Category: Opinion

Latest Opinion and Letters to the Editor from the readers of the World Art News

Exclusive Interview with ‘Mon Dieu’ Gallery Owners Juno Youn and Spencer Walker | Part 3

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“I foresee a mature NFT developing from the ashes of the grifters. Original art is original art and there will always be a market for it. The world will only get more digital. Whether it’s gaming platforms or the metaverse, cave paintings or an NFT gallery, there are still walls that need decoration. The savvy artists will figure out how to keep a toe in each pool to create physical and digital work, each raising the others’ profile.”

Mon Dieu Projects aims to bring some irreverence to the LA art world with its provocative curatorial choices. “Mon Dieu” the French expression of “My god!” and surprise is the reaction the curators hope to inspire. It also represents Galerie Youn’s Montreal roots with its roster of eccentric artists, who are thrilled for their West Coast debut.

The Royal FAUST – One of the Rarest Antique Books in the World … That You Can Actually Buy

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Goethe's Faust, First Part - Erster Theil. Auguste von Kreiling, Friedr. Bruckmann’s Verlag 1875, 1876, 1877, 52 x 39 cm

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a world-renowned 18th century writer and philosopher, covering poetry, plays, novels, and scientific treatises, and widely considered the greatest German writer of all time. His magnum opus, “Faust,” tells the story of a scholar who makes a deal with the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and pleasure, and is regarded as one of the greatest literary works ever written. Now imagine owning an antique limited-edition royal “Faust” that is the size of a small window. It is covered in leather and silver, published and decorated by the finest bookmakers and artists of its time, and made exclusively for Queen Victoria. Who wouldn’t want such a copy for their personal library?! This book exists, and with some effort, you can purchase it for your collection.

Art Dealer’s Daily Dangers … and Safety Measures

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Art dealing can be a glamorous and lucrative business, but it can also be incredibly dangerous. In recent years, there have been numerous cases of art dealers falling victim to theft, fraud, and even violence. According to reports by the FBI, Interpol, and the Art Loss Register, there were over 24,700 reported cases of art theft between 2008 and 2022, with the value of stolen art during this period surpassing more than $11 billion. These statistics serve as a stark reminder of the risks that art dealers face in their line of work.

Exclusive Interview with German Sculptor & Videographer freaky-Deek | Part 3

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Freaky-Deek is a talented sculptor and videographer hailing from the Black Forest region in Germany. He has been showcasing his work in various galleries, exhibitions, and social media platforms. Having grown tired of just typing on a keyboard, freaky-Deek decided to dive into his creative passion and start his own business. As a former figurine collector, he wanted to create something truly unique and dynamic. So, he combined his electronics skills with his love for art and crafted sculptures with added features such as lights and sound. Recently freaky-Deek embarked on a new journey with the creation of a one-of-a-kind polymer clay cyborg sculpt, known as Project AD-01.

Stunning Stingray Throne by Didier Guenard – An Oak Barrel Story

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Didier Guenard is a known artist, furniture maker, and restorer from France that specialized in wooden art and décor. His signature creations are works of fine furniture made from vintage and antique oak barrels. Didier uniquely repurposed, perfected, and mastered the wood of these vessels, teaching the world – the art of revealing a straight line within a curve.

For centuries oak barrels have been used to store and transport wine and spirits, but they also have a second life as a material for making artistic furniture. The sturdy and durable oak wood can be transformed into unique and beautiful pieces that add a rustic and vintage charm to any space. The process of making artistic furniture from these barrels is a creative and innovative endeavor that requires a skilled craftsman.

What’s Wrong With “Buying Local” When It Comes to Art?

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It seems that the modern art world wants the artist to be restricted to the haul and carry, booth setup, travel, out of town hotel expenses, adverse weather, damage to artwork, and watch the crowds meander by art show circuit rather than using local art for interior decorating or serious art show displays in art centers or galleries. Communities like art shows that draw crowds and money into their area, and seem determined to keep the art show circuit working to their own advantage.  

Exclusive Interview with Tom Glynn – Part 4 | As A Man Thinketh

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Tom Glynn is a rare breed: an artist who can move effortlessly between artforms, materials, scales and registers, equally adept at making miniature paintings and  monumental sculptures. And yet all of his work is unmistakably English in mood.  His images are populated by the country’s Neolithic monuments and pastoral landscapes, and informed by the many artists who inhabited those places before him.  Glynn is driven by the same Romantic spirit that motivated Palmer and Turner, Nash  and Piper, Wallis, Lanyon and Hockney, but his art is never anything but his own. It  is, after all, underpinned by an urge that has coursed through his veins since he first stepped foot in a sandpit. 

HOLLYWOOD BY MATEO BLANCO – Celebrating 100 Years of the Original Marker for La La Land 

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Mateo Blanco, a Colombian American artist who lives in Miami, has had a longtime interest in expressing the lure of Hollywood. He has explored the power of the image and fame in his highly original portraits of  iconic screen sirens like Jennifer Lawrence, whose portrait he recreated using peanuts, Madonna, Dolly Parton and many Marvel superheroes, Avatar characters  as well as beloved Star War characters.

In his latest piece, HOLLYWOOD BY MATEO BLANCO, we can see how the stark white background gives power to the image: white, the color of Marilyn Monroe’s dress; white, the color of the lights that shine and make movies possible; white, the first word uttered when the director begins to shoot; white, the color of the gleaming smiles, the diamonds, the very screen on which all our dreams and movies are projected.

ART APPRAISAL: Understanding and Auditing – Everything You Need To Know

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Every day thousands of art market participants find themselves in search of a ‘good art appraisal’ that will suit their specific needs. Even more art owners are already in possession of such valuation documents, which they use for important legal purposes. At the same time, we all know that art appraising process can be a little intimidating. Many people rely completely on the guidance of the first art experts they meet without doing their homework on the expert and, more impartially, the process involved. In this article, I would like to share everything you need to know as a client about the process of art appraisal. We will discuss the purpose of these documents, how to audit them yourself, what standards should good appraisers follow, and much more. But, first things first – what is art appraisal?

Artificial Intelligence on Art Investing

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The World Art News is continuing its art exploration of the World’s Leading Artificial Intelligence system ‘ChatGPT’. This time we decided to find out what AI knows about Art Investing. Keep in mind that this entire article was written by a machine, we just asked it the right questions and added some headlines.

“One of the main benefits of investing in art is its lack of correlation with the stock market. While the stock market may experience fluctuations, the art market has its own set of independent factors that can affect prices. This means that an investment in art can potentially provide a hedge against economic downturns.”