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Artsy features the world’s leading galleries, museum collections, foundations, artist estates, art fairs, and benefit auctions, all in one place. Our growing database of 1,000,000 works of art, architecture, and design by 100,000 artists spans historical, modern, and contemporary works, and includes the largest online database of contemporary art. Artsy is used by art lovers, museum-goers, patrons, collectors, students, and educators to discover, learn about, and collect art.Auction Previews & News
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Artists5 LGBTQ+ Artists to Know This Pride Month
June marks Pride Month, an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ individuals, history, and culture. Visibility is an ongoing challenge for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially in traditional sectors like the auction world. This Pride Month, Auction Daily profiles five contemporary LGBTQ+ artists to watch. Zanele Muholi. Image courtesy of Najib Nafid via ART AFRICA Magazine. Zanele Muholi Photographer and documentarian Zanele Muholi describes themself as a “visual activist” rather than an artist. Born, raised, and based in South Africa, Muholi has built their career on celebrating the lives of lesbian, gay, transgender, and intersex individuals. They deliberately emphasize the humanity, beauty, and strength of their participants. Muholi aims to build a more positive and inclusive representation of LGBTQ+ Africans. “To think that people are being recognized and respected and have been given a space to be themselves— it heals. For too long, people have been ignored and disrespected,” Muholi told TIME. “The archive means we are counted in history.” Zanele Muholi’s work began to spread internationally after they exhibited at Documenta in 2012. Since then, their stark photographs have climbed in price at auction. Zodwa, Paris from Somnyama Ngonyama notably achieved GBP 35,000 (USD 44,600) with Phillips in 2020. In recent years, Muholi prints have consistently sold for $25,000 and above. Amani Lewis with What it do Baby!? (portrait of Baby Kahlo), 2020. Image by Alex Nunez, courtesy of the artist and Fountainhead Residency. Amani Lewis Baltimore-based visual artist Amani Lewis creates vibrant mixed media paintings that present new subjects in the field of portraiture. Their work champions social change and brings untold stories to light. Lewis’ work is saturated in color, layering materials and textures to achieve a dizzying effect. Like many contemporary LGBTQ+ artists, Lewis also centers social justice. They give a portion of their sale proceeds to their sitters, and they intentionally uplift Black and queer communities. At auction, Amani Lewis built a loyal following over the last few years. Phillips has played a sizable role in bringing Lewis’ work to an international audience. Their auction record currently rests at GBP 94,500 (USD 125,000) after Phillips sold For Angela and…
PeopleArtsy Announces Christine Layng Aschwald As Senior Director, Head of Artsy Advisory
Appointment Marks Artsy’s Continued Investment In Its Growing Secondary-Market Business and Senior Art Industry Talent Artsy, the largest global online art marketplace, today announces its appointment of Christine Layng Aschwald to the newly created role of Senior Director, Head of Artsy Advisory. Aschwald will oversee Artsy’s art advisory practice and a team of senior private sales directors across Artsy’s global offices. She will be based in New York City, and joins Artsy following a 15-year career at Christie’s where she most recently worked with the auction house’s top clients as a leader on their Client Advisory team. Christine Layng Aschwald Image credit: JP Chatellenaz Artsy Advisory sits within Artsy’s Collector Services & Private Sales team, led by Alexander Forbes, and provides both new and established collectors with a bespoke service and a single point of contact through which to purchase and sell works via private sale, Artsy auctions, and 3500-plus gallery partners. Together with Artsy’s broader secondary market organization, it has more than doubled in size over the last year as collectors have continued to engage heavily in online art sales—even as pandemic restrictions have receded—and demanded more seamless options to buy and sell works for their collections. Commenting on Christine Aschwald’s appointment, Alexander Forbes, Head of Collector Services & Private Sales, said: “I am delighted to welcome Christine to Artsy. Her extensive experience working with the world’s leading collectors, her loyal client base, and her poise will be an incredible asset, as we continue to grow our private sales and advisory team, increase liquidity in the secondary market, and connect more collectors with more art they love.” About her appointment to Senior Director, Head of Artsy Advisory, Christine Layng Aschwald commented: “I have long admired Artsy for its unique vantage point within the art ecosystem and its innovative culture. I am particularly excited to be a part of Artsy’s transformation of the art world. Our goal is to set the standard for Advisory and Private Sales and deliver the highest level of service and access to Artsy’s collectors.” In addition to its investment in Private Sales & Advisory services, the…
Auction Industry, Press ReleaseAmerican Friends of Museums in Israel Fine Art Online Benefit Auction hosted by Artsy May 10-24, 2022
Beatriz Milhazes, Pink Sunshine, 2021 Lithograph on Fabriano Disegno 5 paper 18 3/4 × 23 inches Edition of 100 NEW YORK (May 10, 2022) – The American Friends of Museums in Israel's Fine Art Online Benefit Auction hosted by Artsy is now live and closes on May 24, 2022, at 6pm EST. Auction Info The online auction features over 70 works including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper by celebrated artists including: John Baldessari, Robert Baras, Christiane Baumgartner, Katherine Bernhardt, James Casebere, Anton Corbijn, Jim Dine, Todd Hido, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Damien Hirst, Alex Katz, Karen Kilimnik, Jeff Koons, JR, Robert Longo, Beatriz Milhazes, Yue Minjun, Richard Misrach, Robert Motherwell, Shirin Neshat, Odinakachi Okoroafor, Tom Otterness, Asli Özok, Richard Prince, Sayed Haider Raza, Donald Sultan, and Ai Weiwei, among many others. The American Friends of Museums in Israel represents and raises funds for eight outstanding and diverse museums throughout Israel: Design Museum Holon, Haifa City Museum, Haifa Museum of Art, Hermann Struck Museum, Mané-Katz Museum, National Maritime Museum, Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem. Continuing to face the challenges brought on by COVID-19, our partner museums are forging connections with people across the world through exceptional exhibitions, tours, art education and public programs, and learning resources that inform and inspire. The American Friends of Museums in Israel recognizes, promotes, and honors its outstanding partner museums in Israel by providing exhibition, program, project, and financial support through the generosity of its donors. In addition, the non-profit organization provides heightened visibility for its partner museums at special events in New York, through virtual programming, and in promotional materials. For more information call (917) 970-8846 or visit museumsinisrael.org.
Artists, Auction IndustryArtists of Black History Month: Titus Kaphar
Contemporary Artist Expands Historical Art Canon to Include Black Americans History is never far from the brush of contemporary American artist Titus Kaphar. He does not view the past as a fixed point that is untouchable or irrelevant to the present. Instead, Kaphar deconstructs and rebuilds narratives about the past to show what was missing all along. In the white-dominated Western art canon, Black subjects and artists have long been excluded. Kaphar seeks to change this. His paintings, sculptures, and installations literally and metaphorically peel back the layers of history to reveal the joys, triumphs, sorrows, and rage of the Black American community. A notable lithograph by Titus Kaphar will come to auction with Artsy this Black History Month in a timed benefit auction. The sale concludes at 5:00 PM EST on February 10, 2022. Proceeds from the event will be shared between the featured artists and Baxter St, New York’s oldest artist-run lens-based organization. Get to know Titus Kaphar and his work before placing a bid. Titus Kaphar in his studio. Image courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Titus Kaphar did not seriously pursue art until he took a college art course. He later earned his MFA from Yale University. Art history always fascinated him and served as a wellspring of inspiration. Early on, Kaphar realized the deep connections between art’s past and its present, even when racial bias determined which works would be remembered and honored. He began a career-long project of revision. Kaphar relies on multiple mediums to challenge traditional art history. His canvases are often sculptural and filled with slashes, whitewash, tar, or multiple layers. Some messages are less subtle than others. A 2014 painting titled Behind the Myth of Benevolence is a clear example of this. In the work, a Rembrandt Peale-style portrait of President Thomas Jefferson hangs partially off the frame to reveal a nude portrait of Sally Hemings. An enslaved woman owned by Jefferson, Hemings is now recognized as the mother of six of Jefferson’s children. Hemings’ power, beauty, and very image are physically obscured…
Auction Industry, People, Press ReleaseArtsy Announces Acquisition of Social Impact Platform Greenhouse Auctions and Appoints Its Founder and CEO Shlomi Rabi to Artsy’s VP of Auctions
Inaugural Greenhouse Auction under Artsy’s Brand, “Higher Power—Brothers@: Benefit Auction 2021 Artsy Announces Acquisition of Social Impact Platform Greenhouse Auctions and Appoints Its Founder and CEO Shlomi Rabi to Artsy’s VP of Auctions NEW YORK, November 29, 2021 — Artsy, the largest global online art marketplace, today announces its acquisition of social impact auction platform Greenhouse Auctions, and the appointment of its founder and CEO, Shlomi Rabi, to VP of Artsy’s auctions business. As VP of Auctions, Rabi will lead Artsy’s commercial and benefit auctions businesses. This important acquisition and appointment marks Artsy’s continued investment in its growing secondary-market business, further deepening its art industry talent and enhancing the value provided to Artsy’s partners and collectors. The strategic acquisition also spotlights Artsy’s commitment to social responsibility and increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusivity. With Artsy’s acquisition of Greenhouse Auctions—founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic—Rabi joins the online marketplace’s leadership team as VP of Auctions following a successful 20-year career in the art industry. With his deep auction-world experience, which spans a variety of leadership roles at premier international auction houses including Phillips and Christie’s, Rabi will work closely with executive leadership to strategically grow Artsy’s commercial and benefit auction business. He will also manage Artsy’s growing team of art experts who specialize in post-war and contemporary art, prints and multiples, and other collecting categories to support in sourcing, selling, and appraising artworks. Greenhouse Auctions is a social-impact auction platform with a unique structure. It unlocks opportunities with a growing number of nonprofits and key players in the primary market who are drawn to Greenhouse’s commitment to social justice initiatives, and its dedicated scholarship fund for art history students in HBCUs. This strategic acquisition supports both Artsy’s and Greenhouse Auctions’ mission of combining profit with purpose, and is neatly aligned with the values of next-gen and established collectors. Discussing Artsy’s acquisition of Greenhouse Auctions and the appointment of its founder to VP of Auctions, Dustyn Kim, Artsy’s Chief Revenue Officer, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Shlomi to Artsy. From our initial conversations, it was clear how much we…
Art FairsLA Art Show Returns With NFTs and Global Contemporary Art
After several delays and complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LA Art Show will return in the summer of 2021. The three-day event marks the fair’s 26th anniversary. The organizers aim to rekindle the art market in Los Angeles following a difficult year of lockdowns and cancellations. “Now more than ever, we need a physical art fair in Los Angeles to bring the creative community back together,” LA Art Show producer and director Kassandra Voyagis said in a press release. “2020 has been such a challenging year for everyone, and even though things won’t be how they were before, we can’t let 2021 go by without having an art fair in the city. Our community needs something to look forward to.” The LA Art Show in 2019. Image courtesy of the LA Art Show. About the LA Art Show 2021 Since its start in 1994, the LA Art Show has focused on supporting the local community and building a robust art market on the West Coast of the United States. This year, the fair will run from July 29th through August 1st, 2021 in the Los Angeles Convention Center’s West Hall. The 200,000 square-foot location will welcome more than 80 galleries from across the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. As in years past, 15% of ticket sale proceeds will support the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The LA Art Show will also be available on Artsy, where collectors can view and purchase the exhibited art online. Attendees can explore a preview on Artsy from July 26th through July 28th, followed by an extended online run from August 2nd through August 8th. Previously, the LA Art Show was scheduled for February of 2021 to coincide with Frieze LA. Frieze’s cancellation and the continued safety concern of hosting live events during the pandemic prompted the five-month delay. Safety remains a concern for the show’s organizers. Galleries will be further apart than usual, and all attendees must comply with CDC and Los Angeles County safety guidelines during the socially-distanced event. Félicie d'Estienne d'Orves, Cosmographies: Pleiades, Sirius, Sagittarius A*,…
Art FairsFrieze New York 2021: The Good, the Fine, and the Risky
Mask wearing was strongly enforced at Frieze New York 2021. Image by The New York Times’ Krista Schlueter. Frieze New York 2021 wrapped up earlier this month. Beyond a few smaller events, such as the Outsider Art Fair earlier this year, Frieze was the first major art fair in New York City since the start of the pandemic. As those in the art world and beyond imagine what a new normal might look like post-pandemic, Frieze New York 2021 sets a strong precedent, albeit with a few contradictions. Protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were in full effect at Frieze. Each ticket had a timed entry, allowing the event’s organizers to control how many people were in the venue at all times. Attendees had to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to be allowed entry. Masks were also required at all times and security at the event enforced this rule. Most of the coverage surrounding Frieze New York 2021 mentions how even former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test to get in. Artsy notes that Bloomberg invested USD 75 million to fund Frieze New York's venue, The Shed, a sign of how no one was exempt from COVID-19 safety protocols. In some cases, unofficial side events were crowded with lax mask-wearing policies. Image by The New York Times’ Nina Westervelt. However, fewer outlets have mentioned the parties held before, during, and after Frieze New York and their more lax approach to the pandemic. The New York Times reported that the chief executive of CultureWorks, Josh Wyatt, held a 75-person dinner in the lead up to the fair. Each guest had their temperature checked before enjoying their meal and socializing, mostly without a mask. “Our publicists, our H.R. people were like ‘Don’t do this,’” said Wyatt. With the benefit of some hindsight, CultureWorks’ human resources team may sleep a little easier. Less than a week after Frieze's conclusion, the CDC announced that vaccinated people could go as they please without masks or social distancing, with a…
Auction Industry, Press ReleaseAmerican Friends of Museums in Israel
Fine Art Online Auction Fundraiser hosted by Artsy May 11-25, 2021 Flower Garden, 2020 Acrylic on canvas The American Friends of Museums in Israel's Fine Art Online Auction hosted by Artsy is now live and closes on May 25, 2021, at 6pm. The American Friends supports eight distinct, diverse museums in Israel ranging from the Tower of David Museum, an archaeological wonder illuminating Jerusalem's 3000-year history, to Haifa Museum of Art, Northern Israel's leading center for contemporary art. Faced with social distancing and travel restrictions, our partner museums continue to find new ways to educate and connect people across the world. By providing online learning resources, exhibitions, tours, and public programs, they offer us moments of inspiration and hope. The auction features over 60 works including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper by artists including: AES+F, Hiro Ando, John Baldessari, Edward Burtynsky, Chuck Close, Jim Dine, Peter Doig, Katrin Fridriks, Nan Goldin, Bill Henson, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Liu Jianhua, Alex Katz, Deborah Kass, Karen Knorr, Jeff Koons, Dongi Lee, Robert Longo, Alex Majoli, Ernesto Marenco, Andrew Moore, Shirin Neshat, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Kiki Smith, Shinique Smith, Donald Sultan, Philip Taaffe, Rosemarie Trockel, Zhan Wang, and Ai Weiwei, among many others. Partner Museums Design Museum Holon, Haifa City Museum, Haifa Museum of Art, Hermann Struck Museum, Mané-Katz Museum, National Maritime Museum, Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem. The American Friends of Museums in Israel recognizes, promotes, and honors its outstanding partner museums in Israel by providing exhibition, program, project and financial support through the generosity of its donors. In addition, the American Friends provides heightened visibility for their partner museums through virtual programming and promotional material. Image credit: Dongi Lee, Flower Garden, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 43 1/3 x 51 inches. For more information call (917) 970-8846 or visit museumsinisrael.org
Auction IndustryStorm King Marks 60th Anniversary with Artist-Led Online Programs and Benefit Auction
Storm King Art Center is the 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley, where visitors experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Andy Goldsworthy, Storm King Art Center In lieu of its Annual Gala in New York City, Storm King Art Center will host a series of online artist talks and panel discussions featuring Storm King artists, curators, and collaborators as the museum celebrates 60 years of art in nature. The two-week live event program will coincide with an online benefit auction hosted by Artsy from October 1-15, 2020. “We are inviting our visitors, artists, and neighbors to celebrate virtually this year, not just to commemorate our 60th anniversary, but also to recognize and honor all those who have supported Storm King over the past six decades,” said John Stern, President of Storm King. “At Storm King, visitors interact with art in a landscape that changes with each passing season – a unique experience made possible because of our supporters who are behind all of what we do and can do. Participating in these artist-led programs and our benefit auction helps us to continue our mission to commission artists, preserve our grounds and collection, and offer new exhibitions and programs each year.” Storm King’s 60th Anniversary Celebration will feature artist talks hosted by Andy Goldsworthy and Maya Lin–whose landmark commissions Storm King Wall and Storm King Wavefield helped define the museum’s site. Storm King Board Members and artists Heather Hart and Virginia Overton will also host online conversations with other special artist guests including Hank Willis Thomas and Maren Hassinger. The online benefit auction, featuring works by preeminent artists from Zhang Huan to Alice Aycock, as well as fine art photographs of Storm King by Jerry L. Thompson, will open to bids on Artsy’s website from 1PM EST on October 1, 2020 through 5PM EST on October 15, 2020. Offerings will also include a curated Storm King getaway to an architectural gem in nearby Mountainville, complete with glass walls that provide 360-degree sweeping views of the Art Center and Schunemunk Mountain. As a part of the experience, guests will enjoy…
PeopleCollector Julia Stoschek Offers Free Online Archive of Video and Digital Art
Screenshot from the video project Double Strength by Barbara Hammer. Numerous pieces from digital art collector Julia Stoschek's archive are now available for free through the Julia Stoschek Collection website. Offerings include experimental video and digital projects from the 1960s to the present. This online transition was planned before the COVID-19 pandemic began, with an initial publicized release date of fall 2019. Given the unforeseen circumstances of 2020, the freely-accessible archive could fill a void in the international art community. Among the highlights of the collection is Barbara Hammer's 1978 video project Double Strength. The project documents Hammer’s relationship with trapeze artist and choreographer Terry Sendgraff. Viewers should be aware that the work is graphic and does not shy away from sexuality. Screenshot from the video project Double Strength by Barbara Hammer. Double Strength shows the trajectory of a developing relationship from early flirtations to lust to the disagreements and arguing of a long-term partnership. "You develop a much richer and deeper and profounder and more interesting relationship than you can ever have from a succession of relationships," the video's narrators theorize, "where you're always more or less starting in the same place and ending when the important things begin." Viewers can also watch Christian Jankowski's short film Hollywoodschnee (2004). In the project, several professionals in the film industry describe the ideal movie scene. Jankowski shoots these scenes in a documentary-esque style and later adds elements from other genres such as action or horror to emphasize the power movies have to shift tone and meaning. In one scene, film producer Alfred Holighaus pulls his car into an old shipyard. The producer’s location seems unusual, but Jankowski directs it as a normal part of a daily routine. "Well, God, you're wrong," says Holighaus once he emerges from his car. "In the beginning was not the word, but the image. One sees before one reads." As Holighaus makes this declaration, he is seen shot in the chest. He continues speaking, but the viewer's eye is drawn to the growing bloodstain, a reminder of imagery's power over words. Screenshot from the video project…
Auction PreviewVenice Art Walk: Benefit Auction 2020
After Ramona Otto retired as an elementary school teacher, she pursued her passion for art. Drawing inspiration from the common objects found in her old classroom, Otto creates mostly recycled art that brings life to vintage and thrifted objects. She collects the materials for each themed piece from flea markets and garage sales. The upcoming Venice Art Walk: Benefit Auction 2020, presented by Venice Family Clinic, will feature a collectible charm titled Lucky Duck from Otto. Claudy Jongstra’s work is also highlighted in the auction. Jongstra was introduced to felt in 1994 when she saw a Mongolian yurt on display in the Nederlands Textielmuseum. She began to experiment with fabrics, especially combining wool with silk fibers or transparent silk organza. The artist eventually became known for the technique of felting. The auction will also include Ed Moses’ #2 Nose painting. Recognized as a leading postwar abstract painter in Southern California, Moses incorporates semi-representational scenes in his paintings. View all of these lots and register to bid online by visiting Artsy.
Auction PreviewArtsy x Capsule Auctions: Contemporary Living
Andy Warhol entered the world of Pop Art after he became an illustrator for Glamour magazine. In 1961, he drifted away from conventional art and began working on his own style. His paintings often focused on mass-produced commercial goods, distorted advertisements, and popular culture figures. The upcoming sale, presented by Artsy and Capsule Auctions, will present a piece by Warhol depicting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. This auction of 32 fine art pieces includes works from Ugo Rondinone, Richard Hamilton, and Jim Shaw. The available Shaw piece shows a surreal depiction of a nautilus. He is known for his experiments with a range of styles, from Surrealism to Pop Art. Finding inspiration in comic books, pulp novels, rock albums, and thrift store paintings, the artist works with a wide range of visual imagery. Another item in the sale is titled Not Guilty by an artist commonly known as Mr. Brainwash. Using a humorous approach to art, his paintings frequently incorporate cartoonish iconography and slogans. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Artsy.
Auction Industry, OpinionHas Instagram Changed Art Buying?
Brett Gorvy, Christie’s former global head of contemporary art, posted a picture of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting on his personal Instagram page in 2017. Within hours, he received messages from collectors around the world who were interested in buying the piece. The painting was sold for $24 million two days later. Speaking with the New York Times, Gorvy stated, “From the buyer’s point of view, this was a total Instagram sale.” Instagram boasts over a billion users monthly, and current estimates suggest that over 50 billion photos have been shared to date. Artists, galleries, and auction houses are increasingly using social media platforms like Instagram to share, market, and sell art. Auction houses see viral hashtags and eye-catching photos as an opportunity to draw bidders toward their upcoming sales. Sotheby’s, for example, celebrated one million Instagram followers in 2019. The auction house even compiles a list of its best Instagram posts at the end of each year. Posted on Sotheby’s Instagram page to promote the upcoming “Made in Britain” auction on March 17, 2020. Image by Sotheby’s. Buying and selling art is adapting to the digital space. Beyond the increasing growth of online auction sales (rising over 11% yearly since 2013), initiatives such as See You Next Thursday (SYNT) have changed the accessibility of art buying. The SYNT account posts images of at least one piece of art on Thursday evenings, allowing interested buyers to bid simply by leaving Instagram comments. Founder Calli Moore shared her vision for the account with Artsy last year: “[SYNT is] very geared toward artists who have a very large outreach, but are not represented [in galleries].” An example of Ashley Longshore’s work, which gathered more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. Image by Ashley Longshore. Independent artists are also using Instagram for self-promotion. Ashley Longshore is one artist who harnesses the power of social media to market her work. She reported to Vogue: “Technology is the platform of my business: All I need is my iPad, my Instagram, and a delivery truck.” Nearly 300,000 users follow Longshore, receiving regular updates about new work and merchandise…
ArtistsThese Major Contemporary Artists Are Passionate Collectors of Outsider Art
Helen RaeMay 10, 2019, 2019Andrew Edlin Gallery Susan Te Kahurangi KingUntitled, c. 1975Andrew Edlin Gallery Ever wondered what’s in Cindy Sherman’s art collection? Well, it certainly includes at least one quirky sculpture by Mr. Imagination, a Chicago-born outsider artist whose preferred media included bottle caps and molding sand. Sherman’s Mr. Imagination piece is a simple paintbrush that is painted to resemble a black man with a vertical shock of hair. The Pictures Generation star also owns a dramatic photo booth snap by Lee Godie; prints by Morton Bartlett, best known for staging eerie black-and-white tableaux using dolls; and a drawing by Lady Shalimar, an agoraphobic artist who expressed herself through an ongoing series of flamboyant self-portraits. These highlights from Sherman’s private collection were on loan recently for “Relishing the Raw,” an excellent mini-exhibition curated by critic Paul Laster that was hosted within this year’s edition of the Outsider Art Fair (OAF) in New York. Laster’s goal was simple: to tap well-known contemporary artists who have a passion for self-taught, marginalized, and otherwise off-the-beaten-path talents. The show wasn’t simply a voyeuristic chance to see the kind of work artists are buying in their spare time. Laster’s savvy curation connected the dots between these outsider artists and the contemporary masters who collect them, spotlighting shared resonances and styles. KAWS, for instance, contributed a lively colored-pencil drawing of a woman struggling with a pile of chairs; it’s by Helen Rae, an octogenarian artist who makes work at First Street Gallery and Art Center, a California-based center for creatives with disabilities. The piece shares a certain comic sensibility, vibrant color palette, and chaotic energy with KAWS’s own paintings. The artist, who recently joined the board of the American Folk Art Museum, is also an avid collector of the drawings of Susan Te Kahurangi King—not included in the Outsider Art Fair exhibition this year—which appropriate well-known cartoon characters into implausible, fantastical scenes. Laster was delighted to find other aesthetic connections. Chris Martin, for instance—a painter prone to messy abstraction, with the occasional collaged element—owns work by Purvis Young. The painting that hung at “Relishing the Raw” resembles a rough, colorful landscape, completed over several scraps of layered canvas. Laurie Simmons—known for carefully composed photographs…
Art IndustryThis Artwork Changed My Life: Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica”
Guernica, 1937 Museo Reina Sofía Elephant and Artsy have come together to present This Artwork Changed My Life, a creative collaboration that shares the stories of life-changing encounters with art. A new piece will be published every two weeks on both Elephant and Artsy. Together, our publications want to celebrate the personal and transformative power of art. Out today on Elephant is Nathan Ma on Adrien Piper’s Catalysis. The first time I saw Pablo Picasso’s Guernica (1937), I nearly missed it. I was 15 years old, studying abroad in Spain for the month of July with a few dozen other American high schoolers. It was our last free afternoon in Madrid and while my peers were likely sneaking sangrias at an out-of-the-way café, I, ever the shy, straight-laced type, had museum plans. Forget a few blissful hours of aimless frolicking or rule-breaking, I needed to see the Reina Sofía. As best as I can remember, 15 years later, it was an uneventful, slightly boring museum trip for my younger self. The Reina Sofía is located in a former hospital, with an idyllic central courtyard that hosts a looming Calder stabile; the white cube galleries hold masterworks of modern art. Its crown jewel, Guernica (1937), is one of Picasso’s most famous paintings and one of the most iconic depictions of the horrors of war. I knew none of this, and apparently wasn’t wise enough to consult the museum’s floor plan or even a basic brochure. I traversed gallery after gallery, and then planned to leave. But before I made it out the door, I saw a postcard of Guernica in the gift shop. I recognized the image from middle school Spanish class and decided I should probably go back and find it. When I finally saw the hulking canvas—goodness knows how I missed a 25.5-foot-long painting—I soaked it in for a minute or two, then made a quick exit, fearing I would miss that evening’s curfew (I didn’t). The following day, my group headed to Barcelona; and two weeks later I returned to the U.S., my mind swimming with Velázquez’s Las Meninas, Gaudí’s trippy architecture, and ham croquetas. Picasso accroupi travaillant à Guernica, 1937Musée Picasso Paris In the years that followed I became convinced that trip had…
