Art Knowledge News - Keeping You in Touch with the World of Art...

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• The Blanton Museum of Art offers "Different Views of Hudson River School Painting"
• National Portrait Gallery opens "Photographs from the Harry Warnecke Studio"
• La Luz de Jesus Gallery Presents its Annual Juried Show ~ "Laluzapalooza"
• Poppy Sebire Gallery shows "Danny Rolph ~ Kissing Balloons in the Jungle"
• The Morgan Library & Museum Shows "Dutch Drawings From the Clement C. Moore Collection"
• The Chrysler Museum Shows Photographs of the Modern City From its Collection
• The Pradarshak Gallery in Mumbai presents Rajesh Shah
• Artisphere presents "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos" on exhibition
• Ransom Center exhibition celebrates "History and Influence of the King James Bible"
• Cris Worley Fine Arts Hosts Recent Paintings by Paul Manes
• The Society of Illustrators Hosts an Exhibtion of R. Crumb's Works at the Museum of American Illustration
• Pope Benedict Meets Artists from Around the World in the Sistine Chapel
• Booth-Clibborn Editions Presents New Book on the History of The Saatchi Gallery
• The Corcoran Gallery of Art to showcase "Sargent and the Sea"
• Goya's "The Disasters of the War" on View at The Diocesan Museum
• The Language of Flowers at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm
• Whisper Gallery Opens in London With a Group Show
• The Cincinnati Art Museum presents ' Hidden Treasures '
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery opens Favorite Works from the Collection
• This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News

The Blanton Museum of Art offers "Different Views of Hudson River School Painting" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 09:40 PM PST Austin, Texas.- The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to present "American Scenery: Different Views of Hudson River School Painting", on view from February 26th through May 13th. The exhibition will feature 116 paintings from the Hudson River School, a loose collective of artists working in upstate New York from 1825-1875, whose works comprised America's first native artistic style. Artists included in the Hudson River School, and represented in The Blanton's presentation, are Thomas Cole, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Sanford Robinson Gifford, Asher B. Durand, Frederic Edwin Church, John Frederick Kensett, and John William Casilear, among others. Assembled from a single private collection, this touring exhibition is organized by the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greenburg, Pennsylvania. Simone Wicha, director of The Blanton states, "We are delighted to be able to present American Scenery to our members, visitors, and the Austin community. This special exhibition offers the unique opportunity to experience a remarkable period in American art. The works capture the pioneering spirit of the artists who were captivated and moved by the immense beauty of this country's landscape." Founded in 1825 by Thomas Cole, the Hudson River School drew its inspiration from America's landscape. Considered by many to be the first truly American school of painting, it flourished between 1825 and 1875. The movement was embraced by three generations of artists who shared common principles uniting them as a school despite their individual differences in style. Primary among these was a belief in natural religion, a deep admiration for the magnificence of nature, and a keen interest in the direct observation of nature. Most importantly, however, was awareness of the fresh, untamed American scenery as reflective of the optimism and independence of our character as a young nation. Its artists shared a spiritual awe of nature and believed in the notion that the country's untamed wilderness reflected aspects of its national character. American Scenery investigates the group's shared aesthetic and philosophical principles and situates the paintings in the context of nineteenth-century American values. The exhibition's unique point of view stresses the artist's eye, pairing and grouping paintings that explore the visual characteristics of particular sites, or that examine the subtle changes that can be observed during varied seasons, times of day, and weather conditions. The exhibition will be on view in The Blanton's Butler Family Foundation Gallery on the first floor, and will include a timeline and resource room for further exploration. The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the foremost university art museums in the country, and has the largest and most comprehensive collection of art in Central Texas. The Blanton's collection comprises over 17,000 works of art in a variety of mediums, with particular depth in Western European art from the fourteenth through twentieth centuries and modern and contemporary art of the Americas. Through the collecting of art, preserving it in optimal condition, and creatively displaying and interpreting these objects, The Blanton serves as an intellectual and social portal connecting the university and the rest of the world through visual art and culture. The art museum of The University of Texas at Austin was born of a generous gift from an unexpected source. In 1927 Archer M. Huntington, a New Yorker and the son of railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington, donated four thousand acres of land in Galveston, Texas, to the university with instructions that it "be dedicated to the support of an art museum." The proceeds from the eventual sale of that land created an endowment for museum operations and provided a portion of the cost for the construction in 1963 of a new building for the art department of the university, including some gallery space that was formally named the University Art Museum. All told, the Blanton collection today numbers more than 17,000 works. the museum takes enormous pride in the great depth they have achieved by concentrating their collecting efforts on works from specific periods, movements, and artists. The long-held vision of a new museum building became a reality with the groundbreaking for a new facility in October 2003. The new complex, designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects, is comprised of the Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building, a 124,000-square-foot space that houses the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions; the 56,000-square-foot Edgar A. Smith Building features a café, museum shop, classrooms, auditorium, and offices; and a 145,000-square-foot public plaza and garden designed by Peter Walker and Partners. As the only art museum in Austin with a permanent collection of substantial range and depth, the Blanton has embraced a mission of serving as a "cultural gateway" between the university and the community. Visit the museum's website at ... http://blantonmuseum.org

National Portrait Gallery opens "Photographs from the Harry Warnecke Studio" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 09:39 PM PST WASHINGTON, DC.- Before color reproductions and color snapshots became commonplace, pioneering photographer Harry Warnecke (1903–1984) and his associates at the New York Daily News created brilliant, eye-popping color portraits for the newspaper's Sunday News magazine. The exhibition, "In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits from the Harry Warnecke Studio," featuring celebrity portraits shot for that publication, will open March 2nd and run through Sept. 9th. Drawing from the museum's collection of photographs by the Warnecke Studio, this exhibition will feature 24 color carbro portraits from the 1930's and 1940's, including celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Louie Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, "Babe" Didrikson, Gene Autry, Ethel Waters, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton and comedians W.C. Fields and Laurel and Hardy.

La Luz de Jesus Gallery Presents its Annual Juried Show ~ "Laluzapalooza" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 08:37 PM PST Los Angeles, California.- La Luz De Jesus Gallery proudly rebrands its annual juried group exhibition, "Laluzapalooza". This gigantic, no-theme show features works from some of the freshest and most relevant artists working today. Over 9,000 submissions from commercial illustrators, graphic designers, tattooists, scenics, students, animators and working gallery artists had to be sorted-through, and they've finally narrowed it down to 125 or so artists. The official piece count is awaiting verification, but you can bet that it will be another (tastefully) jam-packed, salon-style exhibition. There are some familiar names from the gallery's ever-growing roster of feature artists, but an overwhelming percentage of the work comes from a brand new batch of undiscovered, emerging talent. "Laluzapalooza" will be on view from March 2nd through April 1st.

Poppy Sebire Gallery shows "Danny Rolph ~ Kissing Balloons in the Jungle" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 08:26 PM PST London.- the Poppy Sebire Gallery is proud to present "Danny Rolph: Kissing Balloons in the Jungle", on view through March 24th. In his paintings, Danny Rolph samples disparate cultural and historical references, from kids' clothes patterning to particle physics, producing non-hierarchical and chaotic abstract fields. For his second solo exhibition with Poppy Sebire, Rolph presents a selection of large acrylic paintings on canvas that continue his investigation into the language of collage. Unlike the nocturnal, saturated blues of Rolph's multi-layered triplewall paintings, the pastel backgrounds of the expansive canvases evoke the light of day. Streaked and stained, their celestial hues are inspired by the skies of Tiepolo, just one of the artist's broad-reaching sources.

The Morgan Library & Museum Shows "Dutch Drawings From the Clement C. Moore Collection" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 08:26 PM PST New York City.- The Morgan Library & Museum is proud to present "Rembrandt's World: Dutch Drawings from the Clement C. Moore Collection", on view at the museum through April 29th. Bolstered by its recent political independence, economic prosperity, and maritime supremacy, the Dutch Republic witnessed an artistic flourishing during the seventeenth century, known as the Dutch Golden Age. "Rembrandt's World" presents over ninety drawings by some of the preeminent artists of the period, among them Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn and his followers Ferdinand Bol and Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Abraham Bloemaert, Aelbert Cuyp and Jan van Goyen. The Dutch Republic of the seventeenth century was a federation of seven states (Holland, Zeeland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Friesland, Overijssel, and Groningen). The exhibition focuses on artists who worked primarily in their native lands, rather than those whose careers took them to France, Italy, or elsewhere abroad, and highlights the broad spectrum of subjects, portraiture, marine views, landscapes, biblical and mythological narratives, genre scenes, and the natural world—that fueled their creative imaginations. Among the finest drawings in the exhibition are portraits and figure studies, including two by Rembrandt. "A Beggar, Facing Left, Leaning on a Stick" is Moore's most recently acquired Rembrandt, and is also the earliest chronologically, dating to 1628–29. Rembrandt executed the sheet during his Leiden period (1625–31), when he was preoccupied with the theme of beggars. This figure, with his tall hat, ample cloak, and walking stick, was deftly sketched with an economical use of pen and ink. Adjusting the pressure on his pen and with it the width of each stroke—thin for the shading of the figure's face, thick for the darkest side of his hat—Rembrandt worked quickly and confidently to capture the essence of the man, and masterfully suggested the fall of light through a combination of areas of blank paper, such as the hat, and rapid parallel hatching in his face, left leg, and the ground at the left to suggest volume and shadow. "Two Men in Polish Dress Conversing" demonstrates Rembrandt's powers of observation. An endless variety of people lived in and traveled through the Dutch Republic during this period, and the artist diligently recorded the bustling activity of the world around him. The men represented here are identifiable as Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jews by their long beards and costumes. By the 1640s when Rembrandt created this drawing, he had come to black chalk; this work belongs to a group of some sixty small clusters of figures shown in everyday pursuits. Hendrick Goltzius was one of the most important Dutch artists of the transitional period between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. His rapidly drawn "Portrait of a Smiling Young Boy" reflects a departure from the artist's early Mannerist style in favor of greater naturalism following a trip to Italy in 1590–91. His bold, animated pen work masterfully captures the sitter's lively, smiling eyes. The awkwardly drawn hands may constitute an autobiographic allusion: Goltzius's own fingers were badly burned and his hand permanently crippled during childhood. David Bailly is represented by three accomplished works, including his 1624 "The Lute Player". This drawing is one of at least three copies that Bailly made after a celebrated painting by Frans Hals (now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris). Minor differences, such as the straggly strands of hair on the lute player's forehead and the position of his little finger on the neck of his instrument, suggest that Bailly used as his model an early copy of the original, perhaps by Frans's brother, Dirck Hals, or his pupil, Judith Leyster. The table, which puts the viewer at a low vantage point, was entirely Bailly's invention. As well as the portraits, the exhibition contains sections featuring seascapes by Herman Saftleven and Willem van de Velde the Elder, landscapes by Jacob de Gheyn II, Allart van Everdingen and Aelbert Cuyp, genre scenes by Willem Pietersz. Buytewech, Isaac van Ostade and Cornelis Dusart, flora and fauna by Herman Henstenburgh and Pieter Holsteyn II and religious and mythical imagery by Abraham Bloemaert and Rembrandt among others. Today, The Morgan Library & Museum is a complex of buildings of differing styles and periods covering half a city block. It began as an intimate palazzo-like structure designed by Charles Follen McKim to serve as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan. "Mr. Morgan's library", as it became known, was built between 1902 and 1906 to the east of his New York residence at Madison Avenue and 36th Street. In the years since the Morgan's incorporation as a public institution in 1924, there have been several additions to the original library building. As the collections grew, the Annex was added in 1928, on the site of Morgan's home. In 1988, the mid-nineteenth-century brownstone on Madison Avenue and 37th Street, where J. P. Morgan, Jr., lived was also added to the complex. A garden court was built in 1991 to unite all three buildings in the complex. A century after the completion of the McKim building, The Morgan Library & Museum unveiled the largest expansion and renovation in its history. The Renzo Piano design integrates the three landmark buildings with three intimately scaled new pavilions constructed of steel-and-glass panels to create an accessible, inviting setting. Pierpont Morgan's immense holdings ranged from Egyptian art to Renaissance paintings to Chinese porcelains. For his library, Morgan acquired illuminated, literary, and historical manuscripts, early printed books, and old master drawings and prints. To this core collection, he added the earliest evidence of writing as manifested in ancient seals, tablets, and papyrus fragments from Egypt and the Near East. Morgan also collected manuscripts and printed materials significant to American history. Over the years—through purchases and generous gifts—the Morgan has continued to actively acquire rare materials as well as important music manuscripts, a fine collection of early children's books and manuscripts, and materials from the twentieth century (as well as earlier periods). Nevertheless the focus on the written word, the history of the book, and master drawings has been maintained. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.themorgan.org

The Chrysler Museum Shows Photographs of the Modern City From its Collection Posted: 28 Feb 2012 08:04 PM PST Norfolk, Virginia.- The Chrysler Museum is pleased to present "Cities of Light: Photographs from the Chrysler Collection", on view at the museum through December 30th. This focused exhibition explores the urban metropolis as a source of poetic and visual inspiration for photographers across generations and continents. Cities of Light is inspired by the moniker for Paris, one of the first cities to install electric street lights in 1881. Photographers have captured shifts in the time of day, the dramatic mood, and the atmosphere of cities around the world with a wide array of light and shadow.

The Pradarshak Gallery in Mumbai presents Rajesh Shah Posted: 28 Feb 2012 07:31 PM PST Mumbai, India.- The Pradarshak Gallery is proud to present "Rajesh Shah: Sur", on view at the gallery through March 10th.  A young upcoming artist, Rajesh Shah hails from Pune and has been diligently honing his artistic skills over the last nine years. Although he has participated in several group exhibitions and has been applauded for his work with innumerable awards from various institutions and associations, he continues to remain humbly open to improving his repertoire. Adept at the acrylic on canvas medium, he generally works on various themes viz., 'mother and child', 'workers', 'lovers', etc., to express his impressionist forays. A vivid and cheerful palette categorises his paintings, each portraying an arresting visual from the humdrum of everyday life, yet striking in its form, composition and colour.

Artisphere presents "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos" on exhibition Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:28 PM PST ARLINGTON, VA.- Artisphere is the first and only venue in the United States to present Frida Kahlo: Her Photos, 259 images from her personal collection of over 6,500 photographs sealed until 2007 that allow viewers to experience a rarely seen intimate side of the artist. Admission to Artisphere and 'Frida Kahlo: Her Photos' is free. Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)'s extraordinary life and iconic biographical paintings have earned her international renown in the world of modern art. Upon Kahlo's death in 1954, more than 6,500 personal photographs and items belonging to her and husband/artist Diego Rivera were sealed and put in storage. For more than half a century this great collection of memorabilia remained hidden from the public. In 2007 this collection was opened and Mexican photographer and curator Pablo Ortiz Monasterio inventoried and catalogued 259 images to create the exhibition. Few artists can summon voyeuristic interest like Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, whose physical torment, tumultuous wedded life and famous lovers could inspire a telanovela. The collection of photographs in this exhibition reflect Kahlo's tastes and interests, the experiences she shared with those close to her, and her complicated, but also thrilling, personal life. Viewers get an insider's look, not only through who was behind the camera, in front of the lens or the anonymous nature of some of the work but also through the annotated writing found on the back of many of the photographs. "We are thrilled to bring this incredible Frida Kahlo collection to Artisphere and Arlington," says Artisphere's Executive Director José Ortiz. "These types of international collaborations allow us to share with American audiences the influences and special viewpoint of such a revered artist." The Cultural Attaché of Mexico to the United States Alejandra de la Paz adds, "This amazing selection of photos provides an exciting and rare opportunity to get a personal glimpse into one of Mexico's most internationally renowned artists; the Embassy of Mexico and its Cultural Institute are delighted to partner with Artisphere to bring the exhibition to Arlington." The child of a Mexican mother and a father of mixed Hungarian and German ancestry, Kahlo was a lifelong resident of the Mexico City suburb and Arlington, VA sister city, Coyoacán. Kahlo grew up during the Mexican Revolution, survived polio, and was in a bus accident that left her in a full body cast for three months with permanent injuries and the inability to have children. After creating paintings while recovering from the bus injury, Kahlo sought out Rivera's opinion as to whether she should continue to pursue an art career. Their relationship grew and they married in 1929. Kahlo and Rivera's romantic involvement and married life was complex and intense. Their residence, Casa Azul (Blue House), is now the Frida Kahlo Museum and has on view selected examples of Kahlo's work. Kahlo's work and travels allowed her to become acquainted with many important figures of the age. She had several lovers, including the American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and American photographer Nickolas Muray. This collection of photographs also exposes her connections with friends and the people she admired from afar such as Russian Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, American photographers Edward Weston, Charles Sheeler, Alfred Stieglitz and Tina Modotti ; Mexican revolutionary general Emiliano Zapata ; American artists Georgia O'Keeffe and Ione Robinson; and actress Dolores del Río. Monasterio has arranged the photographs into six thematic areas that align with periods in her life: The Origins, The Blue House , The Broken Body, Loves, Photography and Diego's Eye. These facsimile photographs come from the collection of the Frida Kahlo Museum, Coyoacán, Mexico. They are reproductions of the original photographs owned by the Frida Kahlo Museum and Banco de México, Fiduciary in the Trust of the Museums Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. So Artisphere's new exhibit, "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos," will draw its fair share of looky-loos, but they'll have little luck extracting any salacious new details. Kahlo's photos are not as sexy as one might hope, nor are they as revealing. Rather, they're a collection of keepsakes that betray a sentimental artist - or, perhaps, in today's parlance, a hoarder - who stashed away stacks of photographs of her father and who clung to her husband's memorabilia as well as photos of seemingly every last lover. The walls at Artisphere match the artist's exhaustive approach. Hung salon-style through the gallery are hundreds of images, a large portion of them so tiny they could only have been snipped from contact sheets. (Save yourself the eye strain and ask for a magnifying glass at the front desk.) Knowing as much dulls the luster of the show, because "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos" is only marginally an art exhibition; it is mostly a historical one, and historical replicas are rarely as magical as the real thing. A few rooms stand out, none more so than "The Origins," which appears to be a collection of old family photographs until it becomes obvious that much of it is devoted to the artist's father, Guillermo Kahlo, whose clear-eyed, mustachioed mug appears again and again. A photographer by trade, he was a major artistic influence on his daughter, leaving behind a trove of self-portraits to rival Andy Warhol's - or Frida Kahlo's. The section titled "The Blue House," named for Kahlo's lifelong home, illuminates what was likely the happiest time in Kahlo's life. There are photos from a childhood spent posing impassively for her father's camera. It's in this section that Rivera, already an established painter and an unlikely suitor for the striking girl of 22, first turns up with his shock of black hair, broad smile and considerable belly. For a couple often remembered for the chaos of their pairing, the tiny photos here offer a glimpse at what might have worked. Among the photos Kahlo filed away are of her husband proudly dancing to mariachi music and the couple laughing playfully with friends at what looks like a dinner party. Viewers do get a look at some of the more notorious moments of Kahlo's life, but they're ultimately unsatisfying. The disarmingly vast "Loves" section feels like a police lineup of pouty young starlets and artists with whom Rivera and Kahlo dallied. (To know who really rivaled Rivera for Kahlo's affections, it's better just to look at who for years took the photos of Kahlo at her most vulnerable: the famed photographer Nickolas Muray .) The section called "The Broken Body" also only suggests Kahlo's virtual lifetime of ill health: She suffered from polio as a child, then met with a terrible bus accident in her teens before spending her latter years enduring frequent surgeries. Perhaps the reason that Kahlo collected all of the photos lies in this section, however, in a single shot of the artist, bedridden and clutching a phone. From the various sickbeds where she spent much of the later half of her life, phone calls, visitors and the photos she collected provided her connection to the outside world; the photos in particular were inspiration as she continued to paint from her bed. The show suffers a bit, too, from a lack of context. Much goes unsaid, including why Rivera is absent from nearly a decade's worth of photos when Kahlo was bedridden. Besides more text, what one also longs for is that Artisphere had provided examples of Kahlo's work to pair with her effects. Though the exhibition is packed with personal photos, Kahlo herself still seems fleeting.

Ransom Center exhibition celebrates "History and Influence of the King James Bible" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:27 PM PST AUSTIN, TX.- "The King James Bible: Its History and Influence," an exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, demonstrates that four centuries after its first printing, the King James Bible (1611) remains one of the most influential books in the English language. Running from Feb. 28 to July 29, the exhibition includes other notable Bibles and examples of modern book design featuring biblical texts, resulting in the most comprehensive display of Bibles and related materials in the Ransom Center's history. Featuring more than 220 items from the Ransom Center's collections, the exhibition also includes materials from the Folger Shakespeare Library of Washington, D.C., and Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford that help reveal how the King James Bible translation came into being. The language and imagery of the King James translation has had an extensive influence on English-speaking cultures and literature, from John Milton's "Paradise Lost" to the poetry of Phillis Wheatley to Norman Mailer's novel "The Gospel According to the Son."

Cris Worley Fine Arts Hosts Recent Paintings by Paul Manes Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:26 PM PST Dallas, Texas.- Cris Worley Fine Arts is proud to present "Paul Manes: Recent Paintings", on view at the gallery through March 24th. Born in Austin, Texas in 1948, Paul Manes is a contemporary painter of both domestic and international renown. Recognized for his dramatic and expressionistic paint handling and dark earthy tones reminiscent of Rembrandt, Manes currently lives and works in New York, NY.  His sophisticated technique allows Manes to be as abstract or realistic as he deems appropriate and his subject matter varies from swampy landscapes, inspired by living in Beaumont, TX, to WWII airplanes, and still-lives of tumbling bowls. Alberto Burri is one of Manes's many inspirations due to his use of unorthodox materials to create textured and charred images and, as such, Manes mixes much of his own paint using clay, ink, chalk, and other pigments with an acrylic binder.

The Society of Illustrators Hosts an Exhibtion of R. Crumb's Works at the Museum of American Illustration Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:18 PM PST New York (ABC News).- Robert Crumb finds it odd that 90 pieces of his work are hanging on the wall or protected under glass at a new exhibit featuring the underground "Zap Comix," ''Bijou Funnies" and so many more. "R. Crumb: Lines Drawn on Paper," on display through April 30 at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, showcases original comic covers, inside illustrations, posters, even a hand-painted storefront sign urging customers to come in and spend some money. The works provide a timeline of his emergence and mastery of what was then seen as lowbrow vulgarity but has become much sought-after art. Still, Crumb is mystified as to why anyone would want to see his creations in a gallery. "It was never intended for that purpose, so it's always odd to see it on a wall, or under glass; it was intended for printing and books. It wasn't made as a wall hanging piece," Crumb said in an interview with The Associated Press. "For me, the printed copy is the magic moment. When I see it in print — that was the whole purpose of it." Crumb strolled through the gallery on a recent afternoon gazing at some of the pieces, which include issues of "Despair" and "Motor City Comics," examples of how he would take illustration styles from the 1920s and give them hippie flair. Crumb still uses pen and ink to do his drawings, eschewing the use of computers in favor of a classic crow quill pen with a reservoir for the ink. The show is comprised of pieces acquired by Eric Sack, who comes from a family of collectors. His first experience with illustrations was a collection of old newspapers that his father acquired by trading a sewing machine. The exhibit is a treasure trove of the work Crumb has been doing since the 1960s. His satiric, surreal and sometimes sexually explicit images helped illustrate the emerging counterculture of the '60s and chronicled what he has referred to as the "seamy side of America's subconscious." His work, once dismissed by critics as unworthy of bathroom reading or worse, is now looked upon with admiration, and he is considered the great-grandfather of underground comics, which are now enjoying a Renaissance in print and online. And now, the 67-year-old artist who has drawn comparisons to Goya and Brueghel is not such a stranger to galleries and art museums. Two years ago, an exhibition of more than 100 works was held at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute of Contemporary Art. Next year, he'll be at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Crumb has long been viewed as one of the medium's masters and his work has gone from comic books and illustrations to graphic novels. That arc, he said, is indicative of how comics themselves have become more accepted now than when he was starting out. "People take it more seriously now. Graphic art, graphic novels. You don't say comic books anymore," Crumb said. Born in Philadelphia on Aug. 30, 1943, Crumb began drawing at the urging of his comic-obsessed brother, Charles. He moved to Cleveland as an adult and worked as a commercial illustrator, drawing greeting cards. In 1965, Crumb started experimenting with LSD, which immediately helped him create some of his best-known characters. In January 1967, he hitched a ride to San Francisco just in time for the full flowering of the hippie movement. His images echoed old-time cartoon styles, first in Philadelphia's "Yarrowstalks" and later in his own "Zap Comix," and helped define the underground comic stew of sex-and drug-themed surrealism and antiestablishment sentiment. Flower Power faded, but Crumb kept working, steadily publishing in such magazines as Weirdo and Self-Loathing Comics. He also illustrated many of the late Harvey Pekar's "American Splendor" accounts of his mundane life in Cleveland, which were adapted for film in 2003. Crumb still publishes, often working with his wife in a medieval town in southern France. His last major work was "The Book of Genesis" a word-for-word adaptation with his illustrations. The Society of Illustrators dates back to 1901, when it was supported by many prominent illustrators and celebrities such as Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parish, Frederick Remington, Mark Twain, and Gloria Swanson. The Society's rich history includes service to the United States, particularly to the armed forces branches during the efforts of both world wars. This service continues today with members documenting the activities of the Air Force.  The Society's Mission Statement is to promote and stimulate interest in the art of illustration, past, present and future, and to give impetus generally toward high ideals in the art by means of exhibitions, lectures, educational programs, social intercourse, and in such other ways as may seem advisable.  Through programs such as scholarship funds, lectures, sketch classes, and annual exhibitions and recognition of the greats in illustration, the Society has proven time and again its commitment to support the field of illustration, past, present, and future.  The Museum of American Illustration is a showcase of approximately 1,500 works of art by such legends as Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Rockwell Kent, Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, and Brad Holland. Throughout the year individuals, families and groups can enjoy an exhibition schedule that features a variety of exhibitions; contemporary, historical, one-man, group, annual Student Scholarship and Government Service Shows.  A calendar is available for the asking, or on-line at the Society's website.  The Annual Exhibition, on display for eight weeks, is a comprehensive retrospective of the best of the preceding year's illustration.  Students will find numerous volumes relevant to the art of illustration in the Norman Price Library, while the Society's archives house unique biographical and historical material. Visit the society's website at ... http://www.societyillustrators.org

Pope Benedict Meets Artists from Around the World in the Sistine Chapel Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:17 PM PST VATICAN CITY (REUTERS).- Pope Benedict met artists from around the world in the Sistine Chapel on Saturday and urged them to inject spirituality into their work, saying contemporary beauty was often "illusory and deceitful." The Pope told the gathering of hundreds of painters, sculptors, architects, poets and directors, held beneath the vaulted ceiling of the chapel painted by Michelangelo, that he wanted to "renew the Church's friendship with the world of art." Against the backdrop of Michelangelo's vast fresco of the Last Judgment, which adorns the chapel's altar wall, Benedict lamented that the once-close cooperation between the Church and the artistic community had weakened.

Booth-Clibborn Editions Presents New Book on the History of The Saatchi Gallery Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:16 PM PST LONDON.- Edward Booth-Clibborn knew the time was right to celebrate the vision of Charles Saatchi. The History of the Saatchi Gallery is the first book to chronicle the collection since it opened a gallery in 1985. It is important as a document, because many of the works included are no longer owned by The Saatchi Gallery, and a vital source of information for collectors, scholars and all those interested in contemporary art.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art to showcase "Sargent and the Sea" Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:15 PM PST Washington, DC - In Sargent and the Sea, the Corcoran Gallery of Art brings together for the first time more than 80 paintings, watercolors, and drawings depicting seascapes and coastal scenes from the early career of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the pre-eminent American expatriate painter of the late 19th century.   The Corcoran's masterwork En route pour la pêche (Setting out to Fish) (1878), will serve as the centerpiece of the exhibition, and will be joined by other works produced during, and inspired by, the artist's summer journeys from his home in Paris to Brittany, Normandy, and Capri, as well as two transatlantic voyages.   Sargent and the Sea will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (February 14 – May 23, 2010) and the Royal Academy of Arts, London (July 10 – September 26, 2010).   While Sargent is best known for his society portraits and much of his oeuvre has been well-documented in exhibitions and publications, this groundbreaking exhibition and its accompanying catalogue will be the first to examine in depth the little explored—but highly important—marine paintings and drawings executed during the first five years of the artist's career. Sargent's two paintings depicting villagers fishing at Cancale (1878, Corcoran Gallery of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) are central works in the canon of the artist's early career. However, recent discoveries of three important seascapes and the location of other pictures previously untraced, have cast a new spotlight on Sargent's activity as a maritime painter. It is no coincidence that he came from a New England family steeped in trade and shipping. His passion for the sea and his knowledge of seafaring are evident in this important group of early paintings, watercolors, and drawings, executed when he was between 18 and 23 years old (1875–1879). The extent and quality of his marine output will be a complete revelation to nearly all audiences, even to specialists in the field. With the exception of the two well-known Cancale oils, Sargent's seascapes have not been widely studied or reproduced, proving that even for a renowned, frequently published artist there is yet new material to be mined. Moreover, these pictures and their preparatory and related works (not to mention the unrelated marines), have never been considered in the context of Sargent's career in particular and the history of marine painting in general. Similarly, the artist's work as a marine draughtsman has never been studied in relation to his output as a marine painter; for the first time, this project will relate his freely-handled marine drawings, large and small, to his watercolors, oil sketches, and finished oil paintings of marine subjects. Sargent and the Sea will feature works dating from 1874 to 1879 drawn from public and private collections in the U.S. and Europe. Richard Ormond, grandnephew of the artist and a leading Sargent scholar who has directed and jointly authored all four (of the projected eight) volumes of the Sargent catalogue raisonné, is serving as consulting curator for the exhibition. Ormond served as director of the National Maritime Museum in London from 1986 to 2000; over the past 27 years, he has been working to complete the Sargent catalogue raisonné. The exhibition is enriched by his latest research. Sargent and the Sea is organized by Sarah Cash, Bechhoefer Curator of American Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and on exhibition 12 September,2009 through 3 January, 2010.  Visit The Corcoran at : www.corcoran.org

Goya's "The Disasters of the War" on View at The Diocesan Museum Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:14 PM PST BARCELONA.- Ibercaja, together with the Diocesan Museum of Barcelona, has organized this exhibition of the first complete series of "The Disasters of the War": 80 engravings of the Aragonese painter Francisco Goya Lucientes (Fuendetodos, Zaragoza, 1746 - Bordeaux, 1828). These were painted during the Spanish Independence War, between 1810 and 1814, and are a graphical chronicle of those tragic events. However, Goya far-reaches the events and his existential and vital adventure, and he uses his art to make a declaration against all wars: he denounces the atrocities of the French army against the Spanish people, as well as the violence of the soldiers and the uncontrollable masses. The result of these paintings is the evidence of a surprisingly modernity for the times, a real crude disillusioned reflexion about mankind, finding itself in a limit situation that creates cruelty, death and misery and shows the failure of reason, strongly defended by the erudites.

The Language of Flowers at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:13 PM PST Stockholm, Sweden - This spring the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm opens its doors on a resplendent exhibition entitled The Language of Flowers.  The exhibition presents floral motifs in European art from the Renaissance up to the present day, primarily from an artistic point of view but also considering their botanical and symbolic aspects.  The exhibition – comprising some 200 books oil paintings, watercolors, photographs, ceramics and glass – is a contribution to the 300th anniversary celebrations of the birth of the great Swedish botanist Linnæus (Carl von Linné).  On exhibition 22 February – 27 May 2007. The Language of Flowers does not claim to give an exhaustive picture of its subject but offers historical glimpses beginning with botanical illustrations of the Renaissance and 17th century symbolic still-lifes with Van Dyck and Arcimboldo among the authors.  Today we have lost the knowledge of how to interpret works of art by means of the symbols they include.  The Language of Flowers helps us to rediscover the hidden meaning of plants and flowers.  In the 18th century artists worked with more decorative floral paintings and this led on to an excess of paintings of flowers in the romantic era.  During the 19th century floral painting became very much the province of women while during the 20th century the floral still-life developed almost into an abstract genre of painting.  This development can be seen, for example, in photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe and Hans Hammarskiöld and paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Manet, Monet and Andy Warhol.  The core of The Language of Flowers is drawn from the Nationalmuseum's own collections but we have also been able to make major loans from foreign museums and collections, principally in Europe.  In the exhibition we encounter such issues as aesthetics in art, pleasure and beauty, life and death and we increase our knowledge of such matters as medicinal plants and the speculation in tulip bulbs in the Netherlands during the 17th century.  A further item is Line Bergseth's installation using fresh flowers which will be continually replaced throughout the exhibition period.  The status of Linnæus as a scientist and botanist is the hub of the exhibition.  Disciples of Linnæus travelled the world exploring and documenting the world of plants.  Linnæus's book, Systema Naturæ, spread around the world and besides illustrations of flowers and other plants we also meet him eye to eye in Alexander Roslin's faithful portrait from 1775. Floral motifs have always been popular with porcelain manufacturers and glass designers.  This can be seen in the exclusive Meissen china, in a lavishly decorated bidet from 1765, in magnificent art-nouveau vases by Gallé, and in tableware from Rörstrand. A brief but richly illustrated catalogue guides visitors through the exhibition and also contains background essays and a useful dictionary of symbols. Welcome into the garden.  Exhibition curator: Görel Cavalli-Björkman.  Exhibition Design: Joakim Ericson. Graphic design: Matilda Plöjel. Visit The Nationalmuseum - Södra Blasieholmshamnen, Stockholm at : www.nationalmuseum.se

Whisper Gallery Opens in London With a Group Show Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:12 PM PST London.- Jamie Wood's Whisper Gallery opened on June 9th with with a group show of limited edition prints and original works by artists including, Bruce French, Pakpoom Silaphan, Marco Bettoni, Patrick Hughes, Lyle Owerko, Russell Young, D*Face, Sarah Woodfine, Mark Hayward, Stuart Semple, Nick Gentry and George Morton-Clark.

The Cincinnati Art Museum presents ' Hidden Treasures ' Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:11 PM PST CINCINNATI, OHIO,  The Cincinnati Art Museum presents an unparalleled selection of treasures from its outstanding permanent collection, one of the finest in the nation. Long Time No See: Hidden Treasures from the Cincinnati Art Museum, on view June 28 to August 31, showcases more than 100 objects, including many rarely seen and diverse works, ranging from an exquisite 17th century Duhme & Co. silver tea set, to a vibrant Tahitian scene by Gauguin, to a sheer metallic jacket by ground-breaking fashion-designer Issey Miyake. Also included in the exhibition are never-before-exhibited masterworks, including a brilliant watercolor of a harbor by John Singer Sargent and a more than five-hundred-year-old silk scroll from the Ming Dynasty, as well as innovative works of our own time, including Donald Sultan's April Factory Painting (1978), featured in the 1979 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Since 1886, the Art Museum's collection has grown through the generosity and civic spirit of generations of Cincinnati's leaders. Today, it stands as one of the country's most respected and comprehensive collections consisting of over 61,000 objects spanning over 6,000 years of art history. Long Time No See spotlights a wide range of works from many time periods and cultures to provide visitors with a sense of the depth of the Art Museum's collection and to reveal some of the great works that the Art Museum is not able to exhibit regularly. The exhibition also gives a first look at the early conceptualize stages of a new design for the Cincinnati Art Museum. The new design would provide visitors with innovative, engaging ways to explore and experience works of art, as well as expanded education programs for even broader and more diverse audiences. New and versatile gallery spaces would enable the Art Museum to display more of its outstanding collections and present major traveling exhibitions. The new design will blend harmoniously with Eden Park, restoring the building to its original splendor and integrating historic and innovative architecture. "The Cincinnati Art Museum is a tremendous cultural and educational resource for the region, and its collection needs to be made even more accessible to the community," said museum director Aaron Betsky. "By displaying great objects, we help inspire a deeper connection with the shared cultural heritage that unites all people of all backgrounds and all times." The Art Museum has selected an innovative architecture firm to work in partnership with the Art Museum to begin planning a multi-phase renewal and expansion project. The firm, Neutelings Riedijk Architects, is internationally recognized for its successful design vision and its exceptional sensitivity to historic buildings, their surroundings, and complex existing facilities. Models from Neutelings Riedijk's current and past projects are also included in Long Time No See. Visit The Cincinnati Art Museum at : www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org

Albright-Knox Art Gallery opens Favorite Works from the Collection Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:10 PM PST Buffalo, NY- A new installation now on view at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery celebrates the Gallery long tradition of collecting with approximately 120 paintings, sculptures, and photographs dating from the 1850s to the present. This presentation of many of the best-loved works in the Gallery's permanent collection will be on view through 2009.  These works from the Permanent Collection are arranged with an art historical approach according to six different themes: The Birth of Modernism, American Modernity, The Abstract Gesture, Pop Goes the World, Less is More, and Picture This. The Birth of Modernism extends from the emergence of Impressionism with paintings by artists at the forefront of the movement such as Vincent van Gogh's, The Old Mill, 1888 and Claude Monet's, The Tow-Path at Argenteuil, ca. 1875. More experimental explorations of color are represented by artists André Derain, The Trees, ca 1906 and Henri Matisse, La Musique, 1939 while Pablo Picasso's Nude Figure, 1906 and George Braque's, Glass, Grapes and Pear, 1929 illustrate Cubism. Surrealist and German Expressionist works are also presented providing a visual timeline of the Henri Matisse, La Musique, 1939 development of modern art in Europe.   A selection of American paintings from before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1860 to the beginning of the Unites States' involvement in World War II are represented in American Modernity.  The Albright-Knox, the sixth oldest art museum in the nation was established in 1862. The first painting to enter the collection, a beautiful landscape, The Marina Piccola , Capri, 1859, a gift of the artist Albert Bierstadt, is on view along with Winslow Homer's Croquet Players, 1865; William Harnett's still life Music and Literature, 1878; Childe Hassam's impressionist Church at Old Lyme, Connecticut, 1905; and Arthur Dove's semi-abstract Fields of Grains as Seen From the Train,1931. Abstract Expressionist works represent the core of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery's Permanent Collection.  Former Director Gordon Smith and Board President Seymour H. Knox, Jr. acquired many of these works in the same year that they were created, giving the Gallery its reputation for hanging works while "the paint was still wet."  The keen intuition of these Gallery leaders, viewed by many at the time as controversial, has enabled the Albright-Knox's collection of Abstract Expressionist works to be recognized as one of the foremost in the world.  Among the iconic works on view as part of The Abstract Gesture are Blue-Black, 1952 by Sam Francis; Dialogue I, 1960 by Adolph Gottlieb; and Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 34, 1953-54 by Robert Motherwell. In the 1960s pop artists rebelled against the spontaneous self-expression of Abstract Expressionism by integrating familiar imagery from everyday life into their work. Pop Goes the World includes the work of Andy Warhol who turned the art world upside down with his reproductions of Campbell's soup cans as in 100 Cans, 1962 while Robert Rauschenberg merged elements of Abstract Expressionism with found items he collaged directly on the canvas for Ace, 1962.  Marisol's intriguing wood and mixed media sculptures, Baby Girl, 1963 and The Generals are included as well as a recently acquired work by Jim Lambie, Plaza, 2005, composed of enamel paint and plastic bags.  Another group of artists responded to the expressive, painterly gestures of Abstract Expressionism by focusing on the elemental, a movement later defined as Minimalism. Artists pared images down to their most basic, structural forms and rejected any narrative or attempt at pictorial illusion.   Highlights in Less is More include Frank Stella's "black" painting, Jill, 1959 and Agnes Martin's, The Tree, 1965 with recent acquisitions by Robert Mangold, Column Structure IX, 2006, and Fred Sandback's Untitled (Sculptural Study, Four Part Vertical Construction, c.1982/1984. Since its inception, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery has had a significant relationship with photography.  The grouping Picture This  features a range of photographs including historical works from the early part of the 20th century by Charlotte Spaulding Albright, Wilbur H. Porterfield and Augustus Thibaudeau to contemporary counterparts such as John Pfahl, Sharon Harper and Orit Raff. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is recognized as one of the world's leading collections of modern and contemporary art. With more than 6,500 works in its collection and a dynamic series of exhibitions and public programs, the AKAG continues to grow and fulfill its mission to acquire, exhibit, and preserve modern and contemporary art in an enriching, dynamic, and vibrant environment. Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors and students; free, children 13 and under.  On Fridays from 3 to 10 p.m.,  "Gusto at the Gallery," features a variety of free programs for visitors of all ages.  For additional information see www.albrightknox.org.

This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:09 PM PST This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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