Art Talk

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A Bloody Perfect Time in Madrid Feb 24, 2010

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I probably shouldn't, but simply I couldn't...say 'No.' An invitation to go to Spain for the international contemporary art fair, ARCO Madrid, arrived less than three weeks before the opening, but hey, who's complaining?...

Breaking News about...Broken Art Feb 10, 2010

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If you're not brave enough to deal with the cold, rainy days upon us here in southern California, I want to suggest a lovely alternative: spend a couple of cozy hours perusing the delicious display of drawings by one of the greatest artists of all time. Several dozen drawings by Rembrandt and his students are on display at the Getty Center in an elegant, imaginatively installed exhibition, where visitors have a chance to participate in an ongoing scholarly debate - which drawings were done by the great master himself, and which by his pupils trying to emulate his style?

And Speaking of Auctions, Fairs, and Presidents... Jan 27, 2010

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In Southern California, where most cultural institutions are not more than a few decades old, the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Long Beach Museum of Art is definitely a milestone. Starting on February 5, the museum will present a series of interesting exhibitions drawn from its permanent collection and introducing a new generation of museum-goers to the high points in the Long Beach Museum's history of collecting and exhibitions...

A Stormy Week, in More Ways than One Jan 20, 2010

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Last week proved to be quite trying for museums here in LA and even further north. While the Getty and MOCA have had their share of unpleasantries in dealing with the coming and going of their directors, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art & Science literally went belly-up, becoming the victim of a royal miscalculation by its trustees...

Pray That New MOCA Head Won't Become Art World's Sarah Palin Jan 13, 2010

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Sometimes when museum directors get hired, fired, or choose to resign, it creates a mild controversy -- a storm in a teacup. But not this time. The announcement by trustees of LA's Museum of Contemporary Art that they selected Jeffrey Deitch, a prominent New York art dealer, as MOCA's new director, created nothing short of a perfect storm, generating headlines nationwide...

All's Fair in LA Jan 06, 2010

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Once in a while, or, to be more precise, once each year, one can justifiably say about life here in the City of Angels that All's Fair in LA. Usually it happens in the month of January, when not one, but three art fairs roll into town, causing a lot of happy commotion, confusion, and anticipation. Scheduled literally days apart, these art fairs have names which are easily mixed up, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that even art insiders get somewhat confused.

Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated (Mark Twain) Dec 30, 2009

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Even if you've been only half awake throughout this past year, you could not hide from the grim reality of the financial woes that made life for so many of us extremely unsettling and worrisome. And definitely the art world was not immune to this dramatic downward spiral. Museums were forced to face the tough economic reality by paring down scheduled exhibitions, cutting back staff, and putting a freeze on new hires. Disappointing sales at art auctions and various art fairs reinforced the sense of doom and gloom on the international art scene, and a number of galleries were forced to close their doors. But, as Mark Twain once said, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated..."

Leaving Fashion for Art Dec 23, 2009

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It was not what I expected when I went to see the new film, A Single Man directed by fashion icon Tom Ford, but nevertheless, there I was, in a packed theater, following the story of a man about to die and being moved by it, but...only to a point. The acting was superb, but the same could be said about the lighting, the costume design, the sets – and for me this striving for perfection significantly lowered the emotional impact of this movie...

In New York, Drunk on Art Dec 16, 2009

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The day after Thanksgiving I took the red-eye to New York, and with hardly two hours of sleep, plunged into the festive madness of Manhattan giddily rushing toward Christmas. The first order of the day was a long walk -- about 40 blocks -- to the Metropolitan Museum to catch a couple small, jewel-like exhibitions before they closed the next day...

Pope Art? Dec 09, 2009

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Once upon a time, many many years ago in a faraway land, lived a king who ruled over a country which was very tiny indeed, but he was so powerful and wealthy that other kings felt very envious. This king was also very smart; he knew the power of art, so he searched far and wide for the most talented and famous artists to decorate his castle with the most beautiful tapestries, paintings and sculptures – and paid them handsomely...

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