Killer Canvases: Sir Anthony Hopkins Art Exhibit Opens

The first British exhibition of artwork by award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins opens in London this week. [Credit: Times Online]>

LONDON — The actor best known for his role as Hannibal Lecter, Oscar-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins will show off his killer painting skills in a new exhibit opening this week at London's Gallery 27. The collection will feature 38 paper canvases, 7 acrylic pieces, and 5 limited addition prints for sale - all of which will be on view through February 20.

"This exhibition gives people the chance to see a different side of Sir Anthony in terms of his artistry and also his unique personality," said exhibition organizer Jonathan Poole. "His technique is to use a palette knife to make thick, swooping strokes with gobs of paint. His work is painterly, wild and vibrant and is generous with its motion and use of color," Poole explained.

Hopkins began painting in 2002 at the encouragement of his wife, Stella, who happened upon a collection of his old scripts with his unique drawings on them. Since then, Hopkins has produced a variety of artwork, including ink drawings and acrylic paintings. The actor has said that he paints every day out of his studio in Malibu.

"When I paint, I just paint freely without anxiety regarding outside opinions as criticisms," said Hopkins. "I do it for sheer pleasure. It's done wonders for my subconscious - I dream now in colors."

[Source: Telegraph]
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Killer Canvases: Sir Anthony Hopkins Art Exhibit Opens

Mr. Tambourine Man Gets an Art Show

"Sunflowers", an acrylic painting on canvas by legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan.

LONDON — A dozen original canvas paintings by the legendary musician Bob Dylan will go on public display Saturday. The exhibit is called Bob Dylan on Canvas and will be on view at London's Halcyon Gallery from February 13 through April 10.

"I just draw what's interesting to me, and then I paint it. Rows of houses, orchard acres, lines of tree trunks, could be anything. I can take a bowl of fruit and turn it into a life and death drama," said 68-year-old Dylan. "I'm not trying to make social comment or fulfill somebody's vision and I can find subject matter anywhere. I guess in some way that comes out of the folk world that I came up in."

The twelve paintings are the grand finale of The Drawn Blank Series and are based on drawings made while the singer/songwriter was on the road touring between 1989 and 1992. The works will be available for purchase at prices ranging from $137,000 to $727,000.

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Mr. Tambourine Man Gets an Art Show

Prez Sarkozy's Father Exhibits Carla Bruni Paintings

Top ART News Headlines for Monday, February 8, 2010

The centerpiece of Pal Sarkozy's exhibition will be a large canvas of his daughter-in-law Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. [Credit: Mail Online]

Pal Sarkozy Exhibits Paintings of His Daughter-in-Law | BUDAPEST — Eighty-two-year-old Pal Sarkozy has a famous son and daughter-in-law to thank for "enormously" boosting his painting career. The Hungarian aristocrat is the father of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Pal's paintings are currently on view in Budapest before being shown at Espace Pierre Cardin in April. A large canvas of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was a wedding present to the pair but will be the centerpiece of the show. Pal says Carla is an "adorable girl" who helped bring him closer to his son after years of estrangement. "There is a rose on the piano as a symbol of the openness of Nicolas to the political Left, but also an emblem of love," he said. [Source: Telegraph]

NoMA Victorious in Super Bowl Art Bet | NEW ORLEANS — In case you've been locked away in a closet for the past 24 hours - the New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday evening. Looks like Joseph Turner's The Fifth Plague of Egypt (1800) will be traveling to the New Orleans Museum of Art for a 3-month visit. [Background on the Super Bowl art bet here]

Kate Moss Fashions Herself a Painter | LONDON — Supermodel Kate Moss was recently spotted stocking up on art supplies after signing up for a private art course at her home in London. A source close to the waifish celebrity said: "Kate has always been a big collector of art and has several valuable works in her home. But she has been getting more into painting herself. She has a very hectic life and that is one of the few things that relaxes her." [Source: The Sun]

Missouri Museum Gifted 400 Artworks for 75 Years | KANSAS CITY — Dozens of patrons have donated 400 artworks to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in celebration of its 75th anniversary this year. Among the gifted pieces is an impressive Impressionist collection from Marion and Henry Bloch (founder of H&R Block Inc.), including works by Monet, Van Gogh, Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Pierre Bonnard and Camille Pissarro. The museum will feature 130 of the 400 artworks in a special exhibition February 13-April 4. [Source: ABC News]

Iran Formally Cuts Ties with British Museum | TEHRAN — "Since the Cyrus Cylinder has not been transferred to Iran, we will lodge a complaint against the British Museum to UNESCO and cut ties," head of Iran's cultural heritage and tourism organization, Hamid Baghai, confirmed Sunday. Baghai accused the museum of stalling in returning the Persian treasure to Iran, who formally severed relations after the final deadline of Sunday was not met. The British Museum expressed "great surprise" at the decision, saying it planned to return the artifact in late July. "The British Museum has acted throughout in good faith, and values highly its hitherto good relations with Iran. It is to be hoped that this matter can be resolved as soon as possible," said a museum official. [Source: AFP]

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Prez Sarkozy's Father Exhibits Carla Bruni Paintings

Auction Thriller: Michael Crichton's Private Art Collection at Christie's

An encaustic Stars and Stripes painting entitled Flag made between 1960-1966 by U.S. artist Jasper Johns. From the private collection of late American author Michael Crichton. [Credit: AP/Lefteris Pitarakis]

LONDON — American author Michael Crichton was well-known for his best-selling novels and popular television shows, but he was also a private and passionate art collector. Crichton, the man behind Jurassic Park and ER, died of cancer in November 2008 at the age of 66. He left behind an impressive art collection of 20th century masterworks worth an estimated $32 million. The lot will be up for auction at Christie's New York on May 11.

Crichton's collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Four of the pieces went on display at Christie's London on Friday and will be on view until February 12.

The star of the show is the iconic Flag of 1960-1966, one of a series of paintings by American Abstract Expressionist artist Jasper Johns. The piece once hung in Crichton's Beverly Hills bedroom and hasn't been seen publicly since he purchased it directly from the artist in 1974. Crichton was considered such an authority on Johns that the artist asked him to write the catalog for a 1977 retrospective. The last Johns flag painting sold at auction fetched $12.1 million in 1989.

"I never really cared whether a particular piece was major or minor, typical or atypical of the artist's work, or whether the artist was fully or thinly represented in my collection," Crichton wrote of his art collecting philosophy. "I just bought images that I enjoyed looking at."

[Source: AP]
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Auction Thriller: Michael Crichton's Private Art Collection at Christie's

Cheesy Portrait: Conan O'Brien Immortalized in Cheetos [VIDEO]

COLORADO — Whether you're Team Coco or Team Leno, you've got to appreciate the very cheesy art of Colorado Springs artist Jason Baalman. He's known for his food art using media like ketchup and chocolate syrup. But most recently, Frito-Lay commissioned him to create a portrait of Conan O'Brien completely out of Cheetos.

“I think it’s cheating if you get out a paintbrush,” said Baalman, whose videos capturing his creative processes have gone viral.

The finished masterpiece was supposed to be revealed on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. At least, that was the plan before the whole NBC late-night fiasco.

The Conan portrait took three weeks to create, measures 5"x4" and was constructed from 2,000 individual Cheetos (50 bags) of three different flavors. And if you'd like to hang this finger-lickin' good art in your home, JustJared.com is running an exclusive giveaway until Thursday, February 4.

“Art — especially modern art — is hard to understand; it takes a lot of background." Baalman explained. "This is something that everyone can understand.”
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Cheesy Portrait: Conan O'Brien Immortalized in Cheetos [VIDEO]

Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

The inaugural Art Los Angeles Contemporary international contemporary art fair is being held January 28-31, 2010 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES — Recent American Idol guest judge Neil Patrick Harris and Brothers and Sisters star Rachel Griffiths were among the A-listers at Thursday evening's opening gala for the first annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary. The international contemporary art fair is in its inaugural year and continues through Sunday at the 14-acre campus of the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The event boasts displays from 55 "blue chip" art galleries along with world class artist talks, panel discussions and an artist film screening series.

This premiere January event is part of the annual Los Angeles Arts Month - raising "awareness, appreciation, and participation in the arts in Los Angeles in all forms."

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Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

Pop Artist Arrested for Tiger Woods Gatorade Stunt

A Colorado artist was arrested Wednesday for replacing Gatorade labels with his own "pop art" version; the labels feature a picture of Tiger Woods, his wife Elin Nordegren and the word "Unfaithful".

DENVER — "Good for Gatorade and good for art" - that's the pitch Colorado artist Jason Kay emailed to parent company PepsiCo before being arrested Wednesday. The 38-year-old Kay thought his "pop art" Gatorade labels would "get people talking about how stupid the whole thing with Tiger Woods is," but instead the artist faces a maximum of five years in prison and up to $450,000 in fines.

The unemployed Kay replaced the labels on one-quart bottles of Tropical Mango Gatorade with his own version; a picture of Tiger Woods, his wife Elin Nordegren and the word "unfaithful" printed in bold black capital letters. Kay then snuck the bottles back onto shelves at various stores in the Denver area.

According to an affidavit filed by the Food and Drug Administration, Kay told federal agents, "I didn't think this was a big deal." Kay compares the Gatorade bottle labels to pop art and claims the stunt was his attempt at emulating Andy Warhol. In fact, Kay was hoping to work out a partnership with the beverage firm wherein they would "participate unofficially (while denying this connection) by providing support to [Kay] for travel and per diem in various cities."

Gatorade was a major sponsor of Tiger Woods but ended their endorsement after news of the golfer's alleged infidelities broke in December. Kay has been charged with misbranding and altering food labels with intent to seriously harm a person's business.
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Pop Artist Arrested for Tiger Woods Gatorade Stunt

Hugh Oughta Know Better Than to Take Art for Grant(ed)

NEW YORK — In 2001, we all watched as Hugh Grant vied for Bridget Jones's affection. In the same year, the British actor also competed for an Andy Warhol painting up for auction. But to Grant's "horror" - as he puts it - he ended up with the winning bid.

So why did the actor bid on a painting that he didn't want in the first place? Alcohol. "It all began with drink," Grant said.

After a two-day drunken binge, Grant ordered an assistant to bid on Warhol's 1963 portrait of Elizabeth Taylor, simply entitled Liz. "I'd been having a drunken dinner with my father the night before, and I said, 'We ought to go see my brother Jamie. You know, the Concorde's amazing.' And he said, 'I hear it is.' So I bought him a Concorde ticket and we went," Grant explained. "We had lunch, drank a lot of beer. And I was thinking about some stuff in the Sotheby's auction and I saw the Liz Taylor."

His assistant, simply following his intoxicated orders, bid on the piece. And "even worse" - she won. Luckily for him, Grant eventually sold the painting for $21-million in 2007; his $3.25-million investment earning an $18-million profit. Is Grant an actor turned art connoisseur? Even he admits, he's not even close.
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Read More - Hugh Grant: 'I was drunk when I bought Elizabeth Taylor painting that made £11million profit' | Daily Mail

[Image: “Liz” (1963) by Andy Warhol.]

Hugh Oughta Know Better Than to Take Art for Grant(ed)

Celebrity Paintings Translate to T-Shirts for a Cause

LOS ANGELES — With paintbrushes in hand, High School Musical star Corbin Bleu, socialite family The Hiltons (sisters Paris and Nicky with mom Kathy), singer Colbie Caillat, Disney actress Demi Lovato and The Hills reality star Audrina Patridge, all applied their creativity to canvas for a good cause. Each celebrity created a painting which has been incorporated into a unique line of t-shirts and tank tops. The fashions will be sold by Forever 21 for $12.80, with proceeds benefiting the Starlight Children's Foundation. Starting December 21, each star's original painting will also be up for sale at Starlight's eBay store.

“I was honored and excited to participate with the Forever 21/Starlight project with my daughters Paris and Nicky," said Kathy Hilton. "It was fun to do together, while at the same time doing something to help others. It's a very good cause, so I hope everyone will enjoy the t-shirts."

The Starlight Children's Foundation helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

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[Image: Paris, Nicky and Kathy Hilton's original artwork for a line of t-shirts to be sold by Forever 21, with proceeds benefitting the Starlight Children's Foundation.]

Celebrity Paintings Translate to T-Shirts for a Cause

Can't Afford a Michael Jackson Painting? Buy His Opus

Just when Michael Jackson mania seemed to quiet down a bit, the King of Pop is back in the news this week; the sale of his portrait at Art Basel Miami Beach and the release of the ginormous Official Michael Jackson Opus are making headlines.

Over the weekend, artist Kehinde Wiley's 11.5 foot by 10.1 foot portrait of Michael Jackson, entitled Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II, sold to a German collector at ABMB for an impressive $175,000. Although Jackson never saw the final painting, depicting him on horseback, dressed in regal garb and attended by two cherubs, Wiley, who initially thought voicemails from the late pop star were a prank, said she felt a responsibility to complete the piece commissioned by Jackson in 2008.

If you're not willing to fork over the really big bucks, $249 will buy you a copy of the monumental 404-page The Official Michael Jackson Opus: The Ultimate Celebration of an Icon, featuring hundreds of rare, previously unpublished photos and images of exclusive drawings and paintings depicting the pop star. The Opus also includes personal essays by celebrities like Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Paula Abdul, Sugar Ray Leonard, Spike Lee, Jane Fonda and many others. Released this week, the mammoth tome weighs a whopping 26.5 pounds.

One of the book's images getting a lot of attention is artist David Nordahl's painting, simply entitled Michael. The painting shows a scantily-clad Jackson surrounded by a group of nude cherubs. Nordahl painted hundreds of works for Jackson, who spent millions building up his private art collection.

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[Images: Top - Kehinde Wiley, "Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II." | Bottom - David Nordahl, "Michael."]

Can't Afford a Michael Jackson Painting? Buy His Opus

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

MIAMI BEACH — An estimated 40,000 art enthusiasts, art collectors, artists, dealers, curators and critics will attend the eighth annual Art Basel Miami Beach, America's preeminent contemporary art fair. From December 3-6, the fair, held at Miami Beach Convention Center, will offer contemporary art and rare museum-caliber artworks.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the younger sister of Art Basel Switzerland, held annually in June since 1970.

This year's Art Basel Miami Beach boasts itself as bigger and better - 20% more exhibition space, extra lounge areas, wider aisles and bigger stands - so you'll want to wear comfy shoes in order to see it all. Exclusive selections of more than 250 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st-century artworks by over 2,000 artists. Visitors will also experience an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design.

In the city known for its all-night parties, Art Basel Miami Beach always attracts its share of celebrities. So far, early sightings include Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Klein, Naomi Campbell and John McEnroe. Stallone, who paints when he's not busy acting, unveiled a collection of his artwork at the fair. "I’m not just painting for painting’s sake. I want to be truthful," said Stallone, who reportedly already sold two paintings for $40,000 and $50,000.

Are these early sales a good sign? Tough economic times have caused most art collectors to scale back on their spending, but fair organizers remain optimistic. “What we are seeing, and what we saw at other shows in the fall, is that there is definitely a market for high quality art,” said Art Basel co-director Marc Spiegler.

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Art Basel Miami (December 3-6, 2009) | Website
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[Images: Top - Olaf Breuning, "Colors" (2009), Metro Pictures, New York. | Bottom - (Row 1, Left) Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin. (Row 1, Right) James Cohan Gallery, New York. (Row 2, Left) Niels Borch Jensen Editions & Gallery, Berlin. (Row 2, Right) Mona Hatoum, "Undercurrent (red)" (2008), Galleria Continua, San Gimignano.]

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

Obama Names Hollywood Actors, Musicians to Arts Panel

“The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather paintings and poetry, music...design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.” ~First Lady Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- What do Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, actor Forest Whitaker, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and cellist Yo-Yo Ma have in common? They've all been given new jobs by President Barack Obama - serving on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The arts panel consists of names from the arts and entertainment industries, many of whom are Hollywood celebrities, but none of whom are visual artists. Led by Honorary Chairman First Lady Michelle Obama, the PCAH strives "to connect the people of the United States with each other and with the rest of the world through dance, music, literature, painting and sculpture and heritage and cultural tourism."

Here is the full list of 25 appointees released by the White House on Monday:

1. J. Ricky Arriola
2. Madeleine Harris Berman
3. Richard J. Cohen
4. Paula Hannaway Crown
5. Christine Forester
6. Teresa Heinz
7. Victoria Strauss Kennedy
8. Bryan Lourd
9. Anne Luzzatto
10. Yo-Yo Ma
11. Liz Manne
12. Thom Mayne
13. Edward Norton
14. Sarah Jessica Parker
15. Andy Spahn
16. Jill Cooper Udall
17. Reginald Van Lee
18. Agnes Varis
19. Kerry Washington
20. Alexa L. Wesner
21. Forest Whitaker
22. Anna Wintour
23. Damian Woetzel
24. George C. Wolfe
25. Alfre Woodard 

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[Read More - President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | Chicago Tribune]

Obama Names Hollywood Actors, Musicians to Arts Panel

A Night at the Museum: Guggenheim's First Annual Art Awards Ceremony

NEW YORK, NY -- There are dozens of award shows honoring actors and musicians, and now artists are finally being recognized for their creative achievements. On Thursday evening, stars including Kylie Minogue, Julianne Moore, James Franco and Mary-Kate Olsen, were at the Guggenheim Museum for a Hollywood-esque awards ceremony - The First Annual Art Awards. Conceived by artist Rob Pruitt, The First Annual Art Awards "honors select individuals, exhibitions, and projects that have made a significant impact on the field of contemporary art during the past year." And instead of the traditional metal statuette, winners took home a celebratory bucket of champagne that conveniently also serves as a fully functional lamp.

More than four hundred artists and art world professionals selected the nominees. And winners are (envelope please)...

■ Artist of the Year | Mary Heilmann

■ Curator of the Year | Connie Butler

■ Exhibition Outside the United States | Jeff Koons, Versailles, Château de Versailles, France

■ Group Show of the Year, Gallery | Who’s Afraid of Jasper Johns? Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York

■ Group Show of the Year, Museum | The Pictures Generation, 1974–1984, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

■ New Artist of the Year | Ryan Trecartin

■ The Rob Pruitt Award | Cynthia Plaster Caster

■ Solo Show of the Year, Gallery | Manzoni: A Retrospective, Gagosian Gallery, New York

■ Solo Show of the Year, Museum | Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Museum of Modern Art, New York

■ Writer of the Year | Jerry Saltz

■ Lifetime-Achievement | Joan Jonas and Kasper König

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[Read More - Winners of Art Awards Announced at Guggenheim Museum Ceremony | Guggenheim.org]

A Night at the Museum: Guggenheim's First Annual Art Awards Ceremony

Stars Shine at Whitney Museum Gala Benefit for the Arts

The stars were shining on Monday night at the 2009 Whitney Museum Gala in New York. The annual museum event raises funds to support museum exhibitions and educational programming. Sponsored by Versace, the museum's black-tie benefit was attended by the likes of actresses Lindsey Lohan and Mischa Barton, actors Gerard Butler and Patrick Dempsey, designer Charlotte Ronson, singers Shakira and Jennifer Hudson, and the list goes on.

“I draw, but only cartoon figures, so I would never make it into a museum like this,” said singer Jennifer Hudson, whose special musical performance elicited a standing ovation from the crowd. Other celebrities also discussed their artistic abilities (or lack thereof). “I have ‘paint parties.' I put up blank canvases on the wall and everyone comes over and paints on them," Mischa Barton said. “I make sculpture, I used to paint fried eggs—I was in a phase,” added Shakira.

NEW YORK /Sfilate.com/-- In addition to sponsoring the Gala, Donatella Versace collaborated with the Whitney’s Education Department to create Art Unites, a global initiative aimed at providing needy children in the United States  and China with the incomparable spirit, creativity, inspiration and solace that visual arts bestow. The program, officially launched on July 1st, benefits the Starlight Children’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families in the US, and the Versace One Foundation (founded by Jet Li)  in China, an organization committed to the long-term recovery of the areas devastated by last year’s earthquakes in the Sichuan province, funding and operating two Versace One Foundation children’s centers with schooling, psychological therapy, and post  trauma counseling for over 1200, through creative visual arts, an essential form of relief.

As part of the Art Unites program Versace provided canvas and art supplies to 500 children from Starlight and 900 children from the Versace One Foundation to create original drawings using the theme of “friendship”.  Each child’s work of art has been fashioned into a one-of-a-kind Versace canvas tote bag which are being sold worldwide now at Versace boutiques and the Gilt Groupe, a member’s only ecommerce site.  The bags retail for about 200 euro, and 100% percent of the proceeds from the sale of the bags will be donated equally to Starlight and to the Versace One Foundation.

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[Read more - Versace Sponsors 2009 Gala | Sfilate.com]

Stars Shine at Whitney Museum Gala Benefit for the Arts