New Blogpost about the Detroit Art Institute Appraisals

I have just posted a long piece on my blog, http://extraordinaryassumptions.blogspot.com about the clash between the various appraisers who have evaluated DIA's collection.  The case provides a fascinating look at the work of some of the top appraisers in the country and a rare chance to see varying appraisals of the same objects.  In the piece, I argue that although every appraiser in the case is independent and trustworthy, the point of view of their client shines through their work in the end. 

This 1874 Renoir oil was appraised at between $10 Million and $22.5 Million by the various appraisers who have been engaged by adversaries in the Detroit bankruptcy trial

Jay Grimm Gallery Archives now Online

Jay Grimm Gallery, a pioneering venue for emerging and mid-career artists, was the northernmost gallery in Chelsea when it opened in 1998.  Established in a renovated storefront, the boutique space was widely admired for its program which mixed established artists such as Lucas Samaras, Karel Appel and Richard Smith with younger artists like Joe Fyfe and Nancy Lorenz.  Gallery exhibitions were regularly reviewed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Art in America, and Artforum.  In 2002 the business was merged with the uptown dealer James Graham & Sons.  You may find the archives of the gallery's shows, with press releases, images and some reviews at: http://jg.jaygrimm.com/exhibitions.htm. I am extremely proud of the work the gallery did on behalf of the many talented artists it worked with and hope this archive will be useful to anyone interested in their art.

Tom Judd at 527 Madison

I am pleased to announce that the work of Tom Judd will be the second of a rotating series of exhibitions I coordinate at 527 Madison Avenue (at 54th Street, the link to the show is here).  Tom is based in Philadelphia and is represented by William Holman Gallery, from Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  The opening reception is Tuesday, July 8, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM and is open to the public.  The exhibition will be on through November 7 and can be seen Monday – Friday, 9–5.  Judd’s work, a combination of collage, painting and drawing, juxtaposes bold patterns with subtle tonalities and unexpected cropping.  He mines art history, skillfully choosing and combining images and ideas to generate works that lead to new questions and understandings of the ideas they reference.

Tom Judd, The New World, 2007, oil on canvas, 6 x 16 feet

Moving Image at Waterfront New York Tunnel

The 2014 edition of Moving Image opens next week, and I am very proud to be one of the co-producers.  The fair is devoted to video art and will be again held at the Waterfront New York Tunnel from March 6 – 9.  The opening reception is next Thursday, March 6, from 6 to 8 PM and is open to the public.  Thirty-five single-channel videos and installations by artists represented by galleries and non-profit institutions from around the world will be on view.   A satellite fair of the Armory Show, Moving Image offers a viewing experience with the excitement and vitality of an art fair, while allowing moving-image-based artworks to be understood and appreciated on their own terms.

Wave by Rollin Leonard, 2014

Tracy Miller at 527 Madison

I am organizing a rotating series of exhibitions in the lobby of 527 Madison Avenue (at 54th Street), a boutique office building located in midtown Manhattan.  The inaugural show is work by Tracy Miller, a Brooklyn-based painter represented by Feature Inc., and runs from January 15 – May 9, 2014.  The opening reception is from 5 -7 and all are welcome; the exhibition will be on through May 9th, and can be seen Monday – Friday 9 – 5.  Miller is well-known for her painterly compositions depicting sumptuous feasts of lobster, cupcakes, champagne and beer.  While the welter of foodstuffs pokes fun at the American tendency to overeat, Miller’s charming sense of humor deflates any sense of scorn.