Art forgery is a major concern for art collectors of all kinds. When you shell out big money for an original, you want to know it’s the real thing. Nothing is more shattering for an art museum than finding out one of the paintings they’ve displayed has been a fake. Private collectors have their own concerns, too. A discovered forgery can represent a massive loss in assets. Some forgers are so good at what they do that their work can’t be distinguished from the real thing — at least not at first. Even experts, people who are trained to spot real from fake, can be tricked, sometimes for years. That makes forgery even scarier: how do you protect against it? The more you start looking into this shady world of art fakes, it gets you thinking. How many pieces up in art museums right now are forgeries? The truth is, we’ll never know the actual numbers or extent anytime soon. The rough estimate making rounds is that almost 40% of all art from master artists are either fakes or wrongly attributed. What we do know, is that with all the money to be made, people will continue to create art forgeries. Below, we’ve assembled a few of the biggest art forgery scandals from the last decade. Uzbek State Art Museum (2014) This story is the epitome of the inside job. The Uzbek State Art Museum was the target of a sophisticated ring of art forgers. They just happened to be the employees. Over a fifteen year period, three employees — chief Curator Mifayz Usmanov and two art restorers — systematically stole works from the museum and replaced them with forgeries. They resold the originals for incredibly low prices, somewhere in the range of €80 to 650, the equivalent of $100 to 810. The hard economic realities of Uzbekistan and the low pay of the staff created the backdrop for this last ditch effort to make some money. The work they sold included pieces by Lorenzo di Credi, Victor Ufimtsev, and dozens of other European artists. For their crimes, Usmanov received nine years in prison, while his two accomplices were sentenced to eight years each. Lino Frongia (2019) When we think of great art, we usually begin with the old masters. So did Lino Frongia, a relatively obscure Italian painter who spent the last few decades forging the greats and selling the work for millions of Euros. But Frongia had help from French art dealer Giuliano Ruffini, who claims innocence, stating that everything he sold was verified by experts. The forgeries landed in the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, and London’s National Gallery and even tricked some of the great art collectors of our time. Frongia is accused of forging works by Frans Hals, Correggio, Lucas Cranach, among others. But it all came collapsing down when the Orion Analytical laboratory in Williamstown Massachusetts claimed to have found modern pigments in a work supposedly painted by Parmigianino. Since then, more and more paintings have been discovered that implicate Frongia. At RtistiQ, we leverage the latest technology like Digital Imagery, Blockchain and NFC to build a digital DNA of each artwork, connecting it to the original creator. This ensures a safe and trusted online art gallery for both art lovers and creators to transact. Knoedler & Company (2011) An Upper East side modern art gallery, an elite clientele, a collection too good to be true. It all came crashing down in 2011. Knoedler & Company was a mainstay of the New York art scene, opening its doors in 1846. And then, with little notice and in the middle of an art show, they closed their doors. The reason? It had come to light that in their last 15 years of business, they sold more than 40 forged paintings. The forgeries included works by Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko — sales of the forgeries totalled over $60 million. It all started when Knoedler & Company’s president began working with Glafira Rosales who claimed to be in contact with a certain “Mr. X” and his son. They had a tremendous amount of modern art marvels without provenance, the story went, and they wanted to sell these off. In truth, the paintings were created by Rosales’ boyfriend José Carlos Bergantiños Díaz and his brother Jesús, and master art forger Pei-Shen Qian. The story has been immortalized in the film Driven to Distraction. Conclusion Collecting is similar to love at first sight – you get a tingling sensation when you chance upon an artwork that you can connect with. You feel the desire to learn more about the artist and ultimately own the artwork. While it is becoming increasingly popular to buy art online in this decade, Art forgeries are on the rise as well. The good news is it can be tackled with proper technology in place like what RtistiQ Art Marketplace has achieved. If you are looking to buy paintings online, browse our wide array of artworks from all over the world today. Author: Jonathan M Clark

RtistiQ

08 Mar 2021

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Indonesia demonstrates a pluralistic art culture where not only traditional and modern art forms are pursued in harmony, but also the evolution of art forms can be witnessed through varied influences of foreign cultures and religions. Evidence of spiritual art can be traced back to even 1500 B.C. in Indonesia through stone and wooden artifacts, which represented spiritual expression with aesthetics. These elements when combined with Hinduism effectuated Indonesian court art in 7th century. The rise of westernized art came later when the country became a Dutch colony in the 17th century. When the artists started traveling to European countries to study artduring 18th and 19th centuries, some of the modern forms of arts developed. Although the impact of religion and spiritualism still reflects in contemporary paintings, yet most of these artworks are a symbol of individual responses to social issues. This post outlines some of the prevalent forms of painting in Indonesia over the past two centuries, the most popular artists of that period, and discernment into the contemporary art scene with present-day artists. Romanticism – This art form was first used in Germany in 1700s, and is characterized by an emphasis on personal, subjective, imaginative, irrational spontaneous and transcendental. In simple words, a deepened sense of emotions and senses. One of the most famous artists who created paintings with Romanticism theme was Raden Saleh. He studied in Netherlands and traveled across Europe to enhance his skills. The following isa famous painting by Raden Saleh, called ‘Lion Hunt’ (source: commons.wikimedia.org) Expressionism – This is an art form where the artist focuses on expressing emotions subjectively through exaggeration, distortion, fantasy etc. The aim of the artist in painting here is to be expressive, not beautiful. Many modern artists use this spontaneous technique to depict their minds rather than the outside world. Affandi is a well-known name in Indonesian art scene who made use of Expressionism to create more than 2000 pieces of art, which are displayed in a museum at Yogyakarta. Although Affandi started painting as a realism artist, he later moved to expressionism since, in his own words, ‘ Afandi used an exceptional technique to paint by directly squeezing the paint from the tube to canvas. It is interesting to note that he discovered this technique by accident. The anecdote behind it goes like this. Once Affandi broke his brush and to continue to paint, he squeezed the paint directly from the tube to the canvas and then, used his hands as tools. He later started using this technique as his signature style as he believed it gave more dimension to his work. One of his paintings, created in 1950, called ‘The Artist and His Daughter’, shows a beautiful blend of realism and expressionism during the years when he was discovering his signature style. (source: www.affandi.org) Another painting by Affandi painted in 1967, called ‘Wisdom of the East’, shows the hand of God reaching across the ocean to the West,while holding wisemen of East – Gandhi, Lo The, and Semar. (source: www.affandi.org) Another prominent artist, who is generally rated amongst the five maestros of Indonesian modern art was Hendra Gunawan. His painting style was a combination of western techniques and Indonesian aesthetics. He was not only a painter, but also a guirella fighter during Dutch colonial rule. He later became an activist against the ruling government and was incarcerated from 1965-1978. He continued painting in prison, on small scraps of canvas he had available. Hendra’s paintings have a unique vibrancy to them, despite his life situation and his poverty. The paintings usually show workers in their day-to-day activities, and the background of the paintings seems to be in motion. His painting ‘Catching a Butterfly’ (source: https://www.cobosocial.com/dossiers/hendra-gunawan-revelations) shows a young girl in her innocence and purity, thus evoking emotional connection with admirers. Most of his paintings have this affect on viewers. Mooi Indie (“Beautiful Indies”) – This art style was developed in Indonesia during the Dutch regime in the 19th century. It was mainly a way for the Dutch government to increase the tourism appeal for Dutch East Indies. The colonial government at the time wanted to showcase a romanticized view of Indonesia and most artists were not allowed to express the reality, many artists believe that this style represents a slave mentality ofcolonial era. In fact, one of the most important visual artists before independence, Sindu Sudjojono (1913-1986) coined the term ‘Mooi Indie’ and rejected this movement as “an idealised view of the colonial period and not a true representation of Indonesian society”. Nevertheless, numerous magnificent paintings were produced which showed beautiful, serene, heavenly, and peaceful scenes like mountains, rivers, valleys, villages in Indonesia. Today, the artworks produced in this genre are amongst the most expensive in auctions. Abdullah Suriosubroto was a famous artist who painted Landscape art or Mooi Indie paintings. Notably, he had enrolled in a medical school in what is now Jakarta. But when he went to Netherlands, his interest shifted to fine arts, and thus was born a legendary name in Indonesia art history. The following painting of Priangan landscape by Abdullah Suriosubroto captures the exquisite beauty of landscape and immense talent of the artist (source: commons.wikimedia.org) Realism – This style of art, as the name indicates, depicts ‘real’ objects and scenes. Realism or naturalism, as it is often called, provides an accurate description of the anatomy of humans and animals, details of color and light, and resembles the real world closely. You could understand realism as photograph-like portrayal of objects, characters and scenes. However, it does not imply that the artist painting realism artwork did not paint imaginary characters like angels, demons, flying horses, or ghosts. The imaginary and intriguing stuff often finds its way into realism althoughthe proportions and details of the objects and characters are accurate like in real world. For example, the artist may paint an angel, however, the body will be human like and the wings would be proportionate to the body. A ghost, similarly, would not be blown out of proportion and there would be detailed light effects to indicate that it is a dead person. Some artists and scholars refer to this type of realism as ‘Illusionistic Realism’. Realism as an art form began as a reaction to romanticism, hence, principally they are opposites. There were two notable artists in this genre in Indonesia - Basuki Abdullah (Abdullah Suriosubroto’s son) and S. Sudjojono. Basuki Abdullah was a maestro artist and painted focusing on culture and tradition. He painted people, flora and fauna, themes of strugglesetc. He was known as a portrait painter, though he used to enhance the beauty of his subjects. An example of his work is – Fight between Ravana and Jatayu (source: art-indonesian-art.blogspot) This painting depicts a scene from the Hindu Epic Ramayana where Ravana is kidnapping Sita, wife of Lord Rama, and a bird called Jatayu istrying to save her from him. S. Sudjojono, on the other hand, was an activist. He wanted to depict social issues through his art and was the pioneer of socialist realism in Indonesia. His expressed his political views through his paintings and wanted them to provide historical and educational value. His painting ‘Comrade of Revolution’ is amongst his most famous artworks (source: archive.ivaa-online.org) Balinese Art – This form of art was introduced into Indonesia in the 14th century through the Majapahit’s conquest of Bali. The initial works of art in this style were usually wood carvings and stone carvings. Balinese art was originally carved, painted or woven into objects of daily use. But later, it expanded, and several beautifully refined and intricate paintings were created, which resemble baroque folk art. These paintings often have the theme of battles between good and bad forces, the narratives originating from Hindu-Javanese epics, Javanese folktales and Buddhist texts. Most of these paintings were created as a collaborative work and hence, the artists are anonymous. This painting is called ‘Wayan Kayun-Barong dance’. (source: tarigallery.wordpress) In current day, countless of galleries in Bali showcase phenomenal artwork from the famous modern artists as well as from the continually growing local art community. Some Indonesian paintings are displayed in museums and temples across the world. The oldest painting from the 15th century is a lotus painting with Ganesha’s figure and is now preserved at Pura Besakih. Author: Manisha Bhati

RtistiQ

26 Feb 2021

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Numerous theoretical ideas deal with abstract art. While some have taken the idea of “art for art’s sake,” others have implied that art should be like music; just as music is patterns of sound, art should be created by pure patterns of form, color, and line; there are those who see abstract art as carrying a moral dimension, abstract art can be seen to stand for virtues such as purity and spirituality; and finally, those using the term “abstract” formally, as a distinction from figuration in art (as in non-figurative). How Abstract Art impacts our mental process Abstract art seems to elicit different mental processes than figurative art. While representational art requires a more local and object-focused scan pattern, abstract art involves more globally distributed viewing patterns. Our brain adopts a more exploratory strategy for seeking visual clues while staring at abstract art. Hence more complex areas of our brain seem to be stimulated by abstract art. Appreciating abstract art To claim to understand abstract art is like pretending to understand the Universe; its complexity is beyond us. When it comes to abstract art, a more appropriate approach would be to learn to appreciate it. We can do this with an open mind and heart by looking for clues in the feelings and ideas it arises in us – the emotional approach. Nevertheless, art in general and abstract art in particular should and must be interpreted in its historical context. Despite claiming to be a universal form of art, the ideas behind abstract art were very much generated by a cumulus of factors converging at certain point in time – rational approach. First Experiments towards abstraction The big revolution in art and the journey towards Abstraction began with the Modernist artistic movements. The pioneering artists of the 19th century (Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and George Surat among others) had a burning desire to innovate, not only because the Academic Art was not representative for an industrial society but they felt the menace of a new invention called daguerreotype. The growing popularity of the first photo camera was threatening the artists´ role of depicting reality, this is when the modern artists started to reject traditional three-dimensional space and instead used flat areas or patches of colour to create a new pictorial space. The Avant-garde - shapes and colours The following generation of Avant-garde artists proved to be even more radical and searched for inspiration far away from Europe, in the ancestral cultures of the African tribes. The Fauvists (like Henry Matisse or André Derrain) were interested in the scientific colour theories and in the use of complimentary colours for creating tension on the canvas. For many of the artists who adopted a fauvist approach it became a transitional stepping stone for future developments in their style, towards abstraction. The Cubists (George Braque, Pablo Picasso or Juan Griss) proposed a new way of depicting an object: multiple viewing angles layered on the canvas. The fragmentation and reassembling of the world proposed by the Parisian cubists had encouraged several other artists, especially from countries such as Holland and Russia, to push farther into a world of forms, leaving behind any reference to recognizable objects or scenes. The invention of these new kinds of abstract or "non-objective" art coincided with the cataclysm of World War I, and the artists involved explained their innovations in terms of contemporary revolutions in both society and consciousness or as the emergence of a changed human order. Inventing abstraction - Wassily Kandinsky “Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.” - Wassily Kandinsky Until the end of the 19th century, the value of a painting was judged by its ability to represent reality. For this reason, music was often regarded by artists as a pure form of art. One of these artists was the Russian born Wassily Kandinsky. The future inventor of Abstraction was born on December 4, 1866 in Moscow and had a formal training in law, economics and ethnography. However, by the age of 30 he had abandoned a career in law; he had fled his native country for Munich, in order to pursue his passion for art. While still living in Russia, Kandinsky found an important connection between colour and music. He is believed to have had synaesthesia, a condition that makes people perceive colour not only as a visual property of objects, but to associate colours with sounds of different qualities and intensities. He was convinced that painting, alike music, must fulfil a spiritual role. Although Kandinsky had developed the philosophical foundation for an abstract art as early as 1909, he had been hesitant to abandon representation. After hearing Arnold Schoenberg’s concert in January 1911, his work took a completely new turn. In the following days he made quick sketches of that performance and he further diluted these drawings until only traces of the original subject remained in his paintings. Composition V – first abstract painting? In the summer of the same year, Kandisnky began working on Composition V, a monumental painting in size, the most radical painting displayed at that time, announcing his ambitions for abstraction. Just a few months later, after being rejected by the official salon, he included the picture in the first exhibition of Der Blaue Reiter (the Blue Rider), a group co-founded together with Franz Marc (killed during the WWI at 36 years of age). Simultaneously, he published Concerning the Spiritual in Art, one of the first thesis to argue for artistic abstraction. His essay examines the purpose of art and how colours and forms impact the human soul. Since abstract art is freed from representation, colours and forms can display their own spirit and express the feelings of the artists. In his book, Kandinsky declares that the most advanced art offers “emotions that we cannot put into words”. The events of 1911 were equivalent to opening Pandora’s box in art. The invention of a non-objective form of art defined in manifestos as a reflection of the deep transformation in the society, anticipated the devastation of the WWI (1914-1918) but at the same time opened unknown paths for artistic explorations. 1. The Red Tree, 1908-1910, source: Gemeentemuseum den Haag 2. The Grey Tree, 1911, source: Gemeentemuseum den Haag 3. Flowering Apple Tree 1912, source: Tate Modern Piet Mondrian Other artists followed in Kandinsky’s steps on the path of abstraction but no other artist’s body of work can better illustrate the transformation from figurative depiction to abstraction as the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Mondrian’s fascination with trees developed out of his earlier landscape painting. After absorbing the influences of Cubism, Mondrian reworked the image of his trees to abstraction, and later on to primary colours. The trunk and branches were transforming into a network of verticals and horizontals. He acknowledged the inspiration of nature but added, “I want to come as close as possible to the truth, and I abstract everything from that until I reach the foundation of things”. No. 5, 1948, Jackson Pollock, sold in 2006 in a private sale for $135 million, according to The New York Times Abstract Expressionism - Abstraction in America “It seems to me that the modern painter cannot express this age, the airplane, the atom bomb, the radio, in the old forms of the Renaissance or of any other past culture. Each age finds its own technique.” Jackson Pollock - interview with William Wright, 1950 Prior to WWII, the art world has been dominated for centuries by Europe but the new geo-political reality was about to reshape dramatically the global art scene. The arrival in the United States of various immigrants associated with the Surrealist movement (André Breton, Max Ernst or Marcel Duchamp) fleeing the war was extremely well timed. The European Surrealist proved to be a great influence on the young artists active in New York at that time. The expanding group of artists including figures such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman, Robert Motherwell, Clyfford Still and Adolph Gottlieb was soon labelled as “Abstract Expressionists” despite never being formally organized in an art movement. They were, however, unified to some extent by the patronage of a wealthy heiress, Peggy Guggenheim. She is the first to organize exhibitions for the young artists at her newly open gallery, Art of This Century. No other name could better describe the gallery where Abstract Expressionism would catch the interest equally of art critics and politicians. Jackson Pollock – the star of Abstract Art One of Jackson Pollock’s early works (Guardians of the secret, 1943) demonstrates how stylistic borrowings from the Cubist-derived abstraction, Expressionism and Surrealism were fused with the interest in myth and primitivism and powered by the idea of large scale painting (a symbol of the rebirth of Americana, intensely promoted through the Federal Art Project – part of Roosevelt’s New Deal). Pollock’s experiments didn’t stop at mixing various art influences but he took a very daring approach. His most accomplished works were produced in a dramatically different fashion, he rhythmically dripped and spattered industrial paints, by using a stick instead of a brush, all-over huge expanses of unstretched canvases placed on his studio floor – what became known as “drip painting”. His innovation lies in bringing the process of creation under the spotlights, his Action Painting was almost a mystic parade of gestures. Pollock is hailed by his main promoter, the art critic Clement Greenberg as the inheritor of the European abstract tradition. By the 1949, Pollock acquired appreciable market success so that Life magazine was asking rhetorically in a now famous editorial: “Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?”. The wealthy art-buying class that were Pollock’s enthusiasts incorporated the liberal intellectuals and politicians that were becoming increasingly interested in stepping-up the cold war against Communism. Abstract Expressionism and the Cold War The American administration began a cultural war against the Social-Realism (an art movement associated with the communist regimes) by exporting internationally Abstract Expressionism as a symbol of the western capitalism. Just as the Marshall Plan sought to extend America’s influence in Europe through much needed it economic aid, the touring exhibition organized by MoMA with the support of CIA, sought to gain influence over the hearts of minds of Europe. New York School of Art By the early 1950s, the idea of an art movement called Abstract Expressionism seem more of critics´ invention than a homogenous art movement. Under the umbrella New York School you had on one hand the painters whose work was based on a gestural approach (Gestural Abstraction): De Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell, on the other hand, artists like Clayford Still, Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman who relied on large fields of colour (Colour Field Painting) to produce solemn effects on their canvases. These artists had an interest in archetype and anima and studied Kandisnky´s theories. Despite their sometimes bombastic spiritual claims and being often criticized for being egocentrics, we should not forget that Newman and Rothko were a response to the history of their times. Human dignity and spiritual aspirations have been completely crushed during the WWII and their art was a way of healing the trauma of this great tragedy of human kind. As Paul Klee remarked in 1915: “The more fearful the world becomes, the more art becomes abstract”. The Legacy Because of the huge influence of Abstract Expressionism in post-war America, other artists and movements are generally understood in relation to it. Ad Reinhardt in the early 1950s and then Frank Stella later in the decade painted abstract canvases, but rejected the Abstract Expressionist based on gesture They instead reinforced the essence of the painting as a physical object through precise geometric forms and smooth application of paint, anticipating the Minimalism art. Since the Abstract Expressionism painting was fundamentally “performative” it is regarded as the starting point for the Happenings (Allan Kaprow) of the 1960. Few decades later Abstract Art fell into semi-obscurity for a while only to be resuscitated and to coexist along a wide variety of art forms and ideas, so typical of our post-modern reality. “Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes… Abstract art enables to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an exploration into unknown areas.” – Arshile Gorky Author: Floarea Baenziger Refrences: Books: 1. David Hopkins, After Modern Art 1945-2000, Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 5-33; 2. Robert Hughes, The Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change, Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2004; 3. Kirk Varnedoe, Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock, Princeton University Press, 2006; 4. Leah Dickerman, Inventing abstraction – How a radical idea changed modern art, 1910-1925, catalogue MoMA, New York, 2013; Articles: 1. Helen A. Harrison, Through a Glass Brightly: Jackson Pollock in His Own Words, The New York Times, Nov. 15, 1998; 2. Pepe Karmel, The Golden Age of Abstraction: Right Now, ARTnews, April 24, 2013; 3. Meyer Schapiro, Nature of Abstract Art, www.on-curating.org, October 2003; 4. Celia Durkin, Eileen Hartnett, Daphna Shohamy, An objective evaluation on the beholder’s response to abstract and figurative art based on construal level theory, PNAS, August 2020. Author: Floarea Bänziger, RtistiQ curator RtistiQ is a leading online art marketplace that features a wide curated selection of Abstract art created by emerging and established artists from all over the world. All artworks are original and blockchain powered so you can shop abstract art with an ease of mind. Discover all abstract artworks here.

FLOAREA BAENZIGER

19 Feb 2021

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Over the past decade, the Chinese art market has seen a huge growth spurt, leaving the confines of the domestic market and making expansive forays into the global art scene. In this short time, it has managed to carve a niche for itself in the often-aggressive global art auction landscape. As a testament to this extraordinary growth, it is now the second-largest in the world. At the core of this thriving art scene are the artists who drive the interest in Chinese art. Their artistic styles are as rich and diverse as the culture and landscape of this vast country, ranging from contemporary art and abstract art paintings to Chinese ink. Here, we explore 8 Chinese artists to follow this year. 1.Cui Ruzhuo Source: chinesenewart.com Cui Ruzhuo is a veritable doyen in the field of contemporary Chinese ink painting. He was born in Beijing, China in the year 1944 and he honed his skills under the tutelage of the inventive and prolific painter and calligrapher, Li kuchan. He started his career as a teacher at the prestigious Academy of arts and design in Beijing, after which he relocated to the United states in 1981. He returned to China in the year 1996 and soon afterwards his works began to be acknowledged and honored in political circles. Apart from his artistic pursuits he devoted his time to mentoring doctoral students at the Chinese National Academy of Art. Ruzhuo often employs traditional methods and imagery through a technique known as historical literati painting, which makes his compositions of Chinese landscapes and mountains appear ethereal, almost meditative to the viewer. One of his greatest achievements is the landscape finger painting. With his inimitable style and methods Ruzhuo converted ink brush painting to finger painting, opening up new realms of aesthetics and styles in the Chinese painting scene. Ruzhuo, through a potent mix of reality and imagination manages to capture the essence of the landscape and the delicate quality of the space and time which gives his paintings an almost meditative and mysterious quality. His works have been collected by institutions and collectors globally and his record setting works at auctions have made him one of the most expensive living Chinese artist at auctions. His iconic painting titled ‘Lotus’ garnered more than 15 million dollars at a Christie’s auction in Hongkong and his ‘Landscape in the snow’ sold for over 30 million dollars at Poly auction in Hongkong , making him one of the most expensive living Chinese artist at the time. 2. Liu Ye Image Credit: Sothebys Liu Ye is one of the stalwarts in the field of contemporary Chinese oil paintings. His compositions have been inspired and influenced by Western abstract artists like Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee. His paintings often feature young children standing before paintings in his trademark colorful and stylized images and often include the Dutch cartoon character Miffy. Born in Beijing in 1964, he specialized in mural paintings from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and proceeded to earn an MFA from the Berlin university of Arts. What sets his work apart from his contemporaries is that fact that Yes’s paintings do not seek to engage with the political and economic landscape of the country. He strives to broaden his views, bringing in elements from his own imagination and things which spike his interest, taking in a broader view of humanity and the ever-changing human conditions. Liu has had solo exhibitions at a variety of famous institutions, including museums and galleries all around the world. His work can be found in the permanent collection of museums such as the Shanghai Art museum and the Long museum among many others. He is a formidable name in some of the world’s leading auction houses. His painting titled ‘Sword’ was sold for HK$42.68 m at Sotheby’s Hongkong in 2013 and another one titled ‘Smoke’ was sold for a record price of HK$52.18 at Sotheby’s Hongkong. 3. Huang Jiannan Image Credit: Artnet Huang Jiannan is a Chinese artist of domestic and international fame. He was born in 1952 in China. Mostly a self-taught artist, he developed a unique style of painting in the early days of his life. In the fall of 1977, he visited a prominent artist of South China Ink painting, Guan Shanyue and became his student. His unique style combines traditional ink with Western oil paintings, and he has a propensity for using bright colors. His forte is landscape styled paintings. Huang's color ink painting ‘The Loop of Nature’ was displayed and collected by the gallery Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. His work has been featured at a variety of prestigious auctions with a realized price of up to $827,215 USD, for his painting titled ‘Mountain range’ sold at Poly international auction co. in 2015. 4. Zhou Chunya Image Credit: Tatler Zhou Chunya is a renowned contemporary Chinese oil painting artist. He is best known for his series titled ‘Green dog’ and is said to be influenced by his affection for his pet who died shortly before he embarked on this series. He was born in Chongqing in China in 1955 and did his studies at the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts and proceeded to receive his MFA from the Kassel Academy of Fine Arts in Germany in 1988. His time spent abroad helped him embrace western methodologies and combine it effectively with traditional Chinese calligraphy. His work is exhibited in a variety of prestigious institutions including the All Show Art Center and the Tang contemporary art center in Beijing, The Shanghai Gallery of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. His painting titled ‘China Scenery’ sold for 44.27 million yuan (US$6.71 million) in 2017 at a China Guardian auction in Beijing. In 2013, Zhou was ranked the second most expensive Chinese contemporary artist in the world. 5.Fan Zeng Image Credit: asia-art.net Fan Zeng is often described as one of the greatest artists of China. He specializes in Chinese ink art. He was born on July 5, 1938 in Nantong ,China. He was a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts where he was under the tutelage of Wu Zuoren, Li Keran, Jiang Zhaohe, and Li Kuchan. He is renowned for his mastery of traditional Chinese painting techniques. He artfully mixes elements such as landscape, flower and bird along with elements of poetry and calligraphy. His fame has led to the establishment of museums to exhibit his work both in China and Japan. At a magnificent art exhibition held in 1988 in Hongkong, his masterpiece, “The Parade of the Beauties” was sold for HK$12,000,000. (almost 2 million U.S. dollars) 6.Leng Jun Leng Jun is a contemporary Chinese oil painting artist who his renowned for his hyper realistic painting of women. The paintings are unique in the sense that they look like actual photographs, down to the little wisp of hair or fold of a dress. He was born in 1963 and graduated from the Fine Arts department at the Hankou Branch of Wuhan Normal College in 1984.He was deeply influenced by the phenomenon known as ‘opening of China’ wherein information from the west was accessible and helped him develop his artistic aesthetics. His paintings have been sold at auctions throughout the country and have been acquired by both private collectors and institutions. He is an influential name in the Chinese art world. 7. Zeng Fanzhi Zeng Fanzhi is a contemporary Chinese painter dealing with oil medium. He is known for his vivid depiction of human faces verging on the abstract. He was born in 1964 in Wuhan and studied at the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts where he developed an interest in German expressionist painting. His iconic painting ‘Tiananmen’ delves into the changing face of Chinese culture. He is an artist of great renown and is highly sought after. His vivid painting ‘Mask Series no6’ broke the record at an auction in 2008 at Christie's Hong Kong. Fanzhi’s artwork titled ‘The last supper’ was sold at Sotheby’s Hongkong for a whopping US$23.3 million, setting a new record for contemporary Asian artwork. 8. Zhang Xiogang Zhang Xiogang is a Chinese contemporary artist of fame. His paintings are mostly in the oil painting genre, with a highly stylized almost surreal portraits of people who pose stiffly and formally. His work mainly focuses on the aftermath of the cultural revolution and the relevance of family history and memory in modern day China. He was born 1958 in Kunming, China, and studied painting at the Sichuan Academy of fine arts in Chongqing. He chanced upon a series of old family photographs which served as an inspiration for his celebrated series ‘Bloodline’. His work has been exhibited in famous institutions around the world including Pace gallery in New York and the 1995 Venice Biennale and the Daegu Art museum. In 007, a painting of his sold for US$ 6 million at Sotheby’s and in 2011, his oil work titled ‘Forever Lasting Love’ sold for HK$ 79 million, a record price for a contemporary art work from China. Author: Anupama Vijayakumar RtistiQ is an online art gallery with the vision of connecting global artists and art collectors with the passion for art. Explore our wide collection of paintings available for purchase online. Shop today !

RtistiQ

11 Feb 2021

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Art events play an important role in enlightening the audience about different developments happening all over the world. From the past till today, these art events have only grown more popular and have received a wide range of patrons including, Corporate Magnates, Royalty, Politicians etc. We also recognize the rise of online art marketplaces for art lovers to purchase paintings online and an increasing number of artists pursuing art as a full-time career. Keeping the Pandemic in mind, restrictions in traveling and due to it the safety protocols that all countries had to take. Singapore as well had to take a number of protective measures to keep its residents safe. However, over a period of time, Singapore did manage to contain the spread of the virus compared to a number of countries. Due to this, various departments under the Singapore Government started coming up with safer interventions to keep the morale of its citizens and residents high. As a part of these above mentioned initiatives, the Department of Culture and various private art galleries collaborated with a number of local and international celebrated artists to put up Art Exhibitions and Events, which can be still seen today. Keeping the aesthetic and therapeutic nature of arts in mind, these events are must go places for the Singaporeans to get a change of scenery, but in a socially distant manner. Here are the top 9 art events that you can attend in 2021: 1. Singapore Art Week To begin with, just around the corner on 22nd January is the Singapore Art Week. Which is a nine days’ extravaganza where a number of artists and visual media creators showcase their projects in theform of Exhibitions, Art Fairs, Galleries, Talks, Film Presentations and many more treats for one to indulge in. 2. 7th Singapore International Photography Festival This festival aims at uniting various visual artists under one roof and initiate discussions on various critical issues that the world faces today. It will be taking place at a number of venues in parallel, the major venues will be DECK, 120A Princep Street, 37 Emerald Hill, Downtown Line (various venues), Art Science Museum and Esplanade Tunnel.Timings at various venues differ and the information can be gathered from https://sipf.sg/. Admission charges may apply depending on the exhibition and venue. 3. A Familiar Forest This event is a 34 multilayer image showcase by environmental artist Zen Teh. The exhibition is based on modern scientific research which guarantees to touch your multiplesenses and invoke love for mother nature. This exhibition can be seen at NTU Museum, 50 Nanyang Avenue, North Spine 3, Level 5. Hours to visit are Monday-Friday 8.30 AM -9.15 PM, Saturday 8.30 AM – 4.45 PM and Sunday closed. Admission is free. 4. Aliwal Tracks Aliwal Tracks is a video web series program which touches upon the hidden street art, old-stories of residents and sounds of Kampong Glam. This is an online art event and the admission is free. 5. Time Passes @ Singapore Art Museum Up next, an art attraction to catch is at the Singapore Art Museum, where a guest curated exhibition by Samantha Yap is put up called Time Passes, named after a chapter of Virginia Wolfe’s novel to The Lighthouse. This exhibition will take the audience through the Pandemic that the world has gone through and how we as a human race have adapted to it and still survived the trials of time. The event can be caught at City Hall Wing, Level 3, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery B, National Gallery Singapore. The exhibition will be live till the 21st February 2021, all days from 10 AM- 7 PM. Admission is free for all Singapore citizens and PRs and no prior registrations are required. 6. Films by Trinh T Min-ha If you are an art film connoisseur, then you have to head to NTU Center for Contemporary Art where one can catch all the films by Trinh T Min-ha. She is a renowned film maker, composer, photographer,anthropologist and feminist who picks real world issues from all over the globe and uses her film making skills to present these harsh realities to the wider global audience. The exhibition is live till the 28th of February 2021, and the other details of the exhibition can be found here Link. 7. THINK & Perfect Stranger @ Asian Civilizations Museum Asian Civilizations Museum also has a lot to offer for an art lover’s palette. Special mention needs to be made of two very unique exhibitions that are running there. These are THINK: Chinese Calligraphy, Connoisseurship and Collecting and the second one is titled Perfect Stranger. THINK Chinese Calligraphy,Connoisseurship and Collecting exhibition - is a very eloquent display of artefacts from Ming and Qing Period in a very contemporary and display while the Perfect Stranger is a narrative time capsule of a vast sea of paper washed in words and gradients of different colors and a phosphorescence arises out of each sheet due to the synthesis of shades unique to each script. THINK: Chinese Calligraphy, Connoisseurship and Collecting is live till the 25th of April 2021 and the Perfect Stranger will be on till the 28th February 2021. The museum is open daily from 10 AM – 7 PM and on Fridays it is open from 10 AM – 9 PM. Entry from citizens and PRs is free while for tourists it’s 20 SGD per head. 8. Planet or Plastic @ Art Science Museum Even after all these attractions if your creative thirst is not quenched then you should definitely head to the Art Science Museum, where an environmental awareness exhibition has been put up called Planet or Plastic. This is an initiative by the National Geographic under which 70 photographs and videos are displayed to show the repercussions of the Plastic Pollution on our planet. This event is live till the 28th of March 2021, and the visiting hours are Sunday – Thursday 10 AM- 7 PM and Friday-Saturday 10 AM – 9 AM. There is an admission ticket which costs 16 SDG for citizens and 12 SDG as concessional rate for the same, while for tourists its 19 SDG and 14 SDG at a concessional price. 9. Georgette Chen: At Home in the World This showcase displays the fascinating world of Georgette Chen (1906-1993), who travelled the world and imbibed all the different styles of art in her work and left a lasting legacy on Singaporean artists. The event is running till 26 September 2021 at National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level 4 Gallery and Wu Guangzhong Gallery. The admission for the Singaporean citizens and PRs is free. If you are an art enthusiast in Singapore, we have summarized the top 9 art events happening in 2021. Kick-start your 2021 on a good note with visiting these events and indulging in the creativity thatSingapore has to offer in a safe and responsible manner. Author: Kush Dhebar RtistiQ is a digital art gallery that connects art enthusiasts with renowned artists worldwide. Our marketplace has a wide variety of artworks for sale, from abstract art paintings to contemporary art. Check out our recent guide for amateur art collectors who have an active interest in art collections here. Shop art online for your home or office décor.

RtistiQ

22 Jan 2021

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The global art industry is filled with talented artists who are the doorway to our future. They are disrupters who constantly continually push us to visualise the world from a different perspective. RtistiQ is an online art gallery to connect both art lovers and renowned artists across the world. In this interview series, we take you through our featured artists’ background, their passion for art, as well as their personal thoughts on the current art landscape. Enjoy. Introduction: Vivian Loh Hui Ting is like a breath of fresh air in the artworld. She is a multi-disciplinary artist who specializes in oil paintings, murals, assemblages, digital illustrations and drawings. Vivian holds a fine arts degree from Lasalle College of Arts, where she had secured 30 Art Friends II scholarship as well as the Lasalle scholarship. She has a diverse and interesting range of projects in her portfolio including Mural projects for schools and private clients, logo designing for companies, conducting workshops and instructing art at primary schools. She has also been associated with a charity auction to help raise funds for school children in Jakarta. Vivian gets her inspiration from everyday life, the little things and moments that most of us fail to notice. She aspires to cross the thin line between reality and fantasy, translating the sensations she feels into a visual language and layering her work with it. She attempts, through her work, to let the viewer experience the sensation of the image, rather than the image itself. Featured below is an interview with Vivian. Q: Tell us a little bit about you and your art. I have always been dabbling in art since childhood, I gravitate naturally towards it. I always wanted to be an artist. During secondary school, I remember, I was one of the only painting students in my school. After a brief stint in fashion designing, I came back to studying art. It was during this time I pondered over the type of artwork I wanted to create and the medium I wanted to experiment with. Q: What medium do you prefer? Do you experiment with other media as well? Previously I preferred oil painting but now I experiment with different media. My current favorite is a mix of spray painting and acrylic painting. It’s a new medium that I am experimenting with and I quite enjoy it. I am also experimenting with digital art. I can work faster digitally and can combine my photographs into the digital process to create a new illustration. Q: What themes do you enjoy pursuing? I take a lot of photographs of day to day life. I click a picture of anything that catches my attention. I love documenting small moments or things that we usually forget about as we go about our busy days. I collect these photographs and turn it into a sort of collage. When I review this collage, a theme presents itself through the pictures. I weed out the photos that don’t seem to fit in and keep the photos that seem closer to the image in my subconscious mind. When we go about our daily lives, we are naturally attracted to things that are linked to our subconscious mind, a part of our brain we don’t normally use. Q: Where do you look for inspiration? I usually find inspiration in the photographs I click, which feature our daily lives. Other than the images I click, I admire the works of James Jean. The formal aspects of his work inspire me. The way he chooses colors, the way he sketches etc. I find that my work also evolves as I grow older. Mark Rothko is another artist who has inspired me. His paintings have no physical representation, it’s just color. It touches a deep cord with the viewers and makes them emotional. I am drawn towards sublime pieces of art. It appears very simple on the surface, but as you invest yourself into it deeper, layers begin to reveal themselves. Q: How would you describe the Singaporean art scene? At present, it’s more of digital art and interactive installation work. You download an app and the participants are invited to view the artwork digitally. There is more of public art in Singapore like artfestivals. In today’s world, people tend to enjoy artworks which are ‘instagrammable’. Q: How important is heritage for your Art? I have Malaysian roots and though I was born in Singapore, I have family based in Malaysia whom I visit often. The natural environment and culture there, which is very different from that in Singapore, have influenced me tremendously. Q: When did you discover Chinese calligraphy and how has it inspired your art? Tell us about the series of paintings available on RtistiQ? My paintings on RtistiQ are titled Bloom, Spring breeze and Evanescence. Evanescence was inspired by Chinese calligraphy. When I visited China, I chanced upon senior citizens in a park, writing poems in Chinese calligraphy on the ground. The interesting part was that they used water as the medium. They would write a couple of lines and invite strangers passing by to continue it. The water evaporates after a while and there is no documentation of it. It exists only in our memory. My painting was inspired by that moment when I watched the interaction between strangers and the water evaporating. I was fascinated by the ephemeral quality of it, just like life. I took a lot of photos and printed them out and put them on the floor. To others, the background in the paintings like bloom and spring breeze may look like abstract art, like I’ve randomly thrown paint on it. But in reality, I traced the shadows of trees on the floor and photographed it. So, all these little bits, the foreground, background etc. are layered on each other. Stronger colors are actually the light on the floor which I photographed. I tried to paint the exact shade onto the canvas and so these little bits, layers upon layers, make the painting whole, which is in a way, like our lives. Q: What do you wish to communicate through your paintings? Through my paintings, I am trying to make sense of my subconscious mind and translate it to colors on the canvas, to create a sublime and powerful image. All my paintings are based on small everyday occurrences that we mostly don’t pay attention to. I use color and form to give shape to and put the forgotten ordinary moments in the spotlight. Many times, I have noticed that, although I am present physically in a space, my mind is not present there. This duality of existence fascinates me. I may be chatting with my family, but my mind would be distracted by a particular shade of light on the floor or how the breeze is making my skin feel. Q: You have an impressive portfolio as a graphics designer. What is the difference between being an artist and being a graphic designer/illustrator? I find that drawing manually allows more flexibility and I have to be more mindful of what I do. Whereas digital illustrations allow more room for errors, since you can easily correct them. Q: How does an emerging artist like you promote her work? Tell us about social media, is Instagram the main promoting tool for your work as illustrator and artist? I usually promote my work on Instagram as it gets more views. It’s an easier format to work with and very user friendly. I would say social media plays a very important role in promoting artwork in present times. Q: How do you think online art platforms have impacted the art industry? A lot of people can access your work if its available online, but the internet is filled with all kinds of artwork. Hence, a serious buyer may not be able to locate an artist. Art platforms like RtistiQ, makes it easier for artists to connect with serious buyers. In Singapore, a lot of artists do not have studios, so they cannot exhibit their paintings. Personal websites lack in technical quality to give a clear picture of the artwork to the viewers. Platforms like RtistiQ have specialized tools which help buyers view the artwork with all its finer nuances intact. Q: Professionally how has the year 2020 been for you? What are your upcoming projects in the new year 2021? I graduated last year. So, this year I was exploring avenues to showcase my artwork and also experimenting with different medium. I plan to run some workshops in 2021 and am looking out torent a space for it. Also, in the pipeline, is a project where I am planning to collaborate with an NGO for an exhibition which will tentatively be held in February 2021. ******************* If you are looking to buy paintings online explore our wide selection of paintings on sale here at RistiQ art marketplace. To read other interview series, check out our recent interview with two prominent artists Aude Rech and Lynne Godina where they shared tips on how you can increase sales during the holiday season. Author: Anupama Vijayakumar

RtistiQ

05 Jan 2021

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An interview with artists Aude Rech and Lynne Godina It is that time of the year again when we can let ourselves look forward to the coming year and hope for a new beginning, despite the past year being so outlandish. RtistiQ wishes you happy holidays. The art market trends are constantly in flux with the current pandemic. As businesses try to return to normalcy after a tough year, demand for art is bound to increase, though the reason could also be the fact that people have become hopeful with the arrival of vaccines in the market. As more art lovers look to buy art online, RtistiQ interviewed two of the prominent artists featured on our website to ask them what they would do to increase sales during the holiday season. Introduction to the Artists: Aude Rech was born in an artistic family with an art gallery owner mother and a well-known ceramist father. She believes she is lucky to have art in her genes. She studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Nice and at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris where her teachers and mentors were Debré, Alechinsky and Cueco. Aude has been working as a virtual artist for the past 40 years, and she currently works from a studio in the south of France. She has been exhibiting her work in Paris, Berlin, San Francisco and New York and her work is featured in a few private collections. Aude believes her art is a personal journey in terra incognita, full of surprises and discoveries. In her words – “I feel like a director casting a play that I rewrite every day. Art is the only thing that elevates me, giving me the feeling of being positively alive. I depict the world, my world, the forces at play in most live forms. For me it is all a question of energy balance and colors!” Lynne Godina Maybe a new er name in the art scene, but within 2 years, she has had her first solo exhibition and has been a part of three group exhibitions. Her solo exhibition featured over 60 original pieces and she also has to her credit, 50 pieces in private and corporate collections around Australia. Lynne got a breakthrough in international art sale when she sold her art to a private collection in Milan, Italy late 2019. Lynne likes to use a lot of texture and heavy collection of paints in her paintings. She primarily uses stretched canvas, although she has also dabbled in glass framed works. Additionally, she has started using hardboard bases. See below the interview with our featured artists Aude and Lynne. Interview: Read on to find the detailed responses of Aude and Lynne for our questions surrounding their art styles, their motivation, their career paths, challenges and their experience with our platform. You will also find some motivation and some good advice in their responses. Q - How has the art market scenario changed over the past decade? Aude – Over the past decade, the art market has evolved strongly due to the implementation of numerous online platforms dedicated to sell and promote art.Social media have been playing a major role in the exchange of information regarding all matters related to art. Networking, promoting, selling, exhibiting has been so mucheasier than it used to be. Having a worldwide vision of the art world in real-time is now possible. Lynne - The online gallery presence has surged in the past decade. Globally there are hundreds of online sites and platforms to promote your art. Some are better and more professional than others and have been around for a longer time, others are smaller boutique galleries that focus on a closer relationship with the individual artist. There is something for every level of artist to be able to display and promote their art. As you get a higher profile, galleries will come to you, but at the start being part of just one gallery can be very exciting and proactive in getting your works out there. Obviously Covid-19 has had a huge impact on exhibitions and bricks and mortar galleries. Depending on where in the world you live, lockdowns and restrictions vary. Here in Australia we are now very lucky to be able to go out and have large groups again and the galleries and venues are reopening, so I am looking forward to exhibiting and having people come to visit my studio/gallery again in 2021. Q - What are some of the challenges that you faced in your art career? How did you overcome them? Aude - One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my art career is to be in touch with my personal creativity and to be aware at the same time of my surroundings in time and space, keeping in perspective of where we stand in the history of Art. To create is to give someone the ability to see a piece of the world through someone else’s mind at a certain time and place. You are becoming a witness to our society. In order to feel connected, you need to be able to feel the energy that surrounds you and to harvest it. This is a challenge, practicing self-awareness helps achieve this state of mind. Lynne – The major challenge is to get your art seen. That takes a lot of hours and persistence, it is a fulltime job. I have always said the painting and creating the art is the easy part, it’s the backend that takes time and commitment. I am not very good with social media, but I have to push myself to be consistent with uploading and continually showing what is happening with my art, sales, commissioned works and within my studio. Q - How do you think technology has helped to boost art sales? Aude – In my own experience and especially during this Covid period I have been able to use a virtual environment to showcase my work therefore I have generated some sales. At the moment the use of technology helps me to identify potential art galleries, curators, or art collectors with whom I can start conversations with no time or space barrier. It is quite incredible to be able to reach art connoisseurs worldwide in that manner. Lynne – Everything has gotten faster and sleeker in the last decade. Computers are now so much quicker and more reliable to upload and be part of the web to search and keep in contact with the world. When I first started uploading my art I bought a very expensive Nikon camera with all the best lenses to capture professional shots, now I use my iphone. The cameras within the phones have just been getting better and better with each new version and it is so simple to edit and then connect to the computer and upload. Q - Which feature of RtistiQ do you find the most interesting? And why? Aude – The RtistiQ features I enjoy the most are the blockchain certification, the digital certificate, secure transaction, and shipment methods. The reason why I do enjoy those features is that they gave the potential collector a sense of being secure and it shows a very professional environment. As an artist to know that I can trace my art after it being sold is amazing. It offers many new possibilities, keeping track of its sales record, its location, and ownership. Having these pieces of information can help an artist generating broader interest in his work. As well I came to enjoy the sense of community and the ease of building an online portfolio. I can not wait for the platform to shape up with more artists and to see what we could organize together. Lynne – Since joining the RtistiQ website I have enjoyed finding so many interesting artists from every corner of the world. To be able to go into their galleries and see the amazing quality and diversity of art is something that gives me great pleasure and boundless inspiration. Q - How is RtistiQ different from other sites that you have used? Aude - I have had a better experience with RtistiQ, I found it more engaging I like its design and its simplicity and professionalism. Lynne – Because RtistiQ is a fledgling gallery the one on one interaction with me as an artist is refreshing and new. I feel that the team are really interested and willing to promote my art and find out what and who I am as an artist. Q - What are the prospects the holiday season brings in for art sales? Aude – It is difficult to say, but more potential buyers are going to browse the net in the research of a unique gift. The seasonal aspect is interesting and can generate great opportunities to have someone discover your work, start collecting or simply to enjoy offering a very original, interesting, meaningful gift. Lynne – Traditionally the lead up to Christmas is fairly slow as people are more concerned with celebrations with their families, friends and work colleagues. Money is being spent on gifts, but a piece of art is a very personal purchase and normally people wouldn’t look at making a large decision like that as a surprise. Things get busy in the New Year when people have been given money to ‘buy themselves something they want’ and think about that artwork or sculpture they have been eyeing all year. Q - Could you give an insight into the marketing strategies you use during this season? Aude – I will not use a specific marketing strategy during the holiday season, but I will definitely communicate more and will bring people to the site so that they can discover my newest work and enjoy the RtistiQ key features. Lynne – I have a sale on my website for the first two weeks to see in the New Year. Also, I offer a gift certificate on my site to give to loved ones to prompt them to buy a piece from my gallery. I make sure to keep painting and upload as many new artworks as I can to keep a high presence on all the sites. Q -Your advice to budding artists to promote their artwork this gifting season. Aude - As an artist, I would advise anyone to help potential collectors, either by having a set of work that is financially accessible to be offered as a gift or being an incentive to start maybe a new relationship with collecting a new artist. Lynne - The main thing is to upload, upload, upload. To the online galleries and platforms, you are on, to your own websites if you have them and of course, as much content on social media as you can physically do every day. My aim is to upload at least twice a day, even if it’s giving earlier pieces another upload to refresh people's memory and get them looking at the newer creations. ******** Aude and Lynne are impressed with RtistIQ’s way of working and the diverse art collection. If you are an art enthusiast, browse through our online art gallery to find something you like. Explore all arts for sale which are perfect as a gift for yourself or your loved ones to mark the beginning of a better year. If you are an artist, contact us to showcase your art on our website and use our unique features to reach a larger audience. RtistiQ wishes you all A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! Author: Manisha Bhati

RtistiQ

24 Dec 2020

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Guidelines For Amateur Art Collectors Art collection in these modern times is no longer the prerogative of the super-rich and not limited to the niche territory it was once confined to. The recent decade has seen a lot of amateurs especially the well-educated, well-heeled younger crowd, showing an active interest in art collections. The advent of technology which has helped create a digital world has played a pivotal role in making art accessible to larger section of people across the globe. This technological advancement coupled with the availability of information, guides and articles on this subject has led to an unprecedented rise in amateur art collectors. Having said that, art collection especially for an amateur can often be an overwhelming as well as a daunting experience. But with a few guidelines in mind to help tackle the process, anyone with an appreciation for art and a genuine passion for the process can be an art collector, whether they are part of a Sotheby auction process, rummaging through a garage sale or even browsing online. Be Cognizant Of Your Preferences Art collection is not something which can happen overnight. It takes time and effort. The first step would be to understand the kind of art that excites you and stirs your soul and in a way, speaks to you. This is a very personal space and requires you to invest time to explore various kinds and medium, till you find the perfect fit. It is also important to keep in mind that preferences are susceptible to change over time and can range over multiple styles and medium. What is important is to keep an open mind and observe the sort of work that evokes emotions within yourself. Invest Time And Energy For Research This is one of the most important steps which many amateurs do not give the importance it deserves. Proper research helps you take informed decisions and makes the entire process more enjoyable and stress free. So, what can you research about? You can read up and gather information about your preferred art medium, the iconic artists associated with it, the terminology used, current trends in the market etc. Give yourself time to experience art. This could be by visiting galleries, browsing bookstores, local art markets or whatever sparks your interest. Be aware of what kindles emotions or sparks interest and what kind of details pull you in further. This material can be used as your reference point. Once you have a fair idea of what you are looking for then it becomes easier to zero in on where to locate it. In recent times, any medium from estate sales to Facebook is a potential location. Plan And Create A Suitable Budget It is imperative to get your priorities right. Do you want to decorate your space or build a collection? This will help you decide how many pieces and what type to purchase, based on the disposable income you have set aside. Signing up for relevant newsletters from reputed art websites is a good idea to help compare prices and stay up to date on the latest art works in the market. Online galleries can also be a good place to invest your time on as they curate and introduce a plethora of talented artists. It is also advisable to try and contact the artist directly or sign up for a service that helps connect with the artists directly, once you have found an artwork that appeals to you. In many cases the original piece of artwork may be more affordable that we give it credit for. Quality Assurance With the range and volume of artwork that are available for an amateur collector today, determining the quality of the artwork is of utmost importance. Paintings, especially in the abstract art category can often be confusing to a beginner. It is said that every piece of art will have an intention behind it, it will have something to say. An artwork of quality even if it is abstract will have a story to convey. It will rarely be, a random composition. It is most likely to be inspired by real life and will translate that in terms of abstract symbols. It can also be a translation of the artist’s moods and emotions, rather than a depiction of just objects. So the only way to become better at identifying paintings of quality whatever be the medium, is to look and study as many paintings as possible in that particular category as well as try and understand the history and significance of that particular piece of work. Delve into the provenance of the piece as well as the time in the artist’s career that this piece was made. This will help decide on the fairness of the pricing. Investing in professionals such as consultants and curators is also a good way to assure the quality of the painting, provided you have the resources. Listen To Your Heart And March To Your Own Beat Finally, it is especially important to ensure that the piece of art you have invested in makes you happy, unless you are collecting for commercial reasons. It should be a reflection of yourself and your personality and something which you see yourself being comfortable with. Often the return on investment is usually your happiness.

RtistiQ

11 Dec 2020

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Protect Your Art Collection Like An Expert You are an art connoisseur, and you love your collection. After all, art is precious and sometimes passed on from generation to generation. But the artwork is also susceptible to damage, the most common being breakages, tears, smudges, fingerprints, stains from food or smoke, poor storage, intense sunlight, humidity etc. The good news is that it is easy to protect your artwork from this damage. Below are some tips you could use to protect and safely store your precious collection. Handle Your Painting With Care First things first - handling a painting carefully is an essential part of maintaining the novelty of your painting. You should handle only one painting at a time, despite size or weight. Do not touch a painting with oily or dirty fingers. Try not to touch the painted part of the canvas; hold it from the sides or corner as much as possible. You could minimize contact by wearing cotton gloves. And remember to remove any accessories like watches or jewelry before you handle a painting. Hanging Your Artwork Secondly, you need to take care in hanging the artwork. Use appropriate size wall hooks, and it is better if these are driven into wall studs. If the artwork is heavy or oversized, it is best to use a wall anchor. To provide additional support, you could mount a bracket under the painting to support its weight. You should ensure that no loose end of a hanging wire or screw pokes into the canvas from behind, as this could cause a bulg,e or worse, hole in the painting over time. Always remember to periodically check any mechanical items used to hang a painting, including screws, hooks, cords, or wires. This way, you would be able to spot a potential fall event before it happens and can prevent any damage to your painting. The Right Spot To Hang Your Artwork Third, selecting a proper spot to hang an artwork is essential. An artwork created with any paint is susceptible to long exposures to direct sunlight. Some types of colours may fade slower than others, but most colors fade in sunlight. Hence, do not put paintings where direct sunlight falls on them. If you cannot find such a place, then it's recommended to frame it behind UV-protected glass. A painting can be protected against dirt and grime damage by varnishing it. It is advisable not to hang a painting on top of a heat source since the hot air will carry all dirt and grime with it upwards, which may deposit on your painting. Heat can also soften the paint, thus making it easier for more soot to deposit on the painting and causing irreparable damage. Varnish may also protect from UV rays and smoke. It would be best if you used removable varnish to keep the painting as a family heirloom. This can be removed when the painting yellows, thus returning its original glory. The artwork can be re-varnished to provide protection again. Water is another danger to the life of your painting. It can cause paint loss by loosening the adhesion of the paints. Hence, protect your painting from water or other liquids. Also, a painting needs balanced and consistent humidity to retain its freshness. Low humidity makes the paint brittle and may cause mechanical damage, while high humidity can promote mold growth. And frequent fluctuations in relative humidity are bad for wooden panel paintings. The wood can change its shape and become concave with changes in humidity and heat. Trying to flatten the wood may cause the paint to flake off. Keeping Your Paintings Dust Free Now, let's look at how to clean a painting safely. If the painting is not damaged, you can dust it using a clean, dry, soft, natural-hair artist's brush. However, it should be avoided for a painting with a matte surface. While dusting a painting, ensure it is vertical so the dust falls away from the surface of the painting. Also, never use dry or moist dust cloths, stiff bristle brushes, or dust feathers to dust a painting. The Right Way To Store Your Art Lastly, sometimes you may need to store your art for various reasons. The best way to store art is to wrap it in brown paper, then wrap it in bubble wrap, place frame corners on all corners, then place the wrapped-up artwork in a solid box. The box size should be appropriate, so the painting does not move while transferring. For unframed works on paper, use plastic sleeves with acid-free cardboard to make sure the paper doesn't bend with time. Some of the rules for hanging a painting also apply to storage. For example, do not store in a hot, humid, dirty place, meaning avoid storage in basements or attics. Also, regularly open and check the artwork if you need to store it for longer. If you have any doubts, you could seek professional support through art conservators.

RtistiQ

04 Dec 2020

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What is art forgery and why is it wrong? One of the main reasons why high-end art, especially by the masters, is revered is because of its originality, that undefinable touch, which is so unique to that artist and which sets it apart from the rest. The concept of imitation of art has been going on for hundreds of years, where an artist or student copies the artwork of a master they admire. There is nothing wrong or illegal in this. Art forgeries however are a different ball game altogether. In this, the artist or institution tries to pass off their artwork under the name of an established or famous artist, usually for financial gains. A forged Picasso painting can look as aesthetically pleasing and refined as the original one, sometimes even to a trained eye. Then why is authenticity so important in the art world? The primary reason why it is crucial to distinguish between an original and counterfeit piece is due to the monetary value attached to the piece. Each piece of art would be inspired from a unique creative source and it then passes through the personal cognitive skills of the artist before it is translated onto the medium. This gives the artist an intellectual property right over his piece of work. To study a false piece of art as an original work by a revered artist, would at the very least, taint our understanding of the artist as well as the evolution of that piece of work. The financial and moral implications of this duplicity have the power to disrupt the very fibre of the art world. Notable Art forgeries that rocked the Art world Art forgery is every art collector’s or art institution’s worst nightmare. Yet, despite the best efforts by experts and security personnel, widespread fabrication of artworks continues to be a looming menace. Some notable instances of art forgery in recent times, exploring the techniques employed, the consequences faced, and the lessons learned The Wolfgang Beltracchi Scandal: One of our time's most notorious art forgers, Wolfgang Beltracchi, stunned the art world with his impeccable reproductions of famous artworks. From Van Gogh to Picasso, Beltracchi masterfully replicated renowned artists' styles, materials, and signatures. It was only in 2010 that his deception was uncovered, leading to his arrest and a significant blow to the art market. The case shed light on the vulnerabilities of authentication processes and the allure of owning a "lost masterpiece." The Knoedler Gallery Case: The Knoedler Gallery, a prestigious art institution in New York, fell victim to one of the largest forgery scandals in recent history. Over 15 years, the gallery unknowingly sold dozens of fake paintings by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. The elaborate scheme involved a art dealer from Long Island named Glafira Rosales got the help of a Chinese artist based in queens to paint abstract expressionist style paintings, in the style of famous masters . She managed to pass them off to the reputed Knoedler gallery, as part of the unlisted works of the artists, which they had sold directly to an anonymous buyer. This resulted in collectors spending around eighty million dollars on these forged pieces. This case highlighted the challenges galleries and experts face in verifying the authenticity of artworks. Zhang Daqian's Fake Scroll Paintings: Zhang Daqian, a highly esteemed Chinese painter, became a victim of forgery even after his passing. Forgers capitalized on his distinctive style and subjects, creating convincing imitations of his scroll paintings. Before experts detected the fraud, these counterfeit works entered prestigious auctions and private collections. This incident emphasized the importance of extensive research, provenance verification, and scientific analysis to prevent the circulation of fake artwork. The Modigliani Forgery Ring: A group of skilled forgers in Italy produced a series of remarkable fake Amedeo Modigliani paintings, successfully infiltrating the art market. Their sophisticated techniques and attention to detail fooled collectors, experts, and auction houses. The operation was eventually dismantled, leading to arrests and confiscation of numerous counterfeit works. The Modigliani forgery ring revealed the lengths to which forgers will go to imitate the unique styles of celebrated artists. The Fake Frans Hals Portrait case: One of the biggest scandals to rock the art world in recent times, was the ten million dollar Frans Hal portrait sold through a private sale in which modern day materials was found to be used, when tested by Orion Analytical, a US based company which investigates art work. Sotheby’s refunded the buyer after this unfathomable forgery came to light. This forgery circle is rumoured to involve works of up to 25 old masters, escalating the amount collectors are said to have spent on these fake pieces, to an outrageous 255 million US dollars. The most surprising facet in this whole issue was that most of the reputed art institutions accepted these paintings as genuine masterpieces and even displayed these pieces in their galleries. The total lack of provenance for most of these paintings was a red flag in this multi-million dollar scandal. This casts a shadow on the effectiveness of age-old techniques like connoisseurship, which uses less of scientific methods and relies on intangible elements, like the ability of the expert to detect the ‘hand of the artist’ in the painting. In this case the technical analysis done by Orion Analytical, helped bring the forged pieces to light. Other Major forgery cases In another startling case, The Uzbek state museum discovered that many of its original art pieces was replaced by forged pieces by their own staff. They had sold the original pieces in the black market for a fraction of the cost. The State Art and cultural museum in Ankara, Turkey was also a victim to forgery when almost 302 of the original works were planned to be swapped by its staff in association with some art criminals. The case came to light when the museum discovered that many pieces in its collection were copies. The forgery case was solved with the help of a tip by an anonymous caller. In an equally sensational scam, dubbed operation Voyeurs, the Spanish authorities busted an operation selling counterfeit works by world renowned artists including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. A Zaragoza based art dealer, was planning to sell these for millions of Euros. How Technology Can Prove An Effective Weapon Against Art Forgery Art forgeries continue to challenge the authenticity and integrity of the art world. Recent cases of forgery remind us of the intricate techniques employed by skilled forgers, the vulnerabilities within authentication processes, and the enduring allure of owning a genuine masterpiece. These incidents have prompted art institutions, experts, and collectors to strengthen their efforts in research, provenance verification, and technological advancements for the detection and prevention of art fraud. With modern technological breakthroughs, many online art platforms and institutions can now be prepared to protect themselves and their investors from such hoodwinkers. Digital art is now a formidable name in the art world, with both collectors and reputed online platforms waking up to its value in the modern art market. The universal concern when dealing with such art is the plagiarism concerns which arises, when a copy of it exists on the internet. To solve this issue, many high-end online art platforms like Rtistiq, employ blockchain technology in their art asset management. Using this technology, once the provenance and ownership details of a particular artwork have been uploaded onto the company’s secure and distributed database, it can be tracked and verified online and in real time. Thus, every single event that has occurred in the lifetime of the artwork now becomes a digital block, which is linked to a previous block of information. This enables prospective clients to confirm the authenticity and provenance of the piece of artwork. Rtistiq, a digital online platform for art connoisseurs, and investors is one such enterprise which employs technological prowess to ensure that their clients have a secure space to conduct their dealings. Using blockchain technology it records every piece of information connected to a piece of artwork and the digital fingerprint thus created would be impossible to duplicate. The unique architecture of this technology ensures immutability so that data once fed cannot be altered while allowing the users to maintain anonymity. NFC tags are another highly effective way to counter forgery. In this method NFC tags or microchips, like the ones used in passports or credit cards are attached to the piece of artwork. The chip, which is invisible to the naked eye, holds a private key with a corresponding public key stored on a blockchain. This forms a sort of digital link, connecting the artwork and the information about it. It is stored on a secured network and is virtually tamper proof and nearly impossible to replicate. This data can be accessed by a potential client at any time by scanning the chip with the help of relevant apps. Using these tags, the artists can authenticate their latest piece of work by attaching them to the art work or an art gallery can use this to authenticate the provenance of an old renowned piece of work and also provide their customers with a bona fide certificate. Art forgeries other than having a severe monetary impact, can have a profound effect on the art market. It can damage the hard-earned reputation of many people involved in the process. So, effective methods to identify and prevent forgeries is the need of the hour. With new technological advancements, more and more fool proof methods are being introduced. The stakeholders in the art world must embrace these new techniques to stay one step ahead of these forging masterminds and safeguard their assets in this ever evolving and volatile art industry. Author: Anupama

RtistiQ

27 Nov 2020

5 min to read

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