b&w photography in Antibes

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Miao Xiaochun: H2O in Berlin

Miao Xiaochun: H2O in Berlin

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Miao Xiaochun, The Fountain of the Youth, 2007, C-Print, Ed. 12, 170 x 269 cm
Courtesy Alexander Ochs Galleries Berlin I Beijing.


BERLIN.- Alexander Ochs Galleries Berlin presents Miao Xiaochun: H2O. Miao Xiaochun has come back, down to earth. Back from the spheres of heaven, with figures floating in the detached and airy space that he so closely explored in his last large picture-series "The Last Judgement". And yet, it is not so much the firm and solid ground of earth that the Chinese photo-artist is interested in. He rather turns his attention towards an element which, at first sight, seems about as hard to grasp as the atmospheric range of the sky: water. However, the framework that he chose for his explorations (investigations) consistently remains the same: the array of Western art-history. He furthers his forays through the world of art and painting. And he leaves many enthralling hints for the observer, allowing him to follow.

Masterly in his use of digital visual media, Miao Xiaochun time and again lets us dive down deeply into a perfectly animated parallel world. Into the modern, artificially created imagery of cyberspace - new, and yet strangely familiar. For the artist uses our knowledge, the history of our world-view, our painting, our space of image and imagination - all reflected in the mirror of famous works of art. The allusion to this frame of reference allows him to phrase and convey his thoughts. We know the models for his pictures. And exactly because we know them, we can't help but think of them parallel to the process of perception and artistic reception.

Miao's works function as picture puzzles, in which we newly discover well-known aspects. The famous artistic prototypes are not simply converted 1:1. Miao subtly varies the perspective and noticeably modifies the formal design and construction, bringing on a perceptible shift of meaning. The artist did not choose his points of origin at random. Unifying element within the rooms of reference for his new works is the motif of water. As visible expression of the flowing of time and power of life, and full of symbolic implications, the element of water again and again becomes a metaphor. A source of creation and signification, and a source of art - continuously changing and flowing, and yet always present, just as art itself.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Special Auction Photography at Hampel Fine Art

Special Auction Photography at Hampel Fine Art

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Bert Stern, 1929, New York, Last Sitting – Marilyn Monroe, Taken 1962. Copyright-Stempel Bert Stern und Datierung von 2006.

MUNICH, GERMANY.- Hampel Fine Art Auctions will hold a Special Auction Photography on Saturday 23rd June 2007, 12.30 pm. Hampel Fine Art Auctioneers offers a variety of photographs from historical to contemporary examples. A fine example of historical photography is the collection of 8 large-sized albumin prints by James Anderson with views of famous historical architectures in Italy (about 1860, Estimate 45.000-60.000 Euro). Exponents of classical photography as Marc Riboud, Robert Doisneau, Horst P. Horst and André Villers should be mentioned (Estimates up to 6.000-8.000 Euro). Viller's photographs show different portraits of Pablo Picasso. Furthermore Hampel presents a number of portraits of numerous Hollywood-Stars, among them Marilyn Monroe, by Bruno Bernard and Bert Stern from the forties, fifties and sixties of the 20th century (Estimates up to 2.000-2.800 Euro). Architectural photographs come from Lucien Hervé, Julius Shulman and Klaus Kinold (Estimates up to 13.000 Euro). An important section of the sale will be photographs with erotic motifs by important exponents of this genre. Helmut Newton´s "Big Nude Una" is offered with an estimate of 8.500 to 11.000 Euro, moreover also photographs by Herb Ritts, Ralph Gibson and Bettina Rheims (Estimate up to 3.000-4.500 Euro). The German photographer Günter Blum, who died ten years ago, is represented with 24 photographs which come from his estate in den United States. Sylvie Blum, formerly model, afterwards wife of Günter Blum and currently herself photographer, handed over these photographs for the auction. Different contemporary photographs feature in this sale including works by following artists: Andreas Gursky, Julia Kissina, Shirin Neshat, Roger Newton, Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman and Alexander Timtschenko (Estimates up to 4.000 - 6.000 Euro).

Artists at Auction: James Anderson | Klaus Behr | Bruno Bernard | Günter Blum | Sylvie Blum | Wolfgang Boese | Jean-Marie Bottequin | Robert Doisneau | Ralph Gibson | Abe Frajndlich | T. Fukasawa | Andreas Gursky | Philippe Halsman | Lucien Hervé | Horst P. Horst | Bill Jones | Paul W. John | Willy Kessels | Klaus Kinold | Julia Kissina | Willy Maywald | Ralph Morse | Shirin Neshat | Helmut Newton | Roger Newton | Niklas Nitschke | Irene Peschick | Rudolf Rattinger | Man Ray | Marc Riboud | Herb Ritts | Bettina Rheims | Thomas Ruff | Diane Schmidt | Cindy Sherman | Julius Shulmann | Bert (Bertram) Stern | Alexander Timtschenko | André Villers | George T. Zimbel et.al.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Open House, Christie's Sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art

Open House, Christie's Sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art

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Thomas Ruff, Nude NK 12, 2000, Chromogenic c-print. Estimate: $1,800-2,500. © Christie’s Images Ltd. 2007.

NEW YORK.-This season, there is one more reason to return to New York after the Fourth of July break – Open House, Christie’s sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art on July 10 which is not going to break records, not going to cause a major shift in investment portfolios, not going to make headlines on the financial news. Open House instead will offer a range of original, fun and affordable art, maybe slightly eccentric on certain occasions, but with the enormous appeal of the ‘real’ thing with a ‘do-able’ price. Estimates vary from $1,000 up to $50,000 and several works will be offered without reserve.

Open House is nothing if not different. With price levels for Post-War & Contemporary Art rising at breakneck speed, this refreshing summertime auction shows that there is life – and a lot of it – at other levels of the market. Very well-known names – as in Joseph Beuys, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman – will sail alongside artists who are more opaque, more unexplored and more discover-able such as Tomory Dodge, Rita Ackermann, and Kim McCarty. Auction: Open House July 10 at 10 a.m. Viewing: Christie’s Galleries at Rockefeller Center July 5 - 9.