Willem de Kooning, [no title] (1984), © 2013 The Willem de Kooning Foundation:Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Tim Nighswander: IMAGING4ART

The late works of Willem de Kooning represent a striking departure for the artist’s work.  Condensing his colorful, flowing style into a tightly controlled, minimalist series of patterns and movements, de Kooning’s paintings in the late years of his life, from the mid-1980’s onwards signal a new interest in negative space and light.  The collisions and grating proximity of forms of his definitive work during the 50’s and 60’s seems to dissolve into a mellow, effortless form, well-balanced and refined.

Willem de Kooning, Ten Paintings (Installation View), Courtesy Gagosian Gallery (more…)

Honoré Daumier, The Sideshow (Parade de Saltimbanques) (1865-66) Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts

On view at the Royal Academy of Arts is an exhibition of 130 works by 19th century artist Honoré Daumier, composed primarily of paintings, drawings, watercolors, and sculptures, that strengthen the artist’s history as both a perceptive and nuanced painter, as well as a truly comic satirist.

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Martin Creed performs at The Kitchen, via Art Observed

Martin Creed took the stage last week at the Kitchen last night for the first of three consecutive, part of his ongoing series of exhibitions in New York City that show the former Turner Prize winner at the top of his game, continuing his series of reductive, simplistic works with Work #1020, a performance piece that combine repeated gesture and dance, crass video and his own brand of buoyant, bizarre rock and roll. (more…)

Kevin Francis Gray, 12 Chambers (2013) Courtesy Pace London

On view at Pace London through mid January is an exhibition highlighting new sculptures by Irish artist Kevin Francis Gray. These realistic, detailed works were crafted from bronze and marble in a traditional manner uncommonly seen in the contemporary art world. Included in the display are five double life-size bronze heads, a group of twelve life-size nude figures cast in bronze, and a life-size sculpture of two white marble figures alluding to the tradition of covering of dead bodies in Judeo-Christian cultures.

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Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665), Courtesy of The Frick Collection

On view at The Frick Collection in New York is a traveling exhibition of beloved Dutch paintings selected from the collection of the Royal Picture Gallery Maurithuis in The Hague, the Netherlands. The paintings will remain on view to the public through January 19, 2014.

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Drawing on a long history of interplay between contemporary art and comedy, MOCA’s online television station, MOCA.Tv has announced Ambiance Man, a new comedy series that will air on the channel, featuring appearances by Fred Armisen, Jack Black, and Jibz Cameron.  “Ambiance Man is a series about a super hero who fixes what we really need fixed in our day-to-day lives. While most super heroes are focused on preventing the end of the world, Ambiance Man is focused on transforming the moments that feel like the end of the world.”  Says creator Alix Lambert. (more…)

Artist Grayson Perry has unveiled a newly designed handbag tote, molded into the shape of a human scrotum. A collaboration with leather craftsman Andy Bates, the artist has only had one made, and has used it frequently in appearances as his drag alter-ego, Clare.  “I received enormous interest in the “Scrotal Sac” from around the world but have mysteriously declined to make a second,” said Bates. (more…)

Family Business Gallery, the collaborative exhibition space by Massimo Gioni and Maurizio Cattelan, has moved from its Chelsea home, and is preparing to take up residence in a new home in Paris.  “Palais de Tokyo had expressed an interest to Family Business practice and generously invited us to experiment within an open dialogue format, amidst an exciting and multifaceted art environment,” says curator  Nadja Argyropoulou. (more…)

Continuing its run of appointments and in-house changes, Sotheby’s has appointed Domenico De Sole as Lead Independent Director.  The co-founder and Chairman of Tom Ford International, former President and CEO of Gucci Group, De Sole turned around Gucci while he was there, taking it from nearly bankrupt to a multi-billion dollar conglomerate.  “We’re very excited that Domenico has joined the Board and has also agreed to serve as Lead Independent Director. He brings blue chip experience in the high-end luxury space, in Board leadership, and in strategic executive roles envisioning the future of elite brands,” said Sotheby’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer William F. Ruprecht.  (more…)

Artist Raymond Pettibon is interviewed in The Guardian this week, and discusses his recent work, his stance against the US government, and his thoughts on his logo design for Black Flag being one of the most tattooed images of all time.  “I don’t know which is worse sometimes… I’ve never encouraged anyone to get one. I don’t know how those things work. Some things become iconic for whatever reason and people have the logo on their arms, or wherever, but a lot of them don’t even know their music.” (more…)

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, The Appearance of Collage #6 (2012), Courtesy Pace Gallery

Though Soviet-born artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov are New York-based, they were little known in the New York art scene until this Fall season.  Popular in Europe, their 2013 New York tour started with their successfully-launched, 8th rendition of the floating installation, “The Ship of Tolerance”, at the Dumbo Arts Festival.  Ilya Kabakov, a former childrens’ book illustrator and graphic artist did his conceptual art work in secrecy until he accepted a grant to work in Austria and grew to prominence in Europe.  Upon arriving to New York, he reconnected with his distant cousin, Emilia, a former pianist and linguist, and presently an art advisor and curator. She helped him navigate the arts scene in New York and the two soon began collaborating. They married in 1992 and have been sharing credits ever since on everything they have produced with the exception of several of Ilya’s paintings. (more…)

Larry Gagosian’s proposed space in the Mayfair neighborhood of London has been approved, and will take up residence after renovations headed by Caruso St John, the firm responsible for the refurbishment of Tate Britain.  “We’re really excited to be working with Gagosian to create a preeminent commercial art gallery for London and we are delighted that Westminster City Council has given us the go-ahead,” says Ian Morrison, development director for Grosvenor’s London. (more…)

Louise Lawler, Detail, Chicago (placed and pulled) (2011-2013), via Casey Kaplan

The arrangement of works for Liam Gillick and Louise Lawler’s current show at Casey Kaplan in New York is an interesting one: long strings of Gillick’s text hang from the ceilings of the space, while long, blurred images from Lawler’s archival image collection are stretched across the walls.  It seems an almost deliberate attempt to escape the stationary logic of the art object, constantly forcing the viewer to move between rooms and works, always reappraising position and meaning as they go.

Louise Lawler and Liam Gillick (Installation View), via Casey Kaplan (more…)

Rosemarie Trockel, Copy Me (2013), via Gladstone Gallery

On view at Gladstone Gallery in New York is an exhibition of new work by German artist Rosemarie Trockel, featuring a series of wool paintings and wall sculptures, as well as ceramics, drawings, videos and collages, alluding to the short but dense history of twentieth century abstraction and conceptualism.

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Jacob Kassay, Untitled (2013), Courtesy 303 Gallery

Now on view at 303 Gallery is the space’s first exhibition of works by Jacob Kassay. Composed entirely of new works, IJK opened on November 1st and will remain on view through December 20, 2013.

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Ry Rocklen at Night Court, via Daniel Creahan for Art Observed

Ry Rocklen loves sports, or rather, he likes winning. “I love the pageantry of it,” he says, walking past a table constructed entirely out of materials used in sports trophies: shining columns, golden basketballs and baseball players, and imitation marble.  The pieces could be seen at Rocklen’s installation Night Court, a commission for Absolut’s beachfront space on Miami Beach during Art Week.  “The pieces originally come from a series called Trophy Modern that I opened earlier this year,” Rocklen says.  “And when I was offered the commission for this show, I thought I would try and take it a little further.” (more…)

Two of Damien Hirst’s Dot artworks have been stolen from a West London art gallery, valued at about $54,000.  Police believe that a single person stole the two prints from the Exhibitionist Gallery, where gallery manager, Nathan Engelbrecht, told the BBC that he was scouring around “trying to find new artwork for the Christmas season.’’  (more…)

Amy Cappellazzo, Christie’s Chairman of Postwar and Contemporary Art Development, has announced that she will be leaving the company this February to work as a private dealer.  Cappellazzo joined the auction house in 2001, and is frequently touted as the reason Christie’s has experienced such profound success in the past years, but has decided to focus on more private sales and transactions.  “When I think about private sales,” she said in 2012, “I think about matchmaking—it’s literally about arranging love.”  (more…)

Richard, First Communion of Anemic Young Girls In The Snow and other works (Installation View), via Interstate Projects

For the past month, Interstate Gallery in Bushwick has acted as the first physical base for Richard, a predominantly Internet-focused catalog of objects and items centered around new possibilities and interpretations of the readymade art object in the 21st century.  Turning the work of Marcel Duchamp once more towards a populist, group project, Richard challenges the concepts of labor and potentials for the the readymade in new perspectives of art practice and conceptual operation.

Richard, First Communion of Anemic Young Girls In The Snow and other works (Installation View), via Interstate Projects (more…)

Former Turner Prize winner Steve McQueen is included on the shortlist of Hugo Boss Prize finalists, alongside Camille Henrot, this year’s Venice Biennale Silver Lion winner for most promising new artist, Charline Von Heyl, and several others.  The winner will receive a $100,000 prize, as well as an exhibition at the Guggenheim. (more…)

The Art Show, the annually presented fair taking place concurrently with The Armory Show has announced its 26th edition, featuring 72 booths that include 34 solo artist booths and 38 thematic exhibitions.  Highlights include a show of new works by Jacob Kassay at 303 Gallery, and holographic works by James Turrell at Pace.  (more…)

Brendan Lynch, Coming Home (2013), via Art Observed

Located just off the main strip of Lincoln Road, the office building at 1632 Pennsylvania Avenue in Miami Beach has a lot going for it.  Gently curving walls, a white and teal color scheme, and ample space for movement and installation.  It was just this space that Brooklyn collective The Still House Group took over for its annual pop-up show during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Alex Perweiller and Zachary Susskind at Straight II DVD, via Art Observed (more…)

Sarah Lucas, Nice Tits (2011), Copyright of the artist, courtesy Sadie Coles HQ

English sculptor, photographer, and installation artist Sarah Lucas has long been labeled as the “wildest” member of the Young British Artists who emerged in the 1990s, with a career of pieces that has openly and aggressively challenged sexual identities, psychological states, and cultural images of the body through her evocative and often grotesque assemblages and Situations. Entitled SITUATION Absolute Beach Man Rubble, her current retrospective at Whitechapel Gallery examines this ongoing interest in the body and its cultural reifications.

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A Dallas collector is suing Sotheby’s auction house over the disclosure of what was supposed to be the private sale of a Mark Rothko.  Marguerite Hoffman, widow of soft-drinks bottling magnate Robert K. Hoffman, filed a lawsuit against the auction house when the work was resold several years later, and used her name heavily in the work’s marketing materials.   (more…)