He doesn’t have anything of his own on his living room walls (though he does own, and display, four fakes that were sent to him for authentication). “It’s nice to come home and look at paintings. I don’t have to look at my own paintings. To me, it’s a relief. I like seeing them and not worrying.” – The New York Times
Category: visual
Let’s Just Split The Elgin Marbles Between Britain And Greece
Half and half. Equal. “Of course, there would be disputes about who gets what. But those aren’t disputes that can’t be resolved. The marbles don’t consist of one major piece and a lot of minor pieces. There are almost only major pieces. This is a unique situation – and an opportunity – since in many restitution cases sharing doesn’t work.” – The Guardian (UK)
A Project To Democratize The Publishing Of Art Books
Artist Publisher, a new online forum launched by the Chicago-based printing collective Temporary Services, aims to encourage online discussion of art books and to democratize knowledge of a precarious industry. – ARTnews
Canada’s National Gallery Gets A New Director
Alexandra Suda comes to the position from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), where she is currently the curator of European art and the R. Fraser Elliott chair of prints and drawing. – CBC
See What The Sydney Opera House Would Have Looked Like If They’d Chosen A Different Architect
The Herald offers visualizations, in situ on the tiny peninsula in Sydney Harbor, of half a dozen of the runners-up in the competition to design what was meant to be Australia’s new national opera house. (Personally, we think the panel made the right choice.) – Sydney Morning Herald
This Year’s Serpentine Pavilion Will Look Like Floating Clouds Of Slate
Architect Junya Ishigami’s design for the outdoor structure “will be part rock face, part smog cloud, as if a landslide from an open-cast slate mine had been cut from a hillside and transported to the leafy royal park.” – The Guardian
We Need A Different Way Of Thinking About Digital Art
The art market is tied to the system of uniqueness. It is still hard to sell digital files on sticks. But uniqueness contradicts with the nature of digital work, as digital files are identical and can be copied endlessly. This cries out for a new attitude towards digital art and its value that does not lie in uniqueness. It is the opposite. It lies in the accessibility of the works for everyone, from every part of the world. – The Observer
What Are Museums To Do About The Sackler Name They Have Everywhere?
The Sackler family has been giving millions to art institutions for half a century. Now they, and the recipients of their generosity, are coming under heavy pressure from activists protesting the opioid crisis, because the Sacklers own Purdue Pharma, which has made and marketed OxyContin for 23 years. Thing is, many different Sacklers have been donors, and not all of them have had any involvement with OxyContin. Reporter Peggy McGlone looks into the issue. – The Washington Post
Europe’s Famous Serial Art Thief Has Been At It Again
“Stéphane Breitwieser, the serial art thief who raided museums around France, Switzerland, Germany and other countries on the continent from 2004 to 2011, has been arrested again in his native region of Alsace. He had been under surveillance since 2016 when he offered a 19th-century paperweight on eBay.” – The Art Newspaper
After 112 Years, The Oregon College Of Arts And Crafts Is To Close And Be Sold. But Why?
Every great city has a vibrant arts and craft culture, and schools and colleges are a critical. In Portland, our art and craft worlds have suffered an ongoing erosion. Go to a public school and see how few wood shops are left. The loss of the Museum of Contemporary Craft was a major hit. If we let the college close, the many donors inscribed on the wall in the college’s Vollum building — and thousands of additional donors — will completely lose their investment in this nationally recognized school. – The Oregonian