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Category Archives: Art
The Curse of Salvator Mundi
A Renaissance-era painting titled “Salvator Mundi” thought to have been executed by a student of Leonardo Da Vinci around 1500 was sold at auction in 1958 for less than $100. No doubt the seller considered it a good deal, for … Continue reading
Just Enough Rope
There was a time once when members of certain lofty professions received unalloyed respect from the people they served: surgeons, police officers, clergy, airline pilots. The common element among these leaders was their role in protecting peoples’ lives (or souls) … Continue reading
The Financial Folly of the Death Penalty
A $12M garbage bill comes due. The trial of the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should serve as Exhibit A in the venture to eliminate the death penalty from the books – not because Tsarnaev might possibly be innocent or … Continue reading
The Art of Destroying Art
“Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” George Bernard Shaw. Undeterred by opposition and strident in their belief that God wants them to commit wanton and mindless mass murder, the lunatics who comprise ISIS have used … Continue reading
You Must Remember This
The big news in the fine art world a couple weeks ago centered on the drubbing Sotheby’s took at the hands of midtown auction house rival Christie’s when the latter sold $853 million in contemporary art on November 12, after … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Business, Movies
Tagged Altes Rathaus, auctions, casablanca, christie's, sotheby's. bonhams
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This Week in Big Numbers
Yes, the war so far in Iraq has cost $2 trillion, the combined unfunded pensions of the 50 states exceeds $4 trillion, and the debt of the United States sits at $17 trillion and counting, yet I submit a monetary … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Business
Tagged giacometti, Harold Hamm, Mathew Martoma, SAC Capital, steven cohen, Warren Buffett
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Draining Barrels of Ink for Empty Scoops
In the summer of 2004 as the presidential race between party nominees George W. Bush and John Kerry was moving into higher gear, attention of the die-hard political whores turned toward the question of whom Kerry might choose as his … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Newspaper, Politics, TV
Tagged Chevrolet, Cy Twombly, Damon Darlin, NY Post, NY Times, Upshot
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Pablo Picasso Never Got Called an Asshole
“He was only five foot three but girls could not resist his stare – Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole.” This declaration by Jonathan Richman on the seminal 1972 album The Modern Lovers could not be more true today … Continue reading
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Outrages
A couple years ago in the tiny village of Borja, Spain, an elderly woman named Cecilia Giménez tried her hand at restoring a flaking, century-old fresco of Jesus Christ. She failed. Obviously underqualified to do a paint-by-numbers donkey, Giménez turned … Continue reading
Drag Queens, Rent Boys, Pick Pockets, Junkies, Rockstars and Punks
Leee Black Childers, along with Bob Gruen, Roberta Bayley and Mick Rock was one of pre-eminent photographers capturing the NYC rock n roll underground – although Childers was just as likely to appear in a photo as to snap it. … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Music, Photography, Politics
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Baselworld – Time of Your Life
Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show opens this week in Switzerland, and sadly I am not there. I love watches. The combination of artistry and mechanical precision that results in a world-class time-piece is something to admire – and pay for … Continue reading
Posted in Art
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A Whiff of Gross Air
This past Monday evening as I seared some yellowfin tuna and curated a saffron risotto, I listened to Terry Gross, host of NPR’s “Fresh Air” interview Mary Roach, the author of “Gulp.” It seems author Roach has “tackled the human … Continue reading
The Art of Taking Offense
New York City deputy mayor Joseph Lhota wants to run for real Mayor when Michael Bloomberg finally gives up the reins after twelve years (the last four of which he got by browbeating and bribing City Council to override voter-approved … Continue reading