Airport, please! Heading to the Tornabuoni Gallery to see Alighiero Boetti’s Thinking About Afghanistan

 

MAPPA, 1971
Alighiero Boetti

In the Spring of 1971 while in search of something distant, Alighiero Boetti discovered Afghanistan. It was the beginning of a relationship that tied the man and his work to the people of Afghan for 23 years until his death in 1994. Boetti maintained these ties during the period of exile following the Soviet invasion of 1979, even welcoming some of his assistants into his own household in Italy. Afghanistan is the scene of the production of many of Boetti’s best-known works including Mappa 1971-1994 ,made by female Afghan embroiderers. His artistic intention, his experience of the country and his intellectual curiosity gave rise to works that act as both cutural and geopolitical seismographs. Boetti’s work bears witness to the socio-politico transformations that affected the Middle East in the 70s and 80s, seeing, ,for example, the embroiderers flee to Peshawar in Pakistan where some of the last tapestries were produced.

Tornabuoni Art
Paris, France

During our recent pandemic, our time of claustrophia, social distancing and limited travel wore heavily on all of those who impulsively booked a flight at will, going to art fairs, to unexplored cities, to see a museum exhibit and coming home, freedom! to escape one’s quotidian life and relationships. The LRFA blog, as a matter of fact, was inspired by the need to travel the world if only in the imagination.

TORNABUONI ARTE, Paris

Alighiero Boettti- Thinking about Afghanistan presents a selection of work at the gallery’s 16, avenue Matignon, 7500 in Paris, a converted train station flooded with skylights and architectural elements, continued from October 18 through December 22nd, 2021.

The exhibit presented a selection of works typical of this period, The Lavori Postali (Postal Works) which are iconic tapestries and a series of works on paper conceived in Boetti’s Roman studio when he could not travel to Afghanistan. These include The First Work of the Year While Thinking about Afghanistan – and includes a rich selection of photographs and archival documents owned by the Boetti estate, which provides insight into the context in which Alighiero Boetti worked.

Alighiero Boetti

BIO ALIGHIERO BOETTI Turin 1940- Rome, 1994

Alighiero Boetti – or Alighiero e Boetti as he liked to sign his works from 1971 – was born in Turin, Italy. The son of lawyer Corrado Boetti and violinist Adelina Marchisio, he began his career as a self-taught artist, after having briefly studied Business and Economics at the University of Turin.

In 1967, the Christian Stein gallery in Turin offered Boetti his first solo show, within a context marked by the recent birth of Arte Povera. The young artist was subsequently invited to take part in all group exhibitions around this theme, that paved the way for total freedom of artistic expression, and in shows on Conceptual Art such as ‘When Attitudes become Form’ at the Kunsthalle Basel in 1969.

The latter marked Boetti’s detachment from Arte Povera in favor of conceptual experimentation through duplication, symmetry and multiplication. His works then focused on codes of classification and communication, working with numbers, maps and alphabets, playing with a variety of materials and techniques, reminiscent of ancient Asian craftsmanship.

Boetti’s passion for Afghanistan began in the early 1970s with a few trips that later turned into long stays, and in 1971 Boetti and his wife opened the ‘One Hotel’ in Kabul. During this time Boetti began working on the Mappe (Maps), entrusting the realization of his famous tapestries to Afghan female embroiderers. The colours and shapes of the flags changed according to the world’s geopolitical context at the time of the realisation (1971-1994). Kabul inspired another famous series entitled Frasi messe al quadrato (Squared Sentences). After the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (December 1979 – February 1980), the discontinuation of the production of tapestries led him to work with Afghan refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan (as from 1986).

Lavori Postale
Alighiero Boetti

A great traveller, Boetti spent long periods in different continents. Countries like Ethiopia, Guatemala and Japan inspired him to create his Lavori postali (Postal Works) with local stamps. Evoking the passing of time, these pieces were based on the mathematical mutation of the stamps and on the unpredictable adventure of the world’s postal services.

The revolutionary aspect of Boetti’s work was the creation of a paradigm within which to act for the people involved in the creative process, thus radically questioning the role of the artist and the impact of chance, sequence, repetition and authorship in the creation of a work of art. His work and attitude have strongly influenced the next generation of artists in Italy and around the world.

Traveling to Afghanistan at the beginning of the 1970s, he was introduced to the traditional craft of embroidery, which marked a turning point in the artist’s career. In his consequent Territori Occupati series (1971-92) he commissioned Afghan embroiderers to create a maps of the world, with each country bearing the colors and pattern of its flag. The commission grew into a beautifully crafted, large-scale series of maps produced over a period of twenty years in Kabul, Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistan. The land mass of each country is filled in with its flag.

We can now become more selective, targeting fairs and cities in which we intend to stay at least a few days. See you all at Miami Art Basel, in December?

Collecting wisely at Sean Kelly Gallery, past, present and future, with Senior Partner Cecile Panzieri

Cecile Panzieri, Senior Partner
Sean Kelly, Founder
Sean Kelly Gallery

PODCASTING WAS DEVELOPED IN 2004  WHEN ADAM CURRY, FORMER MTV VIDEO JOCKEY AND DAVE WINER, CODED A PROGRAM KNOWN AS iPODDER WHICH ENABLED THEM TO DOWNLOAD INTERNET RADIO BROADCASTS TO THEIR IPODS. AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF PODCASTS ON EVERY SUBJECT HAS MULTIPLIED EXPONENTIALLY, POPPING UP EVERY DAY, ON A VAST NUMBER OF PLATFORMS. AS OF 2019, PRE-PANDEMIC, 165 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LISTENED TO A PODCAST WITH 90 MILLION AMERICAS LISTENING MONTHLY. THE LRFA BLOG IS CERTAIN THAT THE NUMBERS ARE EVEN MORE COMPELLING SINCE COVID.

ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT AND INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO PODCASTS ON THE SUBJECT OF ART IS SEAN KELLY’S COLLECT WISELY. STARTED IN THE SPRING OF 2018, THE PODCAST EXPLORES COLLECTING AND CONNOISSEURSHIP IN A DIALOGUE WITH A DIVERSE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS. REFLECTING THE GALLERY’S PRINCIPLES, IT REFOCUSES THE DIALOGUE AROUND CORE VALUES THAT CENTER MORE ON ART, ARTISTS, AND A PASSION FOR COLLECTING THAN ON ART WORLD STATUS AND SHORT-TERM MONETARY INTERESTS. IN COLLECT WISELY, WE LISTEN TO THE FASCINATING STORIES OF HOW INDIVIDUALS CAME TO COLLECT ART, WHAT THEY COLLECT AND WHAT THEY WOULD OWN IF THEY COULD HAVE ANY ARTWORK IN THE WORLD. ARTICULATE AND IMPASSIONED, IT IS AN INSPIRING AND INFORMATIVE DIALOGUE REFLECTING BOTH THE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE  OF SEAN KELLY, GALLERIST, AND THE PASSION OF THE COLLECTOR.

https://www.skny.com/

 

Collect Wisely.
Sean Kelly Gallery Podcasts

THE GALLERY HAS INITIATED A WONDERFUL PODCAST, COLLECT WISELY,  THAT THE LRFA BLOG BINGED ON WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED. HOW DID THE GALLERY COME UP WITH SUCH AN ORIGINAL IDEA AND HOW WAS IT REALIZED?

I am glad that you are admitting to bingeing on it.  This series of conversations between Sean and different collectors  about collecting and connoisseurship started in 2018. It was his idea, and something that he had been thinking about a lot and felt it was necessary to speak about.  Luckily we were able to draw and rely on a diverse group of passionate art lovers who were willing to share with refreshing sincerity their respective and  unique collecting history and perspective.  This initiative resulted so far in 21 fascinating and inspiring podcasts, and has been very well-received in the press worldwide.  It has sparked conversations about our current ecosystem.   Like you, I have loved listening to them, and love what they say in turn about the ethos of the gallery.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/collect-wisely/id1378595357

 

Marina Abramovic
The House with the Ocean View
Sean Kelly Gallery 2002

 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS YOU HAVE HAD IN THE SPACE IN CHELSEA THAT WERE PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING?

We were in our space in Chelsea for almost 12 years and held many great exhibitions.  That said I would like to single out Marina Abramovic’s extraordinary 12 day performance entitled “The House with Ocean View” in 2002, Joseph Kosuth’s outstanding neon installation entitled “A Propos (Reflecteur de Reflecteur) in 2004,  two remarkable installations by Antony Gormley’s entitled “Clearing”  in 2005 and “Blind Light” in 2007, Kehinde Wiley’s superb exhibition entitled “Economy of Grace” in 2008, and a beautiful installation of over 100 watercolors by Callum Innes made in response to a novel written by Irish author Colm Toibin in 2011.  

Kehinde Wiley
An Economy of Grace
Sean Kelly Gallery 2012

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS IN THE 36th STREET HUDSON YEARS SPACE THAT ARE NOTABLE AND COULD YOU HAVE HAD THEM IN THE FORMER SPACE?

Four exhibitions come to mind: Joseph Kosuth ’s 40 year neon survey in 2015,  our first exhibition of Belgian filmmaker David Claerbout in 2016, our exhibition of monumental sculptures by Mariko Mori in 2018 and  Anthony McCall’s experiential installation “Split Second” in 2019.   The challenging  size of our 36th street’s main space created unique conditions for these artists to respond to it with ambition.  

Joseph Kosuth
A Propos (Reflecteur du Reflecteur)
Sean Kelly Gallery 2004

 WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS?  

I was really thrilled when we are able to return to the gallery which we had to close on March 13.  I have missed my colleagues and being there.  We devised a re-entry plan that we hope will allow us to remain open and once again a destination during this uncertain time.  This includes Joseph Kosuth’s exhibition “Existential Time” which had to be postponed due to the pandemic, to Sam Moyer’s first major outdoor sculpture project presented by the Public Art Fund which will be sited at the Doris Freedman Plaza entrance to Central Park, and to our first major and much awaited solo current exhibition of Shahzia Sikander’s work since she joined the gallery.  

Sam Moyer
Doors for Doris  Doris Freedman Plaza

 

 ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO EXPAND TO ANOTHER CITY AND/OR COUNTRY?

Two years ago we established a presence in Taipei.    Our operations there are currently on hold due to the pandemic.  Asia is a region that cannot be ignored and we hope that we will be able to resume them in the not too distant future. 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GALLERY?  I am excited about the gallery’s continued growth and place in the art world, and to do so alongside  Sean, his adult children, Lauren and Tom, who have been part of the gallery for a number of years now.   I have known both of them for over twenty years, and have had the pleasure of mentoring them closely.  Though different, I can see how they complement one another, and are determined to being part of the gallery’s present and future.  I look forward to continuing to doing what I love and to playing an active role in the gallery’s future. 

CECILE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL INTERVIEW. YOUR WARMTH AND LOVE OF PEOPLE AND OF ART SHINE THROUGH EVERY WORD. MUCH APPRECIATED!

Core values stand the test of the pandemic at the Sean Kelly Gallery with Senior Partner, Cecile Panzieri

Cecile Panzieri and Sean Kelly of Sean Kelly Gallery

That the pandemic has shifted how art is bought and sold is evident in the 255% rise in online-only auction sales between January and August, to nearly US$597 million from US$168 million in the same period last year. Of the experts surveyed, 24% expect auction sales overall will rise in the next six months, while 39% expect rising sales to continue for a year.

The ability of the major auction houses to pivot quickly to digital sales, and eventually to hybrid models involving live-streams from their global locations, buffered the initial steep losses the houses experienced in the first part of the year, ArtTactic said. Still, year-end results will likely be significantly down from 2019 levels, the report said.

In 2019, global auction sales from Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips were US$9.74 billion, down 19.8% from a year earlier.

Art Basel Miami OVR
Sean Kelly Gallery
December 2-6, 2020

Galleries and art fairs that mostly sell works in the primary market also quickly, and largely successfully, transitioned to digital programming and sales in 2020, allowing confidence in the primary market to rise from a level of 3 on ArtTactic’s indicator last May to 39 in November. Of experts the firm surveyed, 36% are optimistic about the next six months (compared to only 2% who were in May) and 29% are neutral.

BARRONS.COM/PENTA, Abby Schultz, November 20, 2020, ArtTactic Finds “V-Shaped” Recovery in Market Confidence

https://www.barrons.com/articles/arttactic-finds-v-shaped-recovery-in-market-confidence-01605909874?reflink=article_emailShare

SEAN KELLY GALLERY REMAINS TRUE TO ITSELF, IN WHATEVER FORM THE CURRENT CLIMATE DEMANDS: VIRTUAL, DIGITAL, ONLINE, OR LIVE. THEIR CORE VALUES REMAIN INTACT, THEIR COLLECTORS AND ARTISTS LOYAL AND THE GALLERY PROVIDES A SAFE PORT IN THIS PANDEMIC STORM.

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG IS HONORED TO CONTINUE ITS CONVERSATION WITH CECILE PANZIERI, SENIOR PARTNER AT SEAN KELLY GALLERY, ON THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON THE GALLERY IN PARTICULAR AND ON THE ART MARKET IN GENERAL.

Frieze Viewing Room 2020

Art Basel Miami OVR
Sean Kelly Gallery

IN THIS VERY COMPETITIVE ART WORLD, IN WHICH ARTISTS ARE AS CONSCIOUS OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL STANDING AS THEY OF THEIR ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS WITH RESPECT TO REPRESENTING THE WORK?

We share and do everything we can to foster our artists’ ambitions and our ambitions for them.  We want their work to be critically recognized, publicly exhibited, and collected. We want to facilitate their creative vision.  Our ability to succeed in these areas comes from decades of experience and nurtured relationships, but this alone is not enough: the artists are integral to making our efforts successful.  Our artists  understand this.  The pandemic with all its challenges has reinforced the core values that bind us: trust, integrity,  hard work and passion for what we do.   Together we are well positioned to navigate the current stormy waters. 

TEFAF New York Fall 2019

HOW DO YOU PLACE WORKS IN BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS? ARE THE PROCESSES SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT OR DO THEY OVERLAP?  

Over the years, we have had the pleasure of getting to know collectors who were at different points in their collecting history.  We have wanted to create a gallery experience where one would feel welcome to explore, discover and talk about art, be it with Sean, me or my other colleagues.  If a museum wants to acquire a work by one of our artists, we will do our best working with the artist to facilitate an acquisition. Our collectors understand that institutions are a priority, they are generous and excited for the artists when this happens.  Over the years we have placed works in the collections of many museums worldwide.  My experience with our collectors over the years is that acquiring a work is a pursuit they love and a question of timing: “the right work at the right time”.   We value our collectors, their passion and support for the gallery’s program.  They know that when solicited they can trust and rely on our opinion.   I derive a lot of satisfaction from being part of the “matching” process and  fulfilling the quest along the way.

Zona Maco 2020

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK ART FAIRS ARE TO BOTH THE PRESENCE OF THE GALLERY AND TO THE ARTISTS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET?  

Art fairs are important as they provide visibility to the gallery and its program, and the opportunity to meet existing and new collectors, private and institutional from all over the world in an “acquiring” or research mode.  It is instrumental to the expansion of the gallery’s activities and network.  I am a “people” person and very much enjoy attending and working at art fairs.  Operating a gallery of our size without art fairs as we just experienced these past few months has meant less income.  Virtual art fairs are not the same: they require a great deal of planning but our collectors find them both overwhelming and underwhelming, and are learning how to “visit” them, the same way we are learning how to best participate in them, and what technology can or cannot do for the remote art viewing experience.  More and more people from all over the world spend a lot of time looking at art, and more and more, purchasing art on the internet as well.  What we do not know is how profound and lasting  this trend is.  

ADAA Art Show 2020
Solo presentation by Idris Khan

WHICH ART FAIRS DOES THE GALLERY PARTICIPATE IN AND WHY?

Until the pandemic forced the cancellation of all art fairs, we participated in Art Basel, Art Basel Miami, Art Basel Hong Kong, Armory Show, ADAA , Zona Maco, Taipei Dangdai, TEFAF NY  and Frieze NY.   We felt that each fair complemented our activities at the gallery.  We have been deliberate in making sure that we do not become too dependent on them.   The core of our business is gallery driven, it is solid.  The past few months of distant/remote working have validated our prudence.

Frieze Viewing Room 2020

THE LRFA BLOG LOOKS FORWARD TO CECILE’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE CURRENT MARKET AND FUTURE PLANS OF SEAN KELLY GALLERY IN OUR NEXT POST.

PLEASE JOIN US!

Gaining broad experience in all the sectors of the art world, with Sarah Murkett, founder of Murk & Co.

Sarah Murkett
Founder, Murk & Co.

IN ORDER TO START AN ART GALLERY IN THE WORLD TODAY, THERE IS REALLY ONLY ONE KEY COMPONENT: GREAT ARTISTS, INDIVIDUALS WHO YOU BELIEVE IN AND ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IN THE CONTEXT OF SELLING THEIR WORK, PROMOTING IT TO THE CURATORIAL CONSTITUENCY AND ENGAGING CRITICAL DIALOGUE. FINDING SUPPORT FROM THE CURATORIAL WORLD MATTERS.

JAMES COHAN, as quoted in Artnet in https://news.artnet.com/market/how-to-start-an-art-gallery-574523

EQUALLY IMPORTANT, IN THE OPINION OF THE LRFA BLOG, IS THE ADOPTION OF SOUND BUSINESS PRACTICES AND INNOVATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY POTENTIALLY GLOBAL ENDEAVOR. PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19, AN OUTREACH OF WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A VISUAL BUSINESS VIA TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS STAYING OPEN OR NOT.

THUS, A FULLY DEVELOPED BACK ROOM ADMINISTRATION IS CRUCIAL TO A BUSINESS IN THE ARTS. ADMINISTRATIVE, LEGAL, SALES AND MARKETING PROGRAMS, INSURANCE, TRANSPORT, STAFF FOCUSED ON THE PLANNING AND FOLLOW UP OF ART FAIRS, BE THEY BRICKS AND MORTAR OR VIRTUAL ROOM EVENTS, AND A HIGHLY DEDICATED AND WELL-RUN WORKFORCE THAT SUPPORTS THE FRONT ROOM, ALLOWS THE GALLERIST TO FOCUS ON ARTISTS’ CAREERS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, CULTIVATE COLLECTORS AND MUSEUM CURATORS.

THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK THE FUTURE-THINKING AND DYNAMIC SARAH MURKETT, FOUNDER OF MURK & CO., THE RECRUITING BUSINESS TO CONTACT TO OBTAIN OR FILL A POSITION IN THE ART WORLD.

Sarah Murkett and artist Thomas Woodruff
NY Times Sunday Style Photograph by Bill Cunningham

SARAH, WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB AND WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?

I moved to New York in 1998, before arts administration programs were common, and through my experience in Rochester and Providence, I had all the skills I needed to work in galleries, including things like organizing exhibitions and events, writing press releases, as well as art handling and archival work.

My first full-time art job was at PPOW Gallery, and there on Broome Street, I got to experience the tail end of Soho before everyone started moving to Chelsea. 

Armand Bartos Fine Art
SIGNAGE: Lost in the Supermarket
Curated by Sarah Murkett

WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS YOU LEARNED FROM THIS JOB?

I really enjoyed the closeness to artists and the art they made, but I did not like going to an office every day, and the pay for this entry level work was very low.  Unfortunately, it still is.

Armand Bartos Fine Art
Rip-Off: Between Appropriation and the Appropriated
Curated by Sarah Murkett

WHAT DIRECTION DID YOU TAKE PROFESSIONALLY FOLLOWING THAT?

Through a recommendation of a colleague at PPOW, I went to go work for a small bespoke cosmetics company, which paid better, and I started study in Arts Administration at NYU.  After my studies, I did a lot of exploring of roles through freelance projects doing mainly writing, research and helping companies in the art world to organize and run the back end of their businesses.  I would help with events and marketing initiatives, overhaul databases and other operational infrastructure.  Many of these projects turned into full-time positions and I learned a lot about different sectors in the art world from Art Fairs and Advisories to Logistics and Non-Profits, eventually landing at Armand Bartos Fine Art.

Jack Goldstein
Murk & Co. Installation

I found Armand by applying to a job posting for someone who was looking for help organizing their library, and after several months of helping Armand Bartos to organize his private art dealing business we went to work on opening a secondary market gallery on the Upper East Side.  This was far and away my favorite job I have ever had, bringing together so many of the things that I enjoy doing, like designing the physical space and the brand identity for the gallery.  I developed an exhibition strategy curating all the shows, and applying for us to participate in art fairs.  I loved talking to collectors and anyone else that was interested in what we were showing.  In addition, I oversaw the day to day operations and management of the gallery.  And Armand was very generous in teaching me secondary market dealing, which I carried on after the gallery closed.

Artwork by Paola Ochoa & Justin Cooper
Murk & Co. Installation

SOUP TO NUTS, A HANDS-ON WAY TO LEARN EVERY ASPECT OF ART WORLD BUSINESS: GALLERY OWNER, PRIVATE AND SECONDARY MARKET DEALER, CURATOR, ART FAIRS AND MARKETING, PROVIDED SARAH MURKETT, FOUNDER OF MURK & CO., THE PERFECT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE REQUISITES NECESSARY TO FILL JOBS IN THE ART WORLD.

NEXT WEEK WE WILL EXPLORE  MURK & CO, THE RECRUITING FIRM SHE ESTABLISHED.

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING THE LRFA BLOG!

The LRFA blog welcomes Meg Malloy, partner at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery

Meg Malloy
Partner
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. ENJOYS A LONG AND RESPECTED HISTORY IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD FOR DISCOVERING EMERGING ARTISTS WHO GO ON TO GAIN GREAT CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS WHOSE CAREERS THEY NURTURE. LOCATED AT 530 WEST 22nd STREET IN THE WEST CHELSEA ARTS DISTRICT IN NEW YORK CITY, THE GALLERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1991 BY BRENT SIKKEMA AS WOOSTER GARDENS. BRENT SIKKEMA BEGAN HIS GALLERY WORK IN 1971 AT THE DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITIONS AT THE VISUAL STUDIES WORKSHOP IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. HE OPENED HIS FIRST GALLERY IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, IN 1976. MICHAEL JENKINS, WHO HAD WORKED ON PROJECTS WITH THE GALLERY SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1991, JOINED AS DIRECTOR IN 1996, AND BECAME A PARTNER IN 2003.

Sikkema Jenkins Gallery
530 West 22nd Street
Chelsea, New York

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON WOOSTER STREET IN SoHo AND IN 1999 MOVED TO ITS PRESENT CHELSEA LOCATION SUBSEQUENTLY UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION.  THE GALLERY IS AN EXTREMELY INVITING ENVIRONMENT, WITH A DEDICATED AND ACCESSIBLE STAFF EAGER TO EDUCATE AS WELL AS TO PLACE WORKS.

MEG MALLOY, A PARTNER AT SIKKEMA JENKINS, IS THE PERFECT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OPEN UNPRETENTIOUS SPIRIT OF THE GALLERY AND THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME HER TODAY.

MEG, THANK YOU, IN THIS BUSY SEASON OF THE ART YEAR, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG.

Vik Muniz: Surfaces
Current exhibition
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

WHAT WERE YOUR EXPERIENCES GROWING UP THAT ENCOURAGED AN INTEREST IN ART?

I was born in Chicago and raised in Glencoe, a suburb north of the city. I am the oldest of six.   My mother had wanted to be an artist, and going to museums was a part of my childhood.  The Art Institute also had a great outreach program and before any school trip there, museum docents would come to school and educate us about what we might see.  My parents were involved in a local theater group and I took part in the youth version, always on the management side as a producer or v.p.-  never as a performer.    In high school and college, friends and I used to take the train to the city and to go the Art Institute.  We would just wander.  I was always struck by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Sky Above Clouds, which was installed at the top of a grand staircase at the museum: it seemed so majestic, and it motivated me to read her biography. I loved thinking about her work, and what sounded to me like an impossibly exciting life in art.

 

Georgia O’Keeffe
Sky Above Clouds

DID YOU PAINT OR HAVE AMBITIONS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST?

 I never had any talent for art making, though  I enjoyed it.  I really thought I would go into publishing. I worked on the school newspapers in both junior high and high school.  One close friend did have parents who were collectors, and another had a mom who ran a gallery downtown.    

WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, AND HOW DID IT LEAD YOU INTO THE ART WORLD?

 I went to The University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and studied Comp Lit.  

My plan was to follow my favorite aunt’s career path in publishing.   Because comp lit is interdisciplinary, we often looked at visual art. My interest in its history was piqued, and I added art history classes to my course of study.  I was a resident advisor and had a number of artists on my floor  – I  loved visiting their studios and talking about what they  were doing.

Kara Walker
Turbine Commission Tate Modern

Then  I took a museum studies class and decided I should go into museum education.   With that goal in mind, I decided to go to grad school in art history, and ended up at UC Berkeley. There I had a job at the art museum bookstore, and then became the intern for Connie Lewallen, a wonderful curator and human being.   She ran the Matrix program, which focused on one contemporary artist at a time in a frequently changing exhibition program, always with an accompanying brochure.  I loved the variety and the engagement with the artists and their ideas.  It was compelling.  I also became the de facto house sitter for the curators — all of whom had great contemporary art and libraries, and I loved being immersed in those environments.

Erin Shirreff
San Francisco Museum of Art

SO MANY INFLUENCES LEADING YOU TO NEW YORK AND A CAREER IN THE ARTS. IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MEG WILL  DETAIL HER FIRST EXPERIENCES IN THE NEW YORK ART WORLD.

PLEASE JOIN US!

A profound commitment to the interests of the artist with gallery director, Maria Bueno, of Cheim & Read

Art Basel 2019
Cheim & Read

IN HIS RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, BOOM, A FASCINATING AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY ON HOW THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD AND MARKET HAS EVOLVED, MICHAEL SHNAYERSON WRITES:

TRADITIONALLY, DEALERS LARGE AND SMALL HAD TRAVELED TO A HANDFUL OF FAIRS: FIAC IN PARIS, NEW YORK’S ARMORY SHOW, AND THE MOST ESTABLISHED FAIR, ART BASEL SWITZERLAND. WHEN ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH JOINED THE PACK IN 2002, AND FRIEZE LONDON IN 2003, THE PACE REMAINED, FOR A WHILE, MANAGEABLE. YET EACH YEAR, MORE NEW ART FAIRS SPROUTED, IN ONE COUNTRY AFTER ANOTHER…CLARE McANDREW, THE CONSULTING ART-MARKET ECONOMIST WHO NOW WORKS FOR ART BASEL, COUNTED 260 MAJOR FAIRS. WITH MORE AND MORE ART TO BE SEEN AND SOLD, DEALERS FELT THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BE A PRESENCE IN AT LEAST A FEW OF THE PROLIFERATING SHOWS. IT WAS A COSTLY DECISION. 

Michael Shnayerson, BOOM, Public Affairs, New York, pp. 362-363.

Michael Shnayerson
Boom
Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art

A FEW GALLERIES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THE MARKET SHARE. MANY COLLECTORS ARE VISITING ART FAIRS AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE WHEN BUILDING AND ADDING TO THEIR COLLECTIONS AND FREQUENT THE GALLERIES LESS AND LESS. AT THE SAME TIME, JENNIFER FLAY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF FIAC, IN AN INTERVIEW IN THIS WEEK’S FINANCIAL TIMES,  POINTS OUT THAT ART WORLD INDIVIDUALS MAY SOON NEED TO RE-EVALUATE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BRING THE FOCUS OF THE MARKET BACK TO REGIONAL AND LOCAL SITUATIONS.

IN THIS CLIMATE OF ECONOMICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, THE RESPONSIVE ART MARKET IS UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATION IN ITS WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

TODAY, WE WELCOME BACK MARIA BUENO, PARTNER AT CHEIM & READ, WHO HAS OPTED TO OPEN AN UPTOWN GALLERY FOCUSED ON CONNOISSEURSHIP, THE SECONDARY MARKET AND AN UNFLAGGING COMMITMENT TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ARTIST.

https://www.cheimread.com

Frieze, New York, 2018
photo taken by Brian Buckley courtesy of Cheim & Read, New York

MARIA, WHAT ART FAIRS DOES CHEIM & READ PARTICIPATE IN, AND WHY?

Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach. The outstanding quality of the material on view brings in people who are important to us, from curators to collectors to museum patrons. We take these fairs very seriously and our presentations reflect that effort.

WE ARE IN A CHANGING AND VOLATILE ECONOMIC CLIMATE. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL IMPACT ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MARKET?

It is hard to predict but collectors will always find the resources to acquire a work of the highest quality no matter the circumstances. We strive to source and show work of this quality level so that collectors feel comfortable and confident in what we are showing and offering them. We have worked hard to establish a loyal client base which we hope will follow us into the next chapter of the gallery’s history.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK IT WILL HAVE ON THE GALLERY SYSTEM?  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN REPRESENTATING ARTISTS NOW AND EVEN A FEW YEARS AGO SINCE SOME DEALERS HAVE NUMEROUS GLOBAL LOCATIONS?

Dealers will need to find innovative ways to continue doing business and make sure artists have the freedom and flexibility to make their work. Today it seems like everyone is vying for “worldwide exclusive representation” – these representation wars are tiring and not necessarily in the best interest of the artists. Why not have several dealers with whom you like and respect working for you? 

Ron Gorchov
Opening exhibit September 2019
Cheim & Read
23 East 67th St, New York

WHAT ARE THE GALLERY’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

Our new gallery opened on September 26th with an exhibition of historical, never before exhibited paintings by Ron Gorchov. We plan to mount 3-4 exhibitions per year, most of which will have a historical focus and examine key periods in artists’ oeuvres. Catalogues and other publications will add to our commitment to original scholarship. We also plan to participate in select art fairs. We will continue to work directly with a number of artists whom we have had long relationships with and will continue to pursue meaningful projects on their behalf. We will also concentrate on private sales in the secondary market. This work is informed by our depth of knowledge developed by decades of connoisseurship and our extensive archive.

 

Lynda Benglis
Catalina
Museum of Cycladic Art Athens, November 2019

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IMPACT OF OUR SOPHISTICATED AND EVER DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY ON ARTISTS’ WORK?  WHICH ARTISTS EMBRACE THESE INNOVATIONS MOST SUCCESSFULLY?

While Cheim & Read has always had a particular interest in the traditional medium of painting, technology has been helpful in executing a sculptor’s concept in more ambitious scales. Lynda Benglis for example continues to push the boundaries of this medium and uses new technology with her foundries to create incredibly intricate and detailed works on monumental scales. It’s exciting for all of us to see come to life.

Lynda Benglis at The Cycladic Museum, November 22, 2019

“Lynda Benglis: In the Realm of the Senses” opens at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens. The exhibition curated by Dr. David Anfam is the first solo exhibitions for Benglis in Greece, a country that has great significance for Benglis aesthetically and culturally. 

THERE ARE CERTAINLY TRENDS IN COLLECTING, MORE THAN EVER, SINCE IMAGES AND ARTWORKS ARE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET, INTERNATIONAL ART FAIRS, AND THE GLOBAL MARKET.  HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE WHAT IS A TREND THAT WILL RECEDE ALONG WITH THE MONETARY VALUE  FROM AN ARTIST THAT WILL CONTINUALLY COMMAND A PLACE IN THE MARKET WITH ONLY SLIGHT EBBS AND FLOWS ?

In most instances, you can only know these things with time. For us, we continue to show and support artists we believe in, no matter the trends. It is this steadfast commitment to a particular vision that I think differentiates us from other dealers. 

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MARIA WILL SHARE HER PERSPECTIVE ON TRENDS IN THE ART MARKET AND THE CONTINUED FOCUS AND FUTURE OF CHEIM & READ.

PLEASE JOIN US!

The artist/gallerist relationship at Cheim & Read with director Maria Bueno

CHEIM & READ
23 East 67th Street

CHEIM & READ GALLERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRESCIENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE ART MARKET. IN 2018, AT A PANEL AT ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, CO-FOUNDER HOWARD READ,  AT “THE FUTURE OF THE ARTIST AND GALLERIST RELATIONSHIP” DISCUSSION, ANNOUNCED THE GALLERY’S PLANS TO OPEN ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE, AND LEADING THE WAY TOWARDS A NEW MODEL OF GALLERIES THAT IS MORE PROGRESSIVE. WHILE CONTINUING TO DEAL ON THE PRIMARY MARKET, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ARTISTS IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT CHEIM & READ HAS LOVINGLY CULTIVATED OVER THE YEARS, THE GALLERY WILL CREATE  A MORE FLEXIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOCUSING ON THE SECONDARY MARKET, COMMISSIONS, AND TARGETED ART FAIRS.

Art Basel Miami Beach
Conversations 2018
Howard Read

http://www.artnews.com/2018/12/07/dealer-howard-read-announces-new-art-commissions-farewell-castelli-model-business/

MARIA BUENO, DIRECTOR AT CHEIM & READ, CELEBRATES HER 10TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE GALLERY AND SHARES WITH THE LRFA BLOG THE GALLERY’S ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR ITS ARTISTS, AND SENSITIVITY TO THE ARTIST/GALLERIST RELATIONSHIP.

MARIA, WELCOME BACK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG.

WHAT WERE THE SUBSEQUENT STEPS THAT LED YOU TO CHEIM AND READ?

I graduated college, moved to Europe for a year (and worked for a gallery in Barcelona), and then came back and worked for Phillips in their contemporary art department. I started there as an administrator, then a junior specialist, and although I enjoyed the educational component of learning about new artists as well as the evening sales adrenaline rush, I missed the connection to working directly with artists. I kept in touch with Cheim & Read and when the timing was finally right, joined them in 2010.

Al Held
The Yellow X

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE GALLERY AND WHAT IS ITS BUSINESS STRUCTURE?

Next year will be my 10th year anniversary with Cheim & Read. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with John Cheim and Howard Read. They encouraged me to find my own identity and style as a dealer, supported projects or initiatives I thought would be beneficial to the gallery, and entrusted me to form my own relationships with the artists they so carefully cultivated over their careers.

For over two decades, Cheim & Read represented over twenty artists and estates and most of our focus was building and supporting these artists on the primary market. We also had a strong presence in the secondary market with artists with whom we had an interest or particular expertise. In June of 2018, we announced that we would be relocating from Chelsea to a more intimate gallery on the Upper East Side and shifting our business model to one that is more nimble, flexible, and in line with John Cheim and Howard Read’s interest in pursuing projects and working with artists they are truly passionate about.

Serge Poliakoff
Bleu Rouge
1951

DO YOU HAVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SPECIFIC ARTISTS OR IS YOUR FOCUS PRIMARILY IN THE SALE OF WORKS FOR ALL THE ARTISTS THE GALLERY REPRESENTS?

We have a very organic approach to working with artists – there is no such thing as an “artist’s liaison” at Cheim & Read. John and Howard have their longstanding relationships with our artists and I support their efforts by developing my own relationships so that we can best service the needs of the artists on an individual basis. It has a family-like quality that I think is rare for galleries in the present day and has served us well throughout the gallery’s history.

Milton Resnick
Board Painting
courtesy of Cheim & Read

WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH A GALLERY BEST REPRESENTS AN ESTATE? IS THE EMPHASIS ON PLACING WORKS IN COLLECTIONS OR MUSEUMS OR IN ARRANGING MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS ON AN INTERNATIONAL BASIS?

Our strategy is to first mount exhibitions of important but perhaps overlooked periods in an artist’s career. The goal here is to expose curators, collectors, and the general public to a body of work that perhaps has not been seen in many years or has not been explored in further depth.

Notable examples of this are Al Held’s Alphabet Paintings (2013), Hans Hartung’s late paintings (2010), the work of Serge Poliakoff (2016), and the Board paintings of Milton Resnick (2018). These exhibitions are accompanied by scholarly publications with writing from curators or critics that helps to reframe this work a contemporary context. These efforts usually begin important conversations with museums to acquire works for their collection and/or mount their own presentation of the artist. We also establish more in depth strategies with each estate to feature works at art fair presentations or other exhibition or project opportunities, undertake outreach efforts to institutions and foundations to feature and/or acquire works, create and/or help organize an estate’s archive, and much more.

Hans Hartung
The Last Paintings 1989
Cheim & Read exhibition

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG WITH MARIA BUENO, DIRECTOR OF CHEIM & READ, WE WILL EXPLORE JUST A LITTLE OF THE GALLERY’S VERY RICH HISTORY.

VISIT CHEIM & READ’S NEW UPTOWN SPACE, AT 23 EAST 67TH STREET, AND ITS EXUBERANT INAUGURAL EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE WORK OF RON GORCHOV.

https://www.cheimread.com/

 

The importance of the new technology in the art market as analyzed in the Bank of America Private Bank survey

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION HAS DRASTICALLY AFFECTED MANY INDUSTRIES, CHANGING THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE, ACQUIRE AND SELL PRODUCT. ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT HAS, SURPRISINGLY, BEEN IMPACTED LESS THAN ONE WOULD THINK, GIVEN ITS BASICALLY VISUAl NATURE, IS THE ART MARKET AS SEEN IN THE RECENT PIERCINGLY INFORMATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE BANK OF AMERICA PRIVATE BANK REPORT.

• ART AND TECHNOLOGY
• The art market remains one of the few industries still largely undisrupted by technology. We’re seeing innovation, but it’s still at the fringes. While online transactions are increasing, the growth of online sales has slowed, growing at 9.8% in 2018 versus 12% in 2017.

• Internet-native art companies are trying to help. In June, private equity firm Cove Hill made an investment in online marketplace LiveAuctioneers, aiming to accelerate online sales growth for their auction house partners, while Invaluable has made it easier to source and buy lower value items. Major galleries like Gagosian and David Zwirner launched digital sales channels, but the digital revolution still eludes the art world.
• On the transparency front, Christie’s became the first major auction house to record sales via Blockchain with the sale of the Ebsworth collection in November. At the request of the seller, Christie’s partnered with Blockchain-secured registry Artory to record its transactions. It’s an interesting development, but we’re a long way from Blockchain becoming industry standard.
• The most significant art world technology has been the rise of Instagram. Artists market themselves, museums announce exhibits, dealers initiate sales, and collectors tout their purchases through the platform. In 2017, when the “Untitled” Basquiat sold at Sotheby’s for over $110 million, Yusaku Maezawa posted his photo on Instagram to let the world know of his acquisition. Younger collectors, artists, dealers and auction specialists are increasingly using Instagram to enhance their personal and professional brands. Expect the new status loop to fuel a herd mentality for some artists and more price volatility. So collector beware.

 

• AS AN ASIDE, ARTISTS ARE CREATING WORKS THAT REPRODUCE EFFECTIVELY ON INSTAGRAM IN TERMS OF COLOR, DIMENSIONALITY AND SURFACE WITH THEIR AESTHETIC PRESENCE IN PERSON SOMETIMES TAKING A BACK SEAT.

 

• ART LENDING

  Our art lending business grew by 20% year-over-year, as you all continue to unlock capital from your art to build hotels, buy sports franchises, expand companies and even buy more art, just to name a few. The four most common situations we’re seeing are:

  1. The balance sheet arbitrage: With historically low interest rates, more of you are unlocking capital from your art to redeploy into higher-return areas of your financial life, like private equity.

  2. Working capital line: During the current economic expansion, more of you are using art loans to fund the growth of your privately held companies.

  3. Monetizing a collection: The passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange, making it more expensive to sell art. Instead of selling art and dealing with paying the 28% federal tax + 3% health care surtax + state taxes + sales commission, many of you have chosen to leverage your art via an art line to generate liquidity.

  4. Guarantees: We’re seeing more of you using art facilities to back guarantees at auction (but we advise caution).

  We estimate that total U.S. art loan commitments stand at $16 billion. We’re proud to have a significant portion of those loans, and we remain staunchly committed to the space. Given our forecast of continued low interest rates, stratified wealth creation, and expansion of the collector base, we expect continued growth in the space.

  Top five artists we lend against, by value:

  1. Willem de Kooning

  2. Andy Warhol
  3. Constantin Brancusi

  4. Paul Cezanne

  5. Roy Lichtenstein

  AT THE CLOSE OF THE SURVEY, BANK OF AMERICA PRIVATE BANK TARGETS THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES AND THE EFFECT OF CAPITAL GAINS TAX INCREASES AND THE REPEAL OF THE SECTION 1031 LIKE-KIND EXCHANGES PROVISION. THIS IS INVALUABLE INFORMATION FOR ANY ONE INTERESTED IN THE ART MARKET: DEALERS, GALLERISTS, AUCTION SPECIALISTS, AND MOST OF ALL COLLECTORS.

  PLEASE JOIN US!

   

The art of relationships: art fairs, appraisal services, museum curators at Debra Force Fine Art

Debra Force
Art League Presents
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

DEVELOPING A DIALOGUE WITH MUSEUM CURATORS AND MUSEUM BOARDS AND PLACING WORKS IN INSTITUTIONAL VENUES IS ONE OF THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF GALLERIES.  IT REPRESENTS AN INVESTMENT OF TIME AND SCHOLARSHIP AS WELL AS ONE OF NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS. SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY GALLERIES HAVE DIRECTORS WHO FOCUS SOLELY ON CULTIVATING MUSEUM RELATIONSHIPS FOR THEIR ARTISTS, TRAVELING ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO NEGOTIATE EXHIBITIONS AND MEETING WITH BOARDS OF MUSEUMS AND CURATORS TO PRESENT WORKS BY ARTISTS THEY REPRESENT. IT IS AN ART FORM IN AND OF ITSELF.

AS THE CHICAGO APPRAISERS ASSOCIATION NOTES:

The trick to selling to museums whether it be a large institution like the Metropolitan Museum of Art or your local historical society is scholarly research, provenance and a lot of patience. Nothing moves fast with museums. They do not have to necessarily operate on at a yearly profit, so they move at their own maddening slow pace.

IT IS A MARK OF THE QUALITY OF THE WORK AND THE EXPERTISE OF THE DEALER THAT DEBRA FORCE HAS SUCH GREAT SUCCESS IN PLACING ART WORKS IN VERY PRESTIGIOUS MUSEUMS.

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG CONTINUES ITS DIALOG WITH DEBRA TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF THE ART BUSINESS.

http://www.debraforce.com

DEBRA, THE GALLERY HAS AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE AND IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH NUMEROUS MUSEUMS. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

I started out more in the museum field and have an academic background, so have always felt a special affinity for institutions.  Throughout my career, I have made a point of visiting the curator or director of the art museum wherever I am traveling and have welcomed them to the gallery.  At times, we’ve organized small events for museum collecting groups and patrons, including special Saturday visits to discuss American art, using our inventory as visuals.  I have also spoken at various institutions and to their collecting groups, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the High Museum, etc. 

I have always attempted to match works of art with the right institution and find it rewarding to do so.  Museums to which we have sold works in recent times include:  Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vero Beach Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Montclair Art Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, among many others.

Norman Bluhm
X, 1964
Oil on canvas

WHAT WOULD YOU DEFINE AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SALE TO A COLLECTOR AND A SALE TO A MUSEUM?

Both are rewarding, especially if helping a client build a collection; there is a sense of pride in coming up with a theme or plan and finding works to illustrate the goal.  From the museum standpoint, it is so exciting to place a work in an institution where it will be studied and admired for posterity.  It is less interesting to work with clients who are mostly buying art for decorative purposes, but it can be challenging just the same.

Martin Johnson Heade
Cluster of Roses In a Glass
Circa 1887-1895

THE GALLERY IS A REGULAR EXHIBITOR AND PARTICIPANT IN SOME VERY PRESTIGIOUS ART FAIRS. WHICH ONES DO YOU FIND THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AND WHY, IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE, SALES AND INTRODUCING NEW COLLECTORS TO THE GALLERY? 

We do a variety of art fairs to reach different audiences.  The best one for traditional American art is the one called The American Art Fair (TAAF) which takes place every Nov. at the same time as the major American Paintings auctions.  We have sold major works there, including ones by Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas LeClear, Thomas Hart Benton, and Oscar Bluemner.  It is the only fair that extols traditional American art; no works by living artists are allowed.

Milton Avery
Pink Island, White Waves, 1959
Oil on canvasboard

Of late, because of the emphasis on art from the second half of the 20^th Century and 21^st Century, we have exhibited at the Seattle Art Fair in August and Art Miami in December.  In both cases, we have focused upon Post-War era works as well as Modernism.  These fairs give us a chance to meet new clients and to exhibit works that we do not feature in the gallery on a regular basis.  We might also show works by living artists such as Wolf Kahn, Wayne Thiebaud, or Jamie Wyeth.

John Marin
Hudson River Galley, 1911
watercolor on paper

The Art Fair, sponsored by the ADAA in New York in March, is a favorite of ours.  It also allows us to promote our 20^th-century material, generally with a thematic approach such as a tribute to the 100^th anniversary of the Armory Show of 1913, social commentary, or urban/rural landscape.  We have consistently sold well at this fair, selling works by Marsden Hartley, Walt Kuhn, Charles Sheeler, Max Weber, Charles Burchfield, John Marin, and Alice Neel, among others.

We have also tried fairs in Palm Beach and Chicago as well as others in New York, always experimenting with new venues to determine where we best fit.

THE GALLERY ALSO PROVIDES LICENSED APPRAISAL SERVICES. WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL AND WHAT DO YOU PROVIDE?

I have been doing appraisals for over 30 years, beginning when I was at Christie’s.  We presently provide formal insurance valuations for both private collectors and museums and assist the latter with insurance figures for exhibition loans.  Over the years, we have appraised entire museum collections.  We do not presently do gift tax or estate appraisals, but we do offer consultation and recommendations for clients in need of either.

O. Louis Guglielmi
Elements of the Street, 1947
Oil on canvas

THE GALLERY TAKES WORKS ON CONSIGNMENT ON OCCASION. WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA WHEN CONSIDERING A WORK OF ART FOR RESALE?

We try to find the best quality works that we can from any period of American art, beginning in the 18^th Century up to about 1980. 

For example, we have portraits by Benjamin West and Thomas Sully, landscapes by Jasper Cropsey and Thomas Moran, still lifes by Heade and William Harnett, genre scenes by Eastman Johnson and Winslow Homer, Ashcan works by Robert Henri, William Glackens, and Everett Shinn, Modernist pieces by Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, and Arthur Dove, Regionalist scenes by Thomas Hart Benton, and Surrealist and Magic Realist pieces by George Tooker and O. Louis Guglielmi, among others. 

Winslow Homer
Green Apples, 1866
Oil on canvas

We attempt to find the best of any given artist and work with pieces in a variety of price ranges to accommodate clients with varying pocketbooks.  Generally, most of our inventory is on consignment; it is very difficult to buy works at auction for resale, given public access to price records on the internet.

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG POST, DEBRA WILL CONTINUE TO OUTLINE THE EXTENSIVE SCOPE OF SERVICES THAT THE GALLERY PROVIDES.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE HIGH STANDARDS THAT THE GALLERY SETS IN PROVIDING EXPERTISE IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUYING, EXHIBITING AND SELLING OF AMERICA ART.

UNTIL THEN, THANK YOU ALL!

 

 

NB The works illustrated in this blog are from the gallery inventory

London September 4th, The Art Business Conference continues to grow both in attendance and relevance

 

IN A RECENT PODCAST PRODUCED BY ART AGENCY, PARTNERS, AN ALWAYS INFORMATIVE AND LIVELY FORUM, CHRISSIE ILES FROM THE WHITNEY MUSEUM, CAROLYN RAMO FROM ARTADIA, AND HAMAZA WALKER FROM LAXART, JOINED THE ARTICULATE EDITOR OF IN OTHER WORDS, CHARLOTTE BURNS, TO DISCUSS “ART ACROSS AMERICA”. THEY POSED THE VERY RELEVANT QUESTION OF WHERE GREAT ART IS BEING MADE IN AMERICA TODAY.  THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CONVERSATION IN THE ART WORLD NOT ONLY ABOUT THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE ART MARKET (OLD NEWS) BUT ALSO ABOUT THE EXCELLENT QUALITY OF ART BEING MADE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES OUTSIDE OF THE MAJOR MARKET HUBS AND THE INCREASING SUPPORT BY COLLECTORS AND CURATORS OF THE INNOVATIVE ART OF THE REGIONS.

IT IS NO SURPRISE, THEREFORE, THAT LOUISE HAMLIN, FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER OF THE UNIQUE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE HAS FOCUSED ON THIS SUBJECT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND TALKED ABOUT TOPIC OF ALL, THE ART FAIR.  THE NEXT ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE THAT TAKES PLACE IN LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 4th AT THE CHURCH HOUSE CONFERENCE CENTER IN WESTMINSTER, LONDON, GATHERS TOGETHER SENIOR ART MARKET PROFESSIONALS, GALLERISTS, ADVISORS, LEGAL EXPERTS, ART FAIR DIRECTORS AND COLLECTORS. EACH YEAR IT BECOMEs MORE AND MORE POPULAR AND CONTINUES TO GROW BOTH WITH AN INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE AND AN AGENDA FILLED WITH FIERCELY KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPERTS IN EVERY AREA OF THE ART MARKET.

http://www.artagencypartners.com/podcast/art-across-america-with-chrissie-iles-carolyn-ramo-and-hamza-walker/

http://www.theartbusinessconference.com/home

THE LRFA BLOG AND LOUISE, AFTER OUR “LUNCH BREAK” AND A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT LOUISE’S PROFESSIONAL HISTORY IN THE ART WORLD AND THE HISTORY OF THE CONFERENCE, WILL RESUME THE AGENDA FOR THE FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE.

13.00 – 14.00: Lunchtime discussion tables and buffet lunch served in the Business Pavilion and Media Pavilions sponsored by Richard Nicholson, Willis Towers Watson 

Dirk Boll
President, Christie’s EMERI

THE FIRST TOPIC WILL ADDRESS THE CURRENT MARKET, AND THE SURGE OF ONLINE AUCTION PURCHASES IN THE DECORATIVE ARTS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF CHRISTIE’S EMERI. THE COLLECTION OF PEGGY AND DAVID ROCKEFELLER AT CHRISTIE’S IS A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THE AUCTION HOUSE HAS USED BOTH LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTIONS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE AND TO ACHIEVE ASTONISHING RESULTS FOR THE ROCKEFELLER ESTATE NOT ONLY WITH THE MASTERPIECES OF FINE ART BUT ALSO WITH THE ENORMOUS CUMULATIVE COLLECTION OF DECORATIVE ARTS AND FURNITURE INHERITED AND WELL AS COLLECTED BY PEGGY AND DAVID ROCKEFELLER.

14.00 – 14.20: Why brown is the new black?  Whether new audiences coming to auctions online, or a re-birth for the decorative arts sector, there are exciting developments impacting the way in which people are engaging with collecting today. Christie’s has been instrumental in shaping opinions and influencing a new appreciation for heirlooms in recent months.  As tastes evolve, Dirk Boll, President of Christies’s EMERI, discusses current trends and shares predictions for the future of collecting with Anna Brady (The Art Newspaper).

Anna Brady
The Art Newspaper

FROM THE RENOVATION AT THE FRICK TO THE COSTUME INSTITUTE AT THE MET, AND THOSE ARE ONLY IN NEW YORK, THE TOPIC OF REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MUSEUMS IN THE 21st CENTURY IS NOT ONLY RELEVANT BUT CRUCIAL. LOUISE HAS JOINED TOGETHER AN ESTEEMED PANEL OF INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM CURATORS TO EXPLORE THIS SUBJECT.

14.20 – 15.20: The Entrepreneurial Museum: With contributions from the Royal Academy of Arts, the Van Gogh Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, this international panel will explore, in the wake of funding cuts, what are the new revenue opportunities for museums?  This will also explore how museums are working more closely with the art trade together with a focus on travelling exhibitions, with new data and research on the growth of the travelling exhibitions market globally.  Speakers: Charles Saumerez Smith (Royal Academy), Jessica Litwin  (National Portrait Gallery), Milou Halbesma (Van Gogh Museum), Louise Steward  (National Portrait Gallery),  Bernardine Brocker Wieder (Vastari) and moderated by Jane Morris (Culture Shock Media & The Art Newspaper).

Milou Halbesma
Director Public Affairs
Van Gogh Museum

AS THE VALUE OF ART HAS INCREASED AND THE NUMBER OF COLLECTORS, NASCENT AND ESTABLISHED, CONTINUES TO GROW, THE ISSUE LEGAL RIGHTS AND SOLUTIONS AFFECTS EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS OF ART.

Adrian Parkhouse
Farrer & Co
Chair, Art & Heritage Group

15.20 – 16.20: Comparative Art Law: Arbitrate, Mediate or Litigate? This session brings together a panel of art law experts from the UK and Germany to explore a series of art law cases and possible art law solutions, whether through arbitration, mediation or litigation. Speakers: Nicola Wallace (4 Paper Buildings), Richard Edwards QC  (3 Verulam Buildings), Friederike Grafin von Bruhl (K&L Gates) and moderated by Adrian Parkhouse  (Farrer & Co)

16.20 – 16.40: Refreshment break in the Business Pavilion and Media Lounge 

James Green
David Zwirner Gallery

THE CHANGES IN THE ART FAIR AND THE INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CHALLENGING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL TIMES WILL CLOSE THIS CONFERENCE.

16.40 – 17.40:  The Evolving Art Fair. This panel discussion will explore how art fairs are evolving into new geographical areas, working with local communities and also working in some challenging political/economic climates.  Our panellists will discuss the question of market saturation of the art fair model and the session will ultimately explore the insights and dynamics of the art fair business model and all that is involved in putting together a successful art fair. Speakers: Jagdip Jagpal  (India Art Fair), Touria El Glaoui  (1:54), James Green  (David Zwirner) and Kamiar Maleki (Contemporary Istanbul), moderated by Melanie Gerlis  (Financial Times)  

17:40: Closing address

18.00 – 19.00: Evening networking drinks in the Business Pavilion and Media lounge 

19.00: Conference close

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, WE LOOK FORWARD TO RESUMING OUR INTERVIEW WITH LOUISE HAMLIN, FOUNDER OF THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE, ON ALL OF THESE TOPICS AND MORE.

PLEASE JOIN US!