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29
avr
2010

Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna features Vermeer’s The Art of Painting
Posted by Julia Baron at 13:46

Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum houses a first class Old Masters collection with paintings by Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez and Holbein, to name just a few of many, as well as magnificent collections including Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Medieval Art, and of course Renaissance and Baroque art.  The museum has eight collections in total, representing centuries of the Hapsburg dynasty’s passionate art collecting and patronage.  Facing the Natural History Museum in the Maria Theresien-Platz of Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the building was designed in an Italian Renaissance style and after twenty years of construction, opened in 1891 to hold the imperial Hapsburg collections.

Entering the building is equally impressive as its regal exterior.  The impressive marble staircase which leads to the galleries is decorated with murals by Gustav Klimt, Mihaly von Munkácsy and Hans Makart.

Johannes Vermeer van Delft, The Art of Painting, 1665-1666,

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery

A recent exhibition centers around Vermeer’s iconic work The Art of Painting.  Johannes Vermeer van Delft kept this work displayed in his studio from the moment he painted it up until after his death.  The work, considered an allegory of the art of painting, shows the artist painting his model posing as Clio, the Muse of History, as he faces a map with the historical 17 provinces of the Netherlands.  This very map by Claes Jansz Visscher is displayed in the exhibition, along with other props from the scene as well as documents from historical Dutch archives.  The exhibit displays an in-depth study of Vermeer’s possible techniques for the work.  The question of whether he used a camera obscura, for example, is analyzed along with the pigments he used.  Other works of art influenced by The Art of Painting join the masterpiece in an intriguing exhibit in the Kunsthistorisches Picture Gallery.

20
avr
2010

Glamorous Art by Amylee
Posted by Julia Baron at 14:09

With a strong interest in fashion, Amylee Emilie Garcia combines fashion and art in her art design.  A multi talented artist working in Paris, Amylee uses painting and drawing, fashion illustration, and collage for her work.  She mixes collage with acrylic painting to create brightly colored canvases with themes of women, film, and portraits, and inspired by vintage fashion with seventies wallpapers and prints.  She is most enthralled by joining plastic art with fashion, and she passionately explores different ways to combine her interests.

Amylee, Norma, 2010

Amylee’s bright color palette changes with the seasons, as if her works of art were part of the fashion world, or perhaps a highly developed fashion illustration for the season.  Her style is influenced by Pop Art, as she integrates pop culture as well as reinterprets vintage textiles.  In Norma, from Amylee’s collection “Rockabilly Circus,” she mixes the three patterns of floral print, checks, and leopard print, which might ordinarily contrast each other negatively, but she employs an intelligent color palette of complementary orange and violet tones along with black and white to create a balanced composition of a stunning, vintage model.

Amylee, Glam Circus, 2010

Amylee enjoys trying new things in her work, and her array of interests play together beautifully as she bounces ideas off of various styles and art forms.  Amylee’s eye for color speaks to her talent in fashion design, and she experiments with colors and patterns to create dazzling canvases.

19
avr
2010

Antony Gormley Changes Manhattan’s Urban Landscape with Event Horizon in New York City
Posted by Julia Baron at 15:44

Accomplished British sculptor Antony Gormley has erected 31 iron and fiberglass statues, cast of his own body, in and surrounding Madison Square Park in Manhattan.  The naked figures are placed in unexpected spots around town, and out of 31 statues, 27 stand atop New York landmarks or rooftops in Gormley’s new installation Event Horizon.

The nude sculptures around New York City are fresh and thrilling, including one on the edge of the 26th floor of the Empire State Building.  The sculptures stand without any explanation, so that pedestrians have their individual interpretations.  This exciting public art has caused some commotion, however, as many concerned Manhattan residents have called the New York City police department since the sculptures were installed, reporting people about to jump from the edges of buildings.

Gormley consistently takes contemporary sculpture to new and interesting places.  He examines the human body within his work, relating the self to its surroundings, and often uses himself as the subject.  Event Horizon prompts viewers to reconsider their position and viewpoint in a city filled with skyscrapers.  From placing the sculptures as close to edges as possible to playing with people’s perceptions of both the city and of themselves, Gormley is pushing Manhattan’s boundaries.  Event Horizon is adding to Manhattan’s skyline in an exhilarating way.

Event Horizon, presented by the Madison Square Park Conservancy in partnership with the City of New York.

On view from 26 March to 15 August, 2010.

15
avr
2010

Black and White Photography by Olivier de Chappedelaine
Posted by Julia Baron at 12:07

French photographer Olivier de Chappedelaine presents his black and white photographs in series of various themes.  Olivier’s black and white photography series include images of everyday scenes and people, and his talent with light and composition give his works subtle, dramatic effects.  He often selects simple subject matter, which results in his bringing out the most interesting aspects of his photographic subjects.  In his Beach series, for example, he observes views of nature from unique angles, and the sand in some of these black and white photographs is reminiscent of a Zen garden.

Pictures captured from a bird’s eye view are common in his work, which provide interesting angles and composition.  Much of his work incorporates elements of nature, and certain natural facets often stand out within the black and white photographs.  Cutter of Bonzai is a nice example of both of these themes in Olivier’s work, as part of a tree divides the scene while it frames the man in action.  The aerial viewpoint in this photograph is very effective and makes for a lovely composition.

Olivier de Chappedelaine, Cutter of Bonzai, €450

Olivier actively uses the internet as a tool for his photography.  On a daily basis, he feels free to photograph anything that inspires him, and uses his photography blogs as a forum for his photographic experimentation.  He started his photo journal in 2004, and in this “photolog” he posts a black and white photograph each day.  He uses his “photoblog” as a visual laboratory to experiment with his digital photography in color.

Olivier de Chappedelaine, The Start, €450

Olivier’s most recent exhibition is entitled “A la découverte de la Chine,” within the third “Printemps de la Photographie” in Romorantin, France.  Several of the works featured in his Artsetter gallery such as The Start and Woman and Baby were all part of this exhibition.

Olivier de Chappedelaine is completely immersed in the world of photography, and his prolific body work reveals his dedication to his art.

8
avr
2010

Christie’s Special Sale of Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton
Posted by Julia Baron at 14:53

Michael Crichton, the author of legendary “Jurassic Park” and “ER,” passed away in 2008 and left behind an important contemporary art collection.  His collection includes famous pop art works by Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg and Jasper Johns, among many other well-known contemporary artists.

Most of Crichton’s special collection will be sold at auction at Christie’s in New York, where the works will be on view through April 13, as well as the week leading up to the post-war and contemporary art sale.  The sale will take place on May 11th and 12th.

Michael Crichton was a passionate art collector, and he not only thoroughly researched the artists he collected, but he was also friends with many of these artists.

Crichton was particularly close to Jasper Johns, from whom he acquired the famous work “Flag” in 1974.  Crichton wrote the Whitney catalog for Jasper Johns’ retrospective in 1977, and this document, and its later editions, marked Michael Crichton as the ultimate source on the artist.  The iconic “Flag” will be grouped in a special presentation of Jasper Johns’ artwork, and is estimated to bring in $10,000,000 to $15,000,000, but will likely go for much more.

Jasper Johns, Flag, 1960-1966.

To be sold at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art sale,

New York, May 11-12, 2010.