Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
"My immediate goal is that this auction be stopped"
A challenge to a planned deaccessioning by the Blanden Art Museum in Iowa. A local philanthropist isn't happy with how the sale is going down:
"That conviction centers on one specific thing: the absence of a list of items to be sold. When [the philanthropist] asked to see one, he reportedly was rebuffed. 'Miss Skove [the museum's Director] refused to tell me what was going to be sold,' he said. Skove responded Thursday: 'There is a list. It's 371 items exactly.' She said there is no reason to publish a list of the items being sold because her experience and education - she has a master's degree in art history - qualify her to make the culling decisions. 'The list will not be published before the auction,' she said."
"That conviction centers on one specific thing: the absence of a list of items to be sold. When [the philanthropist] asked to see one, he reportedly was rebuffed. 'Miss Skove [the museum's Director] refused to tell me what was going to be sold,' he said. Skove responded Thursday: 'There is a list. It's 371 items exactly.' She said there is no reason to publish a list of the items being sold because her experience and education - she has a master's degree in art history - qualify her to make the culling decisions. 'The list will not be published before the auction,' she said."
"Then there's the snobbery problem" (UPDATED)
Benjamin Mercer on the "suprising[ly]" "uncomfortable" Q&A following Tuesday night's showing of The Art of the Steal at the New York Film Festival:
"But about halfway through the Q&A, many [in the audience] began to express their displeasure with the film. They saw a measure of condescension to, perhaps even contempt for, the museumgoing public in the film, which features a talking head referring to a Barnes Foundation relocated more centrally to Philadelphia as a 'McBarnes,' and another chastising a young man who spent only an hour amid the masterworks at the foundation once it was opened to the public."
And Howard Feinstein concedes that "the topic is so compelling," but says "formally, the film is nothing."
UPDATE: More on the "vibrant" Q&A from indieWIRE's Brian Brooks: "'If you want to be spoonfed your art, then that’s fine,' said executive producer Lenny Feinberg. 'But there’s something to be said about understanding and viewing art on a higher level.'"
"But about halfway through the Q&A, many [in the audience] began to express their displeasure with the film. They saw a measure of condescension to, perhaps even contempt for, the museumgoing public in the film, which features a talking head referring to a Barnes Foundation relocated more centrally to Philadelphia as a 'McBarnes,' and another chastising a young man who spent only an hour amid the masterworks at the foundation once it was opened to the public."
And Howard Feinstein concedes that "the topic is so compelling," but says "formally, the film is nothing."
UPDATE: More on the "vibrant" Q&A from indieWIRE's Brian Brooks: "'If you want to be spoonfed your art, then that’s fine,' said executive producer Lenny Feinberg. 'But there’s something to be said about understanding and viewing art on a higher level.'"
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Obscene
The New York Times: "The Richard Prince exhibition 'Spiritual America,' which was planned to open Thursday at the Tate Modern museum in London, was withdrawn Wednesday, following a warning from Scotland Yard that its inclusion of a nude photograph of Brooke Shields taken when she was 10 years could violate obscenity laws."
"Pebble Beach Theft Gets Weirder"
The Art Market Monitor has the details. A ransom note and death threats are involved. (Background here.)
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