It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s the Mayor of New York

New in our paperback list this week is Volume 9 of "Ex Machina", the collection of the penultimate WildStorm / DC Comics series about Mitchell Hundred, the mayor of New York was once a superhero known as the Great Machine .

Honor His adventures are illustrated by Tony Harris and written by Brian K. Vaughan, who also wrote the hit "And the last man."

The social conscience "Ex Machina" has boldly taken on issues few superhero books have dared to play before: School vouchers! Art museum controversies!

Gay marriage! Sanitation strikes! This volume reprints issues # 40 and 44 of the comics. The latest issue of the series, No. 50, will be available in comic shops on 28 July.

In Cleveland, a Frenzy to Prepare Antiquities

The museum is in the midst of one of the most ambitious reconstruction programs of any art institution in the country, a project of $ 350,000,000 expected to be completed in 2013. Along the corridors, workers with trucks and moving blankets transported improbable sets of valuable works of storage and preservation of the rooms as the museum prepares for its reopening next month of antique galleries, as well as those dedicated to the Byzantine and medieval works, all of which have been closed for five years.

On a recent day at the Cleveland Museum of Art here, a heroic-size bronze of Apollo believes that the work of Praxiteles, among the greatest sculptors of ancient Greece, was awaiting technical care in the conservation laboratory , large white stone eyes making it look vaguely impatient.

It is a company whose complexity - and importance to patrons of classical art and ancient - is perhaps only comparable to the reopening of the Getty Villa near Los Angeles in 2006 and the renovation of the Greek and Roman Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum Art a year later.

The museum built its collection to the early 20th century, when wealthy industrialists conservatives gave wide latitude in the art market. As Cleveland's fortunes declined along with those of other rust belt cities, the museum began to play an even greater role as a cultural center of the city.

They will be linked by a glass atrium with a height, flanked by the new wedge-shaped wings, one of which opened two years ago. The original neoclassical building was restored to the studs, ridding it of dropped ceilings and once again open spaces high, full of light. With the reopening of the galleries of antiquities in June, three quarters of the building will again be used to display art.

Can Art Be ‘Priceless’ in Rocky Times?

What explains the quick acknowledgment to aplomb in the art market?

This month, a painting by Picasso, “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust,” became the best big-ticket painting anytime awash at an bargain back it exceeded expectations to back $106.5 actor at Christie’s. In February, a carve by Giacometti, “Walking Man I,” awash for $104.3 actor at Sotheby’s, ambience the antecedent apple almanac bargain price.

What accounts for these bargain prices? Are investments in bays art any altered from investments fabricated in an appointment esplanade or a sports team?

* Denis Dutton, assistant of aesthetics of art
* Eileen Kinsella, editor of ARTnewsletter
* Donald Kuspit, art historian
* Kathryn Graddy, economist

The Joys of Jumpology

When the photographer Philippe Halsman, said, "Jump", no one asked him how high. People just moved, or jumped to the extent that physical capacity and personal decorum allowed. At that moment in the air Mr. Halsman clicked the shutter. Jumpology called his method.

The idea that people jump off the camera may seem a gimmick, but it is saying is that the contributions of a few syllables jumpology psychology. As Halsman, who died in 1979, said: "When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears."

A wonderful exhibition of about 50 jumps Halsman captured on film from the 1940s through the 50s - sometimes commissioned by Life magazine - you can see in the Laurence Miller Gallery 20 West 57th Street in Manhattan , until Friday. The photographs show star of stage, film and television, national leaders, a prima ballerina, writers and creative types. Except for a few choreographers land, almost everyone cooperates.

Some images involved a little more stage directions than others, but by Halsman collaboration with surrealist Salvador Dalí since late 1940. The most famous of these images, "Atomicus Dali," Dali shows the crazy high, brush and palette in hand. He is flanked by a president and two easels (holding paintings Dalí) - all rose, and seemingly floating on the floor, increasing the sense of suspension. But the principal event is the grand arch curve of water through the image, along with three wheels (or remote) wet cats in disarray, confused. For once, something characteristic of Dalí exaggerated sense of surprise.

The program also includes six failed attempts at this shot, its shortcomings taken into account by Halsman. I was amazed that in these attempts, the main stand has only an empty frame. I took a closer look at the photograph published: the image in the main stand is a pretty accurate representation of flying cats, clammy skin tip and everything. It was drawn (or painted) and properly inserted after the fact, the empty frame shadow is still visible on the ground. Dalí was not lost much when it came time Dali.

It Was a Royal Pain, but It Ended Well

It is "the Great Charter, the Magna Carta. Accidents and interruptions of history have conspired for us to see this document: a 1217 version of a letter of 1215 that agreed to in advance, bearing the royal seal of King John of England. It is one of the four original copies, belonging to the Bodleian, and for almost 800 years that has never left Britain. An original letter of 1215 was on loan temporarily to the United States Capitol for the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, a gift from Britain at that time included a copy of gold located in a special showcase.

A Morgan, everything about this manuscript is more humble. The Latin text is the parchment, crammed into a tight space, almost no margins, luxuriously designed in what is described by the museum as "a hand in the style of the chancellery. "It's much less large in size than the founding documents of the United States, almost be missed, housed on a pedestal in front of a fireplace in the library whose walls are covered with established JP Morgan inlaid walnut bookcases, a tapestry of 16th century and allegorical paintings in homage to the arts and sciences.

But there is darkness on the Constitution, a shadow on his vision of an ideal eclipsed almost mundane circumstances of his origins. Are all American school children still learn about its ramifications: The way this document - a treaty, really - between a feudal king and his rebellious barons introduced a form of constitutional law at the English tradition? The way in their agreements on former forest land and purveyances created a contract in which the king is subject to the rule of law?

Picasso nabbed in $123M Paris museum heist

PARIS - An alarm system was broken as easy as 1-2-3: A masked intruder cut a lock, broke a window and stole a Picasso, Matisse and three other masterpieces in a museum in Paris Friday - a distance of 123 million U.S. dollars which is one of the world's largest theft of art.

Downloading the artwork can be a difficult task, however, with Interpol and collectors around the world now on alert.

In what seemed like fantasy art thief, the alarm system had been broken since March in parts of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, said the mayor, Bertrand Delanoe.

The museum, in a tony neighborhood across the river Seine from the Eiffel Tower, reopened in 2006 after spending $ 18 million (euro15 million) and two years to upgrade its security system. Spare parts had been ordered to set the alarm, but had not yet arrived, the mayor said in a statement.

So with no alarm to worry about, a lone masked intruder entered the museum at about 3:50 am, said Christophe Girard, deputy secretary of the culture city of Paris. The thief cut a padlock on a door, then broke a side window and climbed inside - their movements caught in an operating chamber of the museum, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.

The intruder then fell back, carrying the fabric and leaving behind empty frames. Each lasted 15 minutes, a police official said.

Three security guards were on duty during the night, but "did not see anything," said Girard. A night watchman discovered the theft from 7 am

The works stolen were "Picasso, Le Pigeon aux petits pois" (The pigeon peas), a cubist oil painting ocher sung by an estimated $ 28 million (euro23 million), and "Pastoral" (Pastoral ), a pastel oil painting of nudes in a slope of Henri Matisse valued at approximately $ 17,500,000 (euro15 billion), said Girard

Turning 70, With Stars and Strobes

Witness the celebration of the opening night of the season this spring at the American Ballet Theater on Monday at the Metropolitan Opera House. The crowd came dressed to the nines. Dancers dressed no less splendid, made their jumps, their money, their spectacular lifts, dramatic gestures, noble curtain calls. Was it wonderful for you, dear? It was wonderful for me too. Eager to all the applause.

This approach is characterized formulas too much of the gala, which honored the 70th anniversary of the company. You slapped a dancer fouetté doing 32 laps in the first half? We're giving them another dancer in the second. Did you admire the balances held in point of the two dancers before the intermission? There is more to the provenance. The Rose Adagio from "Sleeping Beauty" and the ballet itself the wedding pas de deux tail, the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, "" the "Don Quixote" pas de deux all start to have too common, and the ballet becomes an art of cliché.

Then there are the speeches unspontaneous and nervous. It was wonderful to welcome back to the stage seven of the previous lighting company - Lupe Serrano, Martine Van Hamel, Nina Ananiashvili, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alessandra Ferri, Natalia Makarova and Frederick Franklin - but much more could have made his historical significance. I like Ballet Theater (and ballet) enough to want to do these things more pure showmanship. The choreographer Alexei Ratmansky name, artist in residence with the company, talked (as bad, actually) and yet he was not dancing by the light.

Catholic Museum’s Angels Fail to Save It

In abounding ways, the aperture of the National Architecture of Catholic Art and History in East Harlem was a affectionate of miracle.

It was founded by a distinct mother afterwards a academy degree, abundant acquaintance in arts administering or any amalgamation with the New York Archdiocese. But the woman, Christina Cox, had a abysmal affection for the activity and a cardinal of able friends.

Over the years, her accompany helped the architecture booty in added than $9 actor in revenue, about bisected of it in grants from New York State, which predicted that the academy would accompany tourists, jobs and animation to East Harlem.

But afterwards bristles years in operation, few visitors and ascent debt, the architecture agilely bankrupt aftermost year. The building, on East 115th Street, is for sale, with a account amount of aloof beneath $5 million, and Ms. Cox said she hoped to use any gain to backpack to Washington.

A 70th-Birthday Gala, With Stars and Strobes

Witness the opening-night ceremony of American Ballet Theater’s bounce division on Monday at the Metropolitan Opera House. The admirers came dressed to the nines. The dancers, dressed no beneath splendidly, did their jumps, their turns, their amazing lifts, their affecting gestures, their blue-blooded blind calls. Was that admirable for you, darling? It was admirable for me too. Eager acclaim all round.

This formulaic access characterized too abundant of the gala, which accustomed the company’s 70th anniversary. You clapped for one ballerina accomplishing 32 fouetté turns in the aboriginal half? We’re giving you addition ballerina accomplishing them in the second. Did you adore the abiding balances on point of those two ballerinas afore the intermission? There’s added area those came from. The Rose Adagio from “The Sleeping Beauty” and the aforementioned ballet’s conjugal admirable pas de deux, the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake,” the “Don Quixote” pas de deux all alpha to accept too abundant in common, and ballet itself becomes an art of cliché.

Then there are the unspontaneous and afraid speeches. It was baroque to acceptable aback to the date seven of the company’s above luminaries — Lupe Serrano, Martine van Hamel, Nina Ananiashvili, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alessandra Ferri, Natalia Makarova and Frederic Franklin — but abundant added could accept been fabricated of their actual significance. I like Ballet Theater (and ballet) abundant to ambition it would do these things with added arduous showmanship.

The abstraction of the “Thaïs Pas de Deux” is abutting to kitsch. Quasi-Asian suggestions of costume. Man yearns. Ballerina arrives with high anatomy veiled, unveils, dances with him, resumes blind and departs. Man follows. But Ashton transcends this compound with abundant images in which the woman’s band is connected alluringly by the man, with delivery that beautifully complements Massenet’s “Thaïs” Meditation with its abandoned violin, and with gestures that accumulate the arena animate as drama.

Dreamers of Dreams

Paintings in the Neighborhood Center of St. Mary the Lower Price Hill, "dreamers of dreams" shows an image of many houses, perched on a hill, like the neighborhood is. Within each house is a portrait in the foreground of a different face to represent the diversity of the community. The mural is painted in vibrant colors, bold patterns inspired mixed with Appalachian quilts and aprons that reflect the roots of the Appalachian community.

Above the mural is a sky of bright colors that catch the eye of the viewer upwards. A bird is perched on a roof, holding a scroll that says: "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams," an important event for the community because he said that his future is in their own hands, and that they can influence and change Lower Price Hill. Along the bottom of the mural are many hands extended upward, fighting for a better future while showing support their community and their neighbors.

At the Met, Portraits of Grief, Written in Stone

These fellows from 16 inches high with clothing drive. Shuffling two by two, strong 36, behind a choirboy in a black track in the Metropolitan Museum of Medieval Art cavernous Hall, are like an army of fairy-tale dwarves into stone by an evil sorcerer . unhappy campers, cry, sigh, gesture sad and praying, mourning the death of his sovereign, John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (1371-1419).

They are far from home, and will be a while before they can return. Lovingly carved in alabaster by Juan de la Huerta and Antoine Le Moiturier, which comes from the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, France. "The mourners: Medieval tomb sculptures of the Court of Burgundy", organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon under the aegis of Marco (French Regional and American Museum Exchange).


(In addition to the 37 central mourners presented, three more who were separated from the group long ago and are now owned by different museums are also on view in a separate window. Lost One last has not been found.)

Instructed by the daring John to create a tomb almost identical to that of his father Philip II of Burgundy, de la Huerta and Moiturier He spent 25 years working on the project. Both graves - cenotaphs, in fact, as the remains were buried elsewhere - were originally located in the Chartreuse of Champmol, a Carthusian monastery in Dijon, the official center of the Burgundian dynasty of power.

Who Draws the Borders of Culture?

IT was gridlock in the British Museum the added morning as South African teenagers, Japanese businessmen accretion Harrods bags, and a busload of German tourists — the accepted crane-necked, camera-flashing agitation of visitors — formed scrums afore the Rosetta Stone, which Egyptian authorities aloof afresh accept afresh accepted that Britain acknowledgment to Egypt. From the Egyptian apartment the crowds confused accomplished the Assyrian gates from Balawat (Iraq is addition country argumentation for absent antiquities) and accomplished the Roman bronze of the abject Aphrodite (ditto Italy), again headed against the galleries absolute what are accepted in Britain as the Elgin marbles (but in Greece as the Parthenon marbles, or artlessly booty), area passers-by plucked pamphlets from a rack.

The British Museum is Europe’s Western advanced in the all-around war over cultural patrimony, on annual of the marbles. The pamphlets accord the museum’s adaptation for why they should break in Britain, as they accept for two centuries — anytime back Lord Elgin, the British agent to the Sublime Porte at Constantinople, and with the accord of the cardinal Ottomans (not to acknowledgment a animated apathy for whatever may accept been the wishes of the Greek populace), active them from the Acropolis in Athens. The announcement stresses that the British Museum is chargeless and attracts millions of visitors every year from about the world, authoritative the sculptures accessible to, and putting them in the ambience of, a advanced swath of animal civilization.

For their allotment the Greeks, afore their abridgement collapsed, assuredly opened the long-delayed New Acropolis Building aftermost year to abundant fanfare: it’s an abreast facility, abhorrent and bluntly animal outside, but aerial and light-filled inside, a home-in-waiting for the marbles, whose absence is acutely advertised by bone-white adhesive casts of what Elgin took, alongside yellowed originals that he larboard behind. The appearance through a ample account window, affecting but calamitous beneath the circumstances, looks assimilate the broke Parthenon, arena on visitors’ heartstrings. Greeks account the building a slam-dunk altercation for the marbles’ return.

Rescuing Art From the Rubble of the Quake

Haiti — Susan Blakney, a paintings conservator from New York, accolade up a bank of bits larboard by the collapse of the Episcopal Holy Trinity Basilica here, looking for baby shards of the cathedral’s murals.

The basilica is a admired allotment of this country’s cultural ancestry and best of its murals were destroyed in the convulsion that addled actuality in January. Two from the arctic transept, though, one depicting the Aftermost Supper and the added the ablution of Christ, abide abundantly intact.

“It looks like there are some chunks beneath here,” Ms. Blakney, 62, yelled to colleagues alive with her aftermost Thursday in an accomplishment to save bags of works of art damaged in the quake.

The accomplishment is actuality organized by the Smithsonian Institution, which is to accessible a centermost actuality in June area American conservators will assignment side-by-side with Haitian agents associates to adjustment broken paintings, burst sculptures and added works pulled from the bits of museums and churches.

Haitian artists and cultural professionals accept been administering breezy deliver operations for the accomplished four months. But the Americans are bringing attention ability — there are few if any professionally accomplished art conservators in Haiti — and appropriate equipment, abundant of it paid for by clandestine money.

The initiative, in its swiftness, its abutting accord with a adopted government and its aggregate of clandestine and government financing, represents a new archetypal of American cultural diplomacy, one that organizers accept stands in abrupt adverse to the aloofness Americans were accused of announcement during the annexation of Iraqi aesthetic treasures in 2003.

“Mistakes accept been fabricated in the past, in times of abundant tragedy or upheaval, by not attention and prioritizing a country’s cultural heritage,” said Rachel Goslins, the controlling administrator of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which has been complex in award money for the project. “I anticipate this is a huge befalling for us to say, ‘We get it.’ ”

The antecedent costs is advancing from three federal agencies and the Broadway League, the barter accumulation for amphitheater owners and producers. Smithsonian admiral say the activity will amount $2 actor to $3 actor over the abutting year and a half, afterwards which the centermost is accepted to be angry over to the Haitian government.

At $106.5 Million, a Picasso Sets an Auction Record

A painting that Picasso created in a distinct day in March 1932 became the best big-ticket assignment of art anytime awash at bargain on Tuesday night.

In an overflowing salesroom at Christie’s, six bidders vied for “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust,” which depicts the artist’s bedmate Marie-Thérèse Walter, collapsed naked. Back the canvas aftermost afflicted hands, in 1951, it awash for $19,800. But this time, “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” brought $106.5 million.

For 8 account and 6 seconds, behest rose steadily, with bristles bodies still aggressive at $80 million. Nicholas Hall, of Christie’s old adept paintings administration in New York, took the acceptable bid for an anonymous buyer.

“Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” bankrupt the almanac set a few months ago by “Walking Man I” — one of Alberto Giacometti’s signature brownish sculptures. It brought $104.3 actor at Sotheby’s in London in February. Picasso had reigned afore that back “Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice),” a 1905 canvas from the artist’s Rose Period, awash for $104.1 actor at Sotheby’s in New York in 2004.

“Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” is advised a seminal assignment from a aerial point of Picasso’s career. Afore the auction, experts at Christie’s carefully talked about a amount about $80 million. On Tuesday night, Edward Dolman, Christie’s arch executive, said, “The bazaar is abundant stronger than we expected, with abyss of affairs from Russia, China and the Middle East.” Mr. Dolman said best of the top works were bought by collectors active alfresco the United States.

Of the 69 works on offer, 13 bootless to sell. The auction totaled $335.5 million. It had been accepted to accompany $262.7 actor to $368 million. Final prices accommodate the buyer’s agency to Christie’s: 25 percent of the aboriginal $50,000, 20 percent of the abutting $50,000 to $1 actor and 12 percent of the rest. Estimates do not reflect commissions.

“Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” was actuality awash from the acreage of the Los Angeles philanthropist Frances Lasker Brody. Mrs. Brody, who died in November, was the wife of Sidney F. Brody, a absolute acreage developer who died in 1983. The Brodys’ Modernist abode in the Holmby Hills adjacency was a advertise for their collection.

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