tells the LA TImes that film is his main focus but that designing and publishing his own work is something he will also always do.

Lucian Freud is coming back to the Centre Pompidou for the first time since his first retrospective was held in 1987 – at the same museum. Historically, these exhibitions have been great for collectors of Freud's work, according to Artprice.

A 2002 Freud retrospective at the Tate kicked off a nearly immediate 185 percent increase in the index for this artist, and by 2004, he became a staple at prestigious auctions, and his sales revenue surged 450 percent. In 2005, the Freud price index, according to Artprice, gained 41 percent, and demand for his work was substantial. He debuted on the list of top 10 artists at auction, with an aggregate total of $33.7 million for the year.

Of course, the 2005 results paled in comparison to 2008, in which Roman Abramovich made Freud the most expensive living artist (seizing the title from Jeff Koons) with the $30 million purchase of "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" – a familiar enough topic for anyone who's looked for some help from the human resources department. Yet, the upside was short-lived.

No piece by Freud crossed the $1 million mark in 2009, and with only $405,000 in auction results, he ranked 1,327th at auction, just above ... someone who is likely irrelevant in the global art community. The auction houses couldn't try to sell the good stuff, though, because nobody would put it on the block. Only prints and drawings were offered.

Did the Sotheby's auction last month signal a turn? Both "Self-Portrait with a Black Eye" and "Guy and Speck" crossed not just he million dollar but the million pound threshold, though the hype around Freud failed to materialize. Maybe Freud will lag the market in recovering, but that's probably because the art market is showing such a robust return.

It's no Starry Night but "Le Blute-fin Mill" is a Van Gogh after all. Experts have said that the painting of windmills and people against a pale sky is by the Dutch artist. The painting doesn't immediately strike the eye as a Van Gogh, but experts at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum have verified that it dates back to 1886.

"Le Blute-Fin Mill", was put on display in the Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle, Amsterdam. It was bought 35 years ago by Dirk Hannema, the founder of the museum, who kept the painting in his own home until he died in 1984. The painting then made its way to the museum but was only displayed a couple of times. Hannema paid around $2,700 for the painting in Paris and was certain that it was an original. His words went unheeded because he had been discredited years before when he bought a Vermeer (one of the works of forger Han van Meegeren) and made it a star exhibit. Hannema had a preferences for seeking out the works of masters that were yet to be attributed to them, the problem was that he was not always right and his eagerness made him an easy target for an enterprising forger (for a riveting read on van Meegeren, check out The Forger's Spell).

The museum had tried back in 1993 to have the windmill painting authenticated but at that point the experts weren't available. Its is believed that Van Gogh painted the work in Paris, the canvas bears the stamp of an art store that he was known to buy materials and pigments from, according to an AP interview with Louis van Tilborgh, curator of research at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

This weekend the first of what's planned to be an annual fine arts show will be on display in a historic location in New York City's Harlem: the 369th Regiment Armory.

The building itself is worth a visit all on its own: it dates back to 1933 and is Art Deco in style. It was built for the only, solely African American unit of the New York National Guard at that time. The 369th Regiment had already distinguished itself as the first all-African American unit sent to battle overseas, which it did during World War I, albeit under French command due to segregation policies of the US Army.

The men of the "Harlem Hellfighters", as they became known, were greatly decorated. Members were awarded the Croix de Guerre by France -- Private Henry Johnson of this regiment was the first American to ever be so honored -- as well as the US Congressional Medal of Honor, among many other honors. What's more, the regiment's jazz band included many Harlem musicians, and has been credited with introducing jazz to Europe. (Another musical history note, Rafael Hernandez Marin, the celebrated Puerto Rican composer also served in this regiment.) Read more about the history of the regiment here (PDF).

I'm a sucker for the priceless piece in the attic stories. I think a lot of people are, it fuels our fantasies that treasure might exist right under our noses. That's certainly the case in the story of Oliver Chanler who paid little attention to a George Washington portrait hanging in his parents library. He assumed that the painting was a copy but found out around 10 years ago that the picture is actually an original Gilbert Stuart. Stuart's paintings of Washington hang in museums around the U.S. and some sell deep in the millions. That won't be true of this one, the smaller piece is up for sale on March 27 through Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, N.Y. with an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. The painting has never been restored or cleaned. Chanler happens to be related to the the United States' first multimillionaire, John Jacob Astor, so the provenance seems assured and it could be possible that Astor was the original owner of the painting. Chanler's great-grandfather, John Winthrop Chanler, who served in the House of Representatives definitely owned the work.

There's a new show at the Eden Rock Gallery on St. Barths this month ... and it represents a bit of a departure from past exhibitions. Doubtless, some considerable talent has moved through the resort's art gallery, with names such as Richard Prince not to be taken lightly. And, the relationship with the New York Academy of Art has ensured that the artists in residence have been unmatched in talent.

The latest show is not short on talent and remains consistent with the reputation the Eden Rock Gallery has defined for itself, but the artist comes from a little closer to home. Jane Matthews will be showing her work in an exhibition entitled "Between Places and People," which features simple but direct subject matter in a fluid style slightly reminiscent of Gaugin (just a hint).

Jane owns Eden Rock with her husband, David Matthews, and it's their commitment to the arts that led to the gallery and the careful selection of pieces to hang in the property's various villas (such as Villa Rockstar).

With "Between Places and People," Jane proves that she doesn't just know how to pick art – she can create it, too. The photos alone caused me to fall in love with this show.

Liya Alfred by Brian Alfred

Christie's own New York gallery outpost Haunch of Venison is hosting a special benefit Monday night for The Time In Children's Arts Initiative, a HiArt! outreach program that is dedicated to bringing arts-inspired curriculum to at-risk schoolkids.

Galleries all over the city and individual artists have donated special works and experience packages to the auction to raise much needed funds, as schools across the city continue to cut their art budgets. Time In has spent the last year immersing Harlem kindergarteners and first graders in art, including gifting them with art supplies to sketch in HiArt! studios or in museums and galleries across the city. It's an inspiring new program that is set to grow exponentially with a little help from New York art patrons.

This delicate little piggy bank vase is unexpectedly attractive considering it's meant to represent the ushering in of digital currency and the extinction of physical money, paused at the exact moment the hammer hits the piggy. I suspect in this recession some will also be inspired to see it as representative of the need to break into savings to survive. The Killing of a Piggy Bank is the result of a collaboration between Marcel Wanders and Royal Delft for Moooi, and is the latest addition to the Delft Blue Collection of porcelain vases. $1,288

All of Los Angeles wants to know where billionaire Eli Broad and his Broad Art Foundation will land. Ever since Broad decided in 2008 that he wouldn't be installing his 2,000 work contemporary art collection at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, the question of where he would establish his own museum has been up in the air. First it seemed that he might head to Beverly Hills or Santa Monica but the latest info from the LA Times seems to indicate the potential for a downtown move.

Broad's museum could end up as part of the ambitious, Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue project. Broad has long been a supporter of the development which would revitalize the heart of downtown's arts district with hotels, condos and retail space. Until recently Broad was a member of the committee overseeing the project on behalf of the Grand Avenue Authority but he resigned a few months ago, clearing the way for his transition into being a possible part of the project. The Grand Avenue Authority has said they will be considering a proposal from the Broad Foundation. As the LA Times points out, the project has stalled out in the face of the economic decline when the developer was unable to get a multibillion-dollar construction loan. If Broad chooses to put his museum here it will be in good company, Disney Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art and other cultural venues are located nearby. Broad, who is 76, is likely mindful of the story of another famous art collector, the late Donald Fisher who recently died without having secured plans for his museum. Broad isn't going anywhere but this museum is his legacy to the city of Los Angeles and I'm sure he is eager that it find a good home soon.

While at the Geneva Time Exhibition 2010 recently I got to meet with one of my modern watch making heroes, Yvan Arpa. I have discussed his exploits during his time at Romain Jerome, and his new project is Artya. In addition, he will be designing a line of watches for Volna. Artya is interesting concept that could only come from a mind like Arpa's. An artist himself, he sees a large niche for watches made by talented people who consider themselves artists above only watch makers. Arpa is also interested in exclusivity. For that reason, each and every Artya watch will be totally unique - as well as relatively affordable. In a time when a totally unique watch costs over $100,000, how is it possible that Artya watches will mostly cost under $10,000?

It has to do with Arpa's vision for how the watches are made. Instead of making totally unique cases in the manufacturing process, Artya creates unique cases more organically. The workshop's process involves a tesla coil. Making artificial lightning that "tortures" the watches. The result is mostly cases that are too destroyed, but in the experimentation comes pieces that are interesting in style and suitable for the necessary level of water resistance.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has ordered a new yacht, the "Eclipse", which is due for delivery from Blohm & Voss sometime this year and is being heralded as the world's biggest private yacht at 560 ft long. Among its many outstanding features are armor plating and a missile defense system, plus a laser shield that shoots bolts of light at cameras to ruin photographs and foil the paparazzi. He must feel safe leaving valuables inside (I guess!) because over the last several months he's been busy buying up art from the Millennium gallery in south England to decorate the yacht's massive interior. Although details on the specific pieces and prices purchased have not been released, we do know it totals 35 pieces so far and the collection is valued at over $300,000 dollars.

I would love to see that interior!

It was synchronicity: you happened to have your camera ready and Mother Nature just happened to look at you in that special way and smile. On your camera's tiny screen it looks divine – like nearly every other shot. But when you get it on your computer you blow it up to its full resolution and you find out... it looks divine. There is no Facebook page nor inkjet printer that can do this image justice. Obviously, it's time for CanvasPop.

That is where you can have your keen timing committed to high quality canvas – you know, just like a real artiste. Upload your photo and then choose from a hefty number of options such as filter effects, like oil painting or hand sketch effect, multiple canvases to create diptychs, triptychs, and quads, and six different types of rolled canvas depths and floating frames. It works even for low-resolution images, or you can send them an image you need scanned, and CanvasPop will send you a free proof to make sure you approve.

Then choose any one of their 14 standard sizes or choose your own custom size, and pretty soon the mailman will be delivering your vision made real. Shipping is free to the U.S., Canada, and the UK, while unbranded drop shipping to the rest of the world requires just $14. With CanvasPop having it made it that easy, a few more moments of inspiration on your part and Cartier-Bresson and Adams might find themselves giving up the parlor for the spare bedroom...