An early still life by Vija Celmins that has been hanging in its owners' kitchen for almost 50 years will go up for auction in May at Los Angeles Modern Auctions.
Celmins once described this body of work to painter Chuck Close as a break with the emotional maelstrom of Abstract Expressionism that influenced her early on: “I decided to go back to looking at something outside of myself. I was going back to what I thought was this basic, stupid painting…. I don’t embellish anymore, I don’t compose, and I don’t jazz up the color.”
The couple who own the knife-and-dish image, who decline to be identified, say they bought the painting in 1964 for less than $100 from the artist. The auction house, which is increasingly known for contemporary art offerings as well as design and furniture, will offer the work in May with an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions founder Peter Loughrey said another dealer tipped him off to the Celmins one day in early January. He made an appointment to see the owners the same day. “I had the painting in my hand with a signed [consignment] agreement an hour and a half later,” he said.
And yes, the painting shows a bit of its domestic history: Loughrey said it is now being cleaned to eliminate “some particulates and grease” on its surface, though he described the overall condition as "excellent."
Did you just hear a giant sigh of relief? It came from General Electric after the White House announced the end of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
Two years ago, GE chief Jeff Immelt agreed to the lead the council after being asked by the president. It wasn’t long before the Tea Party was regularly blasting the CEO and painting GE as the poster child for perceived coziness between big business and big government. The decision also produced some grumbling among GE’s ranks, as some executives groused privately about the political fallout.
Today, Mr. Immelt sent a note to all the members of the council thanking them for their work. “After two years of work, I think we have helped build a broader understanding of what is needed to strengthen our economy,” Mr. Immelt wrote according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “We leave behind a strong record of action and accomplishment.’
He noted that 90% of the council’s recommendations including fast-tracking key infrastructure projects and selling more leases for both oil and gas production were implemented. GE doubled the number of engineering interns it hires to 3,600 as part of its work on the Jobs Council, a spokesman said.
Well, it’s a start. Just for the record, the unemployment rate since the council was formed has come down from over 9% to under 8%, but that’s still considered to be high.
Mr. Immelt always defended his move as a call to duty. At GE’s 2011 annual shareholder meeting, Mr. Immelt said only 4% of the company’s revenue came from U.S. government contracts.
But his time on the council may have tired the 56-year-old CEO of Washington’s political paralysis. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose on PBS News, Mr. Immelt noted that President Obama enacted 54 of the 60 recommendations made by the Jobs Council that could be implemented with an executive order. But of the 30 recommendations that needed legislation, only four got done.
Asked whether he would answer a call from the president in his second term, Mr. Immelt said: “I’d say I’ve had the honor of serving you already, Mr. President.” Adding, “At the end of the day what you really want me doing is selling jet engines.”
"In our district, I feel like most of the art teachers are artists themselves. ... That doesn't always happen in a school district," says Garfinkel, who taught art in another county before coming to Lancaster.
"It's neat that the kids in the city are being taught by people who can really make art," Garfinkel says. "That's what I wanted to come across in the show."
Each of the 10 teachers is exhibiting between one and three pieces, ranging from paintings to sculpture and glassware to photography.
Garfinkel is showing his "Silo City," a mixed-media work in pastel colors that juxtaposes elements of urban and rural architecture.
"It's pretty much my take on Lancaster County, and since I teach in the city, it's the art of the city mixed with silos in the background," Garfinkel says.
"I love my students, and their energy is catching, and I love seeing what they create. They inspire me every day," he adds.
The exhibit represents the first non-school show for recent Messiah College graduate Diane Nicole Carroll, a new art teacher at Edward Hand Middle School.
Carroll, who works in wood and steel, is exhibiting "Answered Prayers," a steel base that holds a black-walnut bowl filled with wooden cubes.
没有评论:
发表评论