Kevin Sutherland, the Miami pastor who was arrested last month for the attempted sale of several counterfeited works attributed to Damien Hirst, was indicted yesterday on grand larceny charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.  The pastor had allegedly attempted to sell undercover officers a number of fake Hirsts (one of which is pictured here) for $185,000.  His attorney, Sanford Talkin, claims that there is “more to the story.”

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The View from Outside The 2013 Armory Show

The doors opened this morning on the 2013 edition of the Armory Art show, welcoming press and VIP’s into the massive exhibition halls of Piers 92 and 94 on the waterfront of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.  It was a special year for New York’s biggest annual art event, marking the 100 year anniversary of its namesake, the 1913 exhibition that welcomed the European avant-garde to American shores, and gave many their first glimpses of Marcel Duchamp, Matisse and Edvard Munch, among many others.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg Makes the Opening Remarks at The 2013 Armory Show (more…)

A Miami pastor and art dealer has been arrested for attempting to sell several forged works attributed to British artist Damien Hirst.  Kevin Sutherland had approached Sotheby’s in December about selling one of Mr. Hirst’s “spin” paintings at auction, but when the auction house realized the work as forgery, it promptly contacted the New York Police Department.  Working undercover, officers arrested Sutherland after he attempted to sell them several more forged Hirsts in Gramercy Park Hotel last week. (more…)

Following a well-attended VIP preview at this year’s Art Stage Singapore, dealers are saying that the Asian art fair is off to a strong start.  The growing wealth of Southeast Asia is reflected in the high number of Asian galleries at the fair, but Western artists have also fared well, with a number of Antony Gormley works already sold, and major interest in the butterfly works of Damien Hirst.  “With the Dow at a four-year high, a lot of people have loosened their purse strings,” said Jasdeep Sandhu, of Singapore-based Gajah Gallery. (more…)

The Tate Modern’s massive retrospective for British artist Damien Hirst has helped propel the Museum’s attendance to record numbers. Tate Modern saw over 463,000 visitors pass through the exhibition, contributing to the 5.3 million total visitors last year, and also announced the opening of their new extension, The Tanks.  Alex Beard, Tate’s deputy director, said: “It has been an extraordinary year at Tate Modern, opening the Tanks, the world’s first museum galleries permanently dedicated to exhibiting live art, performance, installation and film works, alongside an outstanding exhibition programme which has undoubtedly fuelled the increase in visitors.” (more…)

Yayoi Kusama is reportedly leaving Gagosian Gallery, reports the ArtNewspaper. Damien Hirst also reportedly broke off his representation of 17 years as well this week. David Zwirner recently announced plans to host a Jeff Koons exhibition a long standing artist of Gagosian. Koons and Kusama currently have shows up at Gagosian locations (Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, respectively). Kusama is represented in London by Victoria Miro.  Hirst is represented in London by White Cube.
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English artist Damien Hirst has split with New York-based Gagosian Gallery after 17 years of representation. “Larry Gagosian and Damien have reached an amicable decision to part company,” said Damien Hirst’s company Science Ltd.  With a net worth of more than $346 million according to The Sunday Times rich list, Hirst has been called the richest artist in the world. Likewise, Gagosian Gallery is the richest gallery in the world, valued at $925 million according to Forbes magazine. White Cube gallery in London will continue to represent Hirst.

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Maurizio Cattelan, “Catttelan,” 1994, neon, 90 x 47 x 3.5; 40 x 40 x 3.5, Courtesy Collezione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo

On September 25th 2012, the Whitechapel Gallery in London opened a special exhibition composed of works from the Collection Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, one of the most prominent private collections in Europe. The gallery’s year-long series, Think Twice, is divided into four parts, the first of which is dedicated to works of Maurizio Cattelan – many of which have not been seen in the UK for over 20 years – on display until December 2nd, 2012.

Maurizio Cattelan, “Bidibidobidiboo,” 1996, Taxidermied squirrel, ceramic, Formica, wood, paint and steel, Courtesy Collezione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo

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Rachel Cohen, author of “A Chance Meeting”, and of the forthcoming “Bernard Berenson: A Life in the Picture Trade”, writes about the dual history of art and investment banking over recent centuries: “There is more than a shadow of resemblance between the purchase of the Hirst skull in 2007 and the mortgage-backed-securities debacle that made of Lehman Brothers in the following year one of the great public pictures of vanitas we’ve had. And, when you look further into these intersections, you often find that what is really at stake is a change in the way we feel and understand time.”  (more…)

According to Artnet data, Businessweek reports that Damien Hirst works that were purchased during the artist’s commercial peak, between 2005 and 2008, have seen an average negative return of 30% when resold, particularly notable in a year of record auction results.  Sergey Skaterschikov, a Russian investor and business strategist, said that Hirst “degraded his market, almost cannibalized it, by developing this mass production of well-recognized images.” James Kelly, Hirst’s business manager, asserts that auction prices are a “totally misleading” indicator and don’t reflect private primary market sales data.  (more…)

Artliner has partnered with Haunch of Venison to offer artwork for sale in Farnborough Airport. For £55,000 to £500,000, high net worth clients can purchase a Hirst spin or butterfly painting or work by Tracey Emin or Barber Osgerby (the designers of the Olympic torch). (more…)

Damien Hirst’s “Verity” sculpture of a vivisected pregnant woman has been installed in a seaside town in Devon, UK. The 55,000 pound, 65-foot bronze figure is a “modern-day allegory for truth and justice”, says the artist. The controversial sculpture, with one arm holding a sword and the other holding a set of scales behind her back, continues to receive strong opposition from the community. (more…)

FIAC Grand Palais, photo courtesy We Want Contrast for Art Observed

FIAC, one of Europe’s main three art fairs, held its vernissage last night in Paris at the Grand Palais. Dealers saw strong blue chip sales, including an $8 million Joan Miro panting, despite concerns over France’s proposed increase in wealth taxes and a strong Frieze and Frieze Masters in London the week before.

Gilles Fuches, President Prix Marcel Duchamp

All photos by Tiphaine Popesco for Art Observed unless otherwise noted

The crowd at FIAC

FIAC has added more contemporary work from the second half of the 20th century in the last two years, attracting big collectors like Francois Pinault, Bernard Arnault, Alberto Mugrabi and Omer Koc.

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Animal rights activists are speaking out against Damien Hirst‘s “In and Out of Love” exhibition at the Tate Modern.
More than 9,000 live butterflies died during five months after living out their lifespan but also at times being  inadvertently stepped on or crushed by visitors. The animal rights groups have also criticized Hirst’s shark preserved in formaldehyde and the severed cow’s head. PETA issued a statement saying that “Damien Hirst’s quest to be edgy is as boring as it is callous”.
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Lynda Benglis sculptures and Hans Hurting paintings at Cheim & Read’s booth at Frieze Masters. All photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed unless otherwise noted

Frieze Masters and Frieze London concluded on October 14th, with both fairs reporting solid sales on the high end. This year, there was a distinct focus on curated booths and curatorial projects and less of an overt feeling of commercialization. Frieze Masters in particular focused on serious connoisseurship and an academic approach, both of which translated into a successful fair for dealers.

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A Damien Hirst sculpture called Verity may not be universally well-received in a seaside town in Devon, The Telegraph reports. The sculpture is a 70-foot tall bronze statue of a nude pregnant woman with a sword. The work, loaned by Hirst, is due to be installed permanently on Oct 17-18th, although the city council has received over 100 complaints from residents, saying it is “obscene and disgusting.” (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports on the union of art and food, with the boundaries of the gallery and dining experiences becoming “increasingly blurred”.  From members’ only dining clubs to casual restaurants featuring street art, the WSJ explores the trend by highlighting Mark Hix’s Tramshed, Colombe d’Or, Sketch and others. (more…)

Phillips de Pury & Co. is set to auction AK-47 weapons decorated by Damien Hirst and other artists in October in London. The guns, decorated by more than 20 different artists, are on display at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London until Sept 30th and Phillips will host the auction on Oct 4th. (more…)

Image: Warhol’s Cow Wallpaper and Silver Pillows, The New York Times

“Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years” is a group show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that juxtaposes fifty Warhol works with one hundred of those by his peers and successors. The show attempts to capture the scope and breadth of Warhol’s impact on contemporary art history. Presented 25 years after his death at the age of 58 in 1987, the exhibition showcases the works of both artists who have risen to fame after Warhol’s death as well that of his contemporaries. Some of the artists included are Maurizio Cattelan, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Robert Gober, Takashi Murakami, Cindy Sherman, Ed Ruscha, Alex Katz, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter.

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Tim Noble and Sue Webster - Deadalive (2012), Saatchi Gallery

Over the past several years, the artists’ studio, RS&A, has commissioned 16 recognized artists to create their own chess sets and boards, allowing them to explore and reconfigure the image of the classic game.  Including sets by Maurizio Cattelan, Tracey Emin, Tom Friedman, Damien Hirst, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama and Paul McCarthy, the full collection is currently on view at Saatchi Gallery in London.

Yayaoi Kusama - Pumpkin Chess (2003), Saatchi Gallery

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Tate Modern announces that its Damien Hirst retrospective was its most popular exhibition on record, with almost half a million visitors. The show, which closed this month, has proven to be more popular than blockbusters such as Hopper, Gauguin or Rothko.

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Ilfracombe, North Devon could soon be featuring a bronze Damien Hirst statue on its pier, after county council members approved the potential addition. Hirst offered a 20-year loan of the bronze work, entitled Verity, to the small town. If the executive council approves the move, the town is expected to receive the piece in October.

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Damien Hirst designed the set of the closing ceremony for the London Olympics, created as a spin painting representing the British flag.

‬In a new interview with The Independent, Sarah Lucas does little to restrict her opinion of the art of fellow Young British Artists including that of Tracey Emin “[her work is] a bit second-rate, really, to exploit all that personal stuff”. “Tracey likes a lot of drama, which I don’t really.”

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