Daily art news

NEW YORK (REUTERS).- An intricate wooden bust carved by Paul Gauguin is expected to sell for as much as $15 million when it is auctioned on May 3, according to Sotheby's. "Jeune tahitienne," which was carved by Gauguin during his first trip to Tahiti between 1891 and 1893, depicts a young, unidentified Tahitian woman and includes jewelry which Gauguin made himself using seashells and pieces of red coral. A piercing left on the ear is believed by experts to have once held a flower, and two foxes carved in the back of the neck represent a sort of signature Gauguin often used, with the foxes being representative of sexuality. "It's rare to see a piece of art of such great quality and with such a great story," said Simon Shaw, Sotheby's head of Impressionist and Modern Art. "It's truly unique."

PARIS.- Acte2Galerie for ArtParis+Guest 2011 presents Albert Watson for the SOLO SHOW art fair. ArtParis+Guest is on view from March 31 to April 3, 2011 at le Grand Palais. Albert Watson has made his mark as one of the world's most successful fashion and commercial photographers during the last four decades, while creating his own art along the way. Over the years, his striking images have appeared on more than 250 covers of Vogue around the world and have been featured in countless other publications, from Rolling Stone to Time to Vibe many of the photographs iconic portraits of rock stars, rappers, actors and other celebrities. Albert was the official Royal Photographer for Prince Andrew's wedding to Sarah Ferguson.
 

WEIL AM RHEIN.- In the second half of the 20th century, Italian design attained worldwide recognition. The Milanese photographers Aldo Ballo and Marirosa Toscani Ballo played a considerable part in this success - there is hardly a design icon from that era which was not photographed in their studio. The exquisitely precise, dispassionate shots of the Ballos emphasized the beauty and functionality of the objects. This helped to convey their message: in the context of discussion of the relationship between object and medium, these images have influenced our perception of Italian design. Today, the archive of Studio Ballo documents an important chapter in Italian design history, of which it forms a significant part. Presenting outstanding objects with the Ballos' photographic interpretations, the exhibition presents this story as a discourse of empathy and interpretation, of the signs of the times and their transmission into the future - from Albini, Aulenti, Bellini and Castiglioni to Colombo, Mendini, Pesce and Ponti, to Sarfatti, Sottsass and Superstudio.