Speed Read: The Top 10 Art News Stories for August 11–15

Lauren Bacall's Henry Moore obsession to Robin Williams and drone photography.

Lauren Bacall.
Photo: Flickr.

1: “Comedy Legend Robin Williams Battled Disney, Depression, and Picasso
The sudden death of Robin Williams on August 11 prompted our own Coline Milliard to uncover an unexpected story from the actor and comedian’s life about a $1 million Pablo Picasso drawing that Disney gave him as a peace-keeping gesture.

2: “Remembering Lauren Bacall, Screen Goddess and Art Collector
This week’s other major celebrity death claimed the great star of stage and screen Lauren Bacall, who, as Cait Munro recounted, was a big fan of Henry Moore, collected the legendary sculptor’s work, and once visited his studio.

3: “Rauschenberg Foundation Appeals $25 Million Payout to Artist’s Friends
Not content to take a multimillion-dollar ruling sitting down, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation filed an appeal against a judge’s decision that it should pay three of Robert Rauschenberg’s trustees $25 million, Philip Boroff reported.

4: “Artist Sneaks Into Future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Site to Interview Workers
With major cultural institutions including local franchises of the Louvre and Guggenheim set to rise on Saadiyat Island, artist Molly Crabapple paid a visit to the vast construction site and, as Ben Davis reported, witnessed exactly the type of widespread human rights violations they claim are not taking place.

5: “A Brief History of Animated GIF Art, Part Two
In the second chapter of her survey of the brief but rich history of animated GIF art, Paddy Johnson chronicled the blossoming of artist-run blogs between 2006–2010.

6: “Melbourne Art Fair Delivers Buoyant Sales and Attendance
Reporting from the Melbourne Art Fair, Jane O’Sullivan noted a resurgence in interest among collectors and the general public, who turned out in droves for the first edition under the directorship of Barry Keldoulis.

7: “The Woolworth Building: Big-box as Church
Critic Blake Gopnik began his series of daily reviews at artnet News this week, starting, appropriately, with a fascinating history of the Gothic-style lobby of the Woolworth Building, where the artnet News New York office is located.

8: “SCAD Honors Savannah’s Own Jack Leigh with Retrospective
The late photographer Jack Leigh is remarkably little-known outside the South, but a new exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art devoted to the Savannah native is poised to rectify that, Benjamin Sutton predicted.

9: “Summer’s Best Art Books
Still looking for some summer reading? Elizabeth Manus compiled an excellent reading list of art books fit for the beach, from Georgina Adam’s Big Bucks: The Explosion of the Art Market in the 21st Century, to Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist.

10: “Latest Art Trend Is Drone Photography
Some expect statue selfies to be the next big art world trend, but Sarah Cascone made a convincing case for the ascendance—both figurative and actual—of drone photography, supported with plenty of beautiful images to strengthen her argument.


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