Director Rebecca Dreyfus' documentary on the Gardner Heist, "Stolen", which highlights Harold Smith's efforts to solve the 1990 theft of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, can be watched on Netflix in the United States.
The Gardner Heist: Rebecca Dreyfus' documentary "Stolen" is on Netflix
Taphonomy in the Paleolithic and the Present Moment
[From the blog cognition and culture, which I recommend [Link]....this paragraph caught my eye]
Taphonomy is where the action is
The most important thing to keep in mind when discussing Paleolithic art is the dog that did not (and will not) bark, namely the overwhelming majority of artistic productions for which there is no trace whatsoever. A cardinal sin of cave art interpretation is to ignore taphonony, in other words to mistake the record for the fact - to think that what is central, important and interesting in the available record was the central, important and interesting part of the activity studied. Knowing that Cro-Magnons had the same brains as we do, and assuming that same causes produce similar effects, we can be confident that these people (who dwelt in ingeniously built shelters - emphatically not in caves) wore elaborate clothes, used make up and jewellery, danced, sang, played musical instruments and enjoyed well-crafted narratives. Of all these artistic achievements nothing survives, except a few drawings and paintings in the confines of a few deep caves. We know of rock art because caves preserved pigments - not because it was of any special importance to European Stone Age people.
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In Art Taco, I am very conscious of this, and not in the distant past, but in the present. I do want to show the spaces of art, how artists clothe, bejewel themselves, how they interact, dance, and all the other ephemeral, hard-to-categorize, describe or discuss things. The things that do not make their way into gallery or museum walls, or art books, that are generally not spoken about, are not easily or neatly tied up by non-poetic words, will not fit on pedestals or in crystal-clear plexiglass boxes and cannot be bought and sold. I do not pretend to be able to deal with this living torrent of information/history falling around us like confetti, but know I cannot let it go unnoticed. Perhaps it is frivolous to spend time and energy on such things, maybe I should be focusing on the academic, conventionally accepted definitions of what is suitable for discussing about art, but to me this matters . I am not talking about the Social History of Art, or Marxist models, or the socio-political but the micro-geography of the personal.
mmm
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Taphonomy is where the action is
The most important thing to keep in mind when discussing Paleolithic art is the dog that did not (and will not) bark, namely the overwhelming majority of artistic productions for which there is no trace whatsoever. A cardinal sin of cave art interpretation is to ignore taphonony, in other words to mistake the record for the fact - to think that what is central, important and interesting in the available record was the central, important and interesting part of the activity studied. Knowing that Cro-Magnons had the same brains as we do, and assuming that same causes produce similar effects, we can be confident that these people (who dwelt in ingeniously built shelters - emphatically not in caves) wore elaborate clothes, used make up and jewellery, danced, sang, played musical instruments and enjoyed well-crafted narratives. Of all these artistic achievements nothing survives, except a few drawings and paintings in the confines of a few deep caves. We know of rock art because caves preserved pigments - not because it was of any special importance to European Stone Age people.
_____________________________________________________________________________
In Art Taco, I am very conscious of this, and not in the distant past, but in the present. I do want to show the spaces of art, how artists clothe, bejewel themselves, how they interact, dance, and all the other ephemeral, hard-to-categorize, describe or discuss things. The things that do not make their way into gallery or museum walls, or art books, that are generally not spoken about, are not easily or neatly tied up by non-poetic words, will not fit on pedestals or in crystal-clear plexiglass boxes and cannot be bought and sold. I do not pretend to be able to deal with this living torrent of information/history falling around us like confetti, but know I cannot let it go unnoticed. Perhaps it is frivolous to spend time and energy on such things, maybe I should be focusing on the academic, conventionally accepted definitions of what is suitable for discussing about art, but to me this matters . I am not talking about the Social History of Art, or Marxist models, or the socio-political but the micro-geography of the personal.
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| (L. 2 R.), Aurelius, Clint Thomas, Reid Jenkins, Dick Patterson |
mmm
Where the blacktop cracks weeds spark through
Have had a busy old week - Al back from India so had to find his feet again pretty quickly. He had a great trip although with it being charity work they had him working pretty hard! He did manage an elephant ride though...all good!
Al has spent his week working hard on the new panels for Timespan Museum (only 21 of them!) so that has taken up most of his time but they should be finished by the end of next week.
I've been working on putting together part of a brief for an application we hope to be making for next year. A lot of potential little things just bubbling away in the background so if some of them come off we'll be pretty happy.
I also had a wee trip to Edinburgh and Shotts taking establishing shots for a nice little project with Kew Garden and Greenspace Scotland so it was a lot of travelling but also good to meet some interesting people with a real passion for their environments. Will have a few more shoots over the next month or so as the projects develop...
Images are my own edits of shots from the shoot - don't know if the clients will want them this way! - FIN
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Al has spent his week working hard on the new panels for Timespan Museum (only 21 of them!) so that has taken up most of his time but they should be finished by the end of next week.
I've been working on putting together part of a brief for an application we hope to be making for next year. A lot of potential little things just bubbling away in the background so if some of them come off we'll be pretty happy.
I also had a wee trip to Edinburgh and Shotts taking establishing shots for a nice little project with Kew Garden and Greenspace Scotland so it was a lot of travelling but also good to meet some interesting people with a real passion for their environments. Will have a few more shoots over the next month or so as the projects develop...
Images are my own edits of shots from the shoot - don't know if the clients will want them this way! - FIN
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This On the Road Weekend, Mar. 28th - 31st
It's my kind of weather, nice, cool-to-cold and sunny.
The Art Book is doing its 2013 Launch Party @ the Museum of Fine Arts in Saint Pete tonight, Thursday, Mar. 28th. Free admission. If you want to see the Museum, it's $10. 6-9 PM.
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Artist Spotlight @ Empouria -
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With Live Music from Just Satellites, Article 47, Kid Aids, The Neighbors
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Florida Center for Creative Photography Meet-up - Photographers of all levels gather. Speakers, photowalk events, tech. O'Keefe's Family Tavern and Grille. 1219 Ft. Harrison Ave., Clearwater. 9-11 AM Wednesday April 3rd. Free.
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Tampa Museum of Art - The Phillips Collection. Many landmark works of American Painters from the late 1800's to the 20th century. Remember their Art on the House Program. Free admission Fridays 4-8 PM only.
Admission is $10.
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mmm
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The Art Book is doing its 2013 Launch Party @ the Museum of Fine Arts in Saint Pete tonight, Thursday, Mar. 28th. Free admission. If you want to see the Museum, it's $10. 6-9 PM.
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Artist Spotlight @ Empouria -
[Straight from the press release] The Studio@620 is partnering with Empouria to present the "Artist Spotlight Series" featuring artwork by local artists on the walls of Empouria, located at 29 Third Street North in downtown St. Petersburg. Each spotlight exhibition will feature work from one artist who will be on hand during an artist reception to meet with people and talk casually about their work. Each solo spotlight show will be on display approximately one month. This partnership between The Studio and Empouria merges two visions that overlap, blending visual art and the art of beer. Join us at Empouria for this first in the spotlight series and meet the artist on Friday March 29th from 7-9 PM.
Artwork will be on display march 21-april 17, 2013 during Empouria business hours. free admission
Spotlight on Coralette Damme
Coralette Damme has a reputation around St. Petersburg as a printmaker and craftsperson but seldom do people see her paintings so this spotlight will highlight her acrylic on canvas images and give you a deeper insight to Coralette's range of work. Inspired by nature and spiced with a German Expressionist flavor her art is emotive and bold.
Artwork will be on display march 21-april 17, 2013 during Empouria business hours. free admission
Spotlight on Coralette Damme
Coralette Damme has a reputation around St. Petersburg as a printmaker and craftsperson but seldom do people see her paintings so this spotlight will highlight her acrylic on canvas images and give you a deeper insight to Coralette's range of work. Inspired by nature and spiced with a German Expressionist flavor her art is emotive and bold.
Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences @ Venture Compound
Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences.
Art Opening Friday, March 29, 2013
In the year since it came into existence, The Venture Compound has become a whole world. For Compound Eye, we collect visions of the world we have created, and of the worlds that have created us. Jim Grinaker, Jonathan Sugarman, and Gretchen Goetzman document life in Venture and lives of venture. Wayne S. Williams and Ben Barrett use the real to construct the surreal, from distorted doubles to postapocalyptic windows.
$5 cover, doors at 8pm. This art show will run through April 21, 2013.
With Live Music from Just Satellites, Article 47, Kid Aids, The Neighbors
Just Satellites
www.justsatellites.bandcamp.com
Article 47
www.article47.bandcamp.com
Kid Aids
www.kidaids.bandcamp.com
The Neighbors
www.facebook.com/indie.folk.funk
www.justsatellites.bandcamp.com
Article 47
www.article47.bandcamp.com
Kid Aids
www.kidaids.bandcamp.com
The Neighbors
www.facebook.com/indie.folk.funk
The Venture Compound, 2621Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL.
Theventurecompound.com
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Poetry Reading & Book signing by Bob Holman @ FMoPA
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Florida Center for Creative Photography Meet-up - Photographers of all levels gather. Speakers, photowalk events, tech. O'Keefe's Family Tavern and Grille. 1219 Ft. Harrison Ave., Clearwater. 9-11 AM Wednesday April 3rd. Free.
_________________________________________________________________
Tampa Museum of Art - The Phillips Collection. Many landmark works of American Painters from the late 1800's to the 20th century. Remember their Art on the House Program. Free admission Fridays 4-8 PM only.
Admission is $10.
______________________________________________________________________
mmm
Defending What and Why?
Posturers and posers abound in the art world. It is almost required. When someone ridicules art, why would you feel compelled to jump in and defend it? To don armor, lance and joust with the attacker? First, the art has already won. The attacker is not indifferent to it. Instead, he is affected by it. It has entered his consciousness and memory. The art and artist have done their job, even if the viewer has not entirely succumbed to the artist's intent and thinks he is above it.
Art takes care of itself.
Then there is the question of why anyone feels self appointed to be a guardian of art. It is a political move to declare oneself a gatekeeper, an assumption of power and status. A facile move for the wanna-be dominants to grab the high ground. Old-school thinking.
When a matron standing before a Van Gogh exclaims that her precious snowflake "could have done that", it is an unwitting compliment to the painter. More so if they declare that it isn't art. They're admitting that it doesn't fit their preconceptions about art, that it is new, alien and fresh to them. Or when they gasp at how expensive something is. They are defining themselves, not the work.
Art needs no defense, nor educators, critics or bloggers for a viewer to interact with it.
This does not even address what exactly is being defended...or the need for anyone to educate you.
--- Luis
Blanca Niño Norton Wins ARCA's 2013 Award for Lifetime Achievement in Defense of Art
Blanca Niño Norton -- Consultant Peten Development Project for the conservation of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Ministry of Environment of Natural Resources/Inter-American Development BAnk and Delegation of World Heritage Guatemala -- won ARCA's 2013 Award for Lifetime Achievement in Defense of Art. This award usually goes to an individual or institution in recognition of many decades of excellence in the field. Past winners: Carabinieri TPC collectively (2009); Howard Spiegler (2010); John Merryman (2011); and George H. O. Abungu (2012).
Ms. Norton is an architect and an artist, starting her career with an interest in Vernacular Architecture and completing her architectural thesis on this subject while working on collection inventory projects as a student in Guatemala and other countries of the region. In addition to her architectural degree, Blanca Niño Norton holds a masters degree in diplomacy and completed her thesis on “The action of consular and diplomatic affairs in relation to illicit traffic” which received recognition as the best thesis on diplomatic studies.
In her later years, Ms. Norton created the office of World Heritage in the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and directed it for 4 years, during which she worked on the presentation of the tentative list of World Heritage sites of Guatemala and worked on the theme of Intangible Heritage.
As such, Ms. Norton was elected and continues to serve as council member of ICCROM for the next 3 years. (3 times elected in General Assembly) and has participated in the meetings regarding international law in UNESCO Paris on the anniversary of the convention on World Heritage.
Blanca Niño Norton has participated in workshops in Italy with the Carabinieri, and lectured in Argentina, Roma, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Colombia. With the Carabinieri TPC especially with Dr Pastore, Blanca Niño Norton was able to do important training in Guatemala. Through this collaboration with the Carabineri TPC they conducted 4 courses for more than 80 people, each with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Ministero per i Bieni Culturale.
Ms. Norton is an architect and an artist, starting her career with an interest in Vernacular Architecture and completing her architectural thesis on this subject while working on collection inventory projects as a student in Guatemala and other countries of the region. In addition to her architectural degree, Blanca Niño Norton holds a masters degree in diplomacy and completed her thesis on “The action of consular and diplomatic affairs in relation to illicit traffic” which received recognition as the best thesis on diplomatic studies.
In her later years, Ms. Norton created the office of World Heritage in the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and directed it for 4 years, during which she worked on the presentation of the tentative list of World Heritage sites of Guatemala and worked on the theme of Intangible Heritage.
As such, Ms. Norton was elected and continues to serve as council member of ICCROM for the next 3 years. (3 times elected in General Assembly) and has participated in the meetings regarding international law in UNESCO Paris on the anniversary of the convention on World Heritage.
Blanca Niño Norton has participated in workshops in Italy with the Carabinieri, and lectured in Argentina, Roma, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Colombia. With the Carabinieri TPC especially with Dr Pastore, Blanca Niño Norton was able to do important training in Guatemala. Through this collaboration with the Carabineri TPC they conducted 4 courses for more than 80 people, each with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Ministero per i Bieni Culturale.
Seen: Derek Donnelly @ Cuts for Cops
When three Saint Petersburg policemen were gunned down in the line of duty, Billy Hume, owner of Billy's Corner Barber Shop, at 2031 4th St. N., came up with the idea of a fundraiser for local charities.
Bill "Woo" Correira used to live paint at this event. It was just something he did out of respect for police. Who would do it this year? Derek Donnelly, of Saint Paint Gallery, stepped up to the plate for his deceased friend.
And he painted in Woo's honor, an hommage a Woo, a sea turtle.
Note the tattoo on Derek's wrist, a memento to BC Woo.
Congratulations to all involved in this event, a props to Derek Donnelly for rising to the cause of a friend.
--- Luis
reade more...
Bill "Woo" Correira used to live paint at this event. It was just something he did out of respect for police. Who would do it this year? Derek Donnelly, of Saint Paint Gallery, stepped up to the plate for his deceased friend.
And he painted in Woo's honor, an hommage a Woo, a sea turtle.
Note the tattoo on Derek's wrist, a memento to BC Woo.
Congratulations to all involved in this event, a props to Derek Donnelly for rising to the cause of a friend.
--- Luis
Seen: Small Robot
I photographed this in a neighboring galaxy a long time ago and forgot I had it. It is beautifully done, utilizing an extant feature of the location, integrating it with the work. To the creator: Nicely done!
--- Luis
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Australian Law Professor Duncan Chappell Wins ARCA's 2013 Eleanor and Anthony Vallombroso Award for Art Crime Scholarship
Duncan Chappell, Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney, Australia, won ARCA's 2013 Eleanor and Anthony Vallombroso Award for Art Crime Scholarship that usually goes to a professor or author. Past winners: Norman Palmer (2009); Larry Rothfield (2010); Neil Brodie (2011); and Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino, jointly (2012).
Duncan Chappell, an Australian lawyer and criminologist now based at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney, has had a long-standing interest in art crime which dates from the period during which he was the Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology (1987-1994). Since that time he has been engaged in research and publishing on a range of art crime topics but with a particular focus on patterns of illegal trafficking of objects of cultural heritage in the South East Asian region. Much of this research and publishing has been undertaken in collaboration with a friend and colleague at the University of Melbourne, Professor Kenneth Polk.
Duncan Chappell’s publications include two coedited texts: Crime in the Art and Antiquities World. Illegal Trafficking in Cultural Property (2011) Springer: New York (With Stefano Manacorda) and Contemporary Perspectives on the Detection, Investigation and Prosecution of Art Crime (In Press) Ashgate: London (With Saskia Hufnagel). He has also had published a number of journal articles and book chapters on various aspects of art crime including fraud and fakery in the Australian Indigenous art market; the impact of corruption in the illicit trade in cultural property; and the linkages between art crime and organized crime.
In addition to his research and writing on art crime Duncan Chappell has acted as an expert in regard to court proceedings involving art crime and also been a strong supporter of measures to enhance public awareness of the evils of looting behaviour and to strengthen the engagement of law enforcement agencies in investigation and prosecuting those responsible. In his present capacity as Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence in Policing and Security, he has sought to foster a far more proactive approach to the prevention and detection of art crime both in Australia and its neighbouring countries within the South East Asian region.
Duncan Chappell’s publications include two coedited texts: Crime in the Art and Antiquities World. Illegal Trafficking in Cultural Property (2011) Springer: New York (With Stefano Manacorda) and Contemporary Perspectives on the Detection, Investigation and Prosecution of Art Crime (In Press) Ashgate: London (With Saskia Hufnagel). He has also had published a number of journal articles and book chapters on various aspects of art crime including fraud and fakery in the Australian Indigenous art market; the impact of corruption in the illicit trade in cultural property; and the linkages between art crime and organized crime.
In addition to his research and writing on art crime Duncan Chappell has acted as an expert in regard to court proceedings involving art crime and also been a strong supporter of measures to enhance public awareness of the evils of looting behaviour and to strengthen the engagement of law enforcement agencies in investigation and prosecuting those responsible. In his present capacity as Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence in Policing and Security, he has sought to foster a far more proactive approach to the prevention and detection of art crime both in Australia and its neighbouring countries within the South East Asian region.
Street Art: Small piece
This one sits in plain view of a busy road in somewhere. Been there for a while, and I thought you should see it.
---- Luis
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---- Luis
Street Art: Christian Thomas @ Urban Gallery
Urban Gallery is a multi-tasking space due to open on April 16th that will be doing Tattoos, Boudoir photos and more. It is located on the 2300 block of Central Ave. and has a huge parking lot. Local muralist Christian Thomas has been working on Urban Gallery for some time. Here are some photos...all work by Christian Thomas.
Congratulations to Christian Thomas for a standout unconventional mural, and to Urban Gallery for having their building painted into a work of art.
--- Luis
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Congratulations to Christian Thomas for a standout unconventional mural, and to Urban Gallery for having their building painted into a work of art.
--- Luis
Seen/Scene: Sake Bomb, March 2013
Photographs taken at the Sake Bomb recently....
Evenings at the Sake Bomb with artists...
--- Luis
reade more...
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| Zulu Painter |
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| John D. Carlucci |
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| From the TV @ the Bomb |
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| Aurelius Artist |
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| Derek Donnelly |
Evenings at the Sake Bomb with artists...
--- Luis
Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences @ Venture Compound
Compound Eye: Photographs of Venturesome Experiences.
Art Opening Friday, March 29, 2013
In the year since it came into existence, The Venture Compound has become a whole world. For Compound Eye, we collect visions of the world we have created, and of the worlds that have created us. Jim Grinaker, Jonathan Sugarman, and Gretchen Goetzman document life in Venture and lives of venture. Wayne S. Williams and Ben Barrett use the real to construct the surreal, from distorted doubles to postapocalyptic windows.
$5 cover, doors at 8pm. This art show will run through April 21, 2013.
With Live Music from Just Satellites, Article 47, Kid Aids, The Neighbors
Just Satellites
www.justsatellites.bandcamp.com
Article 47
www.article47.bandcamp.com
Kid Aids
www.kidaids.bandcamp.com
The Neighbors
www.facebook.com/indie.folk.funk
www.justsatellites.bandcamp.com
Article 47
www.article47.bandcamp.com
Kid Aids
www.kidaids.bandcamp.com
The Neighbors
www.facebook.com/indie.folk.funk
The Venture Compound, 2621Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL.
Theventurecompound.com
Poetry Reading & Book signing by Bob Holman @ FMoPA
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Cambridge Researcher Christos Tsirogiannis Wins ARCA's 2013 Award for Art Protection and Security
Christos Tsirogiannis, a researcher at Cambridge University and formerly an archaeologist with the Greek ministries of Culture, Justice and Home Office, has won ARCA's 2013 Award for Art Protection and Security.
This award usually goes to a security director or policy-maker. Past winners: Francesco Rutelli (2009); Dick Drent (2010); Lord Colin Renfrew (2011); and Karl von Habsburg and Dr. Joris Kila, Jointly (2012).
Mr. Tsirogiannis provided evidence that a marble statue and three limestone busts had been trafficked by the antiquities dealer Giacomo Medici and Robin Symes, respectively, before appearing at an auction in Bonhams (London) in April 2010. All four antiquities were withdrawn from the auction due to this evidence.
Mr. Tsirogiannis is completing his Ph.D thesis on the International Illicit Antiquities Network (“Unravelling the International Illicit Antiquities Network through the Robin Symes-Christos Michaelides archive and its international implications”). His thesis is a result of his extensive experience as a forensic archaeologist at the Greek Ministry of Culture (1998-2002 and 2004-2008), the Greek Ministry of Justice (2006-2007) and as the only forensic archaeologist at the Greek police Art Squad (Home Office, 2004-2008, having participated in more than 173 investigations cases and raids). His participation in a 6-member core of the Greek Task Force contributed to the successful claim of looted and stolen antiquities from institutions and individuals, such as the Getty Museum (2007), as well as the Shelby White and Leon Levy collection and the Cahn Gallery in Switzerland (2008).
Among many cases, he considers most memorable the raids at the summer residence of Dr Marion True (former curator of antiquities at the Getty Museum) and at the premises of the top illicit antiquities dealers in the world, Robin Symes-Christos Michaelides, in the Cyclades, where the famous archive was discovered.
Over the last five years (2007-present), Tsirogiannis has been identifying looted and ‘toxic’ antiquities at the most prominent auction houses (e.g., Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams) and galleries (e.g., “Royal-Athena Galleries”), as part of a project with the renowned academics Professor David Gill (University Campus Suffolk) and Dr Christopher Chippindale (University of Cambridge).
Some of the results of his research have been already demonstrated in The Journal of Art Crime (“Polaroids from the Medici Dossier: Continued Sightings on the Market”, 2011:27-33, with Professor David Gill). This part of his research has contributed to the withdrawal of antiquities (e.g., Bonhams case, April 2010) and to the disclosure of many scandals in the field (e.g., Christie’s June 2010, April 2011, December 2011).
Tsirogiannis’ primary aim is to notify governments to retrieve their stolen cultural property and to raise public awareness regarding antiquities trafficking, through media coverage of these cases.
Declare your Interdependence and Cooperation By Ron Sukenick
Known to the wise, Abraham, Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus understood the underlying connectedness of all humanity. Their admonitions to us contain high awareness of our human interdependence.Timothy Wilken
So when you think about it, you start to discover that all accomplishment, all achievement, all success, all progress that we as human beings have experienced is a result of our interdependence with others! A tremendous amount of support surrounds us in all areas of our lives; our families, our friends, our business colleagues, our partnerships, our educators, our children, our community, our state, our country, our world are visible support structures.
While the list of this interdependent support goes on, as individuals we often fail to realize that independence is a direct result of our interdependence and cooperation with others. We cannot truly become independent without the help of others!
How do we achieve independence? We must learn to ask for this help!
Independence is achieved through interdependent associations when people are united together to support each other: mentoring, coaching, sharing resources and referrals, working together toward common objectives, and helping in numerous ways. There are endless examples of how our interdependence affects each of us every day. While for many of us there is a higher force providing invisible support, allow me to go ahead and provide examples of invisible support from our everyday environment.
Before we wake up in the morning, there?s someone at the electric company making sure our lights will go on when we flip the switch. The water company pumps and stores water waiting for our beckoning call at the faucet. Farmers and truckers are growing and transporting food products to our local grocer who in turn, makes these products available to our community, our families and to us. Oil companies are drilling oil from around the world and shipping the oil to our neighborhoods allowing us the freedom to drive our cars when and where we choose.
There are countless more examples that demonstrate that almost every action we take throughout our day has visible and invisible support structures of interdependent relationships.
One of the central features of relationships then is our awareness of interdependence. We move from seeing ourselves as separate from one another, to seeing ourselves as connected and interdependent with one another.
Interdependence?.Dependence?.Independence?..Interdependence
A process of interdependence allows us, as individuals to be STRONG enough to be dependent when new behaviors, new skills, and new learning are required. When we are able to do this in an interdependent world, we move toward independence and self-reliance.
When interdependent behavior is high, individuals are making connections continuously, providing help and asking for help. Individuals are connecting others to others?and therefore strengthening connections in a web of relationship that far exceeds you and me.
When independent behavior is high, individuals are focusing on their individual success and are more apt to be self sufficient and self-reliant. Overly independent, individuals may not make the connections they need to continue to grow personally and professionally or to contribute to the success of others.
When interdependence is practiced and embraced, independence is a natural product. Individuals are able to get needed support and better move in relationship with the world. Recognizing that there is a time for dependence allows us to move to full potential by first suspending our independence. For many of us, this is a very vulnerable place. Becoming vulnerable in all aspects of our lives will help us ask for the help we need, and to better move easily in and out of relationship as we develop new and untested processes.
Fostering an interdependent environment creates an incredible web of support that is transformative to one?s life and to the world!
Interdependence Unleashed
Consider this three-part process that moves us more deeply into strengthening interdependent relationships.
Cooperative relating is the integration of independence and cooperation.
Mutual dependence takes place when we embrace this in our thinking and interactions: I need you and you need me. We act or work together, cooperating to achieve what both parties need/want. We own collectively, and share in the risks and the benefits, or experience the joy of helping another reach another level. In a truly cooperative relationship, this basic dynamic is extended repeatedly. Cooperative partners bring to light what is possible together.
Fostering an interdependent environment creates an incredible web of support that is transformative!
Summary
This strategy helps reinforce the awareness that we do not come to any situation alone. We never have, and we never will. Visible and invisible support systems are all around us. We help others and we are helped by others. Understanding this, we are better able to look at each other in a way that is relational, experience joy and satisfaction, identify what we need in a given situation, and better help and support another. We see how our interdependence strengthens the ability to be independent. Interdependence ultimately results in liberation: the ability to be self sufficient, and to contribute to the world. The next strategy will help you focus your attention and intention on purposeful listening with heart and mind.
This month?s "Thinking Point" for connecting forward: What support do you currently need to move you toward achieving the objective you have set for yourself?
The Gardner Heist: Journalist Tom Mashberg Weighs In
The FBI's press conference on the 23rd anniversary of the Gardner theft "was a hit, generating flashing Internet bulletins and global media coverage," wrote Tom Mashberg March 25 in "The Gardner Art Heist: The Thieves Who Couldn't Steal Straight" for Cognoscenti, Boston's NPR Radio Station.
Mashberg has covered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum case for 16 years. Of the FBI's press conference on March 18, 2013, Mashberg writes:
Since crowd-sourcing was the goal, the FBI should be pleased. But we didn't really learn anything new beyond the assertion that some of the stolen paintings made their way to Philadelphia a decade ago. I was invited to speak with investigators alone for a few minutes after the news conference. They are dedicated men to be sure, and they were candid: they told me that for now the train has "gone cold."
It was attention grabbing to hear them say they know the identities of the thieves. (Keeping the names secret is wise from an investigative standpoint -- imagine the media swarm.) But any careful follower of the case can boil the list of likely robbers down to three men -- all Boston-area felons. My belief is that two of the thieves are dead, and the third is in prison. The dead men will tell no tales, but there is still a chance to squeeze the guy behind bars.
In this article, Mashberg proposes that the bank robber Robert F. Guarante (who died in 2004) took the art from the two original thieves who didn't know what to do with it.
A lot of these characters, chief among them a gangster named Carmello Merlino, also deceased, can be heard yapping on wiretaps about their plans to return the art for the $5 million reward money -- if only they could find it. It's the gang that couldn't steal straight.
Mashberg also proposes that it was Robert A. Donati (dead) who cased the Gardner Museum in the 1980s with art thief Myles J. Connor (in prison on the night of the Gardner Heist) who stole the fluted Chinese bronze beaker that night as a gift for Connor.
Mashberg, who co-write "Stealing Rembrandts" (2011) with Anthony M. Amore, states that "the crime was always a local job."
Awaken The Star Within You By Linda Cattelan
Years ago I read a great book called "How to be a Star at Work" by Robert E. Kelley. This book became and continues to be one of the "100 Best Business Books of All Time" and the "#1 Career Book" ranked by The New York Daily News. The author makes the argument that "stars are made, not born". This is terrific news for anyone who is looking for ways to become a star at work.Based on Kelley?s book, there are 9 breakthrough strategies you need to succeed. Here are his strategies and some of his ideas as well as my thoughts on how to awaken the star within you:
1. Take initiative. Look for opportunities to set yourself apart from others. Many employees don?t take initiative. It?s too much work, they are too busy doing their job or they have become complacent. High performers go the extra mile consistently. Initiative is what many employers and recruiters look for in new hires, yet it is so rare to find in the workplace. Take initiative by taking on additional responsibility above and beyond your current job description. Look for ways to help coworkers or the department with specific goals or projects. Don?t be afraid to take some risks by taking initiative.
2. Become a good networker. It is said that we are only 4-5 people away from anything we ever want to be, do or have. A good network can help you fill in the gaps. You don?t know everything. But if you have a good network of people to draw on, you can usually find someone in your network to help you, or at least someone who knows a person that can help you.
3. Excel at self-management. Self-management isn?t about being super organized. It?s about evaluating which activities are important vs unimportant and then balancing those against the urgent vs not urgent. It?s about taking control over your own career path by developing a plan and connecting yourself to the work you most enjoy and that benefits the company. Stars figure out how to leverage their talents and add value to their organizations. Increasing personal effectiveness and efficiency is important.
4. Build perspective. I have a metaphor I love using with my clients around gaining more perspective. I have them think about a hockey game in an arena. As the hockey player you are focused on moving the puck, passing the puck, scoring, etc. The action is quick and very narrowly focused. The game moves quickly. Removing yourself from the player position to the coach position on the sidelines, you are able to gain a broader perspective of what is going on in the game. The game slows down, the view is broader and you are able to think more strategically about what should be done. Now moving to an observer position high in the stands, the game slows down even further. You are able to gain even more perspective as you can see not only the game and the coaching but also the statistics and anything else going on in the periphery. Much greater perspective and a much bigger viewpoint. As you awaken your star power, gain perspective on not just what you do, but what is going on around you and how that impacts your job, department and the company as a whole.
5. Build followership. Followership focuses on relationships you have with leaders and people who have power and authority over you. To be a good follower, you need to know how to lead yourself. Good followers have focus, commitment and build competence and credibility as a way of influencing others in the workplace. They maintain an honest conscience and a great deal of integrity. Their own ego is managed and controlled in order to work cooperatively with leaders.
6. Be a leader. Not just with people you formally lead already. Be a leader amongst your peers and colleagues as well as others. As a leader amongst your peers, you should look to be respected for your knowledge, expertise and proven judgment. You especially want their respect in the area of people-skills. Demonstrate that you care about people and your colleagues.
7. Be a team player. As a strong team player you can contribute by making sure the team knows and understands its purpose, gets the team?s job done and by paying attention and contributing to the group dynamics in a constructive and positive way.
8. Increase your organizational savvy. According to Kelley organizational savvy is defined as: "the ability to manage competing workplace interests to promote an idea, resolve conflicts, and most important to achieve a goal." The organization can be a political minefield so it?s important to be savvy. Find an organizational mentor who can help you maneuver through the organization. Build and nurture solid relationships and increase your personal credibility.
9. Become effective at persuasion. Impact and influence skills are key to getting to desired outcomes. It?s important to understand your audience and tailor your communication to them. Remember resistance is a sign that you haven?t built enough rapport.
Sharon Cohen Levin Wins ARCA's 2013 Art Policing and Recovery Award
Sharon Cohen Levin, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, won ARCA's 2013 Art Policing and Recovery Award.
Past winners: Vernon Rapley (2009), Charlie Hill (2010), Paolo Giorgio Ferri (2011), and Ernst Schöller (2012).
Ms. Levin been instrumental in securing the return of innumerable antiquities and other cultural property to foreign governments, and artworks and other cultural property to the families of Holocaust victims from whom they had been looted or subjected to forced sale by the Nazis.
In 2010, Ms. Levin's office resolved the case of United States v. Portrait of Wally with the Leopold Museum in Vienna. This case, involved the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray and lasted over ten years that resulted in: payment of 19 million dollars to the Estate (reflecting at least the full value of the painting); an exhibit of the painting at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, before it returned to the Leopold Museum, and permanent signage to accompany the painting at the Leopold Museum and anywhere else in the world where it is exhibited, which sets forth in both English and German the true provenance of the painting and the legacy of Lea Bondi Jaray. The Wally case is credited with focusing the world's attention on the problem of Nazi-looted art.
In the past six years, the Southern District of New York has forfeited nearly $6 billion in crime proceeds. Ms. Levin pioneered the use of federal forfeiture laws to recover and return stolen art and cultural heritage property. The SDNY Asset Forfeiture Unit has initiated dozens of proceedings under the forfeiture laws -- seizing and returning artwork and cultural property to the persons and nations who rightfully own them. Notable examples include the forfeiture and repatriation of stolen paintings by Lavinia Fontana, Jean Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, Serge Poliakoff, Anton Graff and Winslow Homer; drawings by Rembrandt and Duhrer; an Etruscan bronze statute dated circa 490 BC; an antique gold platter dated circa 450 B.C.; a rare Mexican manuscript; a medieval carved wood panel which was originally inside the historic Great Mosque in Dvrigi; an Ancient Hebrew Bible owned by the Jewish Community of Vienna and stolen during the Holocaust and most recently, a Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton looted from the Gobi desert in Mongolia.
In 2010, Ms. Levin's office resolved the case of United States v. Portrait of Wally with the Leopold Museum in Vienna. This case, involved the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray and lasted over ten years that resulted in: payment of 19 million dollars to the Estate (reflecting at least the full value of the painting); an exhibit of the painting at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, before it returned to the Leopold Museum, and permanent signage to accompany the painting at the Leopold Museum and anywhere else in the world where it is exhibited, which sets forth in both English and German the true provenance of the painting and the legacy of Lea Bondi Jaray. The Wally case is credited with focusing the world's attention on the problem of Nazi-looted art.
In the past six years, the Southern District of New York has forfeited nearly $6 billion in crime proceeds. Ms. Levin pioneered the use of federal forfeiture laws to recover and return stolen art and cultural heritage property. The SDNY Asset Forfeiture Unit has initiated dozens of proceedings under the forfeiture laws -- seizing and returning artwork and cultural property to the persons and nations who rightfully own them. Notable examples include the forfeiture and repatriation of stolen paintings by Lavinia Fontana, Jean Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, Serge Poliakoff, Anton Graff and Winslow Homer; drawings by Rembrandt and Duhrer; an Etruscan bronze statute dated circa 490 BC; an antique gold platter dated circa 450 B.C.; a rare Mexican manuscript; a medieval carved wood panel which was originally inside the historic Great Mosque in Dvrigi; an Ancient Hebrew Bible owned by the Jewish Community of Vienna and stolen during the Holocaust and most recently, a Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton looted from the Gobi desert in Mongolia.
Giovanni Gelmi - returning to 'The Enchanted Garden'
We are very pleased to welcome this artist back to the garden;
Giovanni Gelmi (B) is a master - in making metal dance!
Not just are his lines so full of grace and elegance, but with a bit of movement in the air, his sculptures actually do dance!
“ Ce qui frappe dans le travail de Gelmi, c'est l'éclectisme de ses œuvres, mais également la grande dextérité du soudeur – “ (Extrait – Lucien Rama)
reade more...
Giovanni Gelmi (B) is a master - in making metal dance!
Not just are his lines so full of grace and elegance, but with a bit of movement in the air, his sculptures actually do dance!
“ Ce qui frappe dans le travail de Gelmi, c'est l'éclectisme de ses œuvres, mais également la grande dextérité du soudeur – “ (Extrait – Lucien Rama)
To learn more about Givanni Gelmi's art, please visit his website!
What's changing is the way we get there By Ron Sukenick
There is a fundamental desire in all of us to be in relationship, and to develop relationships that flourish. We stressed that the desire for building deeper relationships is a basic human need found in all of us. This desire is a subject that is more popular today then any other time in history. There are hundreds of books written on relationships.
Television shows talk about it. Individuals talk about it. Counselors, therapists, and success coaches talk about it. In spite of the interest and awareness, and an almost over abundance of information regarding relationship, this greatest of all desires is largely unfulfilled.
How can that be? Perhaps with all this information, we are still uncertain or confused as to the vital factors that contribute to deepening relationship satisfaction.
The 5 R's of Relationship
Choosing and deepening relationships are interrelated. At each point in your relationship's, you and those to whom you relate may choose either to develop or not to develop your relationships further.
How do we make that choice? Of course, there are many ways. One person described her experience as jumping belly first into the water. For me, it's like going into a swimming pool and testing the water first;
Gingerly testing the water with toes, feet, and then slowly edging into the water. I temper my approach into the water with caution depending on whether it is a warm day in June versus a hot day in July. If the sun is shining or if it is overcast, we may approach the water differently.
The same is true in relationship. We continuously feel our way along in the meeting with another. We test the temperature, gauging the mutuality and connection, and then step back to assess how it feels for us, and whether the other person or persons have a reciprocal response. A multitude of factors in our environment are considered in going forward. Sometimes, no holds barred, we jump right in!
We offer the following five R's to throw into the mix of discussion around this very critical topic: Rewardingness, Reciprocity, Rules, Resourceful, and Relationshift.
Rewardingness
Webster defines rewarding as a sense of reward or worthwhile return. We are building on this definition by defining rewardingness as an ongoing exchange and flow based on mutual benefit for all. This exchange may be in providing services or products, or sharing learning, contacts, or resources.
There exists a fundamental psychological principle that people are more likely to repeat behaviors that have rewarding consequences for them than those that do not. Relationships are likely to deepen if partners can increase the range and depth of the mutual rewards they receive from one another, and if they are able to sustain a high level of mutual trust and benefits.
The Relationship provides joyful experiences along the way that evoke from us and from others. This is a reward in of itself.
Phil Black, a student, writer, and teacher of Gestalt Psychotherapy poses the rhetorical question "when all goals are close to equal, what determines who we remain in relationship with towards these outcomes, whether it is business or pleasure? It is the relationship itself that determines this decision-the ease and the pleasure derived. In the end, there must be joy: a laugh, a smile, or we will not find satisfaction, and we will not stay with or return to. We capture his remark and say yes, it is the reward of the relationship that keep us involved.
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Reciprocity - Rules - Resourcefulness - Relationshift
Webster defines reciprocity as a corresponding and complementary exchange; the quality or state of being reciprocal. Through mutual dependence, action or influence, a mutual exchange of privileges takes place. This definition fits well with the underlying intention that is inherent to a relationship focus. Most long standing relationships are grounded in some form of reciprocity in the giving and receiving of rewards. Cunningham and Antill (1981) observe "It is indisputable that most human relationships are based on considerations of equity and exchange." Sharing this view of reciprocity as a joint responsibility enhances and deepens the relationship and the connection. Most of us are familiar with the barter system as it relates to goods or services, but few of us think of it in terms of relationship building.
Rules are defined by Webster's New World Dictionary as an established regulation or guide for conduct. The definition for the purpose of this book is to reinforce that each of us brings rules to the relationship based on many personal factors and that rules also emerge in relationship. The personal factors, to name a few, may include personality characteristics, boundary preferences, time availability or urgency, level of experience, geographical or global factors, comfort level, life focus, or monetary needs/constraints. The rules that emerge in relationship are based on the reason for the relationship, the length of the relationship, the level of established trust, and the degree of confidence that exists. Rules constantly change as the relationship changes. While the rules may become formal or contractual, they are often informal. These relationship rules provide guidelines and clarify expectations for your own and your partner's behavior. Remembering to look at these rules from time to time helps us to uncover whether the relationship rule continues to serve us well, or whether suspending or replacing it would serve the relationship better.
Webster defines resource as a source of information or expertise; a source of supply or support. resourcefulness is the ability to effectively and efficiently respond to problems and determine the resources that are important (people, technology, material, services, time, et cetera.) Resourcefully responding to the need in the moment, calls for attention to ongoing reemerging needs. This constant reevaluation helps us answer the question what is needed now; and the ongoing accumulation of knowledge, skills, and a large network of contacts helps us become more resourceful in relationship.
The spirit of the word relationshift is that a relationship never really ends; it simply flows to something else--a relationshift, becoming relevant again when time, opportunity and a mutual focus reemerges. An Oxford dictionary points to the word relevance derived from the French word relief as to lift up, to relieve. Oxford offers the synonyms aiding, assisting and helping. Webster's definition is as relating to the matter under consideration; pertinence. We bring these two words together-relevance and relationship, and further expand the definition to consider the questions who, why, when, where, and how. We have changing needs and we need to ask a host of questions as we go forward in relationship.
Paying attention to relevance in a given situation will keep us on target toward developing that which aligns to what is most important to self, and most important to the other as well. In short, relevance is constantly changing. That is the very reason attention to the shift taking place in relationship is important. While the relevance of the relationship is changing in the present, it is also imperative for all of us to understand that relationships, as a whole, always have been and always will be shifting! A collaboration may end now, but may come back again twenty years from now. Relevance emerges, if you will, around a common goal. Developing a meaningful and quality relationship is the lifeblood of taking your personal and professional relationships to the next level--lifting up and helping others along the way. When we look at a relationship with these eyes, we see that we can easily pick up again as we move forward in our personal and professional life.
The process of recognizing the transformation of a relationship to something else is one of the most liberating realizations an individual can experience- freeing self up to letting go and moving on while recreating a relationship vision with the same person. In one's personal and professional life this allows for a natural transformation of relationship.
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Summary
The five relationship factors presented in this excerpt are foundational to taking your personal and professional relationships to the next level. The 5 R's, rewardingness, reciprocity, rules, resourcefulness, and relationshift, support a relationship focus whereby new possibilities are continuously created.
Each of these factors describes a context for the existence, the fluidity, the vitality, and the richness of the relationship to emerge and flourish. The 5 R's reinforce the importance of paying attention to the relationship based on benefits, common interests, resource identification, expectations, requirements, and mutuality.
Kunsthal Rotterdam Art Heist: Looking at the Paintings Stolen from the Triton Foundation (Provenance Information Added)
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| Lucian Freud, Woman with Eyes Closed |
The seven paintings stolen from the Kunsthal Rotterdam on October 16 remain missing. On January 21, Romanian police arrested three men in connection with the gallery heist. March 4, Dutch police arrested a Romanian woman believed to be an accomplice. On March 13, a German man who arrested for blackmail after an alleged attempt to sell the Triton stolen paintings back to the foundation. The mother of one of the defendants arrested for the theft has claimed that she destroyed two of the paintings.
Last December Yale University published Avant-Gardes 1870 to the Present: The Collection of the Triton Foundation which offers more information on the stolen paintings stolen from the Triton Foundation. This catalogue is written by Sjraar van Heugten, former head of collections at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and an independent art historian. Here the catalogue's information on the stolen paintings:
Lucian Freud: Woman with Eyes Closed (2002), oil on canvas, 30.5 x 25.4 cm. Provenance: Triton Foundation, acquired from the artists, 2002.
Paul Gauguin, Woman Before a Window, 'The Fiancée, 1888, an oil on canvas. annotated in the lower right in red paint (damaged) La Fiancée; signed and dated lower right beneath annotation in black paint P Go 88, 33.8 x 41 cm. Provenance: Private collection, England; Kunsthandel (art dealer) Franz Buffa, Amsterdam; collection Allan and Nancy Miller, Solebury, Pennsylvania, 1949; auction Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 17 June 1960, no. 87 (unsold); auction Sotheby's, London, 4 July 1962, no. 75 (unsold); auction Christie's, Tokyo, 27 May 1969, no. 302; collection Samuel Josefowitz, Lausanne, circa 1981; auction Drouot-Montaigne, Paris, 3 April 1990, no. 58; Triton Foundation, 1997.
Last December Yale University published Avant-Gardes 1870 to the Present: The Collection of the Triton Foundation which offers more information on the stolen paintings stolen from the Triton Foundation. This catalogue is written by Sjraar van Heugten, former head of collections at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and an independent art historian. Here the catalogue's information on the stolen paintings:
Lucian Freud: Woman with Eyes Closed (2002), oil on canvas, 30.5 x 25.4 cm. Provenance: Triton Foundation, acquired from the artists, 2002.
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| Paul Gauguin, La Fiancée |
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| Matisse's Reading Woman |
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| Jacob Meyer De Haan, Self-Portrait |
Jacob Meyer De Haan (Amsterdam 1852 - Amsterdam 1895), Self-Portrait against Japonist Background, circa 1889-1891, oil on canvas, 32.4 x 24.5 cm. Provenance: Collection Marie Henry, Le Pouldu; collection Ida Cochennec, daughter of the artists and Marie Henry; auction Cochennec Collection, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 24 June 1959, no. 77; Marlborough Fine Art Ltd, London; collection Mr. and Mrs Arthur G. Altschul, New York, acquired in July 1961; Triton Foundation, 2002 (on long-term loan to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2002-2004).
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| Sideways view of Monet's Waterloo Bridge |
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| Another sideway's view: Monet's Charing Cross Bridge, London |
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| Picasso's Head of a Harlequin |