Proposed Washington Law Would Require State To Sell Art To Fund Scholarships
The Daily Herald (Everett, Wash.) 02/20/12
5 Strange-But-True Facts We Learned About the Knoedler Forgery Scandal From the Latest Exposé
5 Strange-But-True Facts We Learned About the Knoedler Forgery Scandal From the Latest Exposé Language English Email Print Save Tweet 0 Comments by Julia HalperinPublished: February 22, 2012A controversy surrounding a trove of allegedly fake Modernist paintings by the likes of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning is currently rattling the art world. The scandal has all the makings of a Hollywood drama: millionaire businessmen, bitter lawsuits, high society New Yorkers, and, of course, an FBI investigation. Today, the New York Times published the most complete account of the scandal yet, which centers around a Long Island art dealer named Glafira Rosales, who allegedly supplied a group of paintings to the now-defunct Upper East Side Knoedler Gallery. The article charts how Rosales, who once owned a small gallery on West 19th Street in Chelsea, brought a cache of Modernist canvases to the market whose authenticity is now in doubt. Most of the paintings reached high-rolling collectors through the respected dealer Ann Freedman, who for over 30 years served as president of the blue-chip Knoedler. She sold individual works for as much as $17 million — and some of the collectors are looking to get their money back. Though Knoedler is now closed, Rosales, Freedman, and several other dealers are caught up in a tangle of lawsuits. A federal investigation is also underway, probing the authenticity of the paintings as well as their original source, which Rosales refuses to disclose. The Times raised a few new facts about the case, as well as some gossipy tidbits. Below, ARTINFO analyzes and expands on the five most interesting revelations about the Knoedler forgery scandal. 1. Private Detectives Join the Game You know a controversy is brewing when a modest artist foundation hires a private detective. According the Times report, that's exactly what the Dedalus Foundation did. The Foundation, which was founded shortly after Robert Motherwell's death to preserve his artistic legacy and promote Modernist art, employed private eyes to investigate Rosales and her husband after it began to suspect the authenticity of a group of Motherwell paintings it encountered doing research for the artist's forthcoming catalogue raisonné. "Because the dealers didn't seem to have investigated the background of the people they were buying from, Dedalus decided to do so," Jack Flam, the president of the Dedalus Foundation, told ARTINFO when asked about the story. "We found that they had had legal problems and that her husband had been accused at one point in trafficking in forged art in Spain, although that was never proven." Dedalus was later sued by a collector of one of the Motherwell paintings after the foundation reversed its opinion on the painting's authenticity. In October, the foundation was vindicated in the settlement, and the canvas was stamped as a forgery as part of the agreement. But the fact that Dedalus brought in detectives so early on — even before the lawsuit — shows just how high the stakes were for some of these players — and how damaging it is to be associated with a forged painting. 2. Frank Stella Served as an Impromptu Art Authenticator Art dealers and collectors weren't the only ones who believed the disputed paintings were genuine. It turns out the legendary artist Frank Stella, a contemporary of the Abstract Expressionists, was also brought in to inspect several of the paintings Rosales had passed on to Knoedler, and even he was impressed. "Each one is too good to be true, but seeing them in context, as a group, makes one realize they are true," Stella reportedly told Freedman in 2006, according to court documents. (It's also worth noting that when Freedman left Knoedler amid accusations that some of the Robert Motherwell works she sold were forgeries, Frank Stella followed her to her new gallery, Freedman Art.) 3. A Collector Is Named — Sort of Rosales has remained tight-lipped about the source of her supposed Modernist masterpieces, describing the source only as a Mexican collector with a connection to the late dealer David Herbert. The New York Times now reports that Rosales did identify the collector of at least one of the pieces, a Motherwell canvas that was the subject of multiple lawsuits and was conclusively labeled a forgery in October as part of a settlement agreement. But the man Rosales identified, John Gerzso, told the Times he never owned the painting. "There was never a sale of anything like these paintings," he said. 4. Complicating the Paint Debate The Times highlights a debate that promises to become more central to the controversy as the lawsuits and federal investigation progress. Is it damning that some of the artworks contain pigments that were not invented at the supposed time of their creation? While at first the answer seems like a no-brainer — yes, duh — experts are divided on the issue. The Times notes that while pigment dating is generally viewed as reliable, it cannot make or break a case. Painters like Pollock often used experimental pigments that had not yet been released publicly. (The Times neglects to mention that many artists — Robert Motherwell in particular — would often return to canvases years after the date of completion to tweak or adjust them.) 5. Are Your Eyes Crossing Yet? Perhaps the most interesting part of the Times's report comes at the end, when reporter Patricia Cohen lays out just how difficult it will be to litigate both the forgery case and the criminal case. The stakes might be sky high, but the possibilities for real resolution, Cohen suggests, are paltry. Authenticity debates come down to the opinions of experts, which, at the moment, are divided. Even more difficult is to convict Rosales in a criminal case: prosecutors would not only have to prove conclusively that the works are fakes, but also that Rosales knew they were fakes all along. Expect lots more headaches before this debacle is laid to rest. In the meantime, the art world will continue to hold its breath. Go to top ↑Array Share: Tweet Email to a Friend
Sale of the Week, February 26-March 3: Wondrous Watches at Antiquorum Hong Kong
Sale of the Week, February 26-March 3: Wondrous Watches at Antiquorum Hong Kong Language English Email Print Save Tweet 0 Comments by Shane FerroPublished: February 22, 2012SALE: Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces at Antiquorum DATE: February 26 LOCATION: Hong Kong ABOUT: Next week's Hong Kong Antiquorum watch sale will be dominated by two of the most sought-after timepiece makers in the world: Jaeger LeCoultre and Patek Philippe pieces proliferate at the top end of the catalogue, with several wristwatches expected to fetch over HK$1 million ($129,000). The highest estimated item is a Patek Philippe 3939 minute-repeating wristwatch in 18k pink gold with a one minute tourbillon regulator, which could fetch HK$2.7-3.8 million ($355,000-415,000). Another top Patek Philippe model on offer is a 1518 first series dating from 1946. It's an 18k gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, square button chronograph, register, tachometer, and 18k gold buckle (est. HK$ 1.9-2.3 million). The Jaeger LeCoultre pieces include a trio of watches that were once a set, called "Hybris Mecanique," but will be sold at the auction at three separate lots. The white gold "Gyrotourbillon One" has large, water-resistant face includes a lightweight two-cage multi-axis spherical tourbillon and two barrels with sapphire covers, "merchante" equation of time, and power reserve indication, and is estimated to be worth HK$1.9-2.3 million. There is also a similar, square-faced model, the white gold "Gyrotourbillon Two," which could bring HK$1.4-1.7 million. A white gold Reversion "Triptyque" Grand Complication with a perpetual calendar retrograde date, and triple-dial reversible tourbillon rounds out the valuable set (est. HK$2.3-3 million). At a (relatively) more affordable price point, auction goers may be interested in the Vacheron Constantin 18k yellow gold wristwatch (est. HK$380,000-480,000) or a Tiffany & Co. pocket watch made in 1890 (est. HK$350,000-425,000). OTHER INTERNATIONAL SALES: Sale: WatchesLocation: Bonhams LondonDate: February 28, 11:30 a.m. Sale: Vienna DesignLocation: Dortheum ViennaDate: February 29, 4 p.m. Sale: American Paintings Including Property from the Collection of Mark and Irene KauffmanLocation: Christie's New YorkDate: March 1, 10 a.m. Sale: Works by African American ArtistsLocation: Leslie Hindman ChicagoDate: March 1, 6 p.m. Go to top ↑Auctions, Jewelry & Watches, Auction Previews Share: Tweet Email to a Friend
Greenwich Village Townhouse
Language Undefined Email Print Save Tweet By The Marion House BookI picked up Architectural Digest this month because the cover with Brooke Shields really appealed to me. Greenwich Village townhouses have to be some of the most beautiful architectural buildings in the world. Brooke Shields employed Brooklyn based MADE... Share This Story Tweet This Post to Stumble Upon Email to a Friend Read moreArchitecture & DesignDesign Share: Tweet Email to a Friend
Element Hotels: Eco-Friendly Lodging Has a Wallet-Friendly Deal
Language Undefined Email Print Save Tweet By Los Angeles TimesPresident Obama’s recent stay at the eco-friendly Element Hotel in Summerlin, Nev., has inspired a deal. Apparently, the president suggested that his staff might want to miss their flight to stay an extra night, which led Element to resurrect an extended... Share This Story Tweet This Post to Stumble Upon Email to a Friend Read moreArchitecture & DesignArchitecture Share: Tweet Email to a Friend
Gagosian's Next Picasso Blockbuster, Kansas Artist Plans Chicken Sacrifice, and More Must-Read Art News
Gagosian's Next Picasso Blockbuster, Kansas Artist Plans Chicken Sacrifice, and More Must-Read Art News Language Undefined Email Print Save Tweet 0 Comments by ARTINFOPublished: February 22, 2012– More Amazing Picasso at Gagosian: Fresh off his much-hated Damien Hirst spot spectacular, Larry Gagosian is returning to the kind of "museum-quality" shows that have brought him acolades (and big crowds) in recent years. The fourth in the super-gallery's series of scholarly Picasso exhibitions opens on April 30 in New York, this time focusing on art made by the Cubist master while he was living in southern France with lover Francoise Gilot. Three-quarters of the pieces in the exhibition were either loaned by or consigned from Picasso's family. "Having the opportunity to work closely with [Picasso biographer] John Richardson and the Picasso family...has been professionally, and on a personal level, one of the most exciting chapters in the gallery's history," Gagosian said. [Bloomberg] – Dead Chicken Art Ruffles Feathers: If you thought the woman who rolled around naked with pigs at Art Basel Miami Beach was bad, try this on for size: Kansas artist Amber Hansen plans to publicly display five chickens before slaughtering and serving them at a community potluck. She hopes the Warhol Foundation-funded project, "The Story of Chickens: A Revolution" will establish a connection between residents and the food they eat. Some, however, are clucking their tongues: “When people in other states think of Kansas, they will think that we don’t teach evolution in our schools and we do those gruesome, public slaughters of chickens and call it art,” said one local. "This is just backward." [Kansas City Star] – Fake Antiquities Ring Raided by Police: Seven people, including renowned archaeologist Edoardo David, have been arrested in Italy on suspicion of participating in a two-and-a-half-year-long archeological fraud that forged thousands of Greek and Etruscan artifacts. [TAN] – Grayson Perry Snubs da Vinci: The potter and artist, whose own exhibition at the British Museum has been extended to meet the demand for last-minute tickets, admitted he "couldn't be bothered" to visit the National Gallery's landmark exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci. "It's too familiar, really," Perry said, referring to the Renaissance master's paintings as "fuzzy portraits by that famous bloke." [Telegraph] – Can Street Art Rid a City of Pollution?: That's the question paint producer Boysen is asking after commissioning a group of artists to paint murals along the main highway in Manila, Philippines with special smog-eating paint. When exposed to sunlight, modified titanium dioxide molecules in the paint neutralize noxious gases. [HuffPo] – Ai Weiwei Doc Gets Release Date: Alison Klayman's documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" will hit theaters in the United States this summer. The film, which chronicles the life of the dissident Chinese artist as he is targeted by the government, won a Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance at this year's Sundance Film Festival. [NYT] – "Mona Lisa" Copy Will Show Alongside Original: A recently discovered copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" that is believed to have been painted alongside the original is drawing huge crowds at Madrid's Prado museum. In March, the restored copy — painted with more detail than the original — will go on show at the Lourve alongside the genuine Da Vinci version. [BBC] – Marina Makes Even German Men Cry: In an interview with Canada's Globe and Mail, performance artist Marina Abramovic reveals one of the greatest challenges in her 40-year career: "To make German men cry is not an easy task," she said. [Globe and Mail] – Watch the Throne: A new exhibition at London's Cartoon Museum on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne examines the British press's changing attitude towards the royal family. UK cartoonists became more cutting as the Royals' lives became more public. [WSJ] – Murakami Goes Back to His Roots?: Though it might be a hard sell for a show that opens with a six-meter inflatable portrait of the artist, the Ecomomist argues that Takashi Murakami's exhibition, "Murakami-Ego," at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, is "as much about the Buddhist suppression of ego and the road to enlightenment as it is about the artist's overheated obsession." [Economist] – Jurassic Park, Opening Soon: Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia are developing a new use for 3D scanning and printing technologies that will allow them to test out long-held hypotheses with robotic dinosaur bone replicas. “Technology in paleontology hasn't changed in about 150 years,” said professor Kenneth Lacovara. “It hasn't changed — until right now.” [Press Release] – From Herding Celebs to Herding Goats: The week before his exhibition of still life photos opens at Fred Torres Collaborations, David LaChapelle is at home in Hawaii tending to his goats. The photographer, famous for shooting celebrities surrounded by lavish sets, says he spends most of his down time at his house in the appropriately lush Hawaiian rainforest. [HuffPo] VIDEO OF THE DAY MoMA gives a peek behind the scenes of the just-opened "Cindy Sherman": ALSO ON ARTINFO: From Film Stills to Centerfolds, Take a Virtual Tour of Cindy Sherman’s Bewitching MoMA Retrospective Olafur Eliasson Plots to Save the Third World Via a Line of Stylish Solar-Powered Lamps In Crisis-Wracked Greece, A Crime Wave Grips the Nation's Museums and Cultural Sites New Low? Auction House Announces Sale of Whitney Houston Memorabilia as Singer Is Buried Elmgreen & Dragset on Their "Almost Embarrassing" Rocking Horse for Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth Dubious $4.3-Million Michelangelo Becomes an Icon of Government Waste in Italy Go to top ↑by ARTINFO,The Daily Checklist Share: Tweet Email to a Friend
Fake Pollock’s $15m Profit & Other Tales of the Glafira Rosales Trove
The New York Times is having a blast with the continuing court case involving Knoedler, [...]
Qatar Invests in Art to Invest in Its Future
Adam Lindemann made a pilgrimage to Qatar to see Takashi Murakami’s Ego show and see [...]
Richter is the New Warhol
Colin Gleadell did a little math on last week’s Contemporary art sales and discovered that [...]
Monetizing Washington State’s Art Collection
Washington State now has a bill before it to sell off the state’s art collection [...]
Munch’s Scream to Sell at Sotheby’s: Do We Hear $80m?
The last example of Edvard Munch’s Scream held in private hands (there are four) will [...]
McQueen Mania Rages on at Met
Alexander McQueen’s brilliant posthumous retrospective at the Met continues to draw the crowds. On Sunday, in an effort to beat the heat, I visited the museum and found a two-hour wait to see McQueen’s show. Luckily I had already seen the exhibit in May soon after it opened, and there was plenty else to see. With a touch of line schadenfreude, we took these pics. The Met recently recently reported that 500,000 visitors have seen the show.
Christie’s Chairman Quits, Bound for Qatar
Edward J. Dolman, a 27-year Christie’s veteran, has quit the auction business to become executive director of the Qatar Museums Authority. He will be working for the emir’s daughter, chairperson H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, according to a statement from Christie’s. Dolman was named Christie’s chairman in 2010 after a decade as CEO. At the time, Christie’s named a new CEO, Steven Murphy. Dolman rose through company ranks, after starting at the London-based auction house in the European furniture department. Christie’s is a privately held company owned by French magnate Francois Pinault.
Christie’s Sells $10M in Antiquities, Led by Headless Isis
By Eric Russ, Art Market Views contributor Christie’s June 9 antiquities sale failed to match the success of Sotheby’s sale a day earlier. The event included 202 lots, a third of which failed to sell, including many of the highest estimated lots. The sale tallied $10.4 million, towards the lower end of the projected $9 million to $14 million range. The bright spots included a few Roman works. A Roman bronze head of Hercules, circa 1st century A.D., exceeded a $50,000 high estimate and sold to a phone bidder for $140,500. Next followed a Roman marble head of a handsome Apollo, circa late 1st-early 2nd Century A.D., which sold for an $902,500, triple the high estimate. Next up was a Roman marble head of Venus, circa 1st-2nd century A.D., sold to a man in a light red button-down shirt, standing at the back of the room where dealers tend to hover, for $422,500, more than double the high estimate. The top price was paid for a headless Roman marble statue of Isis, circa 1st-2nd Century A.D. which went for $962,500, above the $800,000 high estimate. She stands, right leg…
Sotheby’s Sells $11.3M in Buoyant Ancient Art Auction
By Eric Russ, Art Market Views contributor A marble sarcophagus depicting the rape of Persephone, dating from around 190 A.D. surpassed a $600,000 high estimate at Sotheby’s last week, selling for $1.9 million. The elaborate coffin, emblazoned with a toga-clad procession, was the top lot in a robust $11.3 million sale held June 8. Ninety percent of lots found buyers. Also popular: a first century 13-inch tall marble head of a pensive, wizened Greek poet, likely Hesiod, estimated to sell for up to $500,000. Three phone bidders vied for the bearded bust, and all were outbid by a man standing in the back of the salesroom who landed the work for $1.7 million. The same unidentified buyer’s shopping spree included an Attic red-figured cup depicting a man holding a staff, attributed to the Brygos painter, circa 470 B.C, which made $50,000, topping a $7,000 presale estimate. He also snagged an Attic red-figured column krater with three men and a horse, circa 450 B.C., paying $116,500, more than twice the high estimate. Both works were among a large collection of Green pottery being sold by New York artists Sideo Fromboluti…
[Sponsor] Saatchi Online Democratizes the Art Market
“Delacroix” by Jeffrey Isaac Saatchi Online began with a simple mission – to democratize the art market and make art accessible and affordable to everyone around the world. In 2006 Saatchi Online was launched to give artists a platform from which to show their work to an international audience. For the first time, aspiring and established artists were able to display their work to a global art community outside the confines of a traditional gallery setting. Today, Saatchi Online has developed into a powerful platform where artists showcase their work to an international audience and connect directly with collectors in a vibrant social marketplace. With over 1 million pieces of original art, Saatchi Online offers collectors beautiful prints on canvas, fine art paper, and gallery photo paper. With prices starting as low as $17, Saatchi Online makes it possible for new collectors to start their collection by ordering directly from tomorrow’s stars. “Fraulein” by Susannah Martin Saatchi Online For Artists Saatchi Online also provides the opportunity for artists to earn additional income by offering prints for sale in addition to original artworks. Saatchi Online handles…
Ellsworth Kelly CALIFORNIA DOUBLE FEATURE by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp
Ellsworth Kelly rocks Los Angeles with a show of prints at LACMA and the debut exhibition at Matthew Marks L.A.
WEEKEND UPDATE by Walter Robinson
Damien Hirst spots, Eric Fischl friends, Jason Fox Jesus, Antony Johnson trauma and Sarah Kurz romance.
Art Market Watch LONDON SALES OF CONTEMPORARY ART by Jessica Mizrachi
Tweeting the results of the Richterrific sales and Baconfidence at the auctions in London.
Art Los Angeles Contemporary 2012 GO WEST, YOUNG ART FAIR by Pedro Vélez
West Coast élan and plenty of star power at the third edition of Art Los Angeles Contemporary.
ARTNET NEWS
Bushwick and Chelsea go head to head with dueling openings; Marc Jancou sues Sotheby's and Cady Noland; Christian Boltanski to make monthly videos for the rest of his life; Marina Abramovic enlists Rem Koolhaas to design new performing-arts center.
2010 MMPI. For more information on MMPI, its trade shows and consumer events,
please call 800 677 6278