Haunch of Venison set to close

Haunch of Venison’s New York space

Haunch of Venison, the commercial gallery established by Harry Blain and Graham Southern in 2002 and controversially acquired by Christies in 2007 is shutting its doors.  The New York space will close at the end of its current exhibition ‘How to Tell the Future from the Past’ and the London branch will be converted into a Christies sales and exhibition space.  The auction house is streamlining the business to focus on secondary sales exclusively, meaning that they’ll also no longer be working with the 40 artists in the Haunch of Venison stable.  Ouch.

Artists Ditch Gagosian

Larry Gagosian & Damien Hirst have parted ways

Larry Gagosian is facing the loss of two of his most well known artists.  Last week Damien Hirst’s company Science Limited announced; “Larry Gagosian and Damien have reached an amicable decision to part company.”  It was only in January that Gagosian committed to showing the artist’s complete suite of spot paintings at all Gagosian galleries worldwide.  The dealer has represented Hirst for 17 years.

Hirst’s departure was followed a day later by that of Yayoi Kusama, who has shown with Gagosian since 2009.  (Another Gagosian artist – Jeff Koons – is still ostensibly in the stable, but has lined up a solo show at rival gallery David Zwirner in the New Year).  In the mean time, Hirst and Kusama continue to be represented by White Cube and Victoria Miro/Ota Fine Arts respectively.

Murakami, Boesky & the Cosmos

Murakami in front of his psychedelic wallpaper, ‘Cosmos’

Takashi Murakami is suing New York dealer Marianne Boesky over her allegedly unauthorised loan of the artist’s limited edition wallpaper, ‘Cosmos’ to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Murakami claims that Boesky reproduced the wallpaper without his permission and supplied it to The Met for inclusion in their current Andy Warhol exhibition, ‘Regarding Warhol’.  Defending her position, Boesky’s lawyers claim that Murakami agreed to the arrangement ‘verbally’.

In 2003 Murakami gave Boesky permission to sell limited edition sets (each containing 20 sheets) of ‘Cosmos’ to fifteen collectors.  Artist control of the product was so stringent that collectors who wanted to move the wallpaper could only buy new rolls if the originals were returned to Boesky to be destroyed.  Surprising then that Boesky thought she could, according to court papers, create unlimited rolls of paper, ‘apparently forever’ and that she had kept the digital file to do just that, even after she stopped representing Murakami over six years ago.

The artist is seeking compensation and the immediate return of the digital file.

Peter McLeavey, NZOM

Peter McLeavey (image courtesy of Street and City Photos)

Wellington dealer Peter McLeavey was today made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the arts.  McLeavey started out selling work by the likes of Toss Woolaston, Colin McCahon and Gordon Walters from the bedroom of his flat in Wellington and has now run his influential Cuba Street Gallery for over 40 years.  In 2009 McLeavey was the subject of ‘The Man in the Hat’, a documentary directed Luit Bieringa that you can watch online here thanks to New Zealand on Screen.

Now Hiring

Australia’s top dealer gallery Roslyn Oxley9 is looking for a new Gallery Manager. The position has been held by curator and writer Amanda Rowell for over a decade, so her departure marks the end of an era for RO9G.  During her tenure, Rowell curated stand out group exhibitions including Everything’s Alright (2010) and Oblivion Pavilion (2008) that focused on emerging practice.  Rowell’s interest in early to mid career artists feeds directly into her new rumoured venture – a dealer gallery located in the Sydney suburb of Redfern.

Galerie pompom

Ron and George Adams (the duo behind Sydney-based artist run initiative MOP projects) are about to launch a new commercial venture in Chippendale.  Concentrating on contemporary Australian practice, Galerie pompom opens on the 6th of March with a group exhibition featuring work by each of their represented artists, including MOP curator/artist Nana Ohnesorge and former Tristian Koenig Gallery artist Heath Franco.

Gagosian Sued

Roy Lichtenstein, 'Girl in Mirror', 1964

Art dealer Larry Gagosian is being sued by elderly collector Joan Cowles for selling a Roy Lichtenstein painting without her consent.  Cowles claims that her son Charles offered the 1964 painting ‘Girl in Mirror’ to Gagosian without gaining her permission to do so.  Asserting that the painting was damaged, the dealer sold the work to an unnamed collector for $ 2 million (far less than its market value) and took a $ 1 million commission in the process.

The $10 million suit accuses Gagosian of “such wanton dishonesty as to imply criminal indifference to civil obligations, with reckless disregard of Cowles’s rights”.  In response, Gagosian has described the accusations as “outrageous and baseless,” stating that the fault lies with Charles Cowles, who failed to disclose that he had no authority to sell the painting in the first place.

Deitch Projects former Executive Director opens new gallery

'Cyclops Trannies' an installation by assume vivid astro focus in the office of Suzanne Geiss

Suzanne Geiss (Executive Director at Deitch Projects from 1997 until its closure in 2010) is launching a new gallery at Deitch’s former headquarters at 76 Grand Street, New York.  Suzanne Geiss Company opens next week by appointment only with ‘Cyclops Trannies’, an installation in Geiss’s office by assume vivid astro focus (avaf) a.k.a. Eli Sudbrack and  Christophe Hamaide Pierson - regulars in the Deitch Projects program.

Gaga-endorsed stick on nails

avaf have just finished developing ‘Gaga’s Workshop’ – a major collaboration with Lady Gaga for Barneys’  2011 holiday campaign.  The department store  is plying a whole bunch of Gaga-endorsed products like the flaming nails above (only US$225 a pop!) in a dedicated space designed by avaf at their Madison Avenue store that opens tomorrow. And if you’re into this sort of stuff, you can buy it online here.

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.