Archive for August 15, 2013

Art world News….Banksy coming at auction…..more than $1 million

{ August 15, 2013 @ 2:07 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Legendary British Street artist Banksy will be up at auction at Julien’s Auction house. The auction house is renown for its dealings with celebrity items. Julien’s will be selling a mural by Banksy titled “Flower Girl” at auction December 5th of this year 2013. Its an easy date to remember, its my birthday! The work was made on the side of a gas station located in Los Angeles, California. The gas station wall measured 9 by 8 foot. The work was made in 2008 and helped to further the movement of street art on the West Coast.

banksy

Below a brief Reuters newsclip talking more about the work.

The piece  “Flower Girl,”  is to show in modern times even an innocent little girl picking flowers is under surveillance.

It will be the first time a work from the street will be up for auction in the United States. Quite an occasion after a mural titled Slave Labor broke the $1 million dollar mark earlier this year at auction. The work has to do with all the pomp and circumstance that happened during the diamond jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth. The work was quite controversial and I encourage you to take a moment to see an interview with the auctioneer and how uncomfortable he felt trying to answer this simple question. The work was stolen and the owner wasn’t revealed. A one million dollar street art thought……

Below a short clip talking about the work Slave Labour. The pre auction estimate was 900,000 British Pounds. How it works is that the work was already sold for this amount to someone in the United States. Current law does allow for the work to be available under auction and if the auction price is more than the $900,000 pounds already agreed upon, the seller can choose to sell to the highest bidder and forfeit his sale to the person in in the United States. See the building where it originally appeared. The public revolted as they wanted their Banksy back. It was a source of pride in the community. From the BBC.

The work ended up selling for $750,000 British pounds or around $1.17 million U.S. dollars.

What a movement that Banksy has helped to start and bring into fine galleries and auction houses.

D

Artist of the moment……Russell King

{ August 15, 2013 @ 12:54 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Russell King is a street/ graffiti artist from Queens, New York that makes Manhattan, New York home.  His genre is the figure and most often he works with the female figure. For his artistic education King attended the New York Academy of Art. The artist has recently moved into selling in galleries.

A large influence on the artist was J.C. Leyendecker. Leyendecker was from the golden age of American illustration and his work appeared in many commercial advertisements. Below an example of his art. In addition I will add Barnes and Noble’s has wonderful books of his many works. The artist lived from 1874 to 1951.

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Has had artworks at auction at Sotheby’s.

His work is all over New York City, if you are walking down the street put your Ipod in your pocket for a few minutes and keep an out for this artist!

price range information: Sorry none available.

A link to the artist’s website on Tumblr. Many wonderful images here:

http://russellking.tumblr.com/

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Artist of the moment…..Mary Heilmann

{ August 15, 2013 @ 11:31 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Mary Heilmann is an American artist born in San Fransisco, California in the year 1940. Heilmann is known for her bright colored and sometimes combined canvases and panels, these surfaces are two square shapes joined together. The artist usually starts by looking for a shape that really does exist. An air vent, a piece of highway, or even a windows. In addition to painting Heilmann produces ceramics and furniture.

price range information: Works range from $3,000 to $200,000. The artist works in both acrylics and oils.

Here we visit our dear artist friend James Kalm for a show featuring Mary Heilmann from 2010.

During a slow recession time some of the magazines began to have artists write about their work, but for free. The artists didn’t get paid. But as a result people were certainly more interested in Heilmann’s work once they found out more about certain images. Heilmann burst upon the national scene after appearing in national art magazine ArtForum in 2007. This was for a show that was traveling about the country from California to its end location the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

For her collegiate education the artist studied literature and ceramics at the University of California at Berkeley  and San Fransisco State University for her bachelors degree. In addition Heilmann attended the University California at Santa Barbara earning a masters degree.

From the Art 21 series a quick visit to the home and studio of Mary Heilmann.

Based out of New York City.

Its great to see an artist become so successful later in their lifetimes. Another similar story is Grandma Moses, who learned to paint after arthritis forced her to give up knitting and crochet. She became famous after age 70!

D

Artist of the moment…..Paul Malliki

{ August 15, 2013 @ 4:13 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Paul Malliki is a wonderful Inuit artist born in Repulse Bay, Nunavut Territory, Canada  in the year 1956. Paul Malliki is one of few Inuit professional artists living in the Repulse Bay area.

The artist is renown for his work with animals and the human figure.  He portrays them doing their everyday activities including smelling for food and hunting.

The artist loves everything about his life. Awesome!

He began carving to help feed the family when he was unable to hunt or trap. He constantly studies the movements of animals, even whilst hunting.

price range information: No price range available.

Has been  part of the Arctic College teaching faculty teaching a sculpture class.

D