BBC Four series 'Lives of Artists' by Andrew Graham Dixon good watch

Last night's episode focused on the contrasting tumultous and criminal family history surrounding Vermeer in contrast to the calming ordered tranquility of his works. Involving Delft's 17th century history, encouraged flooding to prevent invasion and how the loss/deconstruction of Vermeer's patron, culture and family led him to his final destructive days.Now available on BBCiPlayer for  a week.

Bhutan's beauty, happiness and a cry for help allows the Courtauld access to a private culture in aid to help preserve 16th-19th Century temple masterpieces

,http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/02/courtauld-bhutan-painting-temple-art

I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't heard huge amounts about the Kingdom of Bhutan, a beautiful diamond sandwiched between India and China at the Eastern end of the Himalayas. Though it's somewhat understood as due to buddist beliefs and deep-rooted connection and respect for their environment they strongly control tourist rates and access. Such measures have resulted in a kingdom that is ripe in biodiversity, renowned for it, together with being regularly voted one of the happiest countries and kingdoms. It's such richness of environment and culture that makes it so intriguing and interesting to start hearing about.Experts from the Courtauld Institute have been given priveleged access to previously unexposed or chronicled wall paintings from over 2000 temples and monasteries. This is partly rooted in the Bhutans requiring advice on preservation of their works but all part of a three-year research partnership between the Courtauld and the Bhutan Department of Culture. The final fieldwork and scientific analysis have just taken place and will be published next year.

Interesting deeply researched link for a huge variety of worldwide Art Magazines, Journals, Newspapers and Blog Listings

http://www.zeroland.co.nz/art_ezines.html .Thought I would just provide this link for yall as I personally found the huge variety of art mags, journals, blogs and newspapers here very exciting and we be getting stuck in asap! enjoy. Click on post title also for direct link.

'11 Most Famous Fakes in Art History' provided by collegecrunch.org

11 Most Famous Fakes in Art History

October 6th, 2010 in Feature

Art forgery has been around since, well, art. The ancient Romans crafted thousands of copies of Greek sculptures; ancient China is noted for its wide variety of forgeries; and modern art has seen more than its share of falsified work. Some forgeries are innocent enough, usually created by students copying a master, but others were created with the sole purpose of tricking an unsuspecting public into thinking they were the real deal. Some forgers are so good at what they do that it's virtually impossible to tell the difference between the original and the copy – leading to many museums, investors and galleries putting millions into complete fakes. There have been thousands of documented cases of fraudulent works of art over the centuries. But here are some of the examples that involve the biggest battles over authentication, the strangest stories and most famous artists in art history.

1. La Bella Principessa attributed to Leonardo da Vinci : Depending on who you ask, this painting is either a priceless masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci or a highly skilled copy worth just $20,000. The authenticity of this work has been a hotly contested topic since 2008 when art dealer Peter Silverman claimed he discovered it in the drawer of a Parisian friend's home. The story, while romantic in nature, was untrue seeing as how the work had been auctioned and sold to Silverman several years previously. Despite initial excitement about the work, as new ones by Leonardo rarely come on the market, the story might have ended there. However, several noted art historians and art experts came to support the theory that the it might not be that of Leonardo. These experts claim to have science on their side, but so do their detractors and both have produced compelling evidence in support of their positions. The debate over the authenticity of this work could rage on indefinitely, but one thing is sure; whether the work was done by Leonardo or another artist, it's a beautiful and skillfully drawn portrait.
2. Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus attributed to Vermeer: This painting was at the center of one of the most amazing art scandals of the 20th century. During WWII, the painting was brought to the attention of noted Vermeer expert Abraham Bredius, who upon seeing the work thought it could be none other than the genuine article and one of Vermeer's most masterful works. Little doubt was expressed by the public regarding this opinion due to the respected position of Bredius and the relative obscurity of Vermeer at the time. The painting might have gone unnoticed as a forgery had the war not been going on. The forger of the work, Han Van Meegeren was charged with collaborating with the enemy for selling what was believed to be an original Vermeer to Nazi Field Marshall Hermann Goering. To escape the death sentence this accusation held, Van Meegeren claimed that this painting was a forgery. To prove it, he painted another copy of Vermeer's work under police guard. It turns out that he had not only forged these works but at least16 others through an ingenious process of painting and aging that allowed him to trick even the most knowledgeable art experts, duping them out of over $30 million in today's money.
3. The Getty Kouros: The Getty Museum has a bit of a reputation for buying works that are of questionable provenance and the Kouros, purchased in 1985 for $7 million is no exception. Initially, the work was regarded as authentic through scientific analysis of the marble, yet it has been demonstrated that it is possible to age the stone by an artificial method, throwing the authenticity of the piece into question. Further damning it are the assertions of several art historians that something simply isn't right about the piece as it has a highly electric style that blends characteristics from several other known kouroi and displays inaccuracies in sculpting, motion and symmetry of the figure. The Getty has subsequently had more studies done on the piece to prove it's authenticity, but most scholars today believe the work to be a forgery. The sculpture is still on exhibit in the Getty with the label, "Greek, about 530 B.C., or modern forgery."
4. The Netherlandish Proverbs attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder: We often think of forgeries taking place many years after the artist has passed away, but popular artists were often reproduced within their own lifetimes and very soon afterward. In this case, the copyist was Breugel's own son, Pieter Brueghel the Younger. This younger artist made numerous copies of his father's work, including this popular painting, as well as a landscape that now hangs in the Delporte Collection in Brussels. Most interestingly, not all copies the son made of this father's work include the same proverbs, and often are not exact copies. While imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, in this case it served to confuse and perhaps mislead art buyers. While Brueghel spent many years copying his father's works, he also enjoyed a successful career in his own right, painting similar scenes though many say, without the same subtlety and humanism as that of his father and in a much more idealized manner.
5. Portrait of Alexander Mornauer attributed to Hans Holbein: This portrait further proves that even major museums can make mistakes when it comes to collecting fake works. At face value, this work appeared to be the product of well-known German artist Hans Holbein the Younger when it was purchased by the National Gallery in London. Yet it had been altered during the 18th century, a time when Holbein's work was in great demand. A layer of paint over the original changed the color of the background and altered the man's hat, something that didn't come to light until the work could be examined through modern methods. Oddly enough, the work is just as valuable as an anonymous work than as a Holbein, as portraits from this period aren't common. The work was recently exhibited in show entitled "Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries."
6. An Allegory attributed to Sandro Botticelli : In 1874, the National Gallery purchased two works attributed to iconic Italian painter Sandro Botticelli, well before the advent of modern authentication technologies. One of these paintings, Venus and Mars turned out to be authentic and is one of the museum's most prized paintings. Yet the other, thought at the time to be a companion painting to Venus and Mars, was discovered to be done by a follower in the style of the master, rather than by Botticelli himself. While still skillfully executed, the work doesn't have the value or the prestige afforded to Botticelli's work. Ironically, the museum paid more for the fake than for the real thing.
7. The Freida Kahlo Archive : It's not necessarily uncommon for one or two works by an artist to be found to be fake, but it's very strange indeed when an entire collection of paintings, letters and belongings are called out as being inauthentic– but that's just what happened in this case. The collection came to light in 2009 when a book was slated to be published about the 1,200 or so articles it contains. Art historians, dealers, artists, bloggers and Kahlo experts have come out to denounce the collection, saying it's full of fakes and that the owners are either victims or perpetrators of one of the biggest hoaxes in art history. The collectors, The Noyolas, claim that these experts simply don't want to alter the public image of Kahlo, something they believe this collection just might do. Proof exists on both sides as few experts have taken a close look at the collection but provenance of many of the items is shaky at best. Only time will tell whether or not this archive goes down as an amazing discovery or an amazing forgery.
8. Watercolors attributed to Marc Chagall: In the 1960's, a young art dealer named David Stein sold three watercolors, purportedly by Russian artist Marc Chagall to an art dealer in New York. The works weren't authentic, however, as Stein had painted them that day and created forged letters of authentication as well. Stein may have gotten off scott free if it had not been for a chance occurrence. Marc Chagall just happened to meet with the dealer who bought those watercolors on that very same day, immediately revealing that they were fakes. Stein went on to serve several years in prison but the incident boosted his reputation so much that he was able to strike up a career as an original artist upon his release.
9. Sculptured Tomb attributed to Mino da Fiesole:
10. Alceo Dossena was one of the most famous forgers of sculpture in the 20th century, carving many masterful reproductions of everything from Greek statues to Renaissance tombs. Dossena and his dealers successfully fooled art buyers, galleries and museums around the world that his work was that of artists like Pisano, Martini and Donatello– very clearly demonstrating his high level of skill as a forger. One such work, a sculptured tomb attributed to Mino da Fiesole eventually made its way to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts– a costly mistake for the museum as they paid $100,000 for the forgery. Dossena, frustrated by his dealers taking nearly all of the profits revealed the ruse and sued his dealers, claiming he was unaware the works were being sold under false pretenses. He was cleared of all charges and went back to creating original works. The museum refused to believe the tomb was a fake until Dossena produced photographs of it in progress. Many of his works are thought to still be out there, circulating as genuine articles.
11. Henri Leroy attributed to Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot: To limit forgeries to this artist to only one work is hard, but this particular forgery is done by one of the most masterful forgers of all time making it stand out. Forgeries of Corot's works are not uncommon. In fact, some suspect that he is the most widely forged artist of all time, producing only 3,000 works in his lifetime while over 100,000 works in the United States alone are attributed to him. It might have something to do with his willingness to let others borrow original works to copy for study or his style that is relatively easy to emulate. Regardless, this particular forgery is a masterful one done by Eric Hebborn, and after being caught published a book on his life as a forger. In it, he showcases his copy of Corot's work alongside the original, challenging art experts to tell the difference. And that was the problem. Hebborn was so good at forging works that the art market is still haunted by doubts that seemingly authentic works could in fact be his handiwork. To this day, he is regarded for this work and the thousands of others he completed in his lifetime, as one of the best forgers of all time.

Brighton Photo Biennial, 'New Documents' combined with Taylor Wessing Photographic Prize 2010 two hot contemporary photo shows on at mo

The dates for these two events are in the sidebar under 2010/2011 events. Martin Parr curates New Documents, Brighton Photo Biennial, one of the UK's main international photography biennials, this year proud to announce that it's the first 'frame-free' festival in which audiences move from gallery space to space across Brighton on foot with photographs 'pinned' to the walls. The Taylor Wessing Prize is announced Nov. 9th then the exhibition shown from Nov. 11th covering 60 works plus the winner and four shortlisters to be viewed at the National Portrait Gallery. My personal taste focuses on shortlisters, Jeffrey Stockbridge for, ' Tic Tac and Tootsie (twin sisters Carroll and Shelley McKean)', an eerie, surreal capture. Together with David Chancellor's depiction of his daughter on their hunting trip, 'Huntress with Buck', it's extroadinarily powerful and majestic with aspects of Van Dyck and the portraiture of regal pasts yet luminous with youth.

Hugo Boss Prize 2010 nominees, winner announced November

Nancy Spector, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and chair of the jury highlights that the Hugo Boss Prize was created in 1996 to “honor innovation in contemporary art, and to single out artists who were creating truly inventive works of art.”1 

Previous winners include Tacita Dean and Douglas Gordon, together with many innovators who really push contemporary mindsets to the edge, this prize poses a real kick for anyone who likes to be pushed in the new directions of the new age. This years' international finalists include: Cao Fei, Hans-Peter Feldman, Roman Ondak, Walid Raad, Natascha Sadr Haghighian and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

1 http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/news/3352

'The Genius of British Art' on Four at 7pm tomorrow looks gd one

Keith Coventry's work representative of Pope Benedict XVI's recent controversial visit

 There's definitely been a re-ignition of religious intrigue and contemplation recently.Combined with Pope Benedict XVI's controversial return to the United Kingdom after almost twenty years we see Keith Coventry awarded the creme-de-la-creme of British painting, the John Moores Painting Prize, with his current, pious themed, 'Spectrum Jesus', 2009. His work is a copy of the most famous 20th Century fraudster Han van Meeregen's 'Vermeer' paintings. Coventry confesses a focus on art history and tends to shift our notions of 'time-specific' art, playing with the combination and interspersion of different, mostly contrasting periods, styles, subjects fusing them together smoothly into one new artwork that goes against the typical grain appearing eccentric/odd at first. We're left stunted by the attack on our definition of Modernism, Realism, Russian Suprematism or Pop Art by his works and our left to contemplate the message and value from this. His previous works no doubt draw influence from such legends as Hogarth, Walter Sickert, Auerbach, Malevich and such as Picasso's Blue Period, Fauvism. He visualises a critique of art history via the way he puts his works together, this may explain why there is no common style in the history of his works. Although his themes do repeat themselves, for instance he has an inclination to combine the questioning of morals within society with the 'success' of modernism representative within his say his Estate paintings.He combines kitchen-sink with kitsch which is an achievement in itself, he doesn't like to take the 'grit' too far if you will, lightening the load by representing his subjects within a monochrome modernist/suprematist style. 'Spectrum Jesus' is part of a series of paintings of the same subject within a 'colour spectrum', 40-50 different  coloured paintings of a 'fake Vermeer monochrome flat Jesus image'. Such a visualisation couldn't be more relevant in conjuring up many issues towards Jesus and the church within this present time. It questions originality within 'the artwork' and within the religious world. It questions truth in the artworld and in the religious world. With the representation of a 'fake representation of a conceived imagined representation of the hero of the most popular unproven (not everyone's opinion I know) theological text in the world' there are all sorts of readings you can take and think about in your interpretation of this work. It represents some people's yearn for the church and religious institutions to move into the modern world, depicting this age. The spectrum it's part of could also relate to the different ways or emotions with which Jesus and religion are understood, seen and interpreted within the worldly cultural spectrum. It denies past visualisations of ecclesiastical subjects, though in it's repetition holds on to some aspects linked to diptychs or triptychs for example. Like Tracey Emin changes the presentation of women and the female nude within art history through such as, 'My Bed', 1998, Coventry has triggered this within the art history of Jesus's representation. He denies a background of biblical narrative or 'descent from the cross' and instead makes him appear almost 'everyday',a modernised, simplified version of Christ the Saviour. The modernisation of a fraudulent image of Christ no doubt could provide a multitude of catalysts for atheists today which Pope Benedict XVI addressed, it also could ask: is the modern presentation of Jesus and the church working? Or do we need a new period in art 'of the context of what religion is today' for future civilisations  'Spectrum Jesus' is currently showing as part of Liverpool Biennial at Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool as part of the John Moore painting Prize Exhibition including 45 shortlisters works.

Liverpool International 10 Biennial On The Approach, Lorenzo Fuzi's single word theme 'Touched' will create climate

The 18th September to the 28 November sees Liverpool once again 'touched' by what Italian curator Lorenzo Fuzi hopes will be multi-layered dense artworks which will no doubt engage us all within a multitude of interpretations, visualisations and inspiration.One particular artist that seemed to be getting headlines is Laura Belem from Brazil who's artwork, 'The Temple of a Thousand Bells' enswarms us into a delicate, spiritual and feminine poetic space that combines legend, fiction and audio composition to lift us into a thousand glass bells of fantastical escape. The experience doubly intensified by it's installation within  National Museum Liverpool's Oratory in St. Johns Cemetery, not usually available to the public. I won't say to much as I know how much it can ruin an experience of a particular artwork if an image is already formed. Laura's work is already available to see right now.

ArtsFest this weekend 10-12th September 2010

If you get time the UK's largest free Arts/Cultural festival takes place all over Birmingham this weekend with over 600 performing visual and digital artists and exhibitions. It was started due to inspiration from the UitMarkt Festival in Amsterdam and extends it's hands out to every part of the arts from ballet to bhangra, dub poetry, indie rock, performance art and exhibitions. Enjoy!