Whispers of the Moon

Gregg Chadwick
Whispers of the Moon
48"x36" oil on linen 2008

Francis Bacon's Triptych Sells For $86 Million

Francis Bacon
Triptych
78"x58" oil and pastel on canvas 1976

"The picture surely treats of sexual love – that 'crime' as Baudelaire put it, in which one is fated to have an accomplice – and the suffering it frequently sets in motion...The themes of crime, guilt and punishment are all strongly represented in this magnificent work....From this stasis no outcome is possible, no purging of the turbulent passions, almost as if, in his deep seated masochism, the artist had chosen constant pain over catharsis" - Michael Peppiatt

Gary Ruddell Exhibition Opens at Gallery Henoch in New York on May 15th

Gary Ruddell
Bocce Ball
52" x 50" oil on canvas

Gary Ruddell is a great painter. His artwork continually surprises me and inspires new ideas in my own studio. If you are in Manhattan in the next few weeks make sure to stop by the Gallery Henoch to give some time to Gary's paintings.
His paintings convey the mystery inherit in modern life - much like the poems and short stories of Raymond Carver. Ruddell's painted world slips in and out of focus in a silvery air.



Gallery Henoch's Website

Painter and Model: Lucian Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping Sells for $33.64 Million

Lucian Freud
Benefits Supervisor Sleeping
59" x 98.5"oil on canvas 1995

The London Evening Standard has a nice interview with Sue Tilley who posed for the painting -

In the article Sue Tilley explained the genesis of the painting:
"The first time the artist met her, in a Soho nightclub 20 years ago, he criticised her lipstick. "He said it had too many blue tones. The next time we met was over lunch at the River Café and I wore a different lipstick," she said.

She knew she was effectively being interviewed for the role of artist's muse and was briefed on how to behave by their mutual friend, performance artist Leigh Bowery.

"But I just did as I wanted as usual," said Ms Tilley, who grew up in Sussex Gardens and now lives in Mornington Crescent.

"Soon after, Leigh called me up and said, 'Lucian wants you to start work next week' and he made me practise stripping off on my settee at home before I went to Lucian's house in Holland Park. I like a bit of excitement but I was still mortified when I got there and he told me to take my clothes off. For the first picture I had to lie on the floorboards in a most uncomfortable position with Leigh and Nicola, the woman he married, and a dog.

"I was in agony and I thought about giving up. But we work hard in my family so I stuck it for the whole nine months. Leigh got rubbed out because he went to Scotland and Lucian needs you to be devoted. He won't work on the painting when you're not there." Ms Tilley, who has worked at the JobCentre in Denmark Street for 30 years and previously worked in nightclubs, modelled for Freud on her days off. "For the picture on the sofa I only had three days off in two years. Every weekend he expected me to be there and I couldn't go on holiday because I couldn't get a tan," she said.

"It was wonderful to spend time with such a fantastic person and see him working. Lucian has an opinion on everything and he was interested in my run-of-the-mill life."

The Guardian ran another interesting interview with Sue Tilley in 2005. Because Freud's painting, for which Tilley modeled, sold for such an extraordinary amount of money, a lot of garbage and misunderstanding is making the rounds in print and on the web. It is well worth the time to read up on this "ordinary" woman's extraordinary life as a model for Lucian Freud as well as a friend, ( not to mention confidante, and tillkeeper in the '80's at Taboo), of Leigh Bowery.


Sue Tilley in London

More at:

Benefits Supervisor Sleeping may fetch £17m - Lucien Freud

Freud's JobCentre muse

Lucian Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sells for record $33m

Robert Rauschenberg 1925 - 2008

Robert Rauschenberg
October 22, 1925 - May 12, 2008
As Seen by Chuck Close
140 x 112 cm color digital pigment print 1996


On the New York Times website, dancer and choreographer, Paul Taylor has written a moving farewell to Bob:
"Robert Rauschenberg’s work and overall spirit as an artist and human being had an ENORMOUS impact on shaping my own direction and conviction as an artist. I am deeply indebted to his liberating approach in working with any-&-all materials including other people. The R.O.C.I. period equally demonstrated his love for mankind through our creations and showed that we ARE all in this together after all. He changed my life and blew my mind and I am a better person/artist for having been touched by him (literally even).
You were the BEST sir and I say God Bless You Bob! Goodbye."

Michael Kimmelman's farewell: Robert Rauschenberg, Titan of American Art, Is Dead at 82

Christopher Knight from the Los Angeles Times writes: Robert Rauschenberg, 82; influential artist mixed painting, sculpture and cast-off items

New York Times Page on Rauschenberg

Hillary Skit on Saturday Night Live

Great to see that Saturday Night Live is relevant again. This clip gets my vote as the best political skit so far.

Fernand Léger's Étude pour 'La Femme en Bleu' sold this evening at Sotheby's in New York for $39,241,000

FERNAND LÉGER
ÉTUDE POUR 'LA FEMME EN BLEU'
51"x38" oil on canvas 1912-13
Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 39,241,000 USD

Fernand Léger's Étude pour 'La Femme en Bleu' sold this evening at Sotheby's in New York for $39,241,000. Painted shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Léger's painting is a masterful composition of blues and silvers.


More at: Sotheby's Video

The Empire Strikes Barack

May the force be with you as you vote ...