THE FEEL FREE ARTZ GROUP
Monday, March 29, 2021
I KNOW I'VE POSTED THIS BEFORE BUT I LOVE HIS WORK HE'S THE GOAT!!! Sotheby’s to Auction $35 Million USD-Estimated Basquiat Artwork
Sotheby’s is set to auction a $35 million USD-estimated Jean-Michel Basquiatartwork in the coming months. If sold, the piece will be one of the few most expensive works by the artist.
The work is a 1982 painting titled Versus Medici that reflects a point where Basquiat was influenced by his time in Modena, Italy. As the title suggests, the artwork references the Renaissance-era Medici family, and it boasts a handful of signature motifs from the artist: a skeleton, a crown and scribbled words, to mention a few. Versus Medici was painted when the artist was just 22 years old — his paintings from 1982 are the most valuable in the market.
Sotheby’s New York Head of Contemporary Art Grégoire Billault offered some context to the artwork in a statement: “In Versus Medici, Basquiat melds the political and art-historical as he consciously stages a reckoning with the Westernized ideal of visual culture and was intent on mastering and commandeering the accepted ‘rules’ of art history in order to break them.”
Sotheby’s Jean-Michel Basquiat Versus Medici auction will be on May 12.
In February, Christie’s Hong Kong announced that it will be listing Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting, entitled Warrior, up for auction as part of its Global Spring Season of 20th Century sales. The artwork portrays a bold, anatomical subject brandishing a sword and shield with made with forceful lines alongside blue and yellow color blocking in the backdrop. With this mixed-media piece on wood panel, Basquiat wanted to “symbolize the struggles of Black men in a white-dominated world,” as per The New York Times.
Warrior recently sold for $41.9 million USD with fees, becoming the most expensive Western artwork ever sold at auction in Asia. Having an initial pre-sale estimate between $31-$41 million USD, Warrior was offered unconventionally as a single lot and led the live-streamed evening sale which also included several old masterworks including a rediscovered portrait by Vincent van Gogh entitled La Mousmé. The sale is a milestone for the Western art market in Asia and follows the auction house’s continued success from previous auctions especially in London and New York that realized $61,139,818 USD in total value.
“Basquiat is one of the strongest markets coming out of the pandemic,” said Christophe van de Weghe, a dealer who specializes in Basquiats told the Times. “It’s worldwide. You can sell Basquiat, like Picasso, to someone in India or Kazakhstan or Mexico. You can have a 28-year-old spending millions on Basquiat and you can have a guy who is 85. He appeals to all kinds of people, from rappers to hedge-fund guys.”
Get a closer look at Basquiat’s Warrior above and then head to Christie’s website for more information on the sale.
Next month, Christie’s is offering a selection of works that showcases the collector’s passion for New York artists in an auction called “A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection.” The sale will highlight leading Abstract Expressionist artists such as Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler, as well as prominent New York Neo-Expressionist artists, like Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Salle.
Leading the private sale is Basquiat’s 1984 work titled MP. Expected to fetch up to $6 million USD, the portrait depicts Michael Patterson, the artist’s friend from the vibrant nightlife scene of 1980s New York, on an off-white background adorned with xeroxed sheets of text, symbols and drawings. MP marks the cultural moment in which the two of them met and immortalizes Patterson as a regal presence. Rare among Basquiat’s works in depicting a subject from life, the portrait is also special in its ability to capture personality and character.
Another highlight from “A New York State of Mind” includes Mitchell’s Untitled work from 1958 to 1959. The piece demonstrates Mitchell’s painterly language from the mid-50s and was created during a creative period when she took her place at the forefront of the New York School. “From the lyricism of Joan Mitchell’s New York period, to the electricity of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s downtown art scene, this collection captures the unrelenting energy and beauty of New York City,” says Johanna Flaum, Head of Department, Post-War and Contemporary Art.
Christie’s will offer “A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection” across its 20th Century Evening Sale on October 6 and its Day Sales on October 7.
ART: Is Art Dubai the Future of Art Fairs?
After major international art fairs including Frieze and Art Basel were forced to go online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdown measures, this year will cautiously see art events begin to return. This includes Art Dubai, which recently opened and is the first physical art fair to take place in over a year.
Announcing the return to physical traditional fairs, Art Dubai artistic director Pablo del Val explained the importance of the format. “We see the importance of connecting with the world without the filters of a computer screen, and seeing art and culture in person is more important than ever before,” he said in a statement. “This edition of Art Dubai invites us to do precisely that, to recover our senses and reactivate them through art.”
This year’s Art Dubai will feature 50 leading galleries from across 31 countries, with a purpose-built venue, a curated sculpture park and a film programme. To mark the opening of this year’s fair, we spoke to four galleries from across the Middle East about what Art Dubai can tell us about the future of art fairs.
“We see the importance of connecting with the world without the filters of a computer screen, and seeing art and culture in person is more important than ever before.”
What are you most looking forward to about being involved in Art Dubai?
Agial Gallery, Beirut: Our gallery has been present in Art Dubai ever since it started more than a decade ago. It has become part of our annual program and our prime destination to meet with our Gulf clients and friends. We are so looking forward to coming back there after a year of confinement and hooking up again with collectors, colleagues and friends over there.
Hafez Gallery, Jeddah: To connect with our audience in a physical way that’s not digital. To see and feel people’s reaction to the work.
Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut: We have always participated at Art Dubai and it is impossible for us not to be present at the fair. We are looking forward to reconnecting with friends, institutions and collectors from the region. Although this edition does not resemble the previous ones, since the team will not be physically present at the fair, it nevertheless offers visitors the opportunity to physically discover the works we will be showing, which is essential.
Dastan’s Basement, Tehran: Dubai is a very special place for Dastan’s Basement. We most look forward to bringing an exciting presentation by some of the most interesting artists we work with to our friends in Dubai. Of course we are also looking forward to building new lasting and meaningful relationships that we can look back on for years to come. This year is particularly special since Dastan has broken down its program into three distinct lists with curatorial autonomy and directorships: Dastan’s Basement, +2 Gallery, and Parallel Circuit. We are excited to hear the feedback from the viewers this year.
Art Dubai, for a gallery based in Iran, feels like showing at home and I believe that many galleries in the region feel the same. Of course Art Dubai is more than just a regional fair. When Pablo del Val from Art Dubai first started, he was very keen on focusing on the global south. Over the years, he, along with all those who worked with him, have created something special. Dastan is really happy to be a part of this year’s fair.
Etel Adnan, La Ronde Des Oiseaux, 2019, Courtesy Of The Artist And Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut-Hamburg
What does it mean to be taking part in a physical art fair after the last 12 months?
Agial Gallery: It means first and foremost a comeback to some sort of normalcy: Traveling, meeting up with crowds, working in real physical conditions, in total contrast with the past year’s imposed rhythm of working remotely or through screens and social media.
Hafez Gallery: It’s very exciting. And for us, we also get to travel internationally for the first time in a little over a year.
Sfeir-Semler Gallery: A physical fair always brings a lot of energy. A fair is a place where we connect with people, exchange ideas around art and make new encounters. We missed all of these and we are looking forward to the coming edition, in its hybrid form.
Dastan’s Basement: Despite the challenging times, it was really important for Dastan to be a part of the region’s most important fair and to make sure it does its part in delivering a stellar show for the viewers after so long. The art fairs have played an important role in the development of the art industry and will continue to do so. After so much emphasis on an online presence, I am excited to deliver a show to an international audience since November when Dastan exhibited at Art021 in Shanghai.
“The galleries and Art Dubai have given meaning to being globally relevant while remaining locally authentic and respected.”
What does Art Dubai say about the art world in the Middle East?
Agial Gallery: Art Dubai is by far the most active platform of Middle Eastern art with the rest of the world. It’s the annual rendez-vous that cannot be missed for any gallery that would like to promote its artistic program to the international art communities.
Hafez Gallery: Art Dubai always brings a certain sense of class and culture while also being approachable. That reflects on the experience for us as visitors and exhibitors.
Sfeir-Semler Gallery: Art Dubai has proven its capabilities in consolidating the cultural sector in the region around a serious and professional fair bringing together institutions, collectors, curators and of course galleries from all over the world. It’s a fixture of the art calendar and the rendezvous for anyone with an interest in art from the region.
Dastan’s Basement: One of the strongest points of Art Dubai after its great team, is the galleries who have been a part of it for so many years. These galleries and Art Dubai have given meaning to being globally relevant while remaining locally authentic and respected. This is a point that makes the fair quite unique.
Hafez Gallery (jeddah), Art Dubai Contemporary, Art Dubai 2019, Courtesy Of Photo Solutions
Do you think Art Dubai is challenging Western perspectives of the art world in the Middle East? Do you think it’s important to challenge those perspectives?
Agial Gallery: Art Dubai is a platform that allows regional galleries to defend and promote their artistic programs, hence allowing the promotion of artists that think and work outside the western axis. I don’t like to use the word “periphery” because it sends back to a center and a periphery. I would like to think that in Art Dubai you can discover interesting artists that express themselves outside the established box.
It’s vital to allow all sorts of artistic expressions because diversity and plurality are the foundations of progress, especially during these current times of rising nationalism and entrenchment. Art is one of the rare domains where tolerance is present and freedom of expression still exists.
Hafez Gallery: It absolutely does. For example, after visiting Art Dubai and viewing some of the non-western modern art works exhibited in the modern section, you cannot help but feel that the narrative of modern art in the west needs to be updated. The western perspective of modern art is mostly limited to the west. A new look would certainly include artists like Ibrahim El-Salahi from Sudan, Mahmoud Saïd from Egypt, Shafic Abboud from Lebanon and many more.
Sfeir-Semler Gallery: There is no challenge at all here since Art Dubai follows a Western model of art fairs. However it actively promotes a scene that is under-represented internationally and therefore plays an essential role for its recognition and presence.
Dastan’s Basement: While challenging such perspectives is important, Dastan has always and will continue focusing on delivering an optimal presentation of the artists that it works with. It is the thoughts and works of the artists that will pose the right questions and end up challenging the perspectives of global viewers, which will hopefully include all views.
“It’s vital to allow all sorts of artistic expressions because diversity and plurality are the foundations of progress.”
What do you think Art Dubai tells us about the future of art fairs and, more generally, the art industry in the region?
Agial Gallery: There is no doubt that the past year has changed a lot of givens. Virtual modes of operations have imposed themselves in non-retractable ways. I guess people will avoid crowd events for long, therefore big gatherings like art fairs need to adapt to changing behaviors of humans on a global scale. Art Dubai is one of the first art fairs to open up for physical presence, and here we are to attend, watch and reflect about our future strategies.
Hafez Gallery: As visitors and exhibitors, we prefer the intimate, personal and focused setting of Art Dubai. We believe that to be an increasing segment in the future of Art fairs as a whole.
Sfeir-Semler Gallery: It is very difficult today to project ourselves into the future, in light of the covid crisis. All that can be said is that Art Dubai is a solid fair that can meet all potential challenges with a clear vision and a lot of flexibility, allowing it to meet the demands of the market and of the local and regional scenes. Art Dubai positions itself as a platform that successfully combines the commercial and not for profit aspects, and this has been one of the keys to its success over the years.
Dastan’s Basement: I am also pleased with the new all around solution that fairs have developed with more focus on content with the possibilities that have been developed online. It will certainly give the viewers a better experience.
FILM: Warner Bros. Teases New Space Jam Character Posters
Warner Bros. has unveiled a series of new character posters ahead of the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy.
The new posters show iconic Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Tweety Bird and Daffy Duck decked out in Tune Squad uniforms. LeBron James is also featured in the new advertising material alongside his animated co-stars.
The new animated and live-action film is directed by Malcom D. Lee and comes 25 years after the original. In A New Legacy, LeBron James and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue AI and must lead the Tune Squad to victory in order to return home safely.
Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and “The Walking Dead” star Sonequa Martin-Green will also star in the new film, set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max for U.S. Audiences on July 16.
The highly-anticipated film gained media attention after revealing that it would be changing Lola Bunny’s outfit in favor of a more sporty look. In addition, popular character Pepe Le Pew was axed from the sequel because of recent controversy surrounding rape culture and the character’s portrayal of consent.
NEW STUFF:
Giving your loungewear and athleisure wardrobe a spring refresh, Montréal-based label Tea You is releasing a new, cozy fleece set that is made of 100 percent recycled polyester.
Designed and made locally in Canada, the fleece suit — comprised of a half-zip, cropped sweater with an adjustable bungee cord at the hem and comfortable, elasticated pants — is crafted from recycled polyester made out of pre-consumer waste and post-consumer plastic bottles. Even better, the fabric is treated to be anti-pill, saving your new favorite set from pesky pilling. A limited-edition release, the brand’s latest drop will be available in three beautiful colorways: a pastel gray-blue, light beige and burgundy red. On each of the sweaters, subtle, tonal branding that spells out “Tea You” can be found embroidered on one side of the chest. Browse the gallery above to preview the drop.
The Recycled Poly “fleecies” will launch on the Tea You website on March 26 at 12 p.m. EST. The set will be available to shop separately, with the top and bottoms priced at $118 and $98 CAD respectively (approximately $94 and $78 USD).
Clarks Originals has released the Wallabee Cup, a new version of its classic Wallabee mocassin, a style introduced in 1968.
Arriving in four colorways (black, tan, teal and lilac), the nubuck leather shoe features a low-cut silhouette and a chunky crepe midsole offering subtle elevation. Tonal laces secure the mocassin at the top of the foot. Attached to the laces, dual-toned nubuck leather hangtags are stamped with the Clarks Originals logo. Finishing off the style, a tonal ribbon stripe adds detail to the heel.
Clarks Originals’ Wallabee Cup retails for $170 USD at the Clarks website. Also in footwear, take a look at Hunter’s rubber Play clog.
Swedish fashion-tech brand Tapper is known for creating unique straps for Apple‘s AirPods and AirPods Pro. For its latest product drop, the label has unveiled the new Solid 18K Gold Mesh Chain.As its name suggests, the handcrafted accessory is made from solid 18K yellow gold double knitted mesh. The chain comes with a solid 18K yellow gold Tapper logo charm along with a magnetic lock, allowing you to safely secure the piece around your neck. Compatible with the AirPods and AirPods Pro, this piece will make a chic addition to your wireless earbuds accessory collection.
Take a closer look at the item above. Priced at €2,900 EUR (approximately $3,460 USD), Tapper’s Solid 18K Gold Mesh Chain is now available to purchase online.
Back in 2018, Virgil Abloh‘s Off-White™ teamed up with Converse to rework the Chuck 70 Hi. Now, the duo is set to restock the collaborative sneaker next week.
The upper arrives in a clean crisp white hue with matching tonal laces that come with a bright orange zip tie. Elsewhere, the medials boast lettering in Abloh’s signature Helvetica font that reads, “OFF-WHITE™ for CONVERSE ‘CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR‘” along with “Madlen, Massachusetts USA c. 1917” right below. Stamped right on top of the lettering is Converse’s iconic logo accented with a neon orange tab. The midsoles dressed in black-and-white stripes and the co-branded insoles round out the entire look.
Priced at $130 USD, the Off-White™ x Converse Chuck 70 Hi will be available on March 30 via Converse’s web store.
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