Edvard Munch: The Scream Sells For $119m at Auction

The only privately owned version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream – one of the most recognisable paintings in history – has set a new world record, selling for $US119.9 million at Sotheby’s in New York.

Heated competition between seven bidders took the price tag to the highest for a work of art at auction in just 12 minutes. The packed sales room erupted into applause and cheering when the hammer went down.

An unnamed telephone bidder gave the final offer of $119,922,500, including commission, far exceeding pre-sales estimates of about $US80 million.

“A group of seven bidders jumped into the competition early, but it was a prolonged battle between two highly determined phone bidders that carried the final selling price to its historic level,” said Sotheby’s spokesman Darrell Rocha:: Read the full article »»»»

Portrait Painter Lucian Freud Leaves $150 Million in Will

Renowned portrait painter Lucian Freud has left a record ₤96 million – $AU150 million – in his will, the largest sum bequeathed by a British artist, according to London’s Mail On Sunday newspaper.

Freud died last July aged 88, by which time his uncompromising, fleshy portraits had made him one of the world’s most revered and coveted artists, with subjects ranging from the Queen to supermodel Kate Moss. His Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, a 1995 portrait of a woman asleep in the nude on a sofa, fetched $US33.6 million at Christie’s in 2008 – an auction record for a living artist.

The newspaper said Freud left 2.5 million pounds and a house to his long-term assistant David Dawson, who is pictured in Freud’s last unfinished work Portrait Of The Hound, which also featured the artist’s pet whippet Eli :: Read the full article »»»»

STUPIDKRAP: Ben Frost

By far my favorite artist – Ben Frost – has just finished a new set of 24 pieces, continuing the series of painting onto found objects. These include pharmaceutical packages including: Viagra, Cymbalta, Endone, Cialis, Morphine, Ventolin Botox and Sertra, as well as food packaging such as: Corn Flakes, Smarties, Oreo Cookies, Coco Pops, Rice Bubbles and Throaties. Check them all here: http://stupidkrap.myshopify.com/

Frost is known for his kaleidoscopic Pop Art, mash-up paintings that take inspiration from areas as diverse as graffiti, collage, photorealism and sign-writing. Subverting mainstream iconography from the worlds of advertising, entertainment and politics, he creates a visual framework that is bold, confrontational and often controversial.

In his latest round of work, Frost has even done 2 paintings onto mortuary toe tags that are now on ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BEN-FROST-ORIGINAL

Some of these images are NSFW!: discretion advised. Frost is relocating overseas, heading to Toronto, he’ll be bouncing around Canada and the states for the time being. Frost’s dog Bowie has found a new home in Brisbane with a big yard and some lovely allegedly people. You can follow Mr Frost. with up to the minute photo and artwork updates on Instagram @benfrostisdead.

“щасливої ​​дороги”

Edvard Munch: The Scream May Fetch $80m at Auction

A version of The Scream, one of the world’s most famous paintings, will go on sale this May in New York and is expected to fetch at least $US80 million, Sotheby’s auctioneers say. Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of artist Edvard Munch, currently owns the work. It will go on the block in New York on May 2, headlining the impressionist and modern art sales.

Sotheby’s describes The Scream as “one of the most instantly recognisable images in both art history and popular culture, perhaps second only to the Mona Lisa.” There are four versions of the painting, which features a man screaming and clutching his head against a wavy, brightly-coloured landscape, but this is the only one in private hands. The influence of the image, described by Munch as recording a moment of paralysing anxiety during a walk with friends in the hills above Oslo, has few parallels. Read the full article »»»»

Corey Helford Gallery: Ray Caesar

Opening Reception Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 7‑10pm
On View October 22 – November 12, 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Format: Digital

One of our favorite thoughts, Ray Caesar, has an exhibition opening this weekend at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. “A Dangerous Inclination” continues on Caesar’s cathartic theme of elegantly haunting works. Caesar’s latest works disclose a more personal side to his narratives. While maintaning the self disclosure theme “A Dangerous Inclination” has definite notes of difference.  Ray Caesar was born in 1958 in London. At an early age, his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he currently resides. From 1977—80 he attended Ontario College of Art, followed by 17 years from 1980—96 working in the art & photography department of the Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, documenting disturbing cases of child abuse, surgical reconstruction, psychology, and animal research. Coupled with inspiration from surrealists Kahlo and Dali, Caesar’s experiences at the hospital continue to influence his artwork. His haunting imagery is created digitally using 3D modeling software called Maya, mastered while working in digital animation for television and film industries from 1998—2001. In 1999, Caesar received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Special Effects in a series. Read the full article »»»»