This weekend marks the seventh edition of Pinta NY, an international art fair dedicated to Latin American, Spanish, and Portuguese art. Founded in 2007, the fair has moved around the city and taken a few different shapes as it has grown into the can’t miss event it is today. This year, the fair is located at 82MERCER, a “downtown loft-style building located in the heart of SoHo,” and is comprised of two floors and features both contemporary and modern art. Additionally, Pinta has revamped its layout by breaking down exhibitions into platforms, organized by theme and period, and hand-picked by a team of internationally recognized curators. For visitors with limited time, this breakdown will help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

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William Eggleston, At Zenith I (1979-2013), © Eggleston Artistic Trust. Courtesy of Gagosian Gallery

On view at Gagosian in New York is a unique exhibition of works by William Eggleston photographed during a road trip he took from Georgia to Tennessee in 1978. These photos of the sky taken with an early disposable camera are meant to evoke the feeling and aesthetics of classical paintings. (more…)

The recent disclosure of hundreds of looted Nazi artworks discovered this past month in Munich has families around the world digging through archives and records in an effort to fulfill their claims to a number of masterpiece works confiscated or sold during World War II.  “It’s a little out of the respect for the memory of my grandfather that I pursue it,” says Michel David-Weill, former banker whose grandfather’s Canaletto etching appeared in the first round of works placed on the Lost Art Database. (more…)

David Salle, Ghost 1 (1992), © David Salle, VAGA, NY. Courtesy, Skarstedt New York

Currently on view at Skarstedt Gallery’s uptown space is a series of 13 works by David Salle, from his Ghost Paintings series.  Executed in 1992, these busy, color-inflected works were created from a series of photographs, documenting improvised actions with an enormous white sheet.  Taken as a whole, the works create a dialogue on the image as the result of a series of practices, processes and flows, rendering a final piece that belies its mode of creation in subtle ways. (more…)

The British government export ban has been placed on a 17th century self-portrait by Anthony Van Dyck, giving time for British galleries to raise the £12.5 million needed to keep the painting in the country.  “I hope that placing a temporary export bar on this magnificent painting will allow time for a UK buyer to come forward and ensure it remains here in the UK.”  Said British Cultural Minister Ed Vaizey.

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The upcoming Whitney Biennial, opening next March, has announced its initial list of artists for the 2 month exhibition.  Featuring work by Triple Canopy, Uri Aran, Bjarne Melgaard, Charlemagne Palestine and more, the 2014 edition of the Biennial will be the final in the museum’s current building before moving to the Meatpacking district in 2015. (more…)

Georges Braque, Compotier et Cartes (1918), Courtesy Grand Palais

On view at Grand Palais, Galeries nationales in Paris is a retrospective covering the full life and output of French painter and sculptor Georges Braque’s career, beginning with Fauvism to his later works, particularly his birds series. The exhibition will continue through January 6th 2014.

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The Guardian reports on the exploits of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the Nazi art theft division that was responsible for the theft of over 5 million works during its existence, including loot from the Uffizi, the Louvre, and countless churches across Europe.  It is reported that one of the group’s most infamous prizes, the Mona Lisa, was rumored to have been recovered from an Austrian salt mine after the war, although recent research has determined that this loot was in fact a copy of the original work. (more…)

Constantin Brancusi, Mademoiselle Pogany II (1925-2006), via Daniel Creahan for Art Observed

In 1913, Constantin Brancusi sent 5 sculptures to the now-infamous Armory Show, gently loping sculptural works that set the stage for the revolutionary sculptural abstractions that would change the face of contemporary art for good.  It was the beginning of a long and occasionally rocky relationship with the United States, including a defining court case in which the artist successfully proved his work’s position as art, and breaking the long-held definition of an artwork asbased on a model or subject, opening the door for the proliferation of American abstraction. (more…)

The long-anticipated collaboration between Damien Hirst and British design house Alexander McQueen has finally been revealed, featuring a number of variations on the designer’s iconic skull scarves. The collection consists of 30 scarf designs, utilizing designs and concepts from Hirst’s celebrated Entomology series. (more…)

Art Basel Miami Beach has announced the contents of this year’s “Public” section in Collins Park, under the title Social Animals.  Including work by artists Olaf Breuning, Jeppe Hein, Thomas Houseago, Alicja Kwade, Richard Long, and many more, this year’s edition of the show explores the concept of art objects themselves as a community.   (more…)

In response to heated demands by Jewish political groups and advocates, the German government has disclosed information on the collection of over 600 works found in the apartment of Cornelius Gurlitt.  At least 590 of the works may have been looted during World War II, the government announced.  At least 25 have already been listed in the Lost Art Internet Database.  “We can well understand that especially Jewish organisations are asking many questions. They represent older people who were treated very badly,” said spokesman, Steffen Seibert. (more…)

The Banksy painting donated to benefit Housing Works several weeks ago has caused a small storm of disagreements and controversy over its sale.  The winning bid, which took the painting for $615,000, has already defaulted on his payment, and a number of top bidders are complaining over the way the sale was handled.  Even so, the painting has found a buyer.  “We were happy with the sale,” says Matthew Bernardo, chief operating officer of Housing Works, “we were happy with the process which we closed with, and it’s at a very good home.” (more…)

Manhattan dealer Helly Nahmad has plead guilty to operating an illegal gambling ring, the Daily News reports.  Arrested earlier this year in a massive sting operation that nabbed 33 suspects, Nahmad’s plea deal is anticipated to include a fine of around $6.4 million, as well as a potential 12 to 18 months behind bars.  “It started as a hobby,” he said in court. “Unfortunately, it became a business. But it was never my main business.” (more…)

Andy Warhol‘s Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) Installed in Sotheby’s Salesroom, Image by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed

Last night, Sotheby’s hosted their Contemporary Art Evening Sale, on the heels of Christie’s historic sale held the previous evening. It was a record breaking evening for Sotheby’s, with their overall sales totaling over $380 million, the highest ever for the house. It beat out their previous record of $375 million from a year ago.  They experienced a solid sell through rate of 88.5% by lot and nearly 95% by value.  This was their 11th consecutive Evening Sale of Contemporary Art at the New York location with a sell through rate over 80%, according to Head of Contemporary Art Alexander Rotter.

View of Warhol’s Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) in Sotheby’s Salesroom, Image by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed

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Lynette & Janette (2013). All images courtesy the Gagosian Gallery.

John Currin’s work is currently on view at the Gagosian Gallery in Paris through December 21^st. Currin is known for his seductive and, to some, lewd appropriations of sixteenth and seventeenth century European painting. His paintings pair explicit sexual representations with the extremely polished and delicate details of this classical style. The result is a fascinating, touching and often hilarious interpretation of the politics of visual representation and sexual provocation.  (more…)

Julian Schnabel with May Andersen and Peter Brant, via Art Observed Staff

Painter, sculptor, filmmaker, Julian Schnabel is larger than life, and so are his artworks, some towering to two to three times the height of an average person.  The artist’s monumental works are currently being shown at The Brant Foundation Art Study Center, on view through March.  The exhibition captures the diversity of Schnabel’s work, from the many facets of his “plate paintings” to the table he designed for Francisco Clemente. By bringing Schnabel’s emblematic works together, the Brant Foundation offers a comprehensive look at how Schnabel has impacted the art world in a way that has not been attempted since the Whitney Museum’s retrospective show 26 years ago.

Julian Schnabel, The Walk Home (1985), via Art Observed Staff (more…)

Christie’s Salesroom with Francis Bacon‘s Three Studies of Lucian Freud, Image by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed

Art Observed was on site at Christie’s auction house in New York for the Post War and Contemporary art evening sale.  As the hammer struck down close to 7:30PM last night, in a packed salesroom, auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen stated “it promises to be an exciting evening, indeed.” Nearly a half hour after the Post War and Contemporary Art Sale is generally slated to start, there was an atmosphere akin to a rock concert – a very crowded and well attended one that applauded the very start of the show. Exciting, indeed, with Christie’s achieving the highest total ever for an auction – a staggering $692 million. Of the 69 lots offered in the over two hour sale, 63 sold, which proved 91%  sold by lot, and 98% sold by value. Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen said in post-sale press conference that he “never expected to come to New York and sell $700 million worth of art,” and that it was a great “privilege to sell great works of art from great dates” while “seeing a curated sale received so fantastically.”

Jeff Koons‘s Balloon Dog(Orange) Installed Outside of Christie’s Rockefeller Center Location, Image by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed

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The proceedings at Phillips with Alexander Gilkes at the rostrum, via Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed

Last night, Phillips auction house held their Contemporary Art Evening Sale art, in a packed salesroom. The sale exhibited a strong lead into the week of Contemporary art auctions, with 84% of lots selling by value, and 88% selling by lot. The 40 lots sold for a combined total of $68 million, including premiums, against an estimate of $65 – 97 million.

Kazuo Shiraga, Keishizoku (1961), via Ben Richards for Art Observed (more…)

Artist Marina Abramovic will be the subject of a 3-D portrait by artist Matthu Placek, set to be unveiled next month at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair.  Featuring Abramovic, standing in the center of her currently under-construction arts center in the Hudson, the work will screen at the”Jewel Box” pavilion in Wynwood, and will screen for free, every fifteen minutes from 6PM to late in the evening.  “I originally wanted it to be from dusk until dawn,” Placek says, “but we’ll probably have to shut it down a little earlier — maybe 3am.” (more…)

In what may be a response to internal pressures, Sotheby’s Auction House has announced a dividend for the Fourth Quarter of 2013 of $.10 per share, payable on December 16th to shareholders of record.  The auction house announced the dividend early this week. (more…)

Painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal’s “20 Odd Questions” section, including the answer to why the artist so often paints “Bez,” the name of the Happy Mondays musician across many of his canvases.  “Why not?”  He asks.  He goes on to discuss more of his life and art, including his influences and inspirations.  “One thing that I admire about Picasso was how he changed the way he worked so many times. So did Matisse, Magritte, de Chirico. They were looking for another version of themselves in other forms,”  he says. (more…)

Gaga performs, via Paper

New Yorkers flocked to the Brooklyn Navy Yards on Sunday night for the long-rumored artRAVE party, celebrating the release of musician Lady Gaga’s newest album, ARTPOP, with a number of high-profile art pieces by Jeff Koons, Inez and Vinoodh, Marina Abramovic and Robert Wilson, among others, as well as a multimedia set by the pop star herself.   (more…)

Francis Bacon, Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969), Image via Christie’s

Tonight, the week of Post War & Contemporary Art Evening Sales commence with Phillips kicking off the week long auctions. After last week’s mixed results in sales, with Christie’s and Sotheby’s hosting their respective Impressionist & Modern Art Sales, the contemporary art offerings will provide a more definitive litmus test of the international art market’s power and predilections. A great deal of press and attention has been drawn to the forthcoming sales, both nationally and internationally, attributed to exceptional offerings in all three houses, and a multitude of enormous price tags to accompany the museum-quality works.

Andy Warhol, Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963), Image via Sotheby’s (more…)