An art lover's guide to pairing drinks and art. For the holiday and winter season, three special treats are being served in the virtual lounge at Artsy Fartsy Martin Art: The delicious Criterion Cocktail, the perfect Dirty [Vodka] Martini, and New York's most sophisticated treat, The Manhattan. Cheers!
A quick look at how galleries are giving artists and buyers the personalized service they expect, as the Covid pandemic recedes into memory.
A completely (and shamelessly) subjective commentary on a selection of recent art auctions and exhibits in New York City and beyond!
KRUGER ART ON SHOW
ON UPPER EAST SIDE
Louise Kruger has two clasic artworks on show at Bookstein Projects! FULL TEXT HERE
HOW TO GIVE THE GIFT OF ART
Instead of giving a gift certificate, the giving a work of art can be the ultimate proof of affection from one person to another.
You don’t need to drain your bank account: Art can be purchased for as little or as much as you want to spend.
Here are some simple rules to select the perfect gift:
First, does your friend of loved one have enough space or room to accommodate the gift you want to give.
Second, find out what kind of art your friend likes. If they like hard edge design or sci fi movies, they might not want an ornate work of Victorian sculpture, especially if they live in a cramped studio apartment.
Third, you can invite your friend to go on a short tour of one of the gallery districts and make note of what attracts their attention.
Go native: You can end the tour with a stop at one of the wide variety of wine bars and cafes which proliferate in New Yorks major art districts. Here are a few to consider: Bottino, located on 10th Avenue near 24th Street, the Fanelli Bar on Prince Street in the heart of Soho (one of the oldest bars in the city!), or Orsay, a French bistro located at the corner of 75th Street and Lexington Avenue. Another personal favorite of mine, is Chelsea’s Mermaid Inn. If you prefer an intimate and chic Italian spot, try Sogno Toscano Café and Wine Bar, located on West 28th Street. With most of these it is advisable to make reservations because they are very popular!
WANT TO KNOW WHAT DRIVES ARTISTS TO CREATE ?
READ WHAT THE ARTISTS ON EXHIBITION HAVE TO SAY HERE
in the gallery
UNIQUE PRINTS AND WOOD SCULPTURES BY LOUISE KRUGER!
NEW PHOTO SERIED WORKS BY JAM!
NEW VISIONARY IMAGES BY SCOTT COUSINS!
COMING SOON:
WORKS BY JAMES MCDONOUGH!
CLASSIC WORKS BY TAI LIN!
NEW ACQUISITIONS BY MARTIN ART TRUST AT ARTSYFARTSY SITE
A series of new artworks acquired over the past year are now on display on the blog site Artsy Fartsy Martin Art.
The additions include works by John Sloan, George Grosz, David Burliuk, Saul Steinberg, David Hockney, Arnold Roth, Fedor Kascheev, Manville Chapman and Thomas Hart Benton.
Also on display are a series of recently acquired figurative works by up-and-coming New York-based artists.
Take a look here to see these works as well as masterpieces by other artists active in the 19th to 21st centuries.
-- Josh Martin
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BIDDING ON ART:
AUCTIONS IN NY
Why treck the halls of dozens of galleries or turn to an expensive professional dealer when you decide to buy a work of art?
Whether you are a fine art professional or are just looking to buy a work of art to add a sophisticated touch to the décor of your house or apartment, New York City’s auction houses offer a wide range of art and antiques which can often be purchased for far less than you would pay in an antique store or an art gallery.
Of course, as the saying goes, there’s no free lunch.
ART WORLD RAW FACTS
The economics of art auctions has driven most major galleries to charge a buyers premium, which is added to the hammer price. The practice began in 1975 when Christies added a 10% premium on the hammer
price of art sold at the venerable auction house. But many see this as a small price to pay.
The buyers’ premium covers several services auction houses provide, including reporting details of each piece including provenance, as well as an artwork’s quality and estimated price value.
Major auction houses, including Doyle, Phillips, and Swann followed Christies’ lead, with premiums now ranging between 25% to 28% of the hammer price. However, in early 2024 Sotheby’s announced that it was cutting its buyers premium to 20% on works sold up to $6 million, and only 10% on the price that exceeded that amount.
It remains to be seen if this rate cut will attract buyers back to the venerable auction house.
ART PLAYERS
The fact is that bidders set the tone of any auction and determine the prices that various items sell for.
Prices of artworks sold at auction can often reflect the importance of the original...
