Author Archives: Robin Starr

Blooms for Books

Several months ago, Skinner art appraiser Kathy Wong agreed to arrange all of the flowers for a friend’s wedding. I know you’re wondering what this has to do with antiques and auctions, but just stay with me for a minute. The friend happens to be a Skinner colleague, so this past fall we have all enjoyed watching the process as Kathy brought in ideas to show to the bride-to-be: designs for table arrangements, bouquets, boutonnières, and more.

Steel, Stones, and Smoke: Art Appraisers Tour Art Basel Miami Beach

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Florida for one of the year’s most spectacular art shows: Art Basel Miami Beach. I spent the first part of the trip with fellow art appraiser Kathy Wong, and then my husband and 7-year-old son joined me as traveling companions. In addition to spotting famous and emerging artists (Julian Schnabel, Orlan, the controversial Mr. Brainwash, and Marina Abramovic, to name a few), we snapped photos of many pieces of art that struck us as beautiful, original, shocking, or thought-provoking. You can view the full gallery on the American & European Works of Art Facebook page.

An Art Museum Fantasy Road Trip, Part II: a Portal through Space and Time

I’m surrounded by art in my job as an auctioneer and appraiser, but sometimes that’s still not enough. There’s more art out there than I’ll ever be able to see—some of it located in far flung reaches of space and time. If I had a futuristic portal I could step through right now, here are five places I would go.

Contemporary Art in Boston: Exploring The Linde Family Wing at the MFA

I finally had the chance to go see the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I’ve got one word for you: go. The layout is contextual rather than chronological, and frankly some of the choices are downright quirky (in a good way). For instance, the placement of Monet’s La Japonaise makes sense visually, but the piece is a century earlier than virtually everything else around it.

Contemporary Art in Boston: The Smart & Witty Work of Annette Lemieux

Contemporary art is becoming all the rage (finally!) in Massachusetts. Sebastian Smee’s article in the Boston Globe, “Contemporary Art All the Rage Across Region,” (September 18, 2011) points out how MassMOCA, the ICA, and now the MFA are all giving contemporary art its due, and even The Clark Art Institute is getting into the act. The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) has been quietly and steadily showing contemporary work for years. Now in its ninth machination the Wall at WAM project, currently featuring Charline von Heyl, shows site-specific murals in the Renaissance Court. And, WAM brings at least one major contemporary show each year, which, for a museum of modest size, is nothing short of amazing.

Alexander Calder: Artwork that could make Ebenezer Scrooge Smile

Alexander Calder was an artistic “jack of all trades.” He worked in metal, from jewelry to large-scale public works; he made paintings, as a theatrical set designer; and he was also a successful lithographer. What makes Calder so compelling in any medium is his wit and energy.

Irascible & Influential: The Etchings of James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Both his temperament and his compositions are indicative of Whistler’s passionate and energetic approach to art. These same qualities are visible in his numerous etchings.Whistler was drawn to etching by his brother-in-law, the great British etcher Sir Francis Seymour Haden. Whistler’s skill with an etching needle seems to have come to him instantaneously. Even in his earliest attempts, his use of line is expressive and emotive, and shows a fluidity generally reserved for artists who have had lengthy practice with a medium.

Artist Portraits: Homages to Greatness

With the turn of the 20th century and the rise of Modernism, artists became much more aware of the chronology of art history and their place within it. With this arose a genre that, if not altogether new, suddenly became more prevalent; artists creating portraits of other artists.

Consignment and Beyond: The Quest to Authenticate a Frieseke Painting

I walked into the room, and before me on the table was a softly lit impressionist landscape depicting an olive grove with distant red-roofed houses. A French scene; southern France. The signature seemed to read “F.C. Frieseke”, and stylistically the painting was in the right ball park. Frederick Carl Frieseke was an American Impressionist who worked in France.

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