15.1.11

NEW ARTWORKS FOR 'FOURTH PLINTH' UNVEILED


A GIANT BLUE ROOSTER AND A BOY ON A ROCKING HORSE WILL STAND ALONGSIDE A STATUE OF MILITARY HERO ADM HORATIA NELSON IN LONDON'S TRAFALGAR SQUARE. OFFICIALS ON FRIDAY ANNOUNCED THE NEXT TWO ARTWORKS TO FILL THE SQUARE'S EMPTY 'FOURTH PLINTH', ONE OF THE CITY'S MAJOR SHOWCASES FOR PUBLIC ART. NEXT YEAR THE PLATFORM WILL HOLD A BRONZE SCULPTURE OF A BOY ASTRIDE A ROCKING HORSE BY MICHAEL ELMGREEN AND INGAR DRAGSET. THE PIECE IS INTENDED AS A THOUGHTFUL RIPOSTE TO THE SQUARE'S MILITARY MONUMENTS. IT WILL BE FOLLOWED IN 2013 BY GERMAN ARTIST KATHERINE FRITSCH'S ULTRAMARINE COCKEREL, DESIGNED TO SYMBOLIZE 'REGENERATION, AWAKENING AND STRENGTH'. MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON SAID THE 'WITTY AND ENIGMATIC CREATIONS UNDERLINE LONDON'S POSITION AS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CITIES FOR ART AND ARE SURE TO KEEP PEOPLE TALKING.'ONE OF LONDON'S MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, THE SQUARE WAS NAMED AFTER NELSON'S 1805 VICTORY OVER THE FRENCH AND SPANISH FLEETS. A STATUE OF THE ONE-ARMED ADMIRAL STANDS ATOP NELSON'S COLUMN AT THE CENTER OF THE PLAZA, AND STATUES OF OTHER 19th CENTURY MILITARY LEADERS ARE NEARBY. THE FOURTH PLINTH WAS ERECTED IN 1841 FOR AN EQUESTRIAN STATUE THAT WAS NEVER COMPLETED. SINCE 1999 IT HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY ARTWORKS ERECTED FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AT A TIME. THE CURRENT OCCUPANT IS YINKA SHONIBARE'S 'NELSON'S SHIP IN A BOTTLE', A REPLICA OF THE NAVAL HERO'S HMS VICTORY WITH MULTI-COLOURED SAILS OF AFRICAN CLOTH.

SAN FRANCISCO'S PALACE OF FINE ARTS REOPENS AFTER SEVEN YEAR RENOVATION


ONE OF SAN FRANCISCO'S MOST BELOVED LANDMARKS REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC FRIDAY AFTER A SEVEN YEAR, $21 MILLION RENOVATION. THE EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL OF THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS INCLUDED SEISMIC UPGRADES, THE ADDITION OF NEW ENTRANCES AND PATHWAYS, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ROTUNDA FLOOR AND THE ROOF OF ITS DOME. THE 95 YEAR OLD SITE IS THE ONLY ORIGINAL STRUCTURE LEFT FROM THE 1915 PANAMA PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION. WITH ITS 30 CORINTHIAN COLUMNS FRAMING THE PALACE WALKWAY AND 1,100 FOOT WIDE ROTUNDA, IT WAS DESIGNED TO RESEMBLE A ROMAN RUIN REFLECTED IN A LAKE. FOR ITS REOPENING, CITY LEADERS AND RESIDENTS PRAISED THE PALACE WHILE PASSERBY PUSHED STROLLERS OR WALKED DOGS ALONG THE PATHS SURROUNDING THE NEWLY RESTORED LAGOON, STOPPING TO ADMIRE ITS FAMOUS WHITE SWANS. THE PROJECT WAS A PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE NONPROFIT MAYBECK FOUNDATION, NAMED AFTER THE PALACE'S ARCHITECT, BERNARD MAYBECK. IT WAS FUNDED BY A COMBINATION OF CITY AND STATE FUNDS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OVER 1,200 DONORS. IT WAS REBUILT IN THE 1930s AND AGAIN IN THE 1960s BEFORE THE LATEST RENOVATIONS BEGAN IN 2003. A WEBSITE CREATED BY THE MAYBECK FOUNDATION, LoveThePalace.org, INCLUDES A 'MEMORY BOOK' WHERE SAN FRANCISCANS CAN SHARE THEIR PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SITE. IN AN ENTRY BY LT GOV GAVIN NEWSOM, THE CITY'S FORMER MAYOR RECALLED FISHING IN THE LAGOON, AND OCCASIONALLY JUMPING IN, AS A YOUNG BOY. 'NOW, I SEE THE PALACE AS PART OF SAN FRANCISCO'S SOUL, A BEAUTIFUL LINK TO OUR PAST AND A GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE', HE WROTE.

14.1.11

MONTGRAPPA 'THE DRAGON 2010 BRUCE LEE'


WITH A NEW VERSION OF 'THE GREEN HORNET' ABOUT TO BE RELEASED IN THEATERS, MANY PEOPLE ARE REMEMBERING BRUCE LEE AND HIS PORTRAYAL OF KATO IN THE SHORT LIVED TELEVISION SERIES. ITALIAN PEN MANUFACTURER MONTGRAPPA HAS CREATED A RE-INTERPRETATION OF ONE OF THE COMPANY'S MOST COVETED PENS, 'THE DRAGON' TO HONOR THE STAR OD WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 70th BIRTHDAY. MONTGRAPPA FIRST PRODUCED THE ORIGINAL 'DRAGON' 15 YEARS AGO IN 1,912 PIECES TO CELEBRATE ITS FOUNDING YEAR. IT WAS PRODUCED IN BLACK MOTHER OF PEARL CELLULOID AND STERLING SILVER. ONLY 100 FOUNTAIN PENS WERE ISSUED IN 18K GOLD. 'THE DRAGON 2010 BRUCE LEE' LIMITED EDITION SERIES HAS BEEN DISTINGUISHED FROM THE 1995 RELEASE BY A CHANGE IN THE DESIGN OF THE POCKET CLIP, A NEW COLOUR, THE DETAIL OF THE DRAGON'S TAIL ON THE BARREL, THE FOUNTAIN PEN NIB AND THE TOP OF THE CAP. THE PEN ALSO FEATURES A BODY AND CAP MADE OF RED CELLULOID WITH BLACK VEINING, REFERRED TO AS 'CINNAMON'. TOPPING THE CAP IS THE YIN-YANG SYMBOL, REPRESENTING BALANCE. THE CAP AND THE BARREL ARE BOTH EMBRACED BY EXQUISITELY CARVED DRAGONS, THEIR EYES HIGHLIGHTED BY RUBIES ON THE STERLING SILVER VERSION AND BY MATCHING PRECIOUS STONES ON THE FULLY-ENCRUSTED VERSIONS. THE NIB ITSELF FEATURES THE PROFILE OF BRUCE LEE IN THE FAMOUS MOVE, FOOT AND FIST EXTENDED, SUSPENDED IN THE AIR. MONTGRAPPA WILL PRODUCE A TOTAL OF 2010 PIECES, WITH PRICES RANGING FORM $4,675 TO $102,200.

BONHAMS TO SELL 19th CENTURY SKYSCRAPER DESIGN


AN ASTONISHING MID 19th CENTURY DESIGN FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WORLD'S FIRST SKYSCRAPER IS FOR AUCTION AT BONHAMS GENTLEMAN'S LIBRARY SALE IN LONDON ON 19.JANUARY. AFTER THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851, IT WAS DECIDED TO MOVE THE CRYSTAL PALACE FROM HYDE PARK AND PROPOSALS WERE INVITED TO REDESIGN THE BUILDING. BY FAR THE MOST IMAGINATIVE IDEA CAME FROM THE ARCHITECT CHARLES BURTON WHO PROPOSED STACKING THE IRON FRAME UPWARDS TO FIFTY STORIES. THIS MADE BURTON THE FIRST MAN EVER TO SUGGEST BUILDING A SKYSCRAPER. HIS DRAWING OF THE PROPOSED 1,000ft HIGH METAL AND GLASS BUILDING IS SET IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER FAMOUS LARGE MAN-MADE STRUCTURES, SUCH AS ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, THE BASILICA OF ST PETER'S IN ROME AND THE PYRAMIDS, TO SHOW HOW TALL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN. IT IS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR BETWEEN £800-1,000. IN THE EVENT, OF COURSE, THE CRYSTAL PALACE WAS MOVED, IN AN ENLARGED FORM, TO AN AREA OF SYDENHAM IN SOUTH LONDON TO WHICH IT SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE ITS NAME. IT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1936. BONHAMS 19th CENTURY PICTURE SPECIALIST, SAM TRAVERS, SAYS: 'THE FIRST SKYSCRAPER WENT UP IN AMERICA IN THE 1880s THOUGH THERE IS SOME DEBATE ABOUT WHICH BUILDING CAN CLAIM THE ACCOLADE. IT'S FASCINATING TO THINK THAT 30 YEARS EARLIER IN LONDON BURTON HAD QUIETLY COME UP WITH THE SAME IDEA.' THE GENTLEMAN'S LIBRARY SALE IS NOW IN ITS 11th YEAR. IT FEATURES ALL KINDS OF OBJECTS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND IN A VICTORIAN OR EDWARDIAN GENTLEMAN'S LIBRARY FROM FOSSILS TO CIGARETTE BOXES, LEATHER ARMCHAIRS TO GLOBES, CHESS SETS TO FAMILY PORTRAITS.

13.1.11

NATIONAL POTRAIT GALLERY TO PRESENT 'THE QUEEN: ART AND IMAGE'


TO MARK THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE IN 2012, THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY WILL STAGE AN INNOVATIVE TOURING EXHIBITION BRINGING TOGETHER 60 OF THE MOST REMARKABLE AND RESONANT IMAGES OF ELIZABETH II SPANNING THE 60 YEARS OF HER REIGN, SOME ON PUBLIC DISPLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE QUEEN: ART AND IMAGE WILL TOUR TO BRITISH VENUES BEFORE BEING SHOWN IN LONDON, OPENING IN EDINBURGH IN JUNE, BELFAST IN OCTOBER AND CARDIFF AND LONDON IN 2012. FROM BEATON AND LEOBOVITZ TO ANNIGONI AND WARHOL, THE QUEEN: ART AND IMAGE WILL BE THE MOST WIDE RANGING-EXHIBITION OF IMAGES IN DIFFERENT MEDIA DEVOTED TO A SINGLE ROYAL SITTER,FORMAL PAINTED PORTRAITS OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS, MEDIA PICTURES, AND POWERFUL RESPONSES BY CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS WILL BE SHOWN IN AN EXHIBITION WHICH EXPLORES TRADITIONAL REPRESENTATIONS AND WORKS WHICH EXTEND THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF ROYAL PORTRAITURE. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WORKS FROM LIFE ARE ANNIGONI'S HUGELY POPULAR LIFE-SIZE 1969 COMMISSION FOR THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LUCIAN FREUD'S 2000-01 PORTRAIT FROM THE ROYAL COLLECTION AND JUSTIN MORTIMER'S PAINTING WHERE THE QUEEN'S HEAD FLOATS AWAY FROM HER BODY AGAINST A HUGE BACKGROUND OF FLAT VIBRANT YELLOW. AMONG THE EXHIBITED PHOTOGRAPHS FOR WHOM THE QUEEN SAT ARE ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, DOROTHY WILDING AND CECIL BEATON, INCLUDING HIS ICONIC WESTMINSTER ABBEY CORONATION IMAGE, AND CHRIS LEVINE'S HIGH;Y UNUSUAL PHOTOGRAPH FROM 2004 OF THE QUEEN WITH HER EYES CLOSED. COLLECTIVELY, THE EXHIBITION CELEBRATES AND EXPLORES THE STARTLING RANGE OF ARTISTIC CREATIVITY AND MEDIA-DERIVED IMAGERY THAT THE QUEEN HAS INSPIRED. IT ALSO PROBES THE RELATION OF THIS IMAGERY TO A WORLD OF CHANGING VALUES DURING A REIGN THAT HAS ENGAGED THE ATTENTION OF MILLIONS.

12.1.11

CHRISTIE'S SELL DENNIS HOPPER'S WARHOL PAINTING FOR $302,500


THE ANDY WARHOL PORTRAIT OF MAO ZEDONG THAT ACTOR DENNIS HOPPER SHOT TWO BULLETS THROUGH SOLD FOR $302,500 AT CHRISTIE'S ON TUESDAY, MORE THAN 10 TIMES ITS HIGH ESTIMATE. THE 1972 SCREEN PRINT FROM HOPPER'S ART COLLECTION IS DONE IN HUES OF MOSTLY BLUES AND GREENS, INCLUDING A DEEP BLUE FACE OF MAO, THE FOUNDER OF THE MODERN COMMUNIST STATE. IT HAD BEEN ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR $20,000 TO $30,000 AT THE TWO-DAY AUCTION OF HUNDREDS OF WORKS FROM THE ACTOR'S COLLECTION AND PERSONAL MEMORABILIA FROM HIS CALIFORNIA HOME. MAO WAS AMONG WARHOL'S ICONIC SUBJECTS. HOPPER'S PAINTING WAS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT INCLUDED BULLET HOLES FIRED AFTER THE NOTORIOUSLY WILD ACTOR GOT SPOOKED AND 'MISTOOK THE PORTRAIT ON HIS WALL FOR MAO HIMSELF AND SHOT AT IT', ACCORDING TO CHRISTIE'S. HOPPER, WHO DIED OF CANCER LAST YEAR, LATER SHOWED WARHOL THE BULLET HOLES, AND THE PAIR AGREED TO CONSIDER THE WORK A COLLABORATION. WARHOL DREW CIRCLES AROUND THE HOLES, LABELING THE ONE OVER MAO'S RIGHT SHOULDER 'WARNING SHOT' AND THE ONE AT HIS LEFT EYELID 'BULLET HOLE'. ANOTHER ICONIC WARHOL SCREEN-PRINT FROM 1967 OF MARILYN MONROE FETCHED $206,500, OR ABOUT FOUR TIMES THE PRE-SALE ESTIMATE. MUCH OF HOPPER'S MOST VALUABLE ART WAS SOLD IN NOVEMBER DURING CHRISTIE'S CONTEMPORARY AND POST-WAR AUCTION, RAISING MORE THAN $10 MILLION FOR THE ESTATE.

11.1.11

BELLE EPOQUE BY CHRISTOFLE


CHRISTOLFE HAVE CREATED A SILVER-PLATED FILIGREE VASE TO ENCASE A MAGNUM OF THE SIGNATURE ANEMONE BOTTLE, PERRIER-JOUET'S PRESTIGE CUVEE, THE BELLE EPOQUE 1998. LIMITED TO AN EDITION OF 150 PIECES, ONLY 5 OF WHICH ARE AVAILABLE IN THE UK, EACH ONE IS HAND-WORKED AND A BEAUTIFUL, CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION OF GALLE'S ORIGINAL FLORAL CREATION, SHOWING OFF THE ELEGANCE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF CHRISTOFLE'S SILVERSMITHS. 1998 HAS PRODUCE A TRULY FANTASTIC VINTAGE DUE TO IDEAL WEATHER CONDITION GIVING A HIGH LEVEL OF MATURITY AND A LOT OF FRESHNESS. RATED AS ONE OF THE FINEST VINTAGES OF THE LAST MILLENNIUM, THE WINE IS FULL BODIED, BUT SOFT, WITH FLORAL ACCENTS AND NOTES OF WHITE, CITRUS AND EXOTIC FRUITS. THE CHRISTOFLE CASE AND BELLE EPOQUE 1998 MAGNUM ARE BEING SOLD EXCLUSIVELY FROM HARRODS FOR £2,400.

LOUIS VUITTON UTAH TATTOO BAG FOR MEN


LOUIS VUITTON HAS RECENTLY RELEASED A NEW BAG FOR MEN NAMED THE UTAH TATTOO. THE LOUIS VUITTON UTAH TATTOO HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY TATTOO ARTIST SCOTT CAMPBELL AND IS MADE OF PREMIUM UTAH LEATHER TO INCLUDE THE UNIQUE LV MONOGRAM IN THE MIDDLE. THE BAG FEATURES A UNIQUE ORNATE DESIGN PERFORATED INTO THE UTAH LEATHER USING CAREFUL LASER CUTTING METHODS AND IS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FROM LOUIS VUITTON BOUTIQUES WORLDWIDE.

BARRETT-JACKSON TO SELL AMBULANCE THAT TRANSPORTED KENNEDY CASKET


THE BARRETT-JACKSON AUCTION COMPANY, WILL BE SELLING ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT VEHICLES IN US HISTORY AT ITS 40th AUCTION ON 17-23.JANUARY, AT WESTWORLD OF SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA. THE 1963 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE AMBULANCE, LOT #1277, WHICH WILL SELL AT NO RESERVE, CARRIED PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY'S CASKET FROM AIR FORCE ONE, AFTER HIS ASSASSINATION IN DALLAS. 'NOT ONLY DID THE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT JFK FOLLOWING HIS UNTIMELY DEATH, IT'S ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF AN UN-RESTORED AMBULANCE FROM THAT TIME PERIOD', SAID STEVE DAVIS, PRESIDENT OF BARRETT-JACKSON. 'IT'S ALSO, WITHOUT A DOUBT, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND HISTORICAL VEHICLES EVER OFFERED FOR SALE.' THE AMBULANCE MET AIR FORCE ONE AT ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE IN WASHINGTON DC FOLLOWING THE 35th PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION. IT TRANSPORTED PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S FLAG-DRAPED CASKET, HIS WIFE, JACQUELINE KENNEDY, AND HIS BROTHER ROBERT F KENNEDY, THE FORMER US ATTORNEY GENERAL, FROM ANDREWS TO BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL AND LATER TO THE US CAPITOL. THE GRAY AMBULANCE, MODEL 6-3-207G, WAS BUILT IN JUNE 1963. OF 69 AMBULANCE, ONLY 15 WERE CONTRACTED FOR MILITARY USE, INCLUDING LOT #1277. ITS US NAVY DATE PLATE REGISTRATION NUMBER IS 94-49196 AND SHOWS ITS ASSIGNMENT TO BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL. FOLLOWING ITS NAVAL SERVICE, THE VEHICLE WAS RETIRED AND SOLD AS SURPLUS.

9.1.11

BONHAMS TO SELL BANKSY SAVE OR DELETE JUNGLE BOOK, 2001



AN ORIGINAL ART WORK BY THE LEGENDARY STREET ARTIST, BANKSY, FOR A GREENPEACE SAVE OR DELETE CAMPAIGN PHOTOGRAPHIC POSTER, IS TO BE SOLD AT BONHAM'S NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, AS PART OF ITS URBAN ART SALE ON 11.JANUARY. ESTIMATED AT £60,000 - 80,000, THE UNIQUE PIECE (LOT 67) WAS GIVEN TO THE VENDOR BY THE ARTIST HIMSELF. THE ARTWORK WAS COMMISSIONED BY GREENPEACE TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEMS OF GLOBAL DEFORESTATION AS PART OF THEIR SAVE OR DELETE CAMPAIGN. THE IMAGE, WHICH FEATURES SOME OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM DISNEY'S THE JUNGLE BOOK TRANSPOSED ONTO A PICTURE OF A DEVASTATED FOREST, WAS INTENDED FOR USE ON POSTERS, BILLBOARDS AND POSTCARDS. WHILE IT WAS PRINTED, IT WAS NEVER PUT INTO CIRCULATION BECAUSE OF THE PROTECTIONIST POLICIES AT DISNEY. A VERSION OF THE POSTER IS ILLUSTRATED IN BANKSY'S WALL AND PIECE BOOK. OTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A PERFORMANCE PIECE (LOT 18) CREATED BY AMERICAN GRAFFITI ARTIST, FUTURA 2000, FOR PUNK ROCK BAND THE CLASH'S COMBAT ROCK TOUR. BEST-KNOWN FOR PAINTING SUBWAY TRAINS DURING THE 1970s, FUTURA 2000 WAS COMMISSIONED TO PAINT THE STAGE BACKDROP FOR THE CLASH WHILST THEY PERFORMED. ESTIMATED AT £15,000 – 20,000, IT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY WORK TO HAVE SURVIVED FROM THE GIGS.


IN ADDITION TO BANKSY'S SAVE OR DELETE JUNGLE BOOK, 2001, THE SALE FEATURES NINE WORKS BY THE ARTIST. THEY INCLUDE:

• LOT 1 – BANKSY, BALLOON GIRL, 2004 (ESTIMATE £5,000 – 7,000)
• LOT 10 - BANKSY, RUDE COPPER, 2002 (ESTIMATE £4,000 – 6,000)
• LOT 11 - BANKSY, EVERYTIME I MAKE LOVE TO YOU I THINK OF SOMEONE ELSE, 2003 (ESTIMATE 30,000 – 40,000)
• LOT 27 – BANKSY, SOUP CAN, LILAC/CHERRY/MINT, 2005 (ESTIMATE £3,000 – 5,000)
• LOT 35 – BANKSY, WATCHTOWER, 2007 (ESTIMATE £5,000 – 7,000)
• LOT 36 – BANKSY, BOMB LOVE, 2004 (ESTIMATE £4,000 – 6,000)
• LOT 45 – BANKSY – PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST, circa 1998 (ESTIMATE £50,000 – 70,000)
• LOT 58 – BANKSY – HAVE A NICE DAY, 2002 (ESTIMATE £4,000 – 6,000)
• LOT 66 – BANKSY – FLAG (GOLD), 2007 (ESTIMATE £2,500 – 3,500)