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8-4-09 The Noel Rockmore Project Update |
Greetings!
Greetings! It has been an exciting summer on the Rockmore Trail with over 5000 artworks catalogued and 2 inch versions put in chronological order around our office in Mashpee, MA on Cape Cod. Next up will be adding in the over 5000 photos, letters, brochures, news articles and diary entries and putting them in the chronological timeline.
The month of August and early September has been set aside to do the Final first round of documentations of Rockmore collections that we know of that are still out there. We will also be concluding the Final first round of interviews with those that knew Rockmore. Please let us know if you wish to be included if we have not yet scheduled you.
By October we hope to be ready to share with the world many of the fantastic Rockmore-Davis Family discoveries that surround us in this office. This will include a revision of the website and promotional materials and a glimpse into what we might be able to put together for a museum show.
For those we have documented and interviewed already, the transcriptions are almost complete and we hope to send out those first drafts as well as the catalogued portfolio of your Rockmore works on disk by October. We also hope to be ready to plan the next Rockmore Get-Together event soon so we will certainly keep you posted on all the latest Noel Rockmore Project developments.
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***** Recent Auction Updates ***** |
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Rockmore works at New Orleans Auction this weekend - 8/8/09
LOT # 780 "Premonition of Sarajevo, Three Generals in Search of a War", 1992, graphite, ink, watercolor and collage, signed and dated upper right "Rockmore '92 Feb-Mar-Aug", titled upper right, sight 14-3/4" x 20-1/4". Glazed, handsomely matted and framed. ESTIMATE $1500 - $2500
Facts & Thoughts
#1 Political Content & Commentary - Rockmore was current and moved by political events and often created art to reflect that. He did the Jonestown Massacre, assassination of RFK, Portraits of Jimmy Carter, Ariel Sharon, and Eldredge Cleaver just to name a few. The actual Siege of Sarajevo started when Rockmore started this work. He revisited it upon his release from the Truro Hospital that summer. Siege of Sarajevo from Wikipedia
#2 The Overlay in the chest area - Rockmore was always interested in the overlay technique as seen in medical books and diagrams. He would use them to show inner visions often medical and perhaps to redo parts of a work he was not happy with at the time.
#3 Small children in his works - Rockmore included small children in his works to represent innocence and childhood wonder. Many have said that Rockmore was childlike himself in his vision of the world around him.
#4 Heads and female torsos - Rockmore liked to include both of these and you can see them below the figure to the right. The figure looks like it might have started as a dark haired nude and then morphed into the General.
LOT #782 "Nefertiti", 1989, graphite, ink and watercolor on paper, titled middle right - misspelled by the artist as "Nefertititi", signed and dated middle right "Rockmore Sep '89, 23, 1am", with "Bryant Galleries, New Orleans" label en verso, sheet 8-1/2" x 11". Glazed and mounted on a black mat within double mats and a blonde wood frame. ESTIMATE $600 - $900
#1 The Egyptian Series - Rockmore studied Egypt extensively and actually felt that he could transport himself back to Ancient Egypt and depict the people, time and events as if he was there. The body of his work on Egypt is extensive and ranges from these watercolors to huge oils on burlap canvas. This series was begun in the twilight of his career, he was to die 5 years later. Many feel it is one of his best series.
#2 Ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti - Rockmore studied this Ancient Queen of Egypt and decided that this is how he wanted to depict her. She actually reappears in several later works from this series and the Touro hospital series. Nefertiti from Wikipedia
Lot #997 "Farewell to the Crescent City"
6/7/09 Sold for $5280 by New Orleans Auction Galleries
LOT DESCRIPTION - "Farewell to the Crescent City", 1961, tempera on board, signed, dated and inscribed lower left "Rockmore '61 New Orleans", retains gallery label en verso "Harry Salpeter Gallery, 42 East 57th Street, New York", 24" x 18". Framed. Provenance: Private collection, New York. |
