FBI - Most Wanted Art

The FBI released a list of the world's top ten art crimes asking for the public's help in tracking down art masterpieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Leanardo da Vinci and other precious artwork stolen from museums and private collections. The ten criminal cases represent art losses estimated at 600 million dollars. Among the high-profile art thefts are Edvard Munch's "The Scream", stolen last year from the museum bearing his name in Oslo, Norway, two Vincent Van Gogh paintings with a combined worth of 30 million dollars stolen in Amsterdam in 2002, Paul Cezanne's "View of Auvers-sur-Oise," Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's "Nativity" and Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna of the Yarnwinder".
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Irish Art

A Damien Hirst for £35

Want to buy a work of art for less than £1,000? A Damien Hirst picture could cost you just £35. The Royal College of Art's annual Secret show offers punters the chance to buy any of its 2,700 postcard-size pictures, such as this painterly cow's head, for just £35. A number of these are by famous artists - you just don't know which until you've bought it, since signatures are only on the back. You may get the work of a humble RCA student or find yourself with a Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin or Peter Blake (all contributors to the 2005 show) and your little oblong of card could be worth thousands. RCA Secret 2005: viewing days Nov 18-24, sale days Nov 25 & 26 at the Royal College of Art, London SW7 (020 7590 4186)
Irish Art

Scots Sculpture Snub

A British TV show holding a contest to find the 100 best public sculptures has decided no art in Scotland is good enough to be considered. "The programme makers told Scotland on Sunday that when they looked for the nation's 100 best public sculptures they decided that, compared with England, Scotland had failed to invest in public sculpture, especially in the 20th century. The humiliating art snub has sparked outrage in Scotland, with experts north of the Border accusing Artsworld of 'geographical snobbery' and 'cultural ignorance'.
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Irish Art

Killer Art Row

A US district attorney is furious that a man convicted of raping, strangling and killing four women in the Springfield area in 1990s can offer his art for sale on the Internet. Alfred J. Gaynor's drawing depicts Jesus kneeling against a rock in prayer with a cactus and mountains in the background. State laws do not prohibit criminals from profiting from their notoriety. He is serving four consecutive life sentences at the state's maximum security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. The president of the Fortune Society defended the sale of inmate art. "We believe strongly that in addition to the punishment, there should be rehabilitation," she said. Selling and buying inmate art is not a good idea, said Stalk Inc - a serial killer profiling service. "By reinforcing their fame by buying whatever art they are selling, it's sending the wrong message to society."
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Irish Art

Biggest Art Theft In History

The story of what really happened inside the Iraq Museum when thousands of valuable antiquities were stolen in the immediate aftermath of the 2003 United States invasion has been revealed in a new book - Thieves of Baghdad by Matthew Bogdanos. Written by the chief investigator, it says there were three separate thefts, at least one of which was an inside job, another the work of professionals, and a third the fault of fleeing Iraq military. At least 13,864 objects were stolen, making it the biggest museum heist in history. But the book reveals that, with an estimated 500,000 objects in the museum and thieves having the run of the place for 36 hours, the wonder is the loss was not far closer to the original, inaccurate, reports of 170,000 items. And the efforts of Iraqi, US and Italian officials, plus police and customs worldwide, have so far led to the recovery of 5400 items, nearly 700 from inside the US and Britain.
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Irish Art

Sewell Pees On Modern Art

Brian Sewell, Britain's most controversial art critic chooses to ignore the Turner Art Prize in his newspaper column. 'Ignoring it is the kindest thing one can do,' he says, lightly. 'It's been rigged for years. It used to be outrageous, but this year it is just dull.' Most art critics, in his view, are far too worried about being shut out in the cold to sharpen their knives. His enemies, and God knows he has a few, often (inaccurately) complain that Sewell's love of art ends with Poussin. Anything later and he just isn't interested. On balance, however, it is fair to say that he thinks that modern art is rubbish. 'We've reached the point where Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen might as well be an artist; all he needs is an empty room and some chalk. We pee on things, we pee into things, we pee over things... and call it art.' He is especially contemptuous of women artists. 'Women are no good at squeezing cars through spaces. If you have someone who is unable to relate space to volume, they won't make a good artist. Look at Barbara Hepworth - a one-trick pony. Look at that pile of rubbish in the Tate by Rachel Whiteread. In another generation, it will be inconceivable that anyone will be taught how to paint. The blind are leading the blind. The head of painting at the Royal College couldn't paint a Christmas card.'
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Irish Art

Art Studio Shock

After Francis Bacon died, hundreds of unfinished art works were found littering an art studio that resembled a dump. Now the detritus is revealing the darkest secrets of this intensely private artist. 'People think I live grandly, you know,'said one of the richest painters of the 20th century, 'but in fact I live in a dump.' The few friends lucky enough to be invited home would climb a steep, narrow staircase with the help of a rope banister. At the top they would feel despair. It was an unbelievable mess. There were discarded baked-bean tins and empty bottles of Krug, paint rollers, Dulux colour cards, brushes in pots, cardboard boxes, passport photos, slashed paintings, hundreds of scribbled-on photographs, books and bits of cloth. By the time he died, leaving more than £11m to his companion Edwards, he stood for bankable blockbuster British art. His stark, bloody images with distorted faces are instantly recognisable.
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Irish Art

Liverpool's Gay Art Move

Liverpool is replacing the art that hang on the walls of its Registry Office in order to avoid offending gay couples. The city, which has over recent years become one of the most gay friendly in Britain, is removing two paintings because they are too associated with straight marriage. One is of a young bride signing the register and the other is of Romeo and Juliet on a swing. Janet Taubman, a Registrar at the office said: “they were innocent pictures but the new paintings are less likely to offend." The replacement paintings are landscapes. Civil Partnership ceremonies will take place in England and Wales from December 21st.
Irish Art