Category: visual

“Preservation concerns about ‘Spiral Jetty’ have arisen lately not only because of the work’s re-emergence from the water but also because of plans announced in the last two and a half years by companies to initiate industrial projects near the site.” The piece’s owner, the Dia Art Foundation, is trying a tack involving weather balloons.

“It seems likely most creditors, especially consignors whose possessions were sold but who have yet to receive payment from Ritchies, are going to come out of the proceedings empty-handed.” It appears that “the money Ritchies collected from auction sales was not put in a separate trust account for consignors.”

“A former Winterthur Museum employee voluntarily turned himself into Delaware State Police today after a theft investigation revealed he had spent more than $100,000 of the museum’s money.”

“Scientists and curators have generally supported the laws passed in recent decades giving countries ownership of ancient ‘cultural property’ discovered within their borders. But these laws rest on a couple of highly debatable assumptions….”

Broad will “create a $200-million endowment that would generate $12 million a year to operate the privately run, nonprofit institution. The only bigger single cash donation to the arts in Southern California history would be J. Paul Getty’s initial $700-million 1976 bequest to establish the J. Paul Getty Trust — $2.65 billion in today’s dollars.”

The sermonizing over the New Museum’s upcoming show of a trustee’s collection is a bit much, Jerry Saltz writes. “I like that the art world isn’t regulated. I have seen [Dakis] Joannou’s collection, and it is incredible. And despite the way it looks, I think in the end the whole deal is for the best–given the state of the art world.”

“Because the Beatsters, as Paul H-O calls them, usually arrived unannounced, dealers sometimes kicked them out — which made for great footage — and those who didn’t spent the evening on tenterhooks.”

“While prices for the best works seemed high and bidding was often deep, the volume of sales — nearly $600 million between the two companies — was vastly diminished from a year ago, when Sotheby’s and Christie’s sold a combined $729 million or two years ago when the market peaked at $1.6 billion. But the relief that prices are crawling back up was palpable.”

“The latest and already much-feted makeover, which has cost £61m, was not prompted by any major crisis, but is as radical as any of its precursors. A sleek five-storey structure with 39 new galleries designed by the architect Rick Mather has been slotted with surgical precision behind Charles Cockerell’s neoclassical temple of the arts, built in 1845 as a showcase for European sculpture and painting. It gives the museum a new heart and lungs.”

Has he ever sold out? “I think I’ve got very close. There was a point I could have just churned out the spot and spin paintings for ever and laughed all the way to the bank.” Was he taking the mick out of the art market? “No. You can take the piss out of art, but I don’t think you can take the piss out of the art market. All markets are serious.”