The Rolling Stones have chosen Walton Ford to illustrate the cover of their 50th anniversary album. Due to be released in November, the “GRRR!” cover takes John Pasche’s original lips and tongue logo as inspiration. The cover image is a version of Ford’s piece I Don’t Like to Look at Him, Jack. It Makes Me Think of that Awful Day on the Island, shown in 2011 at Paul Kasmin Gallery. Just as Warhol designed the 1971 Sticky Fingers and Peter Corriston created 1978’s Some Girls, the band continues a half-century old tradition.

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‪‬Walton Ford discusses Audubon and human-animal relations in studio interview [AO Newslink]

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Walton Ford, It makes me think of that awful day (2011). All images via Paul Kasmin Gallery.

Walton Ford has been likened to 19th century naturalist John James Audubon for his realistic old-master style watercolors, but while the nine works on view now at Paul Kasmin may resemble Audubon in style, they go much further in content. I Don’t Like to Look at Him, Jack. It Makes Me Think of That Awful Day on the Island, includes two series of paintings: the first consists of three large-scale (9 x 12 feet) portraits of King Kong, while the second features various monkeys in the process of decapitating exotic birds. While each piece maintains a close attention to detail that is characteristic of Ford, the work also evokes the complex, wild, and occasionally emotional nature of nature itself.

Walton Ford, Unnatural Composure (2011). (more…)

Pablo Picasso’s Boy Leading a Horse” (1905 to 1906)  via the MoMA

Guggenheim and MoMA keep two works by Picasso after settlement with heirs alleging works were sold under Nazi duress [Bloomberg]
The austerity of Christie’s and Sotheby’s during leaner times in the art market [NYimes]
In related, how major London galleries are cutting staff and shuttering spaces [TheArtNewspaper]

Railcars and rooftops bear JR’s imagery in Kibera, Kenya via WoosterCollective

Street artist JR wheatpastes his art on 2,000 square meters of rooftops and railcars in a Kenyan slum [WoosterCollective]
On the practice of hypothecating fine art as collateral for loans [Financial Times]

Damien Hirst’s “Human skull in space” (oil on canvas), cover art for the 150th anniversary edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species – via the The GuardianUK

Damien Hirst does cover design for the 150 year anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species [GuardianUK]
The rise of Nicola Vassell, from gallerina to Director at Deitch Projects in New York [NYTimes]

The Colossus, historically attributed to Goya, via Reuters

Chief conservator of the Prado announces that their Colossus was probably created by Goya’s apprentice [Reuters]
The Dallas Museum of Art is in acquisition mode [Artdaily]
A profile of artist Walton Ford, creator of dramatic naturalist canvases [NewYorker via C-Monster]

Walton Ford, Tur (2007) via NY Sun

From May 8 to July 3, the Paul Kasmin gallery presents the works of New York born artist Walton Ford.  Ford works on large scale watercolors and his subject matter is mostly animals.  Though his work depicts animals almost scientifically, there are underlying themes such as colonialism, the impact of slavery, forms of political oppression, and present day social and environmental issues.  Hidden within the animal portraits are interwoven clues, jokes and folktales.

Back to Basics: Painters Walton Ford and Neo Rauch [NY Sun]
Paul Kasmin Gallery

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