Hot Photo Friday – Joakim Eneroth

Joakin Eneroth, 'Retitled V', 2008

New Director for TWMA

New TWMA Director Victoria Lynn

Independent Curator Victoria Lynn has been appointed the new Director of the Tarrawarra Museum of Art after being approached by the board (chaired by billionaire retailer Marc Besen) in May.  A previous Commissioner for the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Lynn also curated Turbulence, the 3rd Auckland Triennial in 2007.

Lynn will take over from current Director Maudie Palmer once she has fulfilled her contract as Visual Arts Curator of the 2012 Adelaide Biennial.

Grant Pirrie to close its doors

Exterior of Grant Pirrie's soon to close Redfern space

Following months of speculation, Sydney commercial space Grant Pirrie has officially announced its closure.  In a joint statement released on Friday, owners Stephen Grant and Bridget Pirrie said: “Today we have decided to finish the gallery, but Grantpirrie will live on.”  How?  The couple has hinted that the gallery’s project-based initiatives may continue offshore, with a focus on building international audiences.  Cold comfort for the gallery artists now forced to look elsewhere for representation in Sydney…

The gallery’s last day of business is October 15^th.

White Cube blurs the line between public and private

The interior of White Cube's newest space in Bermondsey, South London

White Cube is about to open the largest commercial gallery in England in Bermondsey, South London.  Along with three separate gallery segments and three smaller project spaces for non-represented artists, the 5,400 square metre warehouse conversion will also include a 60 seat auditorium, an archive room and a bookshop.  There’s even talk of establishing a dedicated education program.  Describing the enterprise, White Cube’s Director of Exhibitions Tim Marlow stated; “I hope it blurs the distinction between public and private galleries, though we always work in sympathy with and in dialogue with the public sector.”  While the new space is ostensibly pleb-friendly, the conversion also includes a series of private viewing rooms for serious collectors.

White Cube Bermondsey opens with the group exhibition Structure and Absence featuring work by Andreas Gursky, Gabriel Orozco and Jeff Wall on October 12^th.

Looking Forward – Julian Hooper

Pollock’s Love Tokens

Ceramic bookends by Jackson Pollock, 1929

Long before Jackson Pollock revolutionised painting with his signature ‘all-over’ drips, he was a student at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, and it was here that he created the little beauties above.  The unsigned book ends are purportedly love tokens that Pollock fashioned for fellow student Alice Crosby, who recently verified their authenticity. The mulberry streaked slabs are about to go up for auction at Cowan’s in Cincinnati, with an asking price of up to US$15,000.

Hot Photo Friday – Craigie Horsfield

Craigie Horsfield, 'Well Street, East London, March 1986', 1992

Chartwell receives Arts Foundation’s Award for Patronage

Auckland’s Chartwell Trust has been announced as the recipient of the New Zealand Arts Foundation’s Award for Patronage.  To celebrate, the Arts Foundation will present the Trust with $20,000 to administer to artists and projects at Chartwell’s discretion.  Typical of their benevolence, the Trust has in turn donated $20,000 of their own funds to enable further Arts Foundation awards.

Nina does Bob

Bob Dylan Opens at Gagosian

Bob Dylan, 'The Monk', 2009

A while back Leg of Lamb reported on the rumoured appointment of Bob Dylan to Larry Gagosian’s stable.  Well, Dylan’s first show with the uber dealer opened in New York yesterday and he’s received some heavyweight support from MoMA curator John Elderfield, the man behind MoMA’s current De Kooning retrospective.

Edlerfield, who conducted an interview with the musician for the show’s accompanying catalogue, describes Dylan as “a talented painter”.  Talking about the show, Edlerfield stated: “Some people say to me, ‘Would you be interested in these works if they were not by Bob Dylan?’…And I say, ‘Would you be as hard on them if they were not by Bob Dylan?’”

A suite of paintings inspired by Dylan’s recent travels to Japan, China, Vietnam and Korea, The Asia Series runs until October 22^nd.