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You Might Find One Of These Hilarious Graffiti Messages Next Time You Check Into A Hotel

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David Bussell toilet graffiti

The next time you enter a hotel room, peek at the back of a mirror, under a desk drawer, or inside a bible, and you may find a hilarious note saying something like "This hotel wasn't half bad. It was all the way bad."

For the past seven years, British comedian and graffiti artist David Bussell has been surreptitiously leaving irreverent notes in hotel rooms around the world.

Bussell said that he started doodling because a hotel he was staying in didn't have a working TV, and it has since turned into somewhat of a tradition.

"I tend to just write whatever seems funny in the moment but certain objects have been known to inspire ideas: bathroom fittings, kitchen appliances, Gideon's bibles," Bussell said. "Mostly I just write in places that will only be searched out by the extremely curious though - nosey people like me."

He said that he hasn't seen any backlash from hotel owners yet—but jokes that he'll be checking into hotels using his wife's name from here on out.

Bussell's very candid thoughts on a hotel in Oxford, England.



This note seems like something you'd find in a bar bathroom, rather than a Denver hotel bathroom.



Here's Bussell's take on the Sistine Chapel, scrawled inside a toilet lid in a Denver hotel.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Magnificent 26-Foot-Long Maya Facade Was Just Found In Guatemala

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maya carving

An enormous, elaborately decorated Maya façade has been uncovered in Guatemala on the outside of a mysterious ancient building that archaeologists are trying to explore.

Grave robbers came close to finding the 26-foot-long (8 meters) and 6.5-foot-high (2 m) stucco relief before archaeologists got there. The 1,400-year-old carvings were discovered last month as excavators dug up a tunnel left open by looters at the site of Holmul — an ancient Maya city in the Peten region of Guatemala.

The frieze decorates the outside of a huge multi-roomed rectangular building where a team of archaeologists led by Francisco Estrada-Belli, who teaches at Tulane University, found a burial last year containing the remains of one person, 28 ceramic vessels and a wooden funerary mask. Much of the building is still buried under the rubble of another 65-foot-high (20 m) structure that was later constructed on top of it. So far, only the roof, one corner and part of the stairway have been uncovered in recent excavations.

Bigger Maya buildings can be found at other sites like Copan and Xultun, but the structure at Holmul stands out for its preservation, the complexity of the iconography and the abundance of inscriptions, Alex Tokovinine, a Maya epigrapher at Harvard who is working on the project at Holmul, explained in an email.

"It features two previously unknown gods and at least five previously unknown rulers or deified ancestors," Tokovinine wrote. "And who knows what the rest of the building holds?"

The well-preserved frieze has rare traces of polychrome red paint, with some details in blue, green and yellow. The carving also shows human figures, perhaps deified rulers, some of them wearing elaborate bird headdresses and jade jewelry.

maya friezeThe inscriptions, meanwhile, reveal that the monumental artwork was commissioned by the ruler of Naranjo, a powerful kingdom to the south of Holmul, likely during the 590s, the researchers say. A king named "Ajwosaj Chan K’inich — one of the greatest Naranjo rulers — is credited in the text with restoring the local ruling line and patron deities, the researchers say.

"The new inscription provides the first glimpse of the remarkable extent of Ajwosaj’s political and religious authority," Tokovinine said in a statement. "It also reveals how a new order was literally imprinted on a broader landscape of local gods and ancestors."

The team plans to return to the site next year to continue exploring the building and to preserve the fragile façade.

"The site is constantly guarded, but the main enemies there are the rainy season and tree roots," Tokovinine told LiveScience.

Changes in temperature and humidity also threaten to damage the paint of the façade, and tree roots growing between the stucco of the frieze and the stone masonry of the roof could damage the carving, Tokovinine said. If nothing is done, he added, "It will just fall off the walls in hundreds of small fragments."

"Unfortunately, there was no time for any extensive conservation intervention nor for a detailed digital 3D scanning of the frieze," he added. "Hopefully, it will all get done next dry season or even sooner." 

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescienceFacebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

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Amazon's New Art Store Is Great For Young Buyers Who Don't Care About The Gallery Experience

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willie gillis norman rockwell

Amazon launched it's new Fine Art and Collectibles section earlier this week, and it's getting a lot of buzz in the art world.

Most of the media (including us) has focused on the more expensive pieces of art on Amazon — like the $4.85 million Norman Rockwell painting— and the negative and hilarious comments that quickly piled up.

But with an estimated 150 art dealers and 4,500 artists, these expensive works of art are the minority. Out of some 40,000 items  including thousands of original works — 18,000 are under $1,000 and 29,000 are under $5,000. There's even a $10 work of art for sale

"If I go to a big box retailer, they're selling mass quality prints for $100, stuff everyone has in their dorm rooms," said Allen Terrell, the Art Director of Downtown Art Center (DAC) Gallery. "Now I can go online and find original art or limited edition art for the same price. Who wouldn't want to have that hanging in their house rather than a Monet print that everybody has across the country?"

These original and affordable works of art from smaller galleries are the real meat of the Amazon Art section. Galleries are excited because the online retailer will help them broaden their reach and tap into a new clientele. And its good for Amazon because they company gets a 5-20% commission — which is typical for all Amazon vendors, according to the New York Times— on works that could sell for tens of thousands of dollars. 

The real upside of shopping on Amazon for art though is how user friendly it is: You can search by color, size, price, and even subject. Other art vendor websites like Artsy and Artnet on the other hand may have sleek website designs, but they are not as inherently easy to navigate or familiar to prospective buyers.

Buyers are also moving away from the idea that art needs to be experienced in person before it's purchased. "Young collectors are a lot more comfortable buying things online,"Matthew Glasser, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Exception Children's Foundation at DAC Gallery, told us. "So when they go through new artwork, they're willing to purchase the work based on the image alone."

Plus, there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable with the typical brick and mortar gallery experience who would actually prefer to buy art online. There's less judgement about what you like, less pressure in choosing what to buy, and customers can rely on Amazon's return and shipping policies, so there's extra reliability.

Even the higher-end galleries on Amazon's new section are hopeful that their more expensive pieces will find buyers. Bill Rau of M. S. Rau Antiques— the vendor selling the $4.85 million Rockwell — is confident that Amazon can move expensive art. "We have sold things of great value in the seven figure range online before. I'm always surprised when it happens, but it does happen," he said.

And though time will tell just how much of a success Amazon's Fine Art and Collectibles section will be, works of art are already selling: "We sold a piece of art to Germany this morning and another one to California,"Stephen Tanenbaum, Co-Founder of UGallery, told us. "As word starts to get out, I think people are giving it a shot."

SEE ALSO: Detroit May Have To Sell These 11 Masterpieces To Ease Its Debt Problem

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Nevada Rock Carvings Proven To Be Oldest In North America

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petroglyphs

On the west side of Nevada's dried-up Winnemucca Lake, there are several limestone boulders with deep, ancient carvings; some resemble trees and leaves, whereas others are more abstract designs that look like ovals or diamonds in a chain.

The true age of this rock art had not been known, but a new analysis suggests these petroglyphs are the oldest North America, dating back to between 10,500 and 14,800 years ago.

Though Winnemucca Lake is now barren, at other times in the past it was so full of water the lake would have submerged the rocks where the petroglyphs were found and spilled its excess contents over Emerson Pass to the north. [See Photos of Amazing Cave Art]

To determine the age of the rock art, researchers had to figure out when the boulders were above the water line.

The overflowing lake left telltale crusts of carbonate on these rocks, according to study researcher Larry Benson of the University of Colorado Boulder. Radiocarbon tests revealed that the carbonate film underlying the petroglyphs dated back roughly 14,800 years ago, while a later layer of carbonate coating the rock art dated to about 11,000 years ago.

Those findings, along with an analysis of sediment core sampled nearby, suggest the petroglyph-decorated rocks were exposed first between 14,800 and 13,200 years ago and again between about 11,300 and 10,500 years ago.

"Prior to our study, archaeologists had suggested these petroglyphs were extremely old," Benson said in a statement. "Whether they turn out to be as old as 14,800 years ago or as recent as 10,500 years ago, they are still the oldest petroglyphs that have been dated in North America."

Researchers previously believed the oldest rock art in North America could be found at Long Lake, Ore., in carvings that were created at least 6,700 years ago, before being covered in ash from the Mount Mazama volcanic eruption.

The deeply carved lines and grooves in geometric motifs in the petroglyphs at Winnemucca Lake share similarities with their cousins in Oregon. As for what the petroglyphs represented to their Native American creators, researchers are still scratching their heads.

"We have no idea what they mean," Benson said. "But I think they are absolutely beautiful symbols. Some look like multiple connected sets of diamonds, and some look like trees, or veins in a leaf. There are few petroglyphs in the American Southwest that are as deeply carved as these, and few that have the same sense of size."

The findings will be detailed in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

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The Best Places To Eat, Drink, And Play In Mexico City

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Mexico City cathedral

I will admit that before visiting Mexico City earlier this June, I completely lacked a concrete idea of what the city looked or felt like.

Little did I know its nearly 700 years of history as the former center of Aztec civilization, and then as the capital of the Spanish colonial empire, resulted in a city that is rich in a revolutionary past and brimming with attractions from historic sites, to cozy neighborhoods, to restaurants that left me in withdrawal for days after I returned home to New York City.

“This is what we call eclectic,” Anilú, my group’s tour guide, told us on the morning of our first day.

She was referring to the differing architectural styles of the various buildings we were driving past. She pointed out the neo-Florentian Postal Palace (the Palacio de Correos de Mexico, for those who speak Spanish better than I do), the art nouveau exterior of the Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), and the Fifth of May Street, home to many buildings designed in classical French style.

Though Anilú was discussing architecture, eclectic is a fitting way to explain the lure of Mexico City as a whole. Each neighborhood offers a distinctly different experience.

Polanco is one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Mexico City and is home to an array of art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, as well as embassies and large-chain hotels.

Mexico City condesa districtFashionable Condesa is a bit younger, with nightclubs, bars, and shops catering to students and artists who live there. (Its charming mix of colonial and modern architecture only adds to its appeal.)

And in Santa Fe, the financial district, local and international professionals alike work in high-rise buildings constructed with cutting edge design.

Then there are the restaurants of Mexico City, which serve a wide range of Mexican and global cuisines. The attractions, which range from the ancient ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor in the city’s central square, to contemporary sites such the Revolution Monument with its astounding views; the impressive Modern Art Museum; and the art deco-style Palace of Fine Arts.

WANDER

One pleasant afternoon, we wandered the laid-back Colonia Roma neighborhood. After someone in the group compared it to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I couldn’t let the association go. Like Williamsburg, Roma is perfect for long thoughtful strolls. The juxtaposition between colonial and beaux-arts architecture, suggested a neighborhood of people who appreciated the old and embraced the new.

art gallery in colonia roma neighborhood of mexico cityRoma is home to an array of stylish boutiques that sell locally designed and handmade clothing, jewelry, and accessories. It also contains some of the best galleries in the city, although by the time we made it there (it was late on a Saturday evening), most were closed.

Instead we walked to Río de Janeiro Park. Tall trees with willowy branches fill this airy green space. Even though the giant statue in the fountain at the park’s center is a replica of Michelangelo’s David — a gift from Italy — the park and its surrounding plaza brings to mind the famous Place Vendôme in Paris.

EAT

In addition to its charm, Colonia Roma is also home to a number of impressive restaurants. Though we had to wait twenty minutes to be seated at Maximo Bistrot for lunch, the meal was worth it. Dining here may be reason enough to visit Mexico City.

Plate after plate emerged from the kitchen, and everything was eaten communally. The meal commenced with tangy Japanese raw fish, mussels drenched in a rich butter sauce, fresh artichoke salad, tuna with avocado, and flavorful octopus ceviche. The entrees that followed included red snapper, huitlacoche-filled green ravioli, and hanger steak with mushroom and mashed potatoes  Bright yellow truffle risotto was spooned onto the lovely mismatch of delicate assorted plates as a side. Before dessert arrived, I didn’t think it was possible to eat anything else, but I ended up devouring more than my fair share of the molten chocolate cake and rhubarb tart that came next.

Chef Eduardo García emerged from the kitchen to tell us about the menu, which changes every day, and his plans to bring something new to Mexico — his personal diver, and his commitment to the purest ingredients. “I don’t do it to be pretentious,” he explained. “I do it because that’s what I believe.”

By dinnertime, we had yet to regain our appetites, but nonetheless arrived on time for our reservation at 99, or Nueve Nueve, which is set in the courtyard of the Roma neighborhood’s Casa Lamm. Long strands of thick rope hung from the high ceilings, and two of the walls overlooking the courtyard were made entirely from glass. Sipping a mojito and admiring the little marvels tucked into Nueve Nueve’s many corners (a tree sprouting from a shallow pool of water; the pool’s edge bordered by flames, for example) was a peaceful end to a busy day.

Azul Condesa Restaurant in Mexico CityAnother restaurant worth visiting is AzulCondesa in the Condesa neighborhood. Here we shared an array of first courses, which seems to be the only way to go in Mexico City. Guacamole heaped on thick circular chips and covered in dehydrated grasshoppers was a surprisingly delicious favorite amongst rich, spicy dishes.

SEE

Touristy, but nonetheless a highlight of the trip was ascending the Munumento Revolución Mexicana, a historical monument located in the Plaza of the Republic. Originally designed by French architect Emile Bernard in 1897, its bare steel structure towered over the plaza for more than 25 years. Money for the original project ran dry, leaving the structure unfinished until construction began again in the 1930s when it was redesigned as an art deco-style monument dedicated to those who died in the Revolution. The Munumento closed again in 1970 and only recently reopened in 2010 as part of a governmental effort to recover public spaces.

Our group boarded a glass elevator and sunk to the lower level of the tall burnt orange dome, then took a series of staircases up to an area at the very top, which opens to the public next month.

As I stepped onto the dome’s deck, I gained an instant appreciation for the enormity of the city. I was surrounded by 360 degrees of tall buildings almost as far as I could see. Mountains loomed in the distance in every direction, contrasting dramatically with the miles of urban skyscrapers that stretched from all sides of the monument.

When we were once again on the lower level of the dome, Anilú, pointing to a large grey building a few miles away, asked me, “See that?” The barn-shaped building she is referring to looks abandoned, but its façade, which features enormous letters spelling out CINE OPERA, gives the impression that it was once a grand structure. Anilú tells me that this, like the monument we are in, is one of the sites the government is restoring in order to create more beautiful public spaces.

***

Closer to ground level in the nearby Historical Center of Mexico City, we visited Templo Mayor and the Catedral Metropolitana. Touring Templo Mayor, one of the main Aztec temples, and its accompanying museum were beneficial to learning about the city’s beginnings as the hub of Aztec civilization.

The temple’s museum features two enormous Aztec monoliths that are in pristine condition, as well as a collection of artifacts.

Statue at Templo Mayor in Mexico CityI found the most striking relic to be a gigantic stone eagle whose backside had been hollowed out. The museum guide explained to us that the hollowed out section is where the heart and blood of a human sacrifice would have been placed hundreds of years ago.

After we exited the museum, we made the quick walk to the Catedral Metropolitana. One of the aspects of Mexico City I was most surprised and impressed by was the amount of green that saturates the city, and outside the cathedral, where trees bordered the building and its surrounding plaza, was no exception.

The Spanish constructed the Catedral to declare their spiritual dominance over their conquered population, and their immense effort shows in both its imposing exterior and the resplendence within. Ornate chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, and a striking, intricately decorate gold narthex greeted us when we walked inside. Everything was in the details, from the oil paintings that were displayed at the alter, to the collection of locks fastened around the feet of a statue of San Ramon (to prevent gossip), to the skull and crossbones that sat atop red velvet in a glass box in one of the capillas.

***

Castillo de Chapultepac, Mexico CityThe next day, we visited the Museo de Art Moderno and Castillo de Chapultepac, both located in the 1,695-acre Chapultepac Park. The modern museum houses many impressive exhibitions under a massive amber-colored dome. By far the most moving painting I examined was Frida Kahlo’s Las dos Fridas, which our guide explained illustrates Kahlo’s painful divorce from Diego Riviera. In it, two versions of Kahlo sit side by side, holding hands. Their hearts, graphically painted on each version, are connected by a thin vein running between the two Fridas.

The legend goes that the hill Castillo de Chapultepac is located on is the source of the sweet water in which Montezuma used to bathe. Although the Castillo, or castle, houses many gorgeous rooms, the most fascinating part of our visit was exploring the many porches, courtyards, and gardens. Giant pots brimming with pink flowers sit atop the balconies overlooking the city and park. In another section, water gushes from a grand fountain, which rests at one of the castle’s entrances. High on the hill, the rolling mountains that lie outside the city’s limits can once again be admired.

This post was originally published at The Culture-ist.

SEE ALSO: An Insider's Guide To Cape Town

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We're On The Brink Of A Fourth Era In Architecture

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paul grundy


When New York City architect Curtis B. Wayne first started talking about “The Fourth Architecture,” it was clear he was not doing so to make friends. You do not write manifestos to make friends. You write them because of some perceived urgency, because the time is right.

As a long-standing practitioner, radio host, and graduate of Cooper Union and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, he already has a lot of friends. What he’s interested in is saving architecture from the current orthodoxy of form-making over substance, or “sculpture you can live in.” “We are too wise for this,” writes Wayne.

In fact, I can go further. Judging from the little red book that has finally emerged from Wayne’s brain, appropriately titled, The Shape of Things that Work: The Fourth Architecture, I’m almost certain he set out to piss people off. But not without a purpose.

In Wayne’s conception, the First Architecture is the Hellenistic, the Second is the Gothic, and the Third is the modern – up to and including our contemporary, formal experimentation with software.

To get to the Fourth Architecture, as Wayne himself will tell you, architecture needs less self-congratulatory back slapping and more holding of feet to the fire, more self-criticism within our ranks.

In the book, he quotes his former professor and mentor, John Q. Hejduk: “The fundamental issue of architecture is that does it affect the spirit, or doesn’t it? If it doesn’t affect the spirit, it’s a building. If it affects the spirit, it’s architecture.”

Wayne argues that the present state of digital form-making is akin to mere decoration and that architecture needs to return to “shapes that work” – shapes that constitute responses to real environmental, economic, and social forces. Otherwise, as Hejduk would assert, it’s just building.

“Are architects the natural and logical integrators of the artistic with the technical? It can be argued that owing to our training we—above all other professions—“should” be the master builders, the master integrators. But instead we see the profession fractured by the self-identifying trends of so-called sustainability; the intrusion of pure form, driven by the complexities of shape-making made possible by computational generation; and the relegation of discussions of urbanism and social function to the “soft” professions of the social sciences. And yet, we architects can and should include all these aspects in our practice; we must, else we are merely makers of decoration.”

cooper union

What then counts as Fourth Architecture? To begin with, it helps to look at what it is NOT. For example, the Morphosis-designed New Academic Building for Cooper Union. Wayne calls it “an exemplary failure” because its signature enveloping screen system, designed to be computer-operable, does not work, and has thus been reduced to mere manually-operated decoration, a static façade.

For Wayne, true architecture is missing when form-making takes precedence over function and performance. The Morphosis case is an interesting one because it is an example of good intentions that ultimately failed. The building desperately wanted to be part of the Fourth Architecture, but fell short.

“The integration of functional form with the beautiful is as elusive as a conclusive definition of beauty itself,” says Wayne. This may be why there are so few examples of successful Fourth Architecture candidates. But looking back in time, he finds a few to illustrate his point: George Fred Keck’s Crystal House, RMJM’s Glaxo-Wellcome building, and the Helicon Building by Sheppard Robson Architects.

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Wayne also looks at something called the HeliOptix Integrated Concentrating Solar Façade, developed by the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology and currently part of a proposed design by SHoP Architects for New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Wayne defines this as a wall determined by its intended function, a wall that works, as he would stress. The wall is comprised of pyramidal water-cooled modules that rotate and track the sun. Lenses concentrate sunlight onto photovoltaic cells.

The Fourth Architecture, then, that which expresses functional responses to the environment and human needs, doesn’t position style as a driving element – it is “style-less.” Though it could be argued this constitutes a style in its own right, it is style not for style’s sake, but as the result of integrated priorities.

Mr. Wayne’s little red book neatly crystallizes some of the major design issues confronting practice today. With the ability to make almost any shape or form through scripting, computation, parametrics, or simply push-me-pull-me and other plug-ins, he is arguing for a reason, for “shapes that work,” a return to architectural forms that have a purpose.

If this were the case, would we lose anything? What would we stand to gain in this post-parametric world? Or perhaps this is the highest potential for parametricism – and the form-making we have been seeing over the last few years is merely the first phase toward something new, toward The Fourth Architecture. Let’s hope so.

Guy Horton is a writer based in Los Angeles. In addition to authoring “The Indicator”, he is a frequent contributor to The Architect’s Newspaper, Metropolis Magazine, The Atlantic Cities, and The Huffington Post. He has also written for Architectural Record, GOOD Magazine, and Architect Magazine. You can hear Guy on the radio and podcast as guest host for the show DnA: Design & Architecture on 89.9 FM KCRW out of Los Angeles. Follow Guy on Twitter @GuyHorton.

SEE ALSO: Why Architect Le Corbusier Wanted To Demolish Downtown Paris

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Ralph Lauren Has One Of The World's Best Car Collections — Here Are His Personal Favorites

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ralph lauren carThe design icon’s extraordinary passion for automobiles is reflected in his stunning car collection, one of the world’s greatest. Here he shares his personal favorites with Architectural Digest.

“I’ve always seen cars as art—moving art,” explains designer and car aficionado Ralph Lauren. “My Lamborghini Reventón reminds me of an incredibly sleek sculpture, or the explosive architecture of a modern master like Frank Gehry."

"Others collect art, but for me owning a rare and magnificently designed car offers a different kind of experience. Like a painting, you can look at it, enjoy its visual aesthetic, but unlike a painting you can get inside of it, drive it, listen to the way it sounds and feels underway. In the end you can enjoy both the beauty of the machine and the journey it takes you on.”

More from Architectural Digest:

Ralph Lauren Shows Off His Many Homes
Gorgeous Celebrity Pools
Browse Thousands of Exquisite Images in the AD Design File
Radical Houses Around the World

1996 McLaren F1



1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gull-Wing Coupe



1964 Ferrari 250 LM



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What It Looked Like When 22,000 Outdoor Ads Were Replaced With Beautiful Works Of Art

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Art Everywhere

Last week, 22,000 outdoor advertisements on billboards, bus shelters, and metro stations were replaced with reproductions of popular artworks in the UK.

The project, Art Everywhere, was created by Richard Reed, co-founder of the beverage company Innocent Drinks. Advertisers donated almost $4.7 million worth of outdoor ad space to be temporarily replaced with works of art.

The artworks on display are reproductions of 57 pieces of British art selected by the public from a list made by the Tate gallery and The Art Fund. It includes pieces from the 16th century to present day. In addition to its role in selecting which pieces would be displayed, the public made online donations to help fund the project.

The art will be on display for two weeks at sites in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Reed told the Guardian that the project had "no agenda other than to flood our streets with art and celebrate the creative talents and legacy of the UK."

Unfortunately, the exhibition of sorts ended on Sunday. But here's what the project looked like:Inhale (Yellow) by Michael Craig-Martin

Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows by John Constable

SEE ALSO: Mercedes 'not amused' with spec ad showing a C-Class running over young Adolf Hitler

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The 19 Biggest Thefts Of The Year

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Police at Cannes Hotel after diamond heist

When a single thief made off with $136 million in jewelry last month in Cannes, France, it may have been the biggest jewelry heist ever.

Meanwhile art thieves are making more money than ever.

All in all, it's been a good year for stealing stuff.

We've rounded up the biggest and boldest thefts of the past 12 months. Thankfully, many of these crimes have been solved or brought to trial.

A $2.6 million diamond necklace vanished from a star-studded party during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Despite 80 bodyguards, the diamond necklace went missing at the end of the night, The Daily Telegraph reported. At least 20 different models wore the $2.6 million piece, which belonged to a collection from Swiss jeweler De Grisogono.

The theft follows the disappearance of another million-dollar diamond necklace by designer Chopard during the same festival. French police are still investigating both occurrences, although they admit the festival is a favorite for jewel heists.




Postal workers and some of their family members were arrested for allegedly stealing $2.7 million from the Macedonian postal service.

The money had been taken in a series of six thefts at a Macedonian postal service branch in a suburb of Skopje.

The most recent one earlier this month led to the arrest of eight people including the head of postal security, two mailmen, and directors of the Postal Officethe Macedonia International News Agency (MINA) reported. The thieves made out with a combined almost 2 million, which they reportedly used to pay terrorists' "pensions" for fighting against Macedonian police.



An employee at a wine storage company allegedly swiped $2.7 million in vintage blends from his clients' lockers.

The employee in question was George Osumi, from Newport Beach, Calif. He had been working at Irvine's Legend Cellars when he was accused of replacing more than 1,000 bottles of first-growth Bordeaux from clients' private lockers with Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck, The Huffington Post reported.

Osumi allegedly swapped out the fine wine for a $2 Trader Joe's blend some time between January 2008 and June 2012, prosecutors alleged, and had a friend auction off the expensive ones. Osumi would then split the proceeds with his friend who, had no idea the wine was stolen, the Orange County District Attorney said. Osumi could face 16 years in prison.



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6 Chimps Who Are Better Than You At Painting

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BRENT_CHIMPHAVEN_167281

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) announced the winners of its Chimpanzee Art Contest on Thursday.

Six sanctuaries across the U.S. submitted an original piece of art from one of their retired chimpanzees. All of these animals have a had a rough life, having once been used for medical research, forced into acting, or locked up in zoos and circuses. Painting is one activity that is used to cheer the chimps up once they are released into a safe haven.

The chimps seem to have an exceptional talent for this medium, each with their own aesthetic.

The first-place winner, a 37-year-old chimp named Brent, for example, used only his tongue to paint a purple, yellow, and blue masterpiece. There was also a second- and third-place winner. All six sanctuaries will get a $500 grant from the HSUS just for participating.

Some of the sanctuaries apparently told the chimps that they won, Nicole Ianni, a representative for the humane society, tells us.

The paintings will be auctioned on eBay later this year to benefit the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance.

Ripley, like many chimpanzees, was used as an actor before he was dumped in a roadside zoo. He eventually found his way to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Fla. His caretakers are impressed with his resilience and forgiveness.



Ripley took home third place and a $2,500 grant for this piece of art.



Cheetah, who was probably born in the 1970s, lived alone in a laboratory for 19 years. He was rescued by Save the Chimps in Ft. Pierce, Fla. in 2002.



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Here's The Artwork That JFK Saw The Night Before He Died

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President Kennedy speaks to the crowd outside the Hotel Texas JFK exhibit

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy spent the last night of his life with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Suite 850 of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, surrounded by fine art specially chosen for their visit.

The art exhibit, drawn from local public and private collections, was a big deal for Fort Worth collectors.

It served to show "hospitality to weary travelers, to show off cultural competency on the part of the collectors, and to put Fort Worth a notch ahead of its rival sister city, Dallas, where the president was headed next," writes Wake Forest University art historian David Lubin, author of "Shooting Kennedy:  JFK and the Culture of Images."

All anyone remembers, however, is what happened the next day, on November 22, 1963, when Kennedy flew to Dallas and was assassinated while driving in a parade.

Now, 50 years after Kennedy's death, the Dallas Museum of Art has gathered the artwork from the president's suite for an exhibition running through September 15.

Curator Owen Day and others involved in the exhibit in Suite 850 based the artwork on the Kennedy's personal tastes and interests.

Living Area, Suite 850, Hotel Texas, Fort Worth Owen Day/Dana Day Henderson Papers Photo by Byron Scott



In Dallas, abstract art caused quite a stir, even causing the art museum there to split for a few years. By juxtaposing Picasso's sculptures with traditional Impressionism from Monet in the suite, Forth Worth snubbed its rival city.

Angry Owl, 1951 – 1953, Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso © 2012 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Collection of Gwendolyn Weiner

Source: "Art Is Not A Form Of Propaganda; It Is A Form Of Truth"



An oil painting on canvas, Franz Kline's "Study for Accent Grave" symbolizes phonetics in the French language.

Study for Accent Grave, 1954, Franz Kline © 2012 The Franz Kline Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Extended Loan to the Palm Springs Art Museum from the Collection of Gwendolyn Weiner

Source: Cleveland Museum of Art



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's What Happened When A Group Of Artists Painted Scenes From Detroit By Only Looking At Google Maps

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Each month, artist Bill Guffey invites fellow painters to virtually descend upon a single location via Google Maps' street view, find a perspective that inspires them, and paint it.

This month, he chose to Detroit — which, you may have heard, is not doing so great these days.

(The latest conscience-shocker: the city's fire department has to put up with thieves, as well as drivers who purposefully impede their calls.) 

The rule of the paintout is pretty straightforward: the artists may only use images captured from Google Maps — no outside photographs, including ones posted by users to Google, are allowed (Guffey says he does not post links to the views used by the artists).

Guffey writes:

I was anxious to see what the artists chose to paint this month (Detroit.) Wondering who might jump on the 'dilapidated' bandwagon, and who might look for beauty in an urban, park or industrial setting. The diversity of the submissions didn't surprise me.

Here are some of the works that caught our eye (with links to the artists' websites when available).

Earl Boyer Remnant soft pencil on toned gray paper.JPG

Earl Boyer
"Remnant"
Soft pencil on toned gray paper

nancy farara dog in the window, goodrich street, ferndale, acrylic on paper

Nancy Farara
"Dog in the window, Goodrich Street, Ferndale" 
Acrylic on paper

murilo s. romeiro pen and water color pencil alexandrine street

Murilo S. Romeiro
"Alexandrine Street"
Pen and water color pencil

rick eakins vermont street oil on canvas

Rick Eakins
"Vermont Street, Detroit"
Oil on canvas

catherine hale heading downtown oil on canvas

Catherine Hale
"Heading downtown"
Oil on canvas

janell nishida detroit mist watercolor and gouache

Janell Nishida
"Detroit Mist"
Watercolor and gouache

cindy pickup rosa parks transit 34 EB oil on wood

Cindy Pickup
"Rosa Parks Transit 34 EB, Detroit"
Oil on wood

sommer detroit watercolor

Carolyn Owen Sommer
Untitled
Watercolor on Fabriano hot press

al woodford rouge river from fisher freeway, watercolor

Al Woodford
"Rouge River from Fisher Freeway"
Watercolor

al woodford last to leave turn off the lights watercolor

Al Woodford
"Last to leave turn off the lights"
Watercolor

 

(Via Detroit News' Nolan Finney.)

SEE ALSO: 25 Reasons Why Detroit Is On The Verge Of An Epic Comeback

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Brooklyn Woman Uses Google Glass To Show What It's Like To Be A Modern Artist

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samantha katz google glass artist

BUSHWICK — OK, Glass, take me on a virtual art gallery tour.

A Brooklyn artist chosen to be one of the few people to test-drive Google's groundbreaking cyber-shades Google Glass is using the technology to go behind the scenes with artists in their studios in a bid to transform the way people understand art.

Bushwick-based curator Samantha Katz — one of the people chosen to test out the mini computer as part of Google's "Glass Explorers" program — is filming Bushwick artists and gallery curators while they work, so viewers can understand the evolution of a show and "feel what it's like to walk in a studio."

"Gallery Glass," a virtual gallery launching on YouTube Sept. 1, will feature a different artist or curator in a new short video each day. The technology, which will be worn by the artists as they create their work, will provide a far more intimate video than a typical documentary, Katz said.

"The end goal is really creating a whole new form of accessibility for artists and art lovers," said Katz, 27, a lead organizer of Bushwick Open Studios, who first conceived of Gallery Glass for aesthetes who'd missed out on the giant festival. "Having produced [Bushwick Open Studios] I started to wonder how I could take the experience beyond that weekend and into the online realm."

Artist Jen Dunlap, who wore Katz's glasses while completing some intricate details on a painting, said she was struck by the ability to watch the video of her work in process, while also watching the work directly.

"It totally gives you a different perspective on capturing the act of making art," Dunlap said, noting that artists could reveal "where they pause to think about their next step, or how their hand touches the surface of whatever they are creating."

google glass art"Most people ... only get to interact with art from a very flat perspective," she said. "They only see the art on the wall but they don't know the evolution of show."

Katz predicted the technology would spread throughout the art community.

"In five years I envision all artists launching their own channels and inviting others to see the process of how their work is done," Katz said.

Abstract minimalist painter Christopher Stout noted that the Internet had already dramatically diversified his customers, but he said the in-depth look at his work could help spark even more curious viewers.

"A lot of people feel scared to go to a gallery, they think they have to be smart enough or rich enough or whatever," he said. A film of his process and unfinished work would likely make his pieces more accessible, he said.

But he said he wasn't sure all artists would break out Google Glass in their studios.

google glass artist

"Is Google Glass any different than something else on YouTube? I'm not sure," Stout mused, but said he imagined the product's hype would certainly draw attention to Gallery Glass.

And gallerist Jason Voegele, who runs the Lodge Gallery on the Lower East Side, said Katz helped the technology seem more approachable and useful in the daily world.

"What Samantha is doing with Gallery Glass is one of those ideas that brings the message to the people and makes new ideas stick," he said.

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Could This New Technology Destroy The Value Of All Famous Art?

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van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden

A new 3D printing technique in Europe could threaten the value of the world's most prized works of art.

The proprietary technique is being used by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which has partnered with Fujifilm to produce three-dimensional reproductions of Vincent Van Gogh's masterpieces.

Called "Relievos" by the museum, the replicas are of extremely high quality and will set you back £22,000, or just under $29,000. The museum is planning to sell 260 limited edition copies — all numbered and stamped — for both collectors and educational purposes.

The high-tech copies are created through a special 3D technique known as Reliefography, which combines a three-dimensional scan of the painting with a high-resolution print, according to The Guardian.

Basically, the finished product is an extremely realistic copy of the painting down to the brush strokes, frame, and artist's signature.

For art historians, the replicas are particularly exciting because they include the backs of the paintings. The stamps, dates, and signatures on the underside of fine works of art are rarely witnessed, except by experts and in photographs by scholars — and wholly ignored in most reproduction works.

van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden detailBut because these copies are so exact, it has people wondering if the Relievos could threaten the art market. Izabella Kaminska at FT Alphaville thinks it's entirely possible, though not as the technology currently exists (registration required). She writes:

Some time soon it is highly likely that the naked eye will no longer be able to differentiate between reproductions and originals, and that the only way to know for sure which is which will be to carbon date or test the materials microscopically.

She goes on to imagine a world where replicas and original works are molecularly identical:

Value then becomes entirely an eye of the beholder thing. In logical terms the value of the Mona Lisa should collapse, especially so if the clue to authenticity is lost or diluted entirely. If the painting stays valued it’s because a narrative, myth of belief system has been attached to that particular version of the object — much as happens with sacred relics or superstitious charms.

After all, functionally speaking, an molecularly perfect substitute provides exactly the same utility. To believe an original is worth more than a perfect clone is to fall for hype and propaganda. What does it matter if you have an original Leonardo or not? You may believe yours is the original or superior version due to an intangible and undetectable attribute, but so can everyone else.

Her point is a valid one — if you can create molecularly perfect copies that can beat carbon dating tests, what would stop the price of famous works of art from dropping?

van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden vs detailBut let's not get ahead of ourselves. Given the current technology, a "Relievos" is about as big a threat to the art market as a really good counterfeit work — that is to say, not that big of a threat at all. 

Thanks to carbon dating, museums can tell which is the real work and which is the counterfeit.

And anyway, the people who are willing to pay the $29,000 for a very good copy are not going to be the same ones bidding on the original multi-million dollar Van Gogh piece. These are two very separate markets.

But let's say for the sake of argument that someday the technology is good enough to replicate art at the molecular level. Assuming the high-tech replicas would beat carbon dating, then the work's provenance or — history of ownership — would become the key factor in determining market cost.

A replica, even one that's molecularly perfect, would lose its value because it could not be confirmed it was created by the original artist. But works that can be proven authentic will retain their value.

Of course, it's highly preliminary to even be having this discussion. It took Fujifilm over seven years to develop the current technology, and it could take decades before it's possible to produce a perfect clone.

So far, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum has reproduced "Almond Blossom" (1890), "Sunflowers" (1889), "The Harvest" (1888), "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" (1890), and "Boulevard de Clichy" (1887). Further copies are planned, with revenue raised going towards planned renovations and the preservation of the museum's collection, according to The Guardian.

If you're wondering who will be buying these $29,000 replicas, look no further than China. "There was enormous interest there. We had people there who bought on the spot," Axel Rüger, the museum's director, told The Guardian. "For someone interested in Van Gogh, this is the closest you can get to the original without it being the original. There is a certain fascination about that."

Ultimately, these Relievos are high-quality knockoffs, — not the end of the high-end art market.

DON'T MISS: 14 Incredibly Tiny Works Of Art

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Someone Hand Carved A Mercedes-Benz V12 Engine From Bone, Wood, And Precious Stones

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mercedes benz

A Mercedes-Benz V-12 is a wonderful bit of machinery that is as exciting when it's working hard in a car as it is just sitting alone on a stand. There are so many beautifully crafted parts that come together to create combustion.

That combustion in turn creates many horsepowers and tons of torques, and this is what makes the Benz customer a happy, smiling driver. How many parts are coming together you might wonder. Artist Eric Van Hove also wondered this, and then found out that the number is 465 parts held together by 660 bolts. He then used that knowledge to reproduce the engine... with bone, wood, and many other materials.

Van Hove has created a hand-built Benz V-12, as detailed by Colossal, and he's done it in a rather beautiful way. He's utilized many different types of wood, there are bits of clay, touches of bone, and many varieties of precious stones. All of it has been used to reproduce the exact parts that make up the big Benz under-hood crusher. It wasn't just Van Hove who assembled and created everything, however, as the artist traveled to Morocco and turned to local artisans for help.

The piece, titled V12 Laraki, was created with the help of 35 master craftsmen found around Morocco. With 53 different materials being employed, the engine has come together in a most stunning way. Of course, it's not a running example as most of this stuff won't exactly handle the stress that an actual V-12 engine experiences. It doesn't matter though, because it doesn't need to run to capture to imagine and heart of most folks who glance upon it.

Were we allowed to commission Van Hove's next piece, we'd probably ask for a Ferrari V-12 or a Ford 427 V-8. Either one would look rather splendid in our living room. 

Follow Motor Authority on FacebookTwitter, and Google+.

SEE ALSO: Watch US Customs Officers Destroy A Valuable, Illegally Imported Land Rover

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After Decades In An Attic, Landscape Painting Unveiled As A Van Gogh

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vangogh discovery

A major new painting by Vincent van Gogh has been discovered after it spent decades locked away in an attic, suspected to be a fake.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam unveiled the long-lost landscape painting today (Sept. 9) following an investigation that showed the style, technique, paint, canvas and subject matter matched with other works from the peak of the Dutch artist's career.

"It is already a rarity that a new painting can be added to van Gogh's oeuvre," Axel Rüger, director of the Van Gogh Museum, said in a statement. "But what makes this even more exceptional is that this is a transition work in his oeuvre, and moreover, a large painting from a period that is considered by many to be the culmination of his artistic achievement, his period in Arles in the south of France." [Faux Real: A Gallery of Forgeries]

Van Gogh died in 1890 at the age of 37, leaving behind hundreds of works. The newly discovered "Sunset at Montmajour" dates to 1888, around the same time van Gogh painted some of his most recognizable pieces, including "The Sunflowers,""The Bedroom" and "The Yellow House."

The painting, which is about 3 feet by 2.4 feet (93 cm by 73 cm), originally belonged to the collection of Theo van Gogh, the artist's brother, and was sold in 1901. Shortly thereafter, the artwork ended up in the hands of a Norwegian collector who tucked it away in his attic after it was declared a fake, museum officials said at the unveiling ceremony in Amsterdam, according to the Associated Press.

As recently as the 1990s, the painting's authenticity was rejected by the museum, the AP reported. But a new examination of historical records and the painting's materials helped build a case for its attribution to van Gogh.

"We carried out art historical research into the style, the depiction, use of materials and context, and everything we found indicated that this is a work by van Gogh," museum researchers Louis van Tilborgh and Teio Meedendorp said in a statement.

"Stylistically and technically speaking, there are plenty of parallels with other paintings by van Gogh from the summer of 1888."

oaks van gogh

The researchers identified the real location of the painting — a landscape in the south of France near Arles with the ruins of the Benedictine Montmajour Abbey in the background.

The newly identified painting also shows signs of the same discoloration that has come to characterize van Gogh's work in recent years, troubling conservators. The bright yellows in many of van Gogh's paintings like "The Sunflowers" have been turning to muddy browns. Recent studies have shown this darkening is caused by chemical reactions that occur when ultraviolet light (including sunlight) penetrates the chrome yellow paint.

They even found two references to the work in van Gogh's letters, in which he is critical of the painting and declared it unsuccessful.

"We see van Gogh visibly working, struggling almost, and this adds to the charm of this work," van Tilborgh and Meedendorp said in a statement. "It belongs to a special group of experimental works that van Gogh at times esteemed of lesser value than we tend to do nowadays. The painting is even a transitional work."

The discovery of the "Sunset at Montmajour" will be detailed in the Burlington Magazine's October edition, and the painting will be shown in the exhibition "Van Gogh at Work" in the Van Gogh Museum from Sept. 24.

Last year, new research helped authenticate another disputed van Gogh painting: a still life depicting flowers that had been painted over another artwork showing two half-naked men wrestling, X-ray images revealed.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+.Follow us @livescience, Facebook&amp Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

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This Is What Happens When A Connecticut Billionaire Throws An End-Of-Summer Party For A Few Thousand Friends

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Greenwich polo grounds

At the end of the summer it is important to send off the season with some kind of celebration. Most of us have a nice barbecue with a few close friends — maybe a pool party.

Then there's billionaire paper mogul Peter Brant. He does his end-of-summer party a little differently but it's still in essence, a summer blowout.

On Sunday Brant opened up his massive property on Conyers Farm, an elite residential enclave, to what seemed like the entire town of Greenwich, Connecticut.

So we had to go check out the details. Couldn't help ourselves.

A few things you should know about Brant — he is probably best known in business circles for modernizing the paper company his father founded, White Birch Paper, in an age when the newspapers White Birch once serviced were (and still are) dropping like flies.

Thanks to that the Brants stayed wealthy, and Peter used that wealth to take on some interesting hobbies. Two of those hobbies were on full display this weekend. The first was Brant's love of collecting contemporary art, especially works created by his friend, Andy Warhol, and the second was the "sport of kings," polo.

Brant picked up the sport in his 30s (because... why not?) and now hosts matches on the grounds he co-founded, the Greenwich Polo Club, which is also on Conyers Farm.

Andy Wathol mao 1972The grounds also house The Brant Foundation, which is where we met Brant around 2:00 pm for a private viewing of his new exhibition, ANDY WARHOL.

For the record, the billionaire does not look like a polo player. He also does not look like he ran with the wild crowd that Warhol reportedly hung out with. Then again, as Brant told us, Andy hung out with "very unstable, and very stable people."

Brant, with his preppy style, quiet voice, and steady gaze was clearly in the latter group of Warhol's friends.

And there he was, not just leading the tour, but on the walls as well. Amidst the 15-foot Mao painting and the Warhol self portraits, there were Polaroids of a young Peter relaxing among friends.

After the tour of the collection it was time to sit down for some polo, the Royal Salute Jubilee Cup, to be specific. This is when things got really crazy.

Thousands of people were roaming the grounds, eating and drinking in the sun — kids, dogs you name it. And why not? To close the polo season in North America, the best (hands down, no question) polo player in the world was playing on Brant's Royal Salute team.

Facundo PieresHis name is Facundo Pieres. He's from Argentina and he's only 28.

To be the best player in the world of polo you must start young. You must not be afraid of falling off a horse at a weird (maybe deadly) angle or flying into your opponent (or even teammate) at incredibly high speeds. You must not get lonely when you travel around the world's polo circuit, which spends fall/winter in South America, then traverses the globe until it gets to the United States for the summer.

Pieres is number one in the world because he is the best "10 goal" player in the world. All players in polo are assigned a goal ranking from -2 to 10. Pros are generally a 5 or above. There are only ten 10 goal players in the entire world. Brant, for the record, is a 2.

Now, polo is an expensive sport. There are 4-6 periods (known as chukkers) per game and you need a new horse for every chukker. For that reason, most teams have sponsors. Brant's team is sponsored by Royal Salute, a Chivas Brothers scotch, and Pieres was just named the Royal Salute Ambassador.

Needless to say, this was a major plus for Sunday's polo patrons.

Royal Salute Jubilee Cup, Polo GreenwichAs we sipped, the players on the field soared. Polo is all about speed, super clear communication, and some weird psychic ability. Guys like Pieres know where the ball is going before it gets there because they can feel it. They can juggle it on their sticks so no one can take it from them. They can make horses to back flips.

This skill made for some exciting moments for an increasingly tipsy crowd. In the last chukker, the opposing side (Airstream) scored an incredible 5 goals. Airstream had been down by 6, and they could've tied the entire thing up. But lucky for Pieres and Brant, they ran out of time. The crowd went nuts.

In the world of sports and at the end of the summer, seriously... how much better does it get?

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3 Simple Ways To Start Investing In Art

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andy warhol, william john kennedy photographsEver since I was a child, I've delighted in visual beauty. At age 12, I cut out a picture of a pink, flowery, beautifully decorated room in a magazine, hoping one day to have a room like the picture.

I never got that room, but my file of beautiful decorating inspiration has grown to include virtual Pinterest boards and actual paper decorating inspiration files. And since then, I have taken my love of the visual arts to the next level.

After reaching a financial benchmark, I told my spouse that I'd like to improve our home décor with "original art." Thus began our foray into art collecting.

At Artnet.com or Saatchionline, one can buy art as easily as a mutual fund. There are search parameters, and there is the opportunity to start a collection of original art for less than $1,000. But if you want art that appreciates in value, learn the market.

According to  Jeff Rabin of Artvest Partners LLC, an advisory firm for art investors, art is the most "opaque, illiquid and unregulated asset."

The lack of a  designated market for art, the unique quality and diversity of art, and the personal preferences of art buyers make valuing art quite difficult. Art has none of the advantages of highly regulated international stock exchanges. Nor does the art market employ standardized evaluation metrics like those used for stocks and bonds, which are backed up with financial information and data.

But you can make money off of it, and it can be really rewarding in other ways as well. Here is a peek into our family's adventure collecting art -- and some of the different approaches we took.

1. Banking On A Big Name

Our first purchase was a signed lithograph by renowned artist Peter Max.

Has it appreciated in value, held its own or declined in value since purchase? A quick search online for comparables led me to the conclusion that it has appreciation potential and that I would need to get an accurate valuation from an art dealer.

Although I can't determine its true value with a five-minute Google search, I am certain it is giving unquantifiable viewing pleasure as it hangs in our home. (Note that we have never had our art professionally appraised.)

2. Looks Like A Big Name Made It, But...  

While in New York City, we added to our art collection with a piece from Steven Kaufman.

Never heard of him? He was an assistant to the legendary pop artist Andy Warhol.

It's easy to see Kaufman's work is similar to that of Andy Warhol. I considered it a more affordable way to purchase work from the artist who worked for years under Warhol's tutelage.

A quick eBay search showed that this artist is in demand, with original artwork selling in the thousands. We paid less than $1,000, so it looks like there is some appreciation potential. The art looks impressive in our home, so for now, we are enjoying it.

3. Embracing The Unknown

On the street, near the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, aspiring artists display their work. For under $50, we've picked up various pieces.

These hand-painted oil and acrylic displays are not likely to fetch a large sum, yet their impact when framed and hung pays emotional dividends.

This piece was picked up on the street in Madrid in front of the Prado, one of the most renowned museums in the world. This is another example of work by an unknown artist. This acrylic on canvas was priced for less than one might pay for a print at the mall.

The Investing Answer: Unlike financial assets, the only dividends an investor receives while holding original art is the pleasure of viewing the art in one's home. If you are considering starting an original art collection for pleasure, the future appreciation is less of an issue. If you are interested in collecting art for appreciation, consult with major dealers and proceed with caution. Finally, make sure you like what you are buying, since future appreciation is a gamble.

P.S. -- We may not be able to tell you how much your art will appreciate, but other investing predictions we've made have returned up to 310% gains in a year. To hear our latest, including how Apple's next breakthrough could kill the traditional bank, click here

Barbara Friedberg is a portfolio manager, former university finance instructor and publishes BarbaraFriedbergPersonalFinance.com.

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Ad Tycoon Charles Saatchi Is Selling Nearly $400,000 Worth Of Art In An Online Auction

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charles saatchiCharles Saatchi eschews conventional auction houses to sell his collection of Middle Eastern contemporary art online, says Colin Gleadell.

Charles Saatchi has chosen a new online-only auctioneer to sell works from his collection of Middle Eastern contemporary art this month, rather than a more familiar live auction at Sotheby’s, Christie’s or Phillips.

The 15 works, valued at more than £250,000, were exhibited in Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, held at the Saatchi Gallery in 2009.

The sale is being staged by the Auction Room, which was formed earlier this year by Sotheby’s former managing director of Europe, George Bailey, and is directed by Janet Rady, an independent expert in Middle Eastern art .

Forty works are currently viewable online, with estimates ranging from £1,200 to £80,000, and bidding has already begun on half of them. A popular lot is Hayv Kahraman’s pair of portraits, Carrying on Shoulder 1 and 2 from the Saatchi collection.

Since I last wrote about the artist’s work at Art Dubai in 2009, where her paintings were priced at $10,000 each, they have risen to nearly $100,000 (£62,000) at auction. An exhibition of her latest work which opens today at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York has already sold out, so bidding on this work is likely to exceed the estimated £36,000 to £40,000.

Equally interesting will be the artists who have had no exposure to auction before, such as Sohelia Sokhanvari, an Iranian artist who lives in England and was trained as a traditional miniature painter. In this sale she presents Shahrzad the Storyteller, the legendary Persian queen, in modern-day dress, using Iranian crude oil for shading, 22-carat gold and semi-precious pigments. Painted this year, it has an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000 and has had two bids up to £3,600 so far.

Next week, the 40 works will all go on view physically in two adjacent galleries in London’s Cork Street, prior to the sale closing on the evening of September 19. At 7pm, online viewers and bidders will hear Bailey’s voice as he runs through the final bids on each lot consecutively. Each lot will be given 40 seconds, unless a bid is made before the planned closure of the sale, in which case a rival bidder will be given a further 15 seconds to make their bid. When the bidding concludes, the sound of Bailey’s gavel will ring out as he declares the lot sold or unsold. He might also reveal the locations of the bidders to add some extra colour to the proceedings.

The whole process has been devised to replicate a live sale as far as possible. Unlike other online-only auction sites, such as eBay or Artnet, which simply act as a conduit between buyer and seller, the Auction Room employs specialists to catalogue lots and advise clients, and supervises collection and distribution of payment. An atypical feature is that there will be no publicly accessible records kept of individual sale results. So in theory, if Saatchi’s lots flop, it will be easier for him to reoffer them without the shadow of failure hanging over them.

Rady believes her sale fills a gap in the market, as none of the major salerooms are holding a contemporary Middle Eastern Art sale in London this year. Outside Europe there is increasing activity. The Ayyam Gallery in Dubai holds its 16th sale for young collectors next Tuesday, where prices range from $1,000 to $15,000, while the Tehran Auction, which held its second sale of contemporary art by Iranian artists in June, sold all 82 lots for $2 million. Next month, Christie’s holds its annual sale of Arab and Iranian art in Dubai, and will add an online-only sale to its two regular live sales for the first time.

Online only auctions are now sprouting up like mushrooms. In addition to newly formed operations such as the Auction Room and Paddle8 fine art online auction house, Christie’s is staging online sales this month for Andy Warhol fashion design, contemporary Asian prints, and Australian drawings, while Artnet is casting its net to cover contemporary African and Asian art, photography, street art, and “pop” art prints. All are aimed at the more affordable end of the art market, which the live auctions at the larger auctioneers do not cater for any more. For sellers, online is also a cheaper way to sell. The Auction Room, for instance, provides expertise but only charges 7.5 per cent to sellers, which is half the price charged by the larger auctioneers. In addition, there are no illustration, insurance or unsold lot charges to pay.

So the action online is really heating up. The big question, though, is what will sell? Saatchi is gambling that his lots will.

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JIM GRANT: Jay-Z Rapping About Warhol Is Evidence Of An Art Bubble

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jim grant

Plenty of economists, art dealers and collectors have warned of an art bubble over the past year. But there is one sure sign that the art market is overdone: Jay Z is now rapping about Warhol, Basquiat and Art Basel.

"It ain't hard to tell
I'm the new Jean-Michel
Surrounded by Warhols
My whole team ball
Twin Bugattis outside
Art Basel"

Market guru James Grant quotes Jay Z's "Picasso Baby" in his latest Grant's Interest Rate Observer, arguing that prices in the contemporary art market may not be justified by long-term value. While well-hyped artists like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Jean-Michel Basquiat are fetching eight-digit prices, it's unclear whether their work will withstand the test of time, art critics and museums.

It's hard to tell, for instance, whether one of Koons' famous pieces, "New Hoover"—four vacuum cleaners in an acrylic case —will be valued as a work of genius or "just another vacuum cleaner," Grant said.

(Read more: Art is the next gold: Novogratz)

"Modern art is valued in terms of modern money," he wrote. The Fed's low-interest-rate policies have driven the wealthy increasingly to collectibles of all kinds, including art, cars and jewels. "Miniature interest rates have reduced the opportunity cost of investing in any kind of nonyielding asset."

And while Koons and Basquiat are hot now, they might end up like the English portraits of the early 19th century, whose frenzied boom was followed by a spectacular bust. Prices never recovered.

So how can a smart investor play the collectible game without getting sucked into the Koons hype?

Grant suggests buying historical documents: letters from Abraham Lincoln, bills signed by Thomas Jefferson and even public credit reports from Alexander Hamilton. Of course, prices for historical documents have soared along with art.

And a yellowed letter doesn't look as good over the mansion mantelpiece than a Hirst or Barnett Newman. But the names Jefferson and Lincoln may be more likely to hold up over time.

"Sell Newman, we say, and Jeff Koons, too: buy the Founding Fathers and—as far as that goes—Abraham Lincoln," Grant writes.

—By CNBC's Robert Frank. Follow him on Twitter


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