Tag: 04.30.03

Desperation Tactics At The Auction Houses

The big art houses must feel as if God himself is against them: a down economy, a nasty little war, and an uncertain national mood are combining to create one of the most dismal auction seasons in years. “When times are tough, however, distress sales are often what bolster the market. It is no wonder, then, that paintings, drawings and sculptures are being sold this year by troubled companies like Vivendi, Enron and Idemitsu Kosan, Japan’s second-largest oil refiner.” Still, catalogs are distinctly thin this spring, and everything in the art world seems to be on hold.

Nazi Loot Suit Can Go Ahead

Suing a foreign government is a tricky proposition, with all sorts of legal hurdles to be cleared before a filing can even take place. So Maria Altmann has learned in her battle to get back six Gustav Klimt paintings looted from her family’s collection by Nazis in World War II and currently in the possession of the Austrian government. This week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Altmann’s suit can go forward in a U.S. court, and closed the door on any further stalling tactics by the Austrians. Austria has one appeal still available to it – the U.S. Supreme Court – but no decision has been made on whether such an appeal will be filed.

Toronto’s Film Industry Going Elsewhere

“It’s shaping up to be a hard summer for Toronto’s $3-billion film and television industry as at least two Hollywood movies and one series that were to be shot in the Ontario capital have either relocated to other cities or been postponed.” The SARS outbreak has hurt, of course, and the recent CBC funding cuts mean that fewer film and TV shoots are being scheduled overall, but other cities in Canada and the U.S. have learned from Toronto’s example of how to draw Hollywood to their doorstep, and are nabbing some productions right out from under Toronto’s nose.

Boston Theatre Plans On Track

Boston’s theatre space crunch may be eased a bit next year, if all goes according to plan for a local troupe. The Huntington Theatre Company announced yesterday that it is halfway to its fundraising goal to build two new theatres in the Boston Center for the Arts complex. One of the new theatres would seat 360, the other 200, making them a welcome addition to the Boston scene, which has lacked adequate small and mid-sized venues for years.

A Bit Of Revisionism At The Gardner

“Most museums celebrate centennials by trotting out their signature masterpieces, staging blockbusters, and campaigning for significant new acquisitions. [Boston’s] Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum can’t do any of those things. The masterpieces are already up, displayed in the permanent installation dictated by the founder. There’s no room for a blockbuster. Mrs. Gardner’s will prohibits the museum from adding to the collections. So the museum celebrates its 100th year with ‘The Making of the Museum: Isabella Stewart Gardner as Collector, Architect & Designer,’ a show that attempts to rebrand her as a pioneer in the museum world, as opposed to a loose cannon in Brahmin society.”

Beating On, Boats Against The FCC Current

Sometimes, it seems as if the battle against corporate domination of the media is a futile one, waged by a few hardy souls who simply don’t know when they’re beat. And it may be true that the fight for radio as a useful public medium (as opposed to a cash cow for giant conglomerates) has already been lost to the likes of Clear Channel and the ex-CEOs currently running the FCC. But to some activists and consumer advocates, the issue is so important that they simply cannot back down, even in the face of almost-certain defeat.

The Industry Gets Direct

The recording industry is taking its anti-piracy message directly to song-swapping consumers, sending notices to thousands of file-traders informing them that they can be easily identified and prosecuted if they continue to download copyrighted material without paying. The warnings are the latest salvo in a strange and disjointed campaign against piracy by the large record companies, and come in the wake of a court’s recent decision that file-trading services may not be held liable for the actions of their customers.

Why Selling Art Online Didn’t Work

With the closing of Sothebys.com this week, art selling on the internet is deemed a failed idea. “What happened? With other Internet sales skyrocketing, why did no one – not even the powerful Sotheby’s – succeed in flogging enough Warhol paintings and Chippendale chairs on the World Wide Web to make a decent profit? Because it is a losing battle: Everything that makes art compelling is blunted by the virtual, one-click world of the Net.”

Moving On – Frank Stella

Frank Stella is “probably the world’s most famous living abstract artist. He is 70 years old and on the short side, but he has a sweeping, imperious manner. He was born in Massachusetts and studied at Princeton University. His frequent pronouncements about art are flavoured by a generous dollop of intellectual pride, which goes strangely with his high-pitched New York voice – comedic shades of Woody Allen or Joe Pesci. ‘I only really care about the immediate impact that art has on you,” he says. “I like all the other things that go after, but I can’t help it, I go by the first hit’.”