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Dear
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Welcome! We are finally seeing signs of recovery in the art market. The question that lingered in our heads was "will it get worse before it gets better?" I have seen several signs of what economists call "green shoots" and have experienced business productivity in small but definite spurts. HLAA has been busy with new clients, cataloging and appraising their collections as well as dealing with the secondary art market which has been alight with activity.
Given the slower pace of things in general I have had more time to see art. I was out on the town visiting shows like Steve Cohen's collection open to the public for the first time at Sotheby's and Javier de Villota's first exhibition in the U.S. at the Station Museum in Houston. I also organized a panel discussion with Christie's Education AS and am grateful for the participation of Lisa Erf, David Mugrabi, Barbara Hunt McClanahan, Dominique Lévy and Cristel Force.
Last week's Impressionist and Modern Art sale at Christie's which realized $102,767,000 (USD) was also a sign of better things to come. The results went above and beyond expectations with top lots selling. Picasso's Mousquetaire à la pipe sold for $14,642,500 (est. $12-18 million). Although we may not have arrived at greener pastures yet, we can appreciate the roses as they start to bloom. Enjoy! ~Heidi Lee
Tamara de Lempika, LA CHEMISE ROSE I, circa 1927, Christie's Imp/Mod Sale May 6, 2009, New York. Price realized $3,218,500 (estimate $1,300,000 - $1,800,000)
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In This Issue
EVENTS |
ON THE TOWN
PRESS
- 'Six Degrees of Separation' article on Steve Cohen's collection at Sothebys
ABOUT HLAA
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 EVENTS
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Christie's Education Alumni Society cordially invites you to their first
annual "Art Leadership Panel: Top industry leaders discuss the economic
and institutional forces affecting the arts today" on May 19th.
*Waiting List Only*
 Christie's Education New York
DETAILS:
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Christie's Education Panel: "Art Leadership Panel: Top industry leaders
discuss the economic and institutional forces affecting the arts today"
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Date/Time: MAY 19th, 6:00 - 7:30PM
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Address: Christie's Education New York, 11 West 42nd Street, 8th Floor,
New York, NY. Between 5th and 6th Avenues. Tel: 212-355-1501
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Admission: Free and open to public
- Transcripts: Available upon request
- Moderator: Dr. Véronique Chagnon-Burke, Director of Studies at
Christie's Education NY.
- Guests are invited to send panel questions in advance to: vchagnon-burke@christies.edu
RSVP: christieseducation@christies.edu |
| ON THE TOWN |
Javier de Villota at work on one of his corpse sculptures
JAVIER DE VILLOTA, DEHUMANIZATION ECHO RETROSPECTIVE STATION MUSEUM, HOUSTON A must-see exhibition currently on view at the Houston Station Museum of Contemporary Art, an independent non-profit museum, is the astonishing Javier de Villota retrospective. Jim Harathis, the museum's founder and director, called the Dehumanization Echo exhibtiion "the strongest show ever made in the USA". A true visionary, he has a reputation for finding international talent and being the first to champion their work in the U.S. It is the artist's first exhibition outside the artist's home country who had a retrospective in 2001 at the Centro Cultural de La Villa in Madrid. Harathis goes against current art trends and prefers artists with a specific edge. Fittingly, he chose to show de Villota's paintings and sculptures due to their politically charged nature. With the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of the Human
Rights, the artist devoted an entire body of work to examine the history of human rights violations around the world. He recreated three-dimensional boi in the same
vein as Goya's dismembered bodies in his Disasters of War series, using photographs and video to help recreate scenes from concentration camps, 9/11, and the war in Gaza. The artist's challenging subject matter has an antiwar message to present war without all its glory.  Javier de Villota, Oil on canvas
Also
on view is a surrealistic installation created as a tribute to the
victims of the
Sarajevo War. Bloodied bodies and debris from buildings spill across a
concrete platform to recreate the actual scene of the atrocities. The
scene is further enhanced by a mural-sized video documentary that loops
real footage of brutalized innocent civilians. The end result is an
intensely provacative and emotional realization of the actual event.
There are currently five thousand Bosnian refugees
living in Houston several of whom attended the opening to personally
thank the artist for producing a visualy moving and compassionate body
of work about their experience. Villota's work is universal. He
respectfully reminds us of the inhumanity and injustices of the past many of which will never be forgotten.
 Javier de Villota Retrospective/March 2009/Station Museum, Houston, TexasBorn in Madrid in 1944 Javier de
Villota is an architect, painter, and sculptor. He comes from two
generations of Spanish painters, most notably Jose Gutierrez Solana. He
lives in Houston with his wife Natacha and two of his sons, Alejandro
and Luis.
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ON THE TOWN
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 Pipilotti Rist yoga class/ MoMA
THE ART OF LEISURE by Jessica Lantos
The Guggenheim did it. So did the MoMA. And now, P.S.1 is doing it. The white, pristine, untouchable galleries of NYC museums have become playgrounds cum living rooms/yoga studios/movie theaters as of late with their respective exhibitions: 'theanyspacewhatever', Pipilotti Rist's 'Pour Your Body Out (7354 Meters)', and Kenneth Anger's solo show. Each visit, I found visitors sprawled on the floor, on beanbags, shag carpets or the hard concrete. Is this phenomena attendant laziness, or a heightened level of comfort and familiarity on the part of the visitor (as well as increasingly accommodating museums norms)? Has the museum effectively transformed the viewing experience, dropping its notion of being overly staid, cold, and formal? The deeply personal nature of viewing art is nothing new. Nonetheless this intimate, relaxed atmosphere offers a more meaningful way to connect the viewer in a way that echoes Michael Fried's phenomenological and theatrical notions of interacting with art. The cattle-herding mentality of timed shows has been replaced by a multi-layered sensory environment that involves playdates, temporary works spaces, slumber parties, and oh yeah, looking at art. Ironically, despite the range of options, or in spite of them, the art still remains a priority and most importantly, within this atmosphere there exists the chance for a protracted time frame in which to consider the Kenneth Anger's 1947 film, 'Fireworks' or Rist's dreamy cinematographic visions.  'theanyspacewhatever' installation/Guggenheim NY
Jerry Salz reported on an impromptu yoga class that took place during the final days of the MoMA show. Upon reading it, I was disappointed that I didn't know about it sooner to attend. No doubt practicing Vinyasa poses in the cavernous atrium of the museum is a singular experience, but is it blasphemous? Irreverent? Or worse, irrelevant? Maybe not. In fact, at a time when video art is reflected in rooftop hotel pools, perhaps we should be doing sun salutations to a backdrop of a gorgeously transcendent video installation. Truly, there could be no better homage to spiritual and aesthetic contemplation.
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| ABOUT HLAA |
Founded in 2002, Heidi Lee Art Advisory provides comprehensive art consulting services for corporations, private collectors and art institutions. Core services include art acquisition programs, collection management, exhibition planning, and fine art appraisals. Through an international network of art galleries, auction houses and art associations, HLAA can offer access to quality fine art and satisfy a diverse range of interests.
Specializing in Modern and Contemporary art, HLAA has helped clients navigate the art collecting process and maximize the benefits of art ownership. HLAA is committed to providing outstanding service as well as creating a rewarding experience. | |
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