So what was there to see after my picture post card holiday? There is a lot coming up and I have some 20 exhibitions to get to over the next six months. A good thing as my frustration is such I am working out at the gym more than is strictly necessary.
« The Biennale of Antiquaires and Haute Joaillerie » was opening so I would go off to that in the Grand Palais.
It could be described as an exceptional, ephemeral museum gathering objects from all over the world and from all periods. Antiques and Jewelry maybe the main concept but from my point of view it is very much pointed at modern and contemporary art. This time around there are 89 exhibitors and as the doors opened you could practically « smell » the collectors…..
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| A steady flow through the doors..... |
I find it strange that we are still talking about a recession, a financial crisis where all sectors and all industries have been touched. Frankly you would have to pinch yourself to believe such a statement as fairs like the Biennale attract huge crowds and collectors. We all hear about the fabulous prices for a Jeff Koons, a Daniel Buren, a Pierre Soulages - and need I go on. If there is a crisis, then, as usual it is effecting the middle class but not the rich and richer who are willing to pay spectacular prices for a work of art. Without knowing it, I spent nearly three hours wandering around. It was the morning of the opening and some brands or galleries were not as yet finalized. Chanel was one of them, but the crowds waiting for it to open were mind boggling.
But first I needed just to wander around......
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| Antiques and modern |
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| The first spectactors |
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| A superb setting |
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| Must go in and find out who she is.... |
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| Lots of Asiatic sculptures |
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| Quite something... |
What I like about such an event, it is a test to see if I will recognize and artist out of context. I’ll admit it, if this had been an examination I would have failed dismally. Seeing so many of the works in a gallery environment and many of them discretely displaying the artist’s name, made me feel ashamed of myself for not knowing who they were. Sure, the Picassos, Chagall, Louise Bourgois, Sophie Delaunay, Dubuffet and a few more were easily identifiable
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| Gaston Chaissac -1956/57 |
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| Can you guess? |
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| Juan Miro - Femme 1979 |
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| Well do you know? |
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| Yves Klein |
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| And ? |
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| Cy Twombly - 1960 |
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| Of course you know.... |
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| and this too |
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| Picasso - Françoise 1947 - but I wasn't sure |
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| Someone I saw recently and loved |
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| Naturally you know |
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| and this tooo |
but some confused me. Da Silva, Fautrier, even De Staël and a few more ……..
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| Marie Elena Vieira Da Silva - Houses 1948 |
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| Jean Fautrier - Sweet Baby 1964 |
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| Nicolas de Staël - the pink table 1953 |
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| De Staël; Soulages : Poliakoff |
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| Jean Fautrier - Precisions 1963 |
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| Emile Bernard -Bretonne assise sur un muret 1886 |
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| Fernand Leger 1953 - would never have known |
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| Albert Gleizes 1922 |
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| Kees van Dongen 1923/25 |
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| van Dongen again |
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| Jean Dubuffet - The Forest 1959 |
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| This I knew and you do too |
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| Chagall |
In one gallery I overheard a collector say « I don’t really like this Chagall as much as the other one in …..gallery. I think we should take that ».
Once I started « listening in » I heard many such remarks. The galleries quite obviously knew who were the collectors. I was not stopped once even if I was taking more photos than necessary. I’m rather glad that I don’t look that rich and would be very grateful if someone would tell the Income Tax People that I’m not…..they have really hit the middle man this year!
Here is what I saw. So how many can you identify?
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| Alberte Magnelli -1944 |
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| André Lanskoy (1902-1976) - 1948 |
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| Jean René Bazaine (1904-2001) Painter and his model 1944 |
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| Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923-2002) -1954 |
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| Hans Hartung (1904-1989) - 1949 |
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| Hans Hartung (1904-1989) - 1949 thought it was Soulages |
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| Georges Mathieu |
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| Fernand Leger 1938 |
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| Alberto Magnelli - Florence 1914 |
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| Jean Miro (1893-1983) |
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| Georges Valmier (1885-1937) |
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| Renoir - Midday Landscape 1915 |
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| Max Ernst (1891-1976) 1928 |
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| Victor Brauner (1903-1966) |
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| Günther Uecker - 1987 |
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| Yves Klein - Blue Spnge Sculptre 1959 |
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| Alighiero Boetti The World 1980-81 |
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| Paump Scheggi - 1968 |
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| Fontana |
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| And again |
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| Kees Van Dongen - women and cats 1912 |
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| Laszio Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) Composition G4: 1926 |
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| Jean Metzinger (1883-1956) - Le Pont 1912/13 |
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| Zao Wou-Ki (1921-2013) - 1958 |
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| Kandinsky (1866-1944) Moscou ll -1916 |
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| Joan Miro (1893-1983) - 1936 |
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| Animal-headed King and his assembly of demons receiving two princes - Painting from Mahabharata 18th C |
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| Le Corbusier - Ozon Opus l - 1947 |
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| Amédéé Ozenfant - 1921 |
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| Kees Van Dongen - Arletty- she was an actress |
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| George Rouault (1871-1958) - Fille à sa fenêtre 1906 |
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| Joan Miro - La Dida - 1970 |
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| George Rouault (1871-1958) Fin d'automne 1952 |
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| Sonia Delaunay - 1916 |
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| Alfred Réth Formes dans l'espace - 1935. A new one for me.... |
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| Janos Mattis-Teutsch - Compposition 1922 |
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| Henri Vaiensi - 1918 - also new and a real discovery |
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| André Lanskoy - 1960 |
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| A Fontana - I really liked |
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| And as far as security goes, it looked like this. |
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Hans Bellmer
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But I was most suprised when my bag was checked when I
left the Grand Palais.....
Galeries visited:-
Besides Applicat-Prazan, Galeire Boulakia, Richard Green, Dominique Lévy New York, TornabuoniArt, very few names were clearly indicated......or perhaps these are the ones I found the most interesting......
My next trip is to Amiens.....what did I hear you say "The Cathedral"?
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