Last night I arrived home at midnight from a whirlwind trip to the Sun Valley/Ketchum, ID area.  About 5 hours north of Park City, Sun Valley has incredible galleries, restaurants, biking, hiking, and skiing (later in the year!). We were amazed by the friendliness of the community and the events and activities that they have to offer their summer visitors.  It’s about as fabulous as Park City in the summer time… well, almost!

Gilman Contemporary Gallery, Ketchum [Ashley Collins Dog, Left]

Friesen Gallery, Ketchum [Michael Kessler painting]

There are quite a bit fewer galleries in the Ketchum area than there are here in Park City, but ones that are there are all top notch. Gilman Contemporary has received the Best Gallery award for two years in a row, but it is Gail Severn Gallery that truly stands alone. This vast gallery showcases artists from Chris Reilly, to Michael Gregory and (my favorite) Marcia Myers. Gallery MAR’s Michael Kessler exhibits at Friesen Gallery (who also has a location in Seattle) and his works truly shine in this space. Another highlight is Kneeland Gallery, who showcases local Utah artists and one of my personal friends Shanna Kunz.

Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum [James Cook landscape]

What an inspiration to see so much fantastic art in a small town. In addition to the art tour, my husband and I rented bikes– we rode down to a bridge and jumped into the river for a quick cool off, then rode back to sit on the lawn and enjoy the Sun Valley Summer Symphony play with Garth Brooks for an incredible concert. Sunday brought us up to the Sawtooth Mountains and some river rafting on the Salmon. Whew! For a 30 hour trip, we certainly packed it in.

The British graffiti artist Banksy has done it again… A decaying Packard Plant in Detroit was his canvas this May. But it seems the 1,500 pound painting was removed and exhibited at a local gallery, leading the plant owners to sue. Some sources I’ve seen tell me that the 555 Gallery removed the piece so as to preserve it, while others say they are guilty of theft.

Bioresource Inc.  filed suit this week in Wayne County Circuit Court to regain possession of the mural by the internationally known British graffiti artist. The painting (a boy with a can of red paint and the words “I remember when all this was trees” affixed to an 8-foot tall cinder block wall) was removed by artists of a nonprofit gallery, where it remains on display in southwest Detroit.

The suit says the mural may be worth $100,000 or more. Stars such as Angelina Jolie have spent more than that on Banksy works. But appraising Banksy graffiti is complicated due to issues of authenticity and the artist’s habit of disavowing works that have been moved from their original setting. Finding a collector willing to buy it or a museum that would accept it as a gift is problematic. Read more about the new graffiti in Detroit in this Metro Times story.

The Egytian Theater here in Park City has had similar troubles. It is assumed that Banksy also tagged our local Main Street Theater and the work of art (a rat wearing 3-d glasses, on a door) was removed and is in storage. How the theater will go about marketing and selling the piece is a controversial issue. Should it remain as is, here in town? Or should a struggling theater program try to reap some monetary rewards from the random tagging? Who does the art belong to, and when does it leave the realm of inspiration and become annoyance?

A slew of graffiti appeared here in town to coincide with the premier of the documentary movie “Exit through the Giftshop,” featuring Banksy (although not revealing his identity).  Read more on our previous blog, here. One piece, on the Java Cow building (seen above) has been covered with ply board, after additional graffiti “artists” decided to leave their own tags.

Park City Municipal removed one of the tags, on a historic building, and it is not known whether they knew the artist and his work or not.

I took a few days to visit the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and see some of the artful events there. Gallery MAR artist Amy Ringholz had just premiered a new show at her Scottsdale gallery, and the Scottsdale Arts Festival was in full effect at the Center for the Performing Arts. Ringholz’s show featured couples, wildlife animals in “love.” What a fantastic theme for a show– we are proud to exhibit such a creative artist.

The Scottsdale Public Art Program had just completed a limited invitational search for proposals from artists to create an installation at the 40th annual Scottsdale Arts Festival. The selected proposal for the installation was OVERFLOW!, submitted by artist Virginia Fleck (Austin, TX) OVERFLOW! is an eye-popping monumental installation made from thousands of colorful recycled plastic bags. For this installation, each plastic bag was inflated to transform the venue into a shiny, buoyant colorful display. Over the festival grounds, there were several spots with the bubbly balloons. The light breezes allowed the balloons to move and rustle, and the sound was quite soothing.

The thousands of colorful animated Bag Balloons in OVERFLOW! take on humorous anthropomorphic traits as they make a whimsical journey through the festival– first appearing to tumble down from the roof of the performing arts center, then seeming to meander through the festival grounds, where they culminate en masse dipping into the fountain in front of City Hall to rest in its cool waters. This temporary installation was commissioned by Scottsdale Public Art with support from the Scottsdale Arts Festival.

My favorite artist from the festival? Ted Gall, who makes kinetic sculptures featuring everything from toys and tots to elephants, lizards, characters from the land of Oz, and humans with great personality. His booth had a continually present crowd who were all wowed by his works.

Brad Stroman, “Evening Sentry,” Acrylic on Board, 16″ x 16″, 2010

I recently came across a very interesting article in The Art Newspaper, an online arts news digest. It notes that fine art will always be a valuable asset, but that 2010 will be a year of continued shaping for the art market. Between 2005 and 2009 a huge upswing and then a significant downswing to the market changed the (until then) steady Art Market Index. Learn more about the AMI and the Mei Moses Index in a previous blog here.  It does seem to be the trend that auction sizes are decreasing (in number of bodies present and dollar amounts reached for works) and private and gallery sales are now the preferred method of buying and selling.

In my opinion, artists and galleries are now editing, working harder, and bringing only the best works to market. Speculative collectors are turning to other means of investment while true art lovers are getting fantastic deals on first-tier works. On a smaller (local) scale, art galleries in the southwest are continuing the thrive. Although there are stories of galleries closing (over 7 in Scottsdale in the last two years) there are always new ones springing up. Artists will continue to work and there will always be collectors for whom fine art is a necessity.

Read more from The Art Newspaper here.

So, you fell in love with a new contemporary piece and have brought it home to shine on your wall. What are some things that you can do to protect the value of your work? Artwork should be properly maintained; as new collectors we are a trustee of the artist’s work and must respect the pleasure that they give us in out homes. Think of the future generations who will enjoy the artwork! Paintings and sculpture are, unfortunately, often neglected and improperly maintained. Paintings can lose their vibrancy of color, develop cracking or yellowing, and all because of improper care. But it’s easy to do the right thing!

Kirk Tatom, “Near the Sea,” Oil, 2010

How will you make sure that this piece lasts for many lifetimes in your home? What are some precautions you can take to enrich the value of the work? I’ve put together a few tips for collectors, below.

• Paintings should never be displayed in direct sunlight or near a heat register. Some artworks do better in a moist environment than others. I would never recommend a watercolor piece for a bathroom, but I have many satisfied clients with oil paintings and encaustic works above their bathtubs. Bronze collectors should also be cautioned against placing their pieces in place with high humidity and should paste-wax their pieces each year to prevent tarnish and patina changes. Some patination is natural and desirable, and most works suited for the out-of-doors will do just fine in a moist environment with just a little care and protection.
• Paintings by contemporary artists (living and working in our time) are in most cases protected by a seal of “re-touch” varnish, which is only a light varnish that will not stand the test of time and deterioration. After one year, a new permanent application of varnish is required. The type of varnish to be applied at this point is debatable, but a 50/50 mixture of matte and gloss varnish is compatible with retouch varnish, and removable if needed. Always remove your painting from the frame before applying the varnish and lay it flat under even lighting for best application. Apply the varnish with horizontal strokes, in an even manner and not too thickly, and allow the painting to dry for up to 24 hours before replacing it in its frame. Of course, if you are uncomfortable with this process, hire a professional or ask your gallery for a recommendation!
• Every six months or so, take a dry cloth to your paintings to avoid excess dust and grime buildup. Never apply a product like Pledge to your frames, but dry dust those as well. I’ve assisted a few collectors with serious grime on their paintings, and have had great results; if the artist applies the right varnish to the painting, everything from dirt to dog hair can be washed off with a mild soap (like Simple Green) and the painting will look good as new. (Another option: don’t let your dogs rub up against your fine oil paintings!)
• Your artwork should always be added to your homeowner’s insurance policy, within the year of acquisition. Ask your gallery for a fine art evaluation or get a formal appraisal from a reputable appraiser. Keep records of the artist’s biography and all paperwork with the painting in a safe place. Some clients like to tape their documents to the backs of their fine art, but I discourage this practice. Tape can be quite detrimental to frames, boards, and canvas and avoid adding stickers, tape, or other gummy products to the backs of your artworks.

When happy news makes you go nuts… New clews point to why Vincent Van Gogh sliced off his ear in on a winter night, late in December. One of Van Gogh’s paintings, “Still Life: Drawing Board with Onions,” was painted just a few days after Vincent returned to the his home on January 7th, 1889. An envelope depicted in a the painting provides a clue (previously ignored) that could help. The envelope in the painting is addressed to Van Gogh from his brother Theo. Until recently, no one has considered whether the artist was illustrating a specific letter. For art historians, this is a very important milestone!

Reading of his brother’s love affair could well have been the trigger for the Van Gogh’s self-mutilation, although there was probably no one simple explanation for the incident (and Van Gogh had some serious tensions with Gauguin, a fellow painter). Vincent may have feared (wrongly) that he would lose the support of his brother Theo. For years, Theo had providedthe support of money and friendship for the artist. The letter in the painting most likely arrived in Arles on December 23, 1888: the very day Vincent mutilated his ear. The letter almost certainly read that Theo had fallen in love with Johanna (Jo) Bonger.

More, from TheArtNewspaper.com…

In the still-life, the handwriting on the envelope is clearly Theo’s, and the letter is addressed to Vincent in Arles. Although the postmarks lack a legible date, one contains the number “67”, enclosed in a circle. This was used by the post office in Place des Abbesses, close to Theo’s Montmartre apartment.

The postmark directly over the two postage stamps reads “Jour de l’An” (New Year’s Day). This was spotted by Dutch specialists working on the new edition of Van Gogh’s letters, which was published in October. They concluded that the letter had been posted during “the busy period around New Year” and it had possibly arrived on 23 December, the date Vincent received his 100 francs financial allowance from Theo by post. The letter was probably posted the day before from Paris.

The established view is that Vincent did not learn of Theo’s engagement until after he mutilated his ear, but our research suggests that news of the love affair reached him on 23 December. Theo and Jo had met (for a second time, after a long break) in Paris in mid-December and decided to marry just a few days later. On 21 December Theo wrote to his mother, asking for permission. His brother must surely have been among the next to know.

It seems Vincent already knew of the impending engagement when Theo visited him in hospital on Christmas Day. In a recently published letter, Theo wrote to his fiancée about the brief hospital visit: “When I mentioned you to him he evidently knew who and what I meant and when I asked whether he approved of our plans, he said yes, but that marriage ought not to be regarded as the main object in life.”

On Christmas Day Vincent was suffering from a life-threatening wound and was in considerable mental distress, so it seems unlikely that Theo would have broken the news about his engagement. Although it was briefly discussed, this was presumably because Vincent had already known.

Vincent’s feelings must have been complex, and by January 1889 he may well have become reconciled to the engagement, following reassurances from his brother. The very fact that he included the envelope in the still-life suggests a message of hope.

Although it is speculation, the postmark on the envelope might represent a coded message that the strong links between the two brothers would survive. The Musée de La Poste in Paris told us that although “Jour de l’An” postmarks were widely used in the run-up to Christmas and New Year in the 1880s, most are fairly small marks, rather than the more prominent words inscribed by Van Gogh. This suggests that the personalised postmark may have been Vincent’s way of stressing to Theo that the letter depicted was a very particular one—and that he wished his brother well for the new year.

The painting, on loan from the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, will form the centrepiece of “The Real Van Gogh: the Artist and his Letters”, opening at London’s Royal Academy on 23 January.

Artworks by Van Gogh, Picasso, Cezanne and other elite artists were seized this week in a crackdown on assets hidden by the founder of the now-collapsed dairy company Parmalat. There are an estimated 19 masterpieces hidden away in attics and basements, with a value totaling nearly $150 million. It seems Calisto Tanzi hid the masterpieces in attics and basements in an attempt to conceal them from his bankruptcy. Among the found works is a ballerina portrait by Degas, two Van Goghs, a Cezanne, and a Picasso.

Bankruptcy fraud aside, what a shame to hide away these artworks! The loot was discovered through a wire-tapping operation. Officials believe that at least one the paintings was about to be sold. The negotiation of that sale overheard, and a subsequent raid of three apartments uncovered the tip of this art-cache iceberg.

Calisto Tanzi was convicted by a Milan court, last year, of rigging the market and is now on trial for alleged fraudulent bankruptcy. For years, it has been rumored that he has a stashed treasure trove of fine artworks, a rumor that Tanzi repeatedly denied.

From the AP: “Parmalat, the dairy conglomerate known for its long shelf-life milk grew from a small dairy distributor in Parma, into a diversified, multinational food company by 1990, but collapsed in 2003 under euro14 billion in debt — eight times what it had previously acknowledged — in what remains Europe’s largest corporate bankruptcy. Many small investors who lost their life savings were among some 40,000 defrauded bondholders.”

Kieron Williamson‘s artworks are filled with light, perspective and dimension. The palette is pleasing and the composition is well designed.  Watercolors are never easy to master, and yet this artist has defined his own look at a tender (and almost unbelievable) age: six. I don’t know about you, but at age six I was freely experimenting with finger paints and glitter, not mastering watercolor.

These paintings of harbor scenes, rural vistas, animal portraits and landmarks, have shadow and reflections that demonstrate an ability well beyond his young age. This summer, he is preparing for hist first exhibition near his home in Norfolk, England. I’m sure he’ll have to look for a larger gallery, with all of the fuss and publicity that he is receiving.

His mother, Michelle, said, ‘Until last year he didn’t draw anything and in fact we had to draw dinosaurs for him to color in. The turning point was when we took our first family holiday to Devon and Cornwall last May and he liked the boats and scenery. He asked for some plain paper and started drawing his own stuff. At the time, they were like the drawings of most five-year-olds, but he really took off after going to some art classes. We often think about why Kieron has chosen art in this way and I think it’s because we live in a top-floor flat and we have no garden or outside space, so perhaps he’s had to create his own scenery.”

The young artist agrees with his “Mum,” saying, “‘I like painting because it’s fun and inspiring. It makes me think of places I can’t see. I’m going to send one of my pictures to Prince Charles. I’ve already sent one to the Queen but I haven’t had a reply yet. ”

It’s unusual for such a young artist to have such a great deal of definition. His ability to paint in a stylistic way is remarkable, as most children his age would be less precise and patient, splashing paint all over the paper.  His talent was recognized by a family friend, artist Carol Ann Pennington, who offered to give him lessons at age five and from there his talent has grown.

Another favorite (and controversial) young artist is Marla Olmstead, of Bridgehampton, New York. Her paintings are gaining huge popularity amongst the public and are currently on display in several museums. She’s had many sell-out shows in the New York area. But she’s only a child! Olmstead quickly rose to fame at the age of 4.  Soon after her first art show was hung, a “60 Minutes” episode showed the public that the authenticity of her work was under doubt.  Some of that controversy has since disappeared since, and she is back in demand with art collectors, selling original paintings for tens of thousands of dollars. This young girl is sweet and innocent, and painfully shy, and is said to be the quietest one in class. And she’s clearly adorable.

But here’s the controversy: Marla paints alone, and sometimes under the supervision of her Dad; and, her painting process has only been documented a few times. The 2007 documentary “My Kid Could Paint that” highlights this discussion: did Marla complete the paintings by herself or did she do so with her parents’ assistance and/or direction? And what does this say about the nature of contemporary art and abstract expressionism? What about the value of works by accomplished artists, as opposed to art world newbies?How do we decipher between the two if they truly look alike?

I think that there will always be more value in works by artists who have truly studied and lived their art. What can a child have to “say” about their world, their experiences, their desires? Not much, yet. Child artists like Marla are fabulous for PR and marketing schemes, but will the value of a $300,000 work of art by a four year old last? Is it only as valuable as any of the other “ploys” in painting such as painting with wine, applying crystals and diamonds to art to make the surface “sparkle,” or even those “paintings of light” by a certain mass-marketing-genius?  Everyone has to have a place from which to start, and Marla certainly has a giant leap ahead of most!

It looks like we now have a “Madoff” of the art world. It was discovered this year that tennis champion John McEnroe was duped, along with Bank of America, investment firms, art owners and collectors in a complex $93 million art investment scam in New York. McEnroe reportedly lost $2 million after investing a half-share in two paintings: Arshile Gorky’s “Pirate I” and “Pirate II.”

Art dealer Lawrence Salander, 59, was arrested at his New York home, and he and his gallery were charged with more than 100 counts, including grand larceny and securities fraud, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau told a news conference. He was initially arrested in March, but new charges were brought against him this July.

Salander in better times, 2007 [photo by Hans Gissiner]

Salander-O’Reilly Gallery had been one of New York City’s largest private galleries and was housed in an ornate, historic mansion on East 71st Street. Salander was forced to shutter it in 2007 amid a rash of lawsuits from consigners who said they had never been paid. He filed for bankruptcy a month later. The gallery’s director, Leigh Morse, has also been charged with numerous counts. Since Salander-O’Reilly’s closure she has opened up her own gallery and Salander himself was working at another gallery upstate. Morse is accused of grand larceny and scheming to defraud investors and artists, including the estate of Robert De Niro Sr., an Abstract Expressionist painter and the actor’s father.

The New York Times says that Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, has portrayed Mr. Salander as a charlatan in the art world, closing on fictitious sales — sometimes of works he did not own — and then using the money to pay off his sizable debt. So far, authorities have identified 26 victims of Salander’s scheme. It lasted from 1994 to 2007, and included luring investors who paid cash in exchange for shares of ownership of works of art. “He sold artwork not owned by him and kept the money and lured investment money in fraudulent investment opportunities,” Morgenthau said.  Salander used the money to fund “an extravagant lifestyle” of lavish parties and private jets, he said. At times, Morgenthau said, Salander inflated the value of paintings to score greater investments that were not returned to investors.

McEnroe was alerted to the scheme when he learned an art collector owned the same painting he had, authorities said. And the scam reaches far beyond the tennis court amd to a reported 28 victims. Other estates Salander looked after included paintings of the late father of actor Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro has organized exhibitions of his father’s works around the world and has said he keeps many of his works at home. Renaissance Art Investors, a company focused on investment in old master paintings, lost $45 million in the scheme, authorities said. Earl Davis, the son of American abstract painter Stuart Davis, lost $6.7 million, authorities said, while Bank of America lost $2 million after Salander lied about paintings he owned to secure a loan. Hester Diamond, the widow of late renowned New York art dealer Harold Diamond and mother of Beastie Boys’ “Mike D”, lost $6 million.

Salander under arrest, 2009 [courtesy New York Magazine]

For more information about the rise and fall of Salander, this is a great article: New York Magazine.

Lance Armstrong has often partnered with Trek Bikes. Since 2002, Armstrong has more or less ridden their “Project One” painted bikes. And as soon as he announced that he was returning to professional cycling, Trek’s creative group started working on custom bikes for the celebrated racer.  As always, it was important for Armstrong’s  LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign to be linked to his bikes. And what about a way to raise funds for cancer research at the same time? The result is contemporary artists working with Trek in an effort to raise awareness and generate funds to benefit LIVESTRONG. Creativity and sport unite!

Trek provided each selected artist with consultation to describe fabrication possibilities based on Trek’s custom-formulated coatings. These are top artists who very rarely take instruction or advice about their work. The artists were briefed on bike paint and airbrush techniques as well as masking and decal options in order to pick the methods they would use for their design. Each Bicycle was uniquely handled per the artist’s instruction. Some frames were decorated with paint alone, while others required extensive decal work.  Lance Armstrong may make at least $4 million for charity by selling the bikes he competed with at the Tour de France.

The Hirst racing bicycle may fetch more than $1 million alone when it is sold with five others at Sotheby’s New York this October. All six of the “art” bikes made by Trek Bicycle Corp. will be auctioned by Sotheby’s at the Park Avenue Armory, New York, on Oct. 2nd, the anniversary of Armstrong’s cancer diagnosis. All the proceeds of the sale will benefit LIVESTRONG.

Mixed media stencil collage on canvas (newsprint, paper, spray paint, and acrylic paint), 112cm x 112cm.

© Shepard Fairey, Courtesy Deitch Projects, NYC.

In addition, Lance Armstrong and Nike took the collaboration one step further, with the launch of STAGES, a global art exhibition which will raise funds to fight cancer. With STAGES, over twenty world-renowned artists have donated their time and creativity. Their mission was to express the LIVESTRONG message through their artworks. This show will unite the art world, philanthropy, and sport. The participating artists are Cai Guo-Qiang, Rosson Crow, Jules De Balincourt, Dzine, Shepard Fairey, Andreas Gursky, KAWS, Geoff McFetridge, Yoshitomo Nara, Catherine Opie, José Parlá, Raymond Pettibon, Lari Pittman, Richard Prince, Ed Ruscha, Tom Sachs, Kenny Scharf, Eric White, Christopher Wool, and Aaron Young. The exhibition opened at the Emmanuel Perrotin gallery in Paris last week and will be on view through August 8th. Here are some photos of the show.