Early March London Auctions Highlight Young Female Artists Amid the Conservative Bidding.. and Others
UK_London
Early March London Auctions Highlight Young Female Artists Amid the Conservative Bidding
From February 28 to March 3, major art auction houses Christie, Sotheby’s, and Phillips held London sales of works from the 20th century to the present. Categories of 20th-century masters, post-war art, and an “ultra-contemporary” section featuring artists born after 1975 were open to bidding. The results of these auctions suggest a general trend in the art market of this year and reveal which artists of this time are attracting collectors’ attention.
While the auctions organized by the three companies had a high overall sales record with more than 90% of works sold, experts reported that the bidders were conservative, the winning prices being lower than expected. Works by Picasso and Magritte, as well as Surrealist works, were popular, also reportedly reflecting the conservative tendency to stay within established categories.
Amid this general trend, there were some exceptionally long lasted biddings for works by young female artists. At Phillips, works by Caroline Walker, Sarah Ball, and Angela Heisch called for competition, and at Christie’s, Caroline Walker, Cristina Banban, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, and Shara Hughes were popular.
UK_London
The Pivotal 20th Century Sculptor Anthony Caro’s Inspiration From Architecture
British artist Anthony Caro (1924-2013) was a leading figure in 20th-century sculpture, creating abstract sculptures with painted steel.
Drawing inspiration for his materials and methods from architecture, he blurred the boundaries between sculpture and architecture and expanded the traditional meaning of sculpture. His quote, “architecture is perhaps the purest abstract visual form” reveals his deep interest in the sculptural principles of architecture. With this in mind, an exhibition of Caro’s works will soon open in London at Pitzhanger House, designed by the iconic 19th-century British architect Sir John Soane.
“Anthony Caro: The Inspiration of Architecture” will present 16 major works from the artist’s last 30 years, focusing on the recurring and developing architectural themes in Caro’s sculpture: the relationship between space and humanity, exterior and interior, passages, doors, and staircases.
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Anthony Caro: The Inspiration of Architecture
March 9, 2023 – September 10, 2023
Ukraine
Ukraine Issues Banksy Postage Stamp to Mark the First Year of the War
It’s been one year since the Russia-Ukraine war began on February 24, 2022. In the fall of 2022, Banksy, the ‘faceless street painter,’ visited the bombed-out areas of Ukraine and created seven murals.
Last February 24, the Ukrainian post office issued a stamp of Banksy’s “Putin Up” mural on the first anniversary of the war. The mural, which depicts a small boy throwing down a large man in a black belt in a judo match, was painted on a collapsed wall in the village of Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv.
The boy represents Ukraine, while the man represents Putin in Russia, known for his black belt in judo. The stamp also features the phrase “FCK PTN” (F**k Putin) at the bottom, which has spread on social media as a hashtag to mock Putin. On February 24, when the stamps were first on sale, many Ukrainian citizens lined up to purchase them.
