RareGiftsOnline Artisan Blog

art and nature walk: STILL WATER

July 31, 2006 on 12:15 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off In 2005 the Foundation Nature Art Drenthe ( based in the province Drenthe in the Northern part of the Netherlands) organised for the first time a international symposium on art-in-nature. It was called ?Art and nature walk The Legend?. 10 international artists were working for a fortnight on location inspired by the old legend of two ugly giants called Ellert and Brammert. Robers and killers long time ago in this region and kidnapping the beautifull farmers daughter Marieke. A bloody story although with a happy end. The symposium and the exhibition till the end of 2005 was very succesfull. About 12.000 visitors and a lot of exposure in the press.

Goal

To work on the goal of the foundation (establishing a permanent location for art-in-nature in the Netherlands) this year the theme is based on an other culture historical item, the turbulent story of the Oanjekanaal (Orange canal). Built by hand inform 1854 till 1862 it was a big deception for the owners. Lots of trouble but no profit and at the end the canal was taken over by the Dutch government in 1952. At this moment the canal still exists but it is no longer a waterway for transportation. Many dams and bridges are making this impossible. The water of the canal is only used for recreation: fishing, canoeing etc. The water is mirroring a quiet world around with small villages and a romantic scenery.

Inspiration

But the theme Still Water was inspiring over one hundred artists from all over the world to make impressive proposals for the symposium in 2006 called ?Art and nature walk Still Water?. After a fierce discussion a professional jury has chosen ten artists to participate. Their names: from the Netherlands, Merijn Vrij, Dick Lubbersen and Sjef Meijman. France ? Gwena묠Stamm. Germany ? Roger Rigorth. Italy ? Marco Dessardo. United Kingdom ? Brenda Oakes. Canada ? Marc Walter. USA ? Mie Preckler (California) and Chase-daniel (New Mexico).

Symposium

The symposium was starting at the 7th of june and runs till the 21th . On this date the official opening took place. Mr Henk Weggemans (cultural delegate of the Province Drenthe). After his speech about 180 people took part in the walk of about 4 kilometres along the 10 artworks. In the forest there were some interludes like a special performance about the canal and a group of singers singing classical songs. From that time on the exhibition is open for the public from sunrise till sun down. No entrance because it is in the the woods of the State Forestry behind the open air museum Ellert and Brammert (www.ellertenbrammert.nl) in the small village Schoonoord.

Promotion

The full colour catalogue will be published in the first week of July, with information about the nature around, the canal and of course about the artists with images of the works on location. Also there is a website www.natuurkunstdrenthe.nl. On this site one will find all the information about this unique initiative. The theme for 2007 will be based on the very quick greening of this part of the province Drenthe. In some decades most of this countrsidy was covered with trees. First al lot of pines but also other trees that are covering the endless hayfields and drifting sands. The work was done mostly by unemployed people which werere forced to work here far from their homes in the western part of the country. The revolutionary change of the landscape delivers the title for the project in 2007: ?Art and nature walk Green Revolution?(click on the website the button 2007 Interested artists are invited to react and send their proposals to the foundation. Curator is the artist Adri A.C. de Fluiter which is also chairman of the foundation. Email: defluiter@planet Created by Adri AC de Fluiter On 07/31/06 At 07:15 AM

What is Art?

July 26, 2006 on 2:37 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off I've just finished speaking at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, Michigan. It's a quaint, artsy, resort town nestled along Lake Michigan. The views of the lake alone are worth the trip. Anyway, the seminar was "Art Collecting 101." It was one of the kickoff events for the 45th Annual Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff. It went well, but not many people attended. That's okay. For me, it was yet another step into the art forest and confirmation that more people need to actively support living art.



What strikes me most about my visit is that following my part of the program, Krasl Art Fair Director Sara Shambarger showed an interesting short film called, "What is art?" The film asks various artists the question. What surprised me is the fact that many of the artists couldn't answer the question. Hmm. If we want more people to appreciate art, shouldn't we (especially artists) be able to define it? With that in mind, here's my definition: Art is the physical evidence of creative vision and expression that comes beautifully close to perfection. Art at its best should remind us of man's limitless potential. It should move us intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and perhaps even physically. Once complete, art should be able to stand on its own as a testament to its creator as well as to the humanity of all who see it. "60 Minutes" Commentator Andy Rooney recently said that (paraphrasing here) art, music and literature are the only real things that a!
re holding us together as a society. Indeed. What else is there? It certainly isn't money or politics. It's art. Unfortunately, money, politics and other things have sullied art. That's the way of the world.

I can understand why it was difficult for those artists to define art. First off, they had a camera in their face, lights blinding their eyes and a hungry microphone demanding a profound statement. Pressure. Plus, thanks to money, politics, race, sex and whatever else, art has become so many things today. That's the way of the world. Hmm, maybe that's it! Art is the way of the world. It's a reflection of the world and a reflection of life. Anyway, if we want art to thrive, we better be able to define it. My definition may do. Maybe not. Fortunately, I didn't have a camera stuck in my face.

MICHAEL CORBIN IS A WRITER AND AVID ART COLLECTOR

Created by Michael Corbin On 07/26/06 At 09:37 AM

Rejection/Perseverance

July 18, 2006 on 8:30 pm | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off Artists have frequently asked me, how does one go about getting accepted by a gallery? Well that?s a complex question, to which there is no easy answer. In fact it?s similar to asking how an unpublished writer goes about getting published. My first answer in either instance? Prepare for rejection. So before we even begin to get into the business of gaining gallery representation, let?s discuss this common experience. I feel it?s best, as your career travels its twisting course, if you acknowledge that your work will probably be rejected several times initially, and that finding the right gallery will be no simple task. Therefore, let me give you one piece of advice about rejection: get used to it. Let me also give you another: determine to persevere beyond it, no matter what.
Perseverance is the quality that enables you to handle rejection after rejection, then more rejection, then further rejection, then perhaps a few more years of rejection after that, and still snap back. I?m not saying that those rejections shouldn?t depress or anger you, or at times make you want to abandon the whole bloody business. They should, and will. But you?ll have to persevere nonetheless-that is, if you want to succeed. You?re the one creating the work. You?re the one who has to believe in yourself. You?re the one who has to know whether your work is any good. If you do know this, and are certain of your artistic destiny, then no amount of being turned away should make any difference. Sure, you may punch a few holes in some walls before it?s over, but after the dust has settled, and you?ve mended your knuckles, go back out and make the approach again. And again and again. And again. Don?t get desperate. Don?t give in to despair. Listen to your inner voice, the one that has assured you about your work, and your place in the world, since the day you first began to create. Voices like that rarely lie (which isn?t to say that we don?t on occasion misinterpret them). Listen to the reassurance it gives you, assuming it does. As you listen, and as you prepare to send your work out once more, try to employ resiliency, combined with stubbornness, mellowed with humor, strengthened with discipline, bound with humility. And hell, enjoy yourself while you?re at it. You?re alive, you?re free to create, you?re work is maturing. If you learn to take the rejections well, you?ll gain strength and character from them. In time, this can lead to one formidable artist, and career. Decide that it will, and that the day is coming when the galleries will be happy to work with you. People respond well to confidence-which should never be confused with arrogance. Created by Paul Dorrell On 07/19/06 At 03:30 AM

Roswell

July 10, 2006 on 1:05 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off In preparation for my first trip to the infamous town of Roswell, New Mexico, where the faithful believe a flying saucer crashed in 1947 and aliens were abducted by the military, I found pictures of the place almost nonexistent on the Internet. So, it is my hope that this Web site solves the problem. Let it be a virtual window to peek in and get a feel for this amazing small town in the middle of the arid desert of southeastern New Mexico. It will be evident why this town twice have won the "Best Towns in America" award. One will also see that the entrenched UFO and alien subculture is alive and well. I found Roswell to be a very clean and the people friendly. There exist more art institutions than other towns of its size (50,000), and Main Street offers so many choices in dining. Even a "Little Theater" drama group and a symphony enrich local life.

No, I did not see any UFOs in the skies when I was there for the 59th annual UFO Festival, sponsored by The International UFO Museum & Research Center. Nor did anything come through my Super 8 Motel room and attempt to abduct me. Housing is affordable by national price comparison but there is no taxi, the buses are vans that seem invisible to the new comer (get a rental car!), and it got up to 100F during this time of summer. But the desert rapidly cools after sunset and extending both east and west of Main Street, the residential neighborhoods are quiet and peaceful under clear, diamond studded skies.

What you are about to see is not real aliens but the celebration of such as these photographs document my wonderful visit during the UFO Festival. It includes my personal experience of the "Alien Chase" run (I got 2nd place in the 3K run for ages 60-69), the "Alien Parade," lectures by "Roswell Incident" guru-researchers and the leading investigator of "crop circles." You will also get a sense of Main Street, the backbone of commerce for the town, see with your own eyes where aliens were possibly transported from of Roswell Airfield, visit the UFO museum, and note where I hope to establish an art gallery specializing in UFO and alien artwork. Most of all I hope you get a glimpse of town life, such as the McDonald's franchise built like a flying saucer, all which beckon you to also visit and set foot in where UFOs are commonplace sightings and - as some claim - on Main Street where aliens were transported in military vehicles from the desert crash site to the Air Force airfield on the other side of town. Some say when you are in Roswell, time distorts and your body feels funny sensations. I made it out in one piece so don't be afraid to go check it out too. If time became distorted for me it was because I was having such a great time. So I invite you to venture to ground zero of UFOs and aliens, and may THE FORCE be with you! By the way, if you do lose track of time and cannot remember several hours of elapsed time, well then, just maybe, you did leave Roswell for a trip to another dimension. If so, contact Derrell Sims who works with abductees.

ENTER NOW

Created by Pygoya On 07/10/06 At 08:05 PM

Art Workshops Experiences and Retreats

July 7, 2006 on 4:49 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off Artists need to be able to change perspectives. Awe, Art Workshops Experiences Retreats at the Baron Conservancy desert in Wonder Valley, CA attempt to accomplish a broadening of the way an artist looks at space and offer an opportunity for individuals to visualize their temporal presence without the interference of outside noise and physical manifestations. The broad expanses serve as pristine canvasses on which the imagination is enabled to express imagery drawn from internal processes and external impressions.
Empowerment occurs for visual renderings of subjects in any medium through isolation and practical techniques. For instance the method of (Looking Away) from a mental image or physical object changes the intensity of focus and allows for a change of perspective and perception. Deliberately forcing distraction leads to a self discipline that enhances artistic interpretation. Atmosphere is an important art tool. Often the confines of the studio narrow the scope of the work being done and affect the possibility of a broader picture. Light is a major factor in the way if affects the personality of the creator and forces the artist to see more deeply and bring more imagery into the mind's eye. Physical conditions outside the studio space, such as the wind, heat of the sun, passing of clouds, experienced by the artist while engaged in the act of creativity, can imbue an art work with more energy. Memories are created when the perspective is changed and these can imbue an art work with a sense of movement in addition to what is drawn out from within. Creating art in dim light of dusk or in the studio helps to recall memories of new perspectives and solves many compositional factors and subject details. Ultimately at the Art Workshops Experiences the aim is to capture the sense of Awe which can fill an art work with an energy that will literally drive the work to market and its ultimate placement in the world. Awe is in a sense of (knowing) which is recognition when a certain opportunity is encountered, and the ability to recognize a moment in time that is right, be it a relationship, a trip, a new piece of work, a breakthrough that leads to a new level of being and art making. Recently the discovery was made that Alzheimer's patients recognized memories when looking at paintings and became less anxious and more talkative and able to describe their feelings. One explanation is that while they can't remember the beginning by the time they get to the end, a work of art is complete and contains within it the whole picture and the beginning, middle and end which can be immediately grasped. Certainly this is a new way to understand art that is made without the intrusion of words and conscious thought. What Happened to All my Dreams? Hyacinthe Kuller Baron Oil on board We have always felt that visual art making is drawn from the autonomous physiology and is in its non verbal attributes another language of expression which is immediately recognizable by all. Artists who avail themselves of all forms of distraction by making random marks and finding imagery drawn from deep within or going outside to sense their inner being in a new space in a new way will ultimately find a greater sense of self expression and true moments of enlightenment and excitement. Art Workshops Experiences Retreats at the Baron Conservancy in CA are forming now and beginning October 2007. For information about the Awe visit: www.barongallery.com/aweartworkshopexperiences.html or email: barongallery@aol.com. Created by Hyacinthe Baron On 07/07/06 At 11:49 AM

Somewhere behind

July 5, 2006 on 1:44 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off The fact that there would be someone, somewhere else in the world, who copies your paintings and signs them as theirs, to then become a famous painter in their country and reach such recognition that the Ministry of Culture of their well-reputed nation, advised by a commission of ?experts?, should award him an important state Prize, is incredible, to say the least. It would seem that the world information net has holes large enough to let through impossible stories that would be too farfetched even for April Fool?s Day.
As fortune would have it, some April fools decided to delve a little deeper into the net, only to discover that the paintings by the award-winning painter had been copied from an artist living on the other side of the world. This puzzling discovery led them to inform the Ministry of Culture, providing photocopies of the works for comparison. And that is how one of the most unfathomable scandals of modern painting - or the least a case of plagiarism without precedent ? has come to light.
At this point, I think it is fitting to inform the reader that the country where this scandal has broken out is Japan; that the artist who has copied the paintings is called Wada; that the Japanese ministry of culture has recognised that, indeed, it is a case of plagiarism, and has revoked the award granted to him; and, lastly, that the painter who has been plagiarised is an Italian painter called Alberto Sughi, who is none other than myself. Since that day, I have been barraged by Japanese televisions and journalists wanting to know when, how and why. ?Did you know Wada? Are they copies or reworkings? Have you decided to sue him?? ?Yes, I have met him, as I have met so many other people who have not, however, plagiarised my paintings; these are cases of real, clear plagiarism, which can be proved by comparing these photographs; the harshest penalty and charges have been applied by the Japanese Ministry of Culture, which, for the first time in the history of the award, has revoked the coveted prize from him, to his great dishonour. My internet site has been contacted by tens of thousands of Japanese people, and I have received many emails apologising for the disgrace. At the same time, I have learned that Wada has received other prizes from private museums, and that already in 2004 there had been mention of the possibility of plagiarism. These past days I have had the chance to examine many photographs of paintings by Wada that are copies of my works. Recently I have had proposals to take part in major exhibitions in Japan ? I, however, would prefer to exhibit my work when this scandal has died down. My painting, I hope, deserves cultural attention, and not merely curiosity spawned by a scandal of this magnitude. Major Culture Foundations would like to rush me, taking advantage of the popularity of my name in Japan as a result of all this. What do you make of this? What advice do readers of Absolutearts blogs have for me? For more info on Alberto Sughi see. www.albertosughi.com For more info on the plagiarised case see also: TIME: Spot the Difference By JIM FREDERICK , at http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1203003,00.html BBC: Top Japanese artist ?plagarised? By Chris Hogg, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5049840.stm Created by Alberto Sughi On 07/05/06 At 08:44 AM

Letter to European Parliament

July 2, 2006 on 8:59 pm | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off Margrete Auken, MEP - Member of the European Parliament
Bât. Altiero Spinelli
08H165
60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel


Dear Margrete Auken,

I was very pleased, as I found out that you were a member of
”Committee on Transport and Tourism” in European Parliament.

I'm an artist from Denmark.
The reason why this letter is in English is that it is my monthly contribution to WWAR Art News -
WWAR is World Wide Art Resources in Columbus, Ohio - I hope you don't mind this.

It's all about a baby and it's all about children's safety in traffic.



This baby was born at the St. Mary Hospital years ago. The baby became a kind of logo and it was used as a sign, too.
A Drive Carefully sign.
As a Drive Carefully sign the baby proved to communicate, and it is used in several cities.
To supplement the sign I wrote and illustrated af small story called "Happy Traffic" with the theme children's safety in traffic and with the Drive Carefull sign in several languages.

As the internet was introduced everything went crazy.
The story was translated into English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese etc.
Just now Yochanan Dvir from Lehavot Habashan in Israel is translating the Hebrew and Zahra Esmaeil Pour fra Lahijan-Gilan in Iran is translating the Persian version.

Now - to the point.
Yesterday a brainstorming took place - you always can discuss the abilities of the brains as well as the intensity of wind force.
But we got this idea:

We'll make a campaign on traffic safety.
Especially children's safety in traffic.

We'll start with the motor way number E45 which starts in Sweden and ends up in Gela on Sicily in Italy.
In a safe place, that might be in the right side of every motor way bridge we hang a large banner.

A banner with the baby and with the story "Happy Traffic".
Visible to everybody but of course without jeopardizing the safety of the traffic.
The stories are made available to EU citizens on the internet in their own language.
The stories are made available to EU citizens as children's books for free download.
The design of the traffic sign is made available to EU citizens for free download.

And all kinds of merchandise of corse must be available to EU citizens for online ordering on the internet:
Posters in 17 sizes are available for online ordering right now.
From 12 July 2006 Child & Adult T-Shirts, Mouse pads, Coffee Mugs, Tote Bags, Puzzles, Coasters, Key Chains, Ceramic Tiles, Buttons, Aprons and even posters on canvas available to order online.

You name it.

I juni/juli/august 2007?

Thoughts
There are 1000 other possibilities with the baby as logo in children's safety in traffic campaign as point of departure.
If you like the idea in any way I'll proceed in any direction you might point.


Sincerely,
Asbjorn Lonvig
Lille Fejringhus
8722 Hedensted
Denmark
75890477
lonvig@mail.dk


Sample of an Italian banner in Gela, Sicily?
Click on picture for enlargement.



Banner samples in Dansih, English, German, French and Italian.


Click on the above posters to see sizes etc.
Stories and children's books and even coloring books are available at www.lonvig.dk/lucca.htm

Created by Asbjorn Lonvig On 07/03/06 At 03:59 AM

Nall

June 30, 2006 on 1:18 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off ?Nall? is the pen name used by an artist from Troy, Alabama, who I?d never heard of until this past weekend. Neither had anyone else here in Pietrasanta, in this quaint little center of artistic production concentrating primarily on sculpture. The first thing we all saw was a poster, saying that the president of Italy and the Prince of Monaco were sponsoring Violata Pax, a show to open less than three days from the date it was put up. And it was put up everywhere. Two days passed, and then the cranes started bringing blocks of uncarved marble into the main piazza, a nine foot bronze dove, and what looked like an enormous bronze picture frame, its elements made to look like pieces of a dozen different frames all put together as one.
As you drew closer, you could see all kinds of symbolic scribbles within the design, of catholic crosses, Nazi swastikas, and others that had drawn people together to accomplish the greatest or the foulest of deeds. The cathedral had been cleverly decorated with computer printed graphics, in each of the windows, arches, or other natural niches present in the architecture. As the third day drew to a close, the air became thick with the smell of incense, and white painted mimes took up spots throughout the town, and inside the cathedral, where the majority of the work was to be found. With not even a whisper, the spectacle was starting. Inside the cathedral, more blown up images of hand sketched designs filled niches, and pillows with other, different, computer printouts on them adorned chairs, some stuffed to resemble dolls, others just left as pillows. The mimes, still as statues, were intermingled with the sculptures and furnishings. In a doorway I found Nall, the artist, strangely alone, unlike those absorbed by the pretentious crowds around the central figures of every other exhibit I?d ever been to anywhere. I walked up to him, and introduced myself, and was struck by the immediate feeling I got, even as others were approaching him, some famous, and some not, that he wasn?t anxious to finish his conversation with me so he could talk to someone more important. He asked me for my card. He?d left it up to me when to finish, and not wanting to take too much of his time, I excused myself and told him I?d e-mail him.
Outside, I turned a corner and found a bar set up, where it was easy to get a drink and listen to extraordinary harp and flute music. The windows of both buildings on either side of this minor square were full of more of his images. The musicians were local, not imported from Vence, where he purchased the atelier of Jean Dubuffet. Nearby, I found out he has built ateliers for visiting artists, and maintains a small cultural island that many can retreat to, to write music or poetry, to paint, or to sculpt. All this takes money, immense amounts of it; the sponsorship of the Principality of Monaco never goes to nobodies because that tiny nation built on a business plan, ever on the edge of bankruptcy, always seeks to link itself to the very rich. Thus was the case with Barbara Piacek Johnson establishing a museum there; as a poor working girl from Torun, Poland, no one in Monaco would have given her the time of day. Becoming an heiress, and a world class one at that, made the difference.
Having money and using it to create both happenings like this event, and a retreat for other artists close to what is now his home, makes Nall special. Artists can create a multifaceted event without money, it just takes collaboration. We are on the verge of that with Absolutearts, but we still have a long way to go. Jose has indicated one possibility, Hyacinthe another, but I haven?t heard much from anyone else about how to set up a place where events like this one can happen. We don?t have room for them in our American way of looking at things. Where I have seen them happen, is on remote islands in Greece, in Croatia, in Poland, and almost always a long way from where the money is. These are treasures that are not available to the retired who try to find them at the ends of their lives in Santa Fe. We have to ask ourselves, ?why not??
Nall?s work is special, multifaceted and complex. He puts a lot into it, and the result makes a person like myself go back and take a second look. He participates in the arts in Alabama, and creates opportunities for other artists. This is what we all have to do, and perhaps in doing so will find that our own art and our life as artists prospers as a result. Bravo, Nall!

Created by Andrew Wielawski On 06/30/06 At 08:18 AM

Jean Sabrier

June 28, 2006 on 2:01 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off The French artist Jean Sabrier is symbolic of the art community of Bordeaux: discreet and underground yet with an intense creativity and a will to push back the limits of art as we know it, to explore new aspects of the world and to incorporate these into an ?ensemble? called artwork. Born in 1951 in a small suburb of Bordeaux, Jean Sabrier doesn?t have an artistic education as such. What he knows he learnt throught looking at the world with wide open eyes and through the different contacts and friendships he has had through his life. His interest in art grew as his general curiosity did, giving him ideas and inspiration for his own personal research and his own art work. The orginality of Jean Sabrier is to ?pick? from different centuries, different styles of art and to reassemble them in his own curious way. His first inspiration is Paolo Uccello, from whom he received the passion of perspective. Jean Sabrier takes the rules of perspective and bends them in order to create his own. He is, in this respect, very similar to the ?avant-garde? European artists of the beginning of the twentieth century, with the likes of Picasso or Matisse attempting to incorporate old rules and new ideas together as one. The artistic revelation of Jean Sabrier came in the late seventies when he came face to face with the works of Marcel Duchamp. From this moment on, his work has been dedicated to reinventing what the great French master created, always basing himself on an object that Duchamp used and changing its meaning, once again by finding a new role for the object. Jean Sabrier has experimented with painting, sculpture and architecure. His latest mission is making Duchamp?s ?Broyeuse de chocolat? come alive by computer animation. His art does not stop at steretotypes, classification or names; Jean Sabrier continues to explore the world thanks to his artistic gift, always attempting to bring answers to the numerous questions that spring up in his head. His long-lasting friendship with England?s famous pop artist Richard Hamilton and their mutual passion for Duchamp and discovery of all that is new, has brought him a bit more into the spotlight. But he remains a discreet and humble man, simply striving to understand better the realms of the universe. In the restrictive yet enthusiastic circle of art amateurs and professionnals of Bordeaux he is widely respected and admired as one of the city?s leading contemporary artists. Created by Alice Cavender On 06/28/06 At 09:01 AM

THE $135 MILLION PAINTING

June 23, 2006 on 2:29 am | In Contributors Posts | Comments Off Most artists would probably drop at his feet and he's certainly the "art
collector's" collector.

Have you heard? Ronald S. Lauder (yes, one of Estee's boys) just dropped a
record $135 million on a painting! Okay, let's break this down. First of
all, if you can shell out $135 million for ANYTHING, let alone a painting,
you're set for life. But what actually makes a painting (or anything else)
worth $135 million? More on that in a moment.

I've just finished reading a New York Times article (June 19, 2006) about
the masterpiece in question, "Adele Bloch-Bauer I," which journalist Carol
Vogel describes as "a dazzling gold-flecked 1907 portrait" by Gustav Klimt.


It's a painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer, who some think may have had a romance
with Klimt. Anyway, Lauder reportedly bought the piece for his Neue Galerie
in New York City. The gallery specializes in German and Austrian fine art.
Perfect. This painting has quite a pedigree. You can read up on it for
yourself. You'll certainly find it on Google. In a nutshell, the Klimt
painting and four others had been the focus of a "custody" battle
(ultimately, most paintings are orphans) between the Austrian government and
Los Angeles-based Maria Altmann and family. Altmann is a niece of Mrs.
Bauer. The story, dating back to World War II, involves Germany, Austria,
the Nazis, annexation, looting, Mrs. Bauer's husband Ferdinand fleeing
Austria and yes, leaving behind what has become the even more famous $135
million painting.

Hollywood could probably get a movie out of the courtroom battles and final
judgement alone.

I saw a photograph of the painting on the news and before reading the Times
article, I asked myself, "What makes a painting worth $135 million?" I
asked pretty much the same thing during all of the previous hub-bub over
Pablo Picasso's "Boy With a Pipe" selling for $104 million in 2004.

Too bad artists aren't clairvoyant.

In the case of Mr. Lauder, the Klimt piece likely has immense personal and
historical value. Perhaps Mr. Lauder considered his personal heritage, his
love of art and dedication as an art patron, and maybe also great love of
art history preservation. Oh, and maybe he just likes the painting. Hey,
if you've got $135 million in your wallet, why not? Still, it makes me
wonder how much I could buy with $135 million. You could buy roughly, 135
paintings for a million bucks each! Or you could invest it wisely, live off
the interest and still buy great art. Clearly, these silly reveries are the
domain of poor collectors.

It's funny because these days, you don't hear much about the artistic merits
of a piece. When it comes to valuing art, peripheral things like prior
ownership, personal histories and artists' life stories often come into
play. That's not to say that the Klimt piece isn't worthy of its masterpiece
status, mind you.

You do often hear people describe masterpieces as "priceless." Yet, at the
end of the day, a painting (again, like anything else) is worth whatever the
seller is willing to sell it for ... and what the buyer is willing to pay.
In this case, it ain't chump change.

MICHAEL CORBIN IS A WRITER AND AVID ART COLLECTOR

Created by Michael Corbin On 06/23/06 At 09:29 AM