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

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• Museum Tinguely Pays Tribute to the Basel Fasnacht ( Carnival )
• Jakub Julian Ziolkowski’s Phantasmagorical Paintings at Hauser & Wirth
• Slava Tch hosted at Lanning Gallery
• Rolls-Royce Celebrates 100 Years of "Spirit of Ecstasy" ~ Most Iconic Mascot in the Motoring World
• Museum of Contemporary Art in Leipzig to host ~ Carte Blanche III
• Tria Gallery presents its Annual “Summer Cocktail” a Group Exhibition
• Jules Dalou in England ~ Portraits of Womanhood at the Henry Moore Institute
• The Kunsthaus Bregenz Presents "VALIE EXPORT - Archive"
• Vivienne Westwood Fashion Image to Sell at Bonhams Photography Auction
• 'Replacing Mashkov' Recent Acquisitions by the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
• Lentos Art Museum celebrates Oskar Kokoschka ~ A Vagabond in Linz : Wild & Denigrated
• Sotheby's Fall Sales of Impressionist and Modern Art to Be Held in New York
• Tate Liverpool Announces First Major Retrospective of Nam June Paik
• Ketterer Kunst's December 10th Auction to Feature Modern & Post War/Contemporary Art
• This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News

Museum Tinguely Pays Tribute to the Basel Fasnacht ( Carnival ) Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:56 PM PDT BASEL.- The Basel Fasnacht (commonly called Carnival) in its present form is a development of the past hundred years or so. Piccolo players, drummers, drum majors, vanguard, outriders, small wagons, Guggenmusik (often deliberately discordant variations on popular songs played on brass instruments) and cliques (club-like groups that during Fasnacht dress in costume on a particular theme and march to drums and piccolos). Although the individual elements already existed in the nineteenth century, their present combination and the role of themes in the Fasnacht only crystallised in the twentieth century – i.e. since the Fasnacht Committee has existed to provide a certain organisational framework. As a tribute to the Fasnacht Committee in its centenary year, the Museum Tinguely is staging an exhibition on "the art" of the Basel Fasnacht. A number of artists have played a large, indeed crucial role in the development of the Basel Fasnacht and in particular in the importance attached to annually changing themes that comment on and make fun of political, social and cultural events. The practical realisation of the themes – which outsiders often find difficult to understand – was often left to artists and graphic designers, who designed the costumes and masks that gave each float its specific character in accordance with the wishes and ideas of the theme commissions. The real showpiece of a float, which also imposes an element of discipline on Fasnacht art, was and is the lantern – a canvas-covered frame two to three metres tall that is painted with transparent paint and internally illuminated at night. Carried by hand or mounted on a cart, it depicts the clique's chosen theme for the year. Not surprisingly, lanterns are thus also the clearest manifestation of Fasnacht art and its development. Introduced in the mid-nineteenth century, the original function of the lanterns was to serve as lamps at the early-morning Morgenstreich procession after torches were banned in 1845. From the start, these lanterns, which initially had paper coverings, were decorated with paintings or drawings. At first, these lanterns were only carried at Morgenstreich and do not appear in pictures of the afternoon processions of the floats. Only in the course of the 1860s did lanterns start to be carried in the afternoon (in the Quodlibet float from about 1864). The painter of the globe lantern of 1866 is one of the first artists known by name: Samuel Baur, a painter and decorator who had already been involved as an artist in the Fasnacht for a number of years before this date. The first major lantern artists are recorded between 1900 and 1905: Carl Roschet, who painted for the VKB clique, and Louis Dischler of the Lälli clique. However, widespread interest in the artistry of the painted lanterns took root only after the First World War. This was the beginning of a development that continues to unfold even today. Artists who have contributed to this field include well-known names such as Niklaus Stoecklin, Alexander Zschokke, Charles Hindenlang, Burkhard Mangold, Otto Plattner, Fritz Baumann, Paul Wilde, Max Haufler and Theo Eble and later Max Sulzbachner, Hans Stocker, Theo Ballmer, Jean Willi, Wolf Barth, Kurt Pauletto, Werner Ritter, Hans Weidmann, Max Wilke, Samuel Buri, Elisabeth Thommen, Valerie Heussler and Britta Grob and graphic design artists such as Ferdi Afflerbach, Paul Rudin, Arthur Rudin, Ernst Rudin, Theo Ballmer, Robert Hiltbrand, Hanspeter Hort, Fredy Prack, Christoph Gloor, Werner Nänny, Hanspeter Sommer, Rolf Vogt and Werner Kern. Contemporary artists who have made a name for themselves in this genre include Roland Gazzotti, Lorenz Grieder, Oliver Mayer, Domo Löw, Walter Lienert and Pascal Kotmann. Of course, this list neither attempts to rate the mentioned artists nor is it by any means complete! From 1921 on, the lanterns were discussed in the National-Zeitung and the individual artists' names published (contrary to the custom of anonymity that applies to other aspects of the Fasnacht). An exhibition of all the lanterns is held every year on Fasnacht Tuesday. This initially took place in a school courtyard, then at the trade fair centre, and nowadays on the Münsterplatz. The involvement of numerous artists in the preparations for Fasnacht gave rise to a specifically Basel genre, the Fasnachtshelge or Fasnacht caricature. Over the years the Basel Fasnacht has been the subject of a vast quantity of drawings, oil paintings and lithographs ranging from kitsch to sentimentality. Even if most had little or no artistic value, they defined the image of Fasnacht for the rest of the world (and for the households of many Basel Fasnachtgoers for the remainder of the year). In the exhibition at the Museum Tinguely, these "post-productions" have had to give way to the lantern images, which are certainly the most immediate embodiment of the artistic esprit of the Basel Fasnacht. The selection of about 20 lantern canvases from the past one hundred years bears testimony to the power of these ephemeral images, records the phenomenal development of lantern painting and expresses the artistic will that is unique to the creators of the Fasnacht floats. Of course, it goes without saying that this exhibition presents only a selection, a part of a much larger, more comprehensive whole. At some point it will be possible to view "everything" in the Fasnacht Museum. The involvement of artists motivated a few – famous – artists to actively grapple with the Basel Fasnacht as an artistic subject. The two most important contributions are certainly those of Jean Tinguely and Joseph Beuys. For his part, Jean Tinguely celebrated Fasnacht with the Kuttlebutzer from the early 1970s onwards, on the one hand creating floats for his clique and on the other using Fasnacht masks as a theme in his sculptures. In the exhibition, the 1988 work L'Avant-Garde directly addresses Tinguely's impressions of the Fasnacht, while other sculptures such as Self-portrait in the Centre Pompidou, Paris or the Fasnacht Fountain (Fasnachtsbrunnen) in Basel document his enormous interest in this manifestation as masquerade and dance of death. Perhaps the Fasnacht's view of art and artists' view of the Fasnacht also reflect the openness with which the city has consistently responded to new developments in art. Ridicule and irony may have been instrumental in making it easier for some to come to terms with new and unknown phenomena. Seen in this way, "Fasnacht & Art & Tinguely" are old acquaintances who once again are jointly honoured at the Museum Tinguely. Visit : http://www.tinguely.ch/index.html

Jakub Julian Ziolkowski’s Phantasmagorical Paintings at Hauser & Wirth Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:54 PM PDT New York, NY - Jakub Julian Ziolkowski's phantasmagorical paintings roil with colorful mutant life: plants sprout eyeballs, bodies go about their business while sloughing off limbs and disgorging organs, and dense vegetal landscapes transform into visceral surgical tableaux. Vibrant and perverse, anthropomorphic and surreal, Ziolkowski's private language is the symbolic expression of a highly concerted imagination that also was shaped by life in a very small town: Zamosc, where the artist was born in 1980, is a remote Renaissance city that began as a fortress in the middle of the lush Roztocze plateau in southeast Poland. Here wild nature penetrates the edges of an idealized urban microcosm that was once a center of intellectual life and seat of Eastern Europe's Chasidic Jewish community, later stained by Nazi atrocities, and today is home to a concentration of food factories.

Slava Tch hosted at Lanning Gallery Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:52 PM PDT Sedona, AZ - For over twenty years Lanning Gallery has brought the work of nationally and internationally known classic and contemporary artists to Sedona, deep in the red rock region of northern Arizona. Located in the heart of the city's renowned "Gallery Row." On July 6th, from 5-8 p.m., the gallery will hold a reception to celebrate the encaustic paintings of Russian-born artist Slava Tch. The rich, neo-primitive work of the artist showcases the astonishing skill involved in painting with this ancient and challenging medium. Encaustic is the combination of precisely melted beeswax and pure pigment which combines to create luminous colors of nearly sculptural depth.

Rolls-Royce Celebrates 100 Years of "Spirit of Ecstasy" ~ Most Iconic Mascot in the Motoring World Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:51 PM PDT LONDON - One hundred Rolls-Royce< motor cars took to the streets of London in February 2011 to celebrate a special anniversary, the centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy hood mascot, which was first fitted to Rolls-Royce models in 1911. "The Spirit of Ecstasy" is a genuine icon, a graceful goddess who has adorned the prow of Rolls-Royce cars past and present," said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös<. "She is recognised the world over as a symbol for the pinnacle of automotive aspiration and is an inspiration to those of us working for the company today. The centenary drive was a fitting tribute to such an important figure for our company."

Museum of Contemporary Art in Leipzig to host ~ Carte Blanche III Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:48 PM PDT Leipzig, Germany - From 2008 to early 2010, the GfZK is dedicated to the topic of private commitment to art. Eleven private individuals and companies have been invited to present their activities in the form of exhibitions. Those involved are given 'carte blanche', i.e. it is left entirely up to them how they interpret the assignment and with which curators they want to work. In return, they cover all the costs arising from their projects. In the 1980s Brigitte Oetker met artists such as Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Günther Förg, Isa Genzken, Martin Kippenberger, Hanno Otten, Thomas Struth, Wolfgang Tillmans, Andreas Schulze, Marcel Odenbach, Rosmarie Trockel, Franz West, who at the time were just beginning their art careers. Her work was closely related to the art scene in Cologne in the 1980s and 1990s. Brigitte and Arend Oetker show works from their collection. Arend Oetker began by collecting works from the early classical modern period with pieces ranging from George Grosz to Otto Dix. This emphasis, however soon shifted towards artists from Gugging such as Johann Hauser, Art Brut and the Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli, early works from Günter Brus, Hermann Nitsch, Arnulf Rainer and later Franz West. The range of their interests is not just on a national level, but also on internationally shaped artists such as Richard Artschwager, John Baldessari, Alighiero Boetti, Mike Kelley, Louise Lawler and Jorge Pardo. Later artists include Ellen Gallagher and Wade Guyton. Both Brigitte & Arend Oetker are interested also in the work of artists like Richard Wright, Jeppe Hein, David Zink Yi, Tue Greenfort, Bojan Sarcevic, Takehito Koganezawa and Fikret Atay. Their collection also includes some of the artists of the early classical modern period such as Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Otto Mueller,  and Max Ernst. Brigitte Oetker studied History, Literature and Art History in Aachen and Rome. From 1984 through to 1990 she worked in Cologne as the Director of the Cultural Committee of German Business within the BDI e.V. and for the ARA, The Association for Cultural Affairs in Foreign Countries. Since 1989, on behalf of the Cultural Committee, she has published the sub-sequent annual ›Yearbook for Modern Art‹. From 1993 to 1998, together with Mechthild von Dannenberg and Christiane Schneider, Brigitte Oetker was responsible for the project ›Art in the Leipzig Messe‹, Leipzig. This was a permanent installation of 25 renowned international artists created especially for the New Fair. 1998 saw Brigitte Oetker, with Christiane Schneider, curate the exhibition ›MAI 98‹ in the Josef-Haubrich-Art Hall, Cologne. Since 2007 she has been a professor for the ›creative processes in the formation of art‹ for the Institute of Culture and Media Management in Hamburg. On top of the above, she holds an honorary appointment with the Art House, Villa Romana, historical art Max Planck Institute both in Florence. In Berlin she holds a similar position in ›Büro Friedrich e.V‹, the Humboldt University and the Charité Foundation. Arend Oetker is an entrepreneur. He studied Economics Management, Political Science in Hamburg, Cologne and Berlin. He has established numerous development associations notably in Schleswig, Lübeck, Kiel, Hildesheim and Bielefeld. The Friends of the Busch-Reisinger Museum in Harvard was founded through his initiative. He holds an honorary position on numerous boards and institutions. Besides being involved in economic and political institutions, Arend Oetker is also the President of the Donors Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities, Vice Chairman ofThe Cultural Affairs Foundation of German Business, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a member of the board of the Friends of the National Gallery, Berlin, The Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, Aachen, and the German Music Foundation, Hamburg. In 1990, together with Klaus Werner, he founded the Museum of Contemporary Art and was until 2002 a partner. Since the GfZK has become a foundation he has become the chairman of the foundation board. Artists: Richard Artschwager, Fikret Atay, John Baldessari, Alighiero Boetti, William Copley, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Dan Flavin, Ellen Gallagher, Isa Genzken, Wade Guyton, Mike Kelley, Martin Kippenberger, Takehito Koganezawa, Hanno Otten, Jorge Pardo, Blinky Palermo, Andreas Schulze, Rosemarie Trockel, Franz West, David Zink Yi.

Tria Gallery presents its Annual “Summer Cocktail” a Group Exhibition Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:42 PM PDT New York, NY :   Tria Gallery presents its annual "Summer Cocktail" from July 9 through August 7, 2009.   On display to help viewers escape the heat will be a cool mix of artwork, including mixed media sculpture by jazz great Oliver Lake and vibrant and colorful works by painters Giuliano Guarneri, Suejin Jo, and Nicole Parcher.   The works in Tria Summer Cocktail  vary in terms of medium and style, but are united in their undeniably playful quality.   Each presents the viewer with its own type of innocent joy; some conjuring up childhood memories of trips to the beach, or the feeling of a hot summer day with grass underfoot, others the simple and almost innocent thrill of viscerally connecting to a vibrant color or compelling arrangement of geometric shapes.   In the dog days of summer, this "Summer Cocktail" is intended to provide viewers with some respite and to impart a cool, colorful and joyful experience – a visual popsicle, if you will.

Jules Dalou in England ~ Portraits of Womanhood at the Henry Moore Institute Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:41 PM PDT LEEDS, UK.- The Henry Moore Institute presents Jules Dalou in England: Portraits of Womanhood (1871-1879), on view through February 22, 2009. The French sculptor Jules Dalou was Rodin's contemporary, and his works occupy key sites in Paris, such as the Place de la Nation. Despite Dalou's success in the public realm, he is relatively unknown. This study exhibition aims in part to rectify that, looking at Dalou's British period, when he was sent into exile for his left-wing connections and, ironically, found his niche among the English aristocracy.

The Kunsthaus Bregenz Presents "VALIE EXPORT - Archive" Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:39 PM PDT Bregenz, Austria.- The Kunsthaus Bregenz (KUB) is proud to present "VALIE EXPORT/Archive", on view through January 22nd 2012. This exhibition provides the opportunity to rediscover new aspects of an internationally renowned artist whose works are counted among the canon of 20th century art history and represented in many important museum collections. In this unusual and surprising presentation at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, in part, works that hitherto have not been exhibited will be on show. In addition, for the first time in her long history of exhibitions, VALIE EXPORT is providing insights into her comprehensive archive that, to the present day, remains inaccessible to the broad public. This presentation makes apparent once again that VALIE EXPORT is not only a pioneer of experimental film and cinema, but also the protagonist of a feminist, socially critical art. Apart from that, her projects and texts provide evidence that she has a decisive influence to the present day, not only as an artist, but also as a curator and theorist. Only a few have questioned the conditions and possibilities of the (technical) media, their relation to the (female) body and to society with a comparable intensity and stringency. Deploying her own body which, in a certain way, came toward viewers in flesh and blood, VALIE EXPORT polarized the public. She sensitized it to questions reflecting upon institutions and gender-specificity which, at this time, were only inadequately articulated in a discourse dominated by men. For a long time in Austria, the work of VALIE EXPORT did not gain the attention it deserves, as measured against its international significance. This changed in 2010 with the large comprehensive exhibition at the Belvedere in Vienna and the Lentos Art Museum in Linz. In contrast to this retrospective, the presentation at the KUB will concentrate mainly on the artist's archive. Her most important works, such as TAPP und TASTKINO, Aktionshose: Genitalpanik  and  BODY SIGN ACTION, will not simply be presented separately as autonomous pieces, but in conjunction with the reference materials relevant  for their making. For her films, for instance, VALIE EXPORT not only wrote visual scripts but also made drawings and Polaroids. Display cabinets in a display conceived by Kuehn Malvezzi together with the artist bring  together photos of the film-shooting, posters, scripts as well as reviews of the individual feature films. This diversity illustrates the complex process of their making and reception. In this sense, in Bregenz many of VALIE EXPORT's main works will be placed in the context of their genesis by means of preparatory conceptional drawings, statements, and collages, as well as photos.  In 57 large cabinets, in which VALIE EXPORT has together with Yilmaz Dziewior arranged materials from her archive according to works and themes, a panorama is unfolded that not only lays out the artist's multifaceted core oeuvre, but also provides an eloquent account of experimental art from the 1970s through correspondence, newspaper clips, and texts. For instance, in 1971, some of the protagonists of this art, including Günter Brus, Robert Filliou, Birgit and Wilhelm Hein, Arnulf Rainer, and Carolee Schneemann, invited VALIE EXPORT to participate in a book project with the title  Acta Occidentia Scientia which, however, was only published in the 1990s. In Bregenz this project will be presented not only in the form of a finished book, but also through an extensive file of materials as well as in detail with letters from Yvonne Rainer and Michael Snow. A similar procedure will be followed at the KUB with the publication and exhibition, MAGNA — Feminism: Art and Creativity, that was conceived at the same time by VALIE EXPORT. In retrospect, the 'Who's Who' of feminist art took part in this project. Apart from files of materials, correspondence between VALIE EXPORT, Maria Lassnig, and Meret Oppenheim is on show in the associated cabinet. The treasures of the archive that have never been shown to date include also an extensive collection of beer coasters, cigarette packs, newspaper articles and other memorabilia on which the word 'Export' can be read. The artist has been collecting them since the start of her career, when she adopted the artist's pseudonym, VALIE EXPORT. For the first time, together with two documentary photos, the work  Sommerjacke from 1973 will also be presented, in which dried grass and paper are sewn into the seams. Dramaturgically, the exhibition is conceived in such a way that it intentionally thematizes temporal leaps. After the first floor shows the display cabinets for the archive, on the second floor, the work, Fragmente der Bilder einer Berührung — done already 17 years ago in Bregenz for her solo exhibition in Magazin4 — will be presented in an arrangement especially conceived for the KUB. On this floor there are further re-encounters when visitors come upon photographs and installations whose phases of making and contexts of reception they were able to discover a short time before in the archive display cabinets. For instance, whereas in two archive cabinets the original jeans, a poster print and a small photo print of the legendary  Aktionshose: Genitalpanik  are exhibited, on the floor above the large photograph of the same work mounted on aluminium is on show as an autonomous work. It is similar with the so-called  Körperkonfigurationen and the various cycles of conceptual photography that are shown in detail in their different stages on both floors.TAPP und TASTKINO can also be viewed in a unique complexity. In addition to the scandalizing press reactions, the action is presented also as a work with photographs, film documentation and the authorized reproductions of the original objects. The new works that VALIE EXPORT has realized for her Bregenz exhibition on the basis, or as a further development, of material that she discovered while going through her archive should be especially mentioned. On the top floor, a downright 'film forest' is presented with more than twenty works in various media and presentation formats. Here, for example, video and film installations are to be found, such as the early trailblazing media analyses, Splitscreen – Solipsism (1968), Split Reality (1970) and Adjungierte Dislokationen (1973). The large, uniform room is structured by a multitude of screens. 16 mm films such as  ... remote ... remote ... passages (1973) and Syntagma (1983) are projected here in their original format. Other films have been, or already were, converted for DVD, such as  Ein perfektes Paar oder die Unzucht wechselt ihre Haut (1986), or were already conceived for digital technology. Additional works from VALIE EXPORT's various phases of development are shown on monitors and, together with the other (moving) images, form a total presentation that illustrates the enormous range in both content and media of this significant artist. In August 1993 the district administration office of Bregenz issued the building permit for the construction of a new art museum. Planning and negotiation had begun some years before, and construction started the following year. Both the museum itself and adjacent administration building were designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor a Pritzker Prize winner. The Kunsthaus Bregenz ( the KUB) was opened on July 25, 1997. The architect described the building as: "The art museum stands in the light of Lake Constance. It is made of glass and steel and a cast concrete stone mass which endows the interior of the building with texture and spatial composition. From the outside, the building looks like a lamp. It absorbs the changing light of the sky, the haze of the lake, it reflects light and colour and gives an intimation of its inner life according to the angle of vision, the daylight and the weather." Within the Urban Context The Kunsthaus Bregenz was built as a solitary construction in a prominent location not far from the lakefront bank. It filled the space on "Seestraße" between the Theater for Vorarlberg and the main post office. Fresh air is conducted through a gap between the floor and the outer walls to the halls. The used air is sucked in through the gaps between the sheets of glass of the light ceiling and flows out through this space, requiring no mechanical air conditioning. The entrance lies on the eastern side of the building facing the town. The administration building, situated in front of the museum towards the city centre, acts as a transitional structure to the smaller and low buildings of the old part of the town. All functional facilities of the Kunsthaus other than those directly associated with the presentation of art are housed separately in this smaller building, which accommodates a library, the museum shop and a café besides the administrative offices. The striking facade consists of etched glass shingles that lend the building lightness and transparency, provide insulation and form an essential part of the lighting arrangement for the building. The refractive properties of the glass shingles and a 90-centimetre wide light pit between the glass cladding and the concrete structure of the building proper makes it possible to direct daylight to the first subterranean level and illuminate the building at night. Three exhibition floors are used to exhibit the museum's own collection and featured thematic or solo artist exhibitions. As a new institution, the Kunsthaus' own collection is still very young, but focuses on contemporary Austrian art The collection begins in the 1980s with works by the younger generation of artists which broke away from the determining traditions of postwar Austrian art in favor of a more international orientation (for example Bohatsch, Brandl, Kogler, Kopf, F. Pichler, Rockenschaub, Scheibl, Schmalix, Ströhle, Türtscher, West, Wurm, Zobernig, among others). Acquisitions of groups of works by the most important artists set focal points. In parallel to these exhibitions, the KUB Arena's program examines examples of differing forms of curatorial practice (such as the current Antony Gormley installation in the high Alps). Visit the museum's website at ... www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at

Vivienne Westwood Fashion Image to Sell at Bonhams Photography Auction Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:37 PM PDT LONDON.- A photographic commission for Vivienne Westwood's On Liberty collection 1994-5, Donut, Kym, for Vivienne Westwood, 1994, by Dutch duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, which was used in a calendar and advertising campaign, is to be sold for £12,000 – 15,000 in the first auction for Bonhams new photography department on 20th May 2010 at New Bond Street. Three images by the leading American fashion photographer Lillian Bassman, who is attracting attention following an exhibition at Wapping Project Bankside, and a forthcoming show at Paul Smith, will also be on sale. The photographs include Jean Shrimpton, 1955 (estimate £3,000 – 5,000); Nylon: A Natural Traveller, Margie Cato (estimate £2,000 - 3,000), which was taken for Harper's Bazaar; and Park Avenue Woman, Mary Jane Russell (estimate £2,000 – 3,000).

'Replacing Mashkov' Recent Acquisitions by the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:36 PM PDT The Hague, NL - A successful round of deaccessioning, most controversially involving the sale of a painting by the Russian artist Ilya Mashkov, has enabled the Gemeentemuseum to purchase a number of important pieces of modern and contemporary art. Works by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Markus Lüpertz, Jörg Immendorff, Sebastian Gögel, Anton Henning, Marlene Dumas, Folkert de Jong, Erik van Lieshout, Tjebbe Beekman and many other artists feature in a major show of recent acquisitions. On exhibition until 25 March, 2007.

Lentos Art Museum celebrates Oskar Kokoschka ~ A Vagabond in Linz : Wild & Denigrated Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:34 PM PDT LINZ, AUSTRIA - In the exhibition Oskar Kokoschka - A Vagabond in Linz. Wild, denigrated, celebrated, the Lentos Art Museum documents the great Austrian painter, who was a non-conformist all his life, and focuses on his contacts with Linz. This extensive show presents 40 paintings, 49 watercolors and drawings, and about 27 prints as well as 36 photographies from 20 museums, galleries and private collections abroad and ten from Austria. On exhibition through 5 October, 2008. The Lentos Art Museum and the City Museum Nordico, which with five paintings, 15 drawings and over 100 lithographs are among the most important Kokoschka collections in Austria, show their rich Kokoschka holdings collected in an exhibition for the first time. Kokoschka's personal contacts and friendships with art historians, gallerists, high-ranking city officials and politicians in Linz were the basis of the ties between the artist from Pöchlarn and the capital of the federal province of Upper Austria. The first contact was established by Wolfgang Gurlitt (1888-1965), art dealer from Berlin and founder of the New Gallery of the City of Linz, which became the Lentos Art Museum. His successors Walter Kasten and Peter Baum and the mayor at that time, Ernst Koref, maintained a close artistic exchange with Kokoschka through purchases, commissioned works and numerous exhibitions. This bears witness to the important art historical pioneering role of the city of Linz as well as to the city's special engagement in the relationship to Kokoschka.  Kokoschka's first exhibition after World War II in Austria was shown at the New Gallery of the City of Linz in the summer of 1951. Several paintings from this sensational exhibition - Die Freunde (1917), Vater Hirsch (1909), Marcel von Nemes (1929) - and many print graphic works were added to the Museum Collection through purchase in 1953 and are still today among the international highlights of the Lentos Collection. This exhibition, which was highly successful and had a strong media presence, is reconstructed on the basis of the works shown then in rooms in the main square of Linz and supplemented with press reviews and photographic documents. A special focal point deals with the National-Socialist understanding of art that branded Kokoschka as a "degenerate" artist. More than 400 of his works were confiscated, nine of them denounced in the exhibition "Degenerate Art" in 1937 in Munich and eleven other stations (including Vienna and Salzburg). Some of the "degenerate" and confiscated works are shown for the first time in this sensitive context. All the provenances of the Kokoschka holdings of the Lentos are published in the accompanying catalogue, which also details the complex history of purchases and origins of the works acquired by Gurlitt at the Fischer auction in Lucerne. A special area is devoted to the photographs, which have been continuously collected and presented and developed in scholarly treatment since the opening of the New Gallery in 1946. The rich holdings of the Lentos Collection include incunabula of Austrian reportage photography, including works by Erich Lessing, Franz Hubmann and Peter Baum, which show Oskar Kokoschka in vitality and artistic passion. The exhibition covers a broad range: works are presented in the show from Kokoschka's controversial early work, from the lively years of traveling, and also paintings, watercolors, color pencil drawings and posters created in exile in England - a rich selection of exhibits with important paintings, illuminating photo documents and audio material presented for the first time, much of this with a unique relevance to Linz. The exhibition comprising 139 works provides insights into an oeuvre marked by strokes of fate, which underwent a fascinating thematic and stylistic development. The presentation of over sixty years of creative production (the earliest watercolor is from 1905, the last from 1967) enables a comparison of styles from the different phases of the artist's work.  As successor institution to the New Gallery of the City of Linz, the Lentos Art Museum, which opened in May 2003, is among the most important museums of modern art in Austria. 120 important art works from the collection of the Berlin art dealer Wolfgang Gurlitt (1888 - 1965), including paintings and graphic works by Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Nolde, Corinth and Pechstein, formed the foundation for the collection of the New Gallery of the City of Linz after World War II. Building on these holdings, the city of Linz decided in 1953 to continue the New Gallery as a city museum with an active exhibition program and acquisition policies. As a museum today, Lentos presents and communicates significant themes and positions of contemporary art production in relation to 20th century art history. This is exemplified by displaying works and schools of modern art and their consequences, whereby the Lentos collection is highlighted in specific selections according to alternating focal points. Visit the Lentos Art Museum at : www.lentos.at/en/

Sotheby's Fall Sales of Impressionist and Modern Art to Be Held in New York Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:33 PM PDT NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby's fall Evening Sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in New York on 4 November 2009 presents a remarkable offering ranging from an exquisite group of classic Impressionist pictures by Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley from the family of legendary dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, to key works by modern masters such as Picasso, Giacometti, Derain and Miró. Many come from esteemed private collections and estates and are fresh to the market. In addition to the works coming from the Durand-Ruel and Sackler Collection, property from other distinguished private collections will also be offered this fall. Prior to the auction, the works will be on view in Sotheby's 10th floor galleries from 30th October to 4th November 2009.

Tate Liverpool Announces First Major Retrospective of Nam June Paik Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:31 PM PDT LIVERPOOL.- Video artist, performer and composer Nam June Paik (1932-2006) was one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century and is widely considered to be the first video artist. From 17 December 2010 - 13 March 2011 Tate Liverpool, in collaboration with FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), presents the first major retrospective of Paik's work in the UK. Displaying works from all phases of his career, many shown in the UK for the first time, the exhibition traces the artist's avant-garde and experimental spirit.

Ketterer Kunst's December 10th Auction to Feature Modern & Post War/Contemporary Art Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:30 PM PDT Munich, Germany.- Ketterer Kunst will be hosting their Modern and Post War/Contemporary Art Auction on December 10th. "It is a real sensation for the German art market. Works of such a remarkable nature are usually auctioned in London and New York", said Robert Ketterer about Hermann Max Pechstein's masterpiece with painting on both sides, which will be called up in the auction. In general, the range of offerings from Expressionism to Contemporary art is equally impressive, and features works by German masters such as Max Pechstein, Christian Rolff, Gabriele Münter, Karl Hofer, Max Beckmann, Emil Nolde, Anselm Kiefer, Max Liebermann, Otto Dix, Lyonel Feininger and Gerog Kolbe beside international works from Andy Warhol, Antoni Tàpies, Tom Wesselmann and Roy Lichtenstein among others. The Modern Art section is led by Hermann Max Pechstein's work "Weib mit Inder auf Teppich" and "Früchte II" respectively, as it is painted on both sides. The estimate is at €800.000-1.200.000. While the signed side with the still life references Cézanne and Matisse - indicating the artist's mastery in terms of composition and a stringent color expression - the nude captivates the observer with a sensual eroticism; an effect that is amplified by the expressive color value and the coarse painting technique. The primal directness of indigenous peoples by which the Brücke-artists were so impressed, finds expression in the couple's relaxed togetherness as well as in the choice of color: red-brown, yellow and green. A preliminary drawing of the Indian man is in the possession of the National Gallery in Berlin. Another top lot is a work by Conrad Felixmüller, which also carries the charming feature of being painted on both sides. While the rear side "Das eingeschlafene Modell II" (1940) is brilliantly kept in a form of Neorealism with its subtle coloring and material, the front side "Herbst in Klotzsche" (1920) deals with the atrocities of a senseless war. The estimate is at €250.000-350.000. With an estimate of €200.000-250.000 Fernand Leger's watercolor "Deux femmes à la toilette" from 1920 is just slightly below this mark. The work is a prime example of the artist's extraordinary mastery in composition and coloring. Christian Rohlf 's oil and tempera work "Soest" from 1916 will enter the race with an estimate of €140.000-180.000, just like several works by Gabriele Münter (among them "Stillleben mit Madonna", and "Murnauer Landschaft (Staffelsee)", each estimated at €180.000-240.000). Still, it is particularly Karl Hofer's striking "Mädchen mit Laute" from 1937 that will captivate the audience's attention. The artist made several versions of this subject, whereas two earlier works from 1932 and 1933 were pertinent to a rather formal structure. Later he abandoned this in favor of a more introvert perspective, which is why this work shows an almost lyrical trait that supports its theme. The dreamy look of the girl that seems to be lost in thought adds yet another atmospheric degree to the composition, just like the soft contours and the overall painting concept. The estimate is at €140.000-180.000. Slightly below this mark is a woodcut by Max Beckmann with an estimate of €100.000-150.000. His "Gruppenbildnis Edenbar" was made in 1923 and is definitely going to make as much furor as the portfolio "Jahrmarkt" which was made two years earlier. The latter has been estimated at €30.000-40.000. With its ten drypoint etchings it counts among the artist's most important graphic works. Besides Emil Nolde's "Marschlandschaft" (estimate: €100.000-120.000), the range of offerings is rounded off by Max Liebermann's "Dorfhäuser mit Sonnenblumen" (estimate: €90.000-120.000), the oil painting "Frühling auf der Höri mit Blick auf Steckborn" by Otto Dix and by Georg Kolbe's bronze "Auferstehung" (estimate €60.000-80.000 each), as well as by works by the following artists: Ernst Barlach, Lyonel Feininger, Erich Heckel, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Hans Purrmann, Leo Putz and Paul Signac. Of course, an auction of this type cannot be complete without Otto Mueller, whose watercolor and chalk work "Zwei Mädchenakte/Zwei sitzende Akte" has been estimated at €80.000-120.000. Another artist worthwhile mentioning is Willi Baumeister with his oil painting "Nocturno mit roten Segmenten" (estimate: €70.000-90.000). The Post War/Contemporary section is led by several works carrying estimates between €70.000 to 90.000. Both familiar and yet unusual is Eberhard Havekost's oil painting "Benutzeroberfläche 5" from 2001 as well as the work "Figur Flora" by Horst Antes, which already alludes to the artist's later figure "Kopffüßler (Head Footer)", a figure exclusively made in cross-section. The same estimates have also been tagged to two sculptures which emanate a lust for life in quite different manners. While Giacomo Manzù's "Cardinale seduto" almost seems affable in its form and impression, the skinny, rhythmically bundled pipes of the plastic "Große Vierung" by Martin and Brigitte Matschinsky-Denninghoff seem to aspire an organic vitality. Next to the two large bronzes by Jörg Immendorff "Ich im Pinselwald" and "Sieger", which will both be called up with estimates of €60.000-80.000 each, this section also proudly presents two oil paintings by the Munich artist Rupprecht Geiger. While "467/67" from 1967 has been estimated at €40.000-60.000, the estimate for "419/65" is at €25.000-35.000. Other exciting works, among others, are by Markus Lüpertz ("Beethoven", estimate: €50.000-60.000), Günther Uecker ("Modell für Grossobjekt", estimate: € 30.000-40.000), Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Norbert Bisky, Bernhard Heisig, Markus Lüpertz, Anselm Kiefer, Sigmar Polke, Emil Schumacher, Antoni Tàpies, Fred Thieler, Tom Wesselmann and Fritz Winter. Since it was founded in 1954, Ketterer Kunst has been firmly established in the front ranks of auction houses dealing in art and rare books, with its headquarters in Munich and a branch in Hamburg. Gallery rooms in Berlin as well as representatives in Heidelberg and Krefeld have contributed substantially to the company's success. Ketterer Kunst has further rounded off its portfolio with the prestigious Ernest Rathenau Verlag, New York/Munich. In addition, exhibitions, special theme and charity auctions as well as online auctions are regular events at Ketterer Kunst. Robert Ketterer is auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst.  Visit the auction house's website at ... http://www.kettererkunst.com/

This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:29 PM PDT 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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