Advanced Beauty | Updates

The NTSC / 5:1 Surround DVD is now available for pre-order enquires. The DVD will be released with four collectible covers. For those wishing for the High Definition release, we are working on HD digital distribution when the avenues are in place in early 2009. Meanwhile onedotzero are touring the full HD film to cinemas worldwide.

Watch the HD trailer

False / F.O.R.

EVERYTHING IS FALSE

FALLACY OF ROME is the conjoined brainchild of revered Grammy Award winning rapper Lupe Fiasco and Creative Supervillain Le Messie of the FALSE brand movement. A capsule collection embedded into Lupe Fiasco’s 2nd coming to his much sought after FALL OF ROME brand. The capsule collection contains hand-finished garments by the FALSE duo Le Messie & Amanda Scully.

Conceptualized around the “Hound of Hades” story-line that depicts the 3 minds involved in the birth of FALLACY OF ROME along with it’s possible journey into the depths of it’s future.

FALLACY OF ROME is a high-end capsule collection released internationally at only the best boutiques.

FourTrack iPhone Application

Sonoma Wire Works created a new iPhone application that allows you to record music anywhere. The process is as easy as sliding the record button to the right, belting out lyrics and hitting the stop button. With its clever interface, the four-track recorder allows you to execute a full harmony by recording one track while listening to the other three, and the WiFi compatibility makes it so you to upload your jam to any computer in WAV format in just about five minutes. Revolutionizing portable music production, FourTrack is a guaranteed hit.

You can purchase the application through the iTunes store for $10.

Art Dealer Emmanuel Perrotin to Start a Fund to Help Finance Artists’ More Expensive Pieces

"Emmanuel Perrotin, owner of the Paris and Miami based Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, has announced the formation of Artists’ Dreams, a vehicle which will allow investors to finance expensive pieces by leading artists. Perrotin has syndicated investments in several artistic pieces, reaching out to his wide network in the collecting community to fund works such as Piotr Uklanski’s Untitled (Floor Dance) piece, which was exhibited at the Guggenheim in 2007. As competition intensifies among artists, this new venture tries to fill a gap by allowing emerging artists to compete more effectively with brand name artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, who often use very expensive materials and processes in their productions. Works financed through Artists’ Dreams will be sold exclusively through Perrotin’s two galleries, and investors will see returns on their investments out of the dealer’s cut once the work is sold. Perrotin has raised €2 million, and is also planning similar vehicles in conjunction with museums and other dealers, under similar terms. Perrotin has been building on his success recently, having regained the right to represent Damien Hirst as his client, and presenting two shows curated by Pharrell Williams (of N.E.R.D and The Neptunes) at his Miami and Paris galleries."

via artobserved.

The Fine Art of Surviving the Crash in Auction Prices

By ALEXANDRA PEERS

So where does it go from here? The art-market bubble has burst. Prices of contemporary, modern and Impressionist artwork tumbled about 30%, and sometimes more, at the huge auctions that finished last Friday in New York. There's no guarantee that further declines aren't yet to come.

The art market's crash -- for that is what it is -- threatens to remake the art world. In the past few weeks, auctioneers, dealers, artists and collectors have changed strategies and policies, and it's likely that future changes will be even more sweeping. With Sotheby's stock hovering at about $9, down from $50 a year ago, it's now cheaper to buy the 164-year old brand than all the art it sold in the past three months.

It's all been a reality check for art collectors. Noted one West Coast art dealer: "Their houses are worth less, their stocks are worth less, but they thought their Rudolph Stingel was still priced the same? No."

In the wake of the auctions, says Tobias Meyer, a vice chairman of Sotheby's: "The price disparity between good and great has widened to humongous." The problem for the trillion-dollar global art industry is that most of the art it has for sale is, by definition, just average.

Here, a look at how the art-market retrenchment will affect its players:
The Auctioneers

Cutbacks are coming. Sotheby's CEO William Ruprecht told analysts in a conference call that "we'll be resizing our organization" and "there are no sacred cows." And while Christie's is not publicly traded, the two top auction houses' moves often mirror each other.

The "recipe for all the auction houses has changed," said Michael McGinnis of Phillips de Pury auctioneers, in the wake of sales last Thursday and Friday in which only about 60% of the art the company put on the block sold. All the auctioneers are likely to focus on "volume control," offering more "focused, targeted" sales at the next big round of auctions next spring.

They're also likely to push more of the risk of selling art onto collectors. In recent years, in a booming market, auctioneers often offered sellers guarantees of minimum amounts -- but the auction house would profit on the upside. Mr. Ruprecht told the analysts that "going forward, we will generally not be using our capital for guarantees."

Sellers, of course, may not let the auctioneers off easy. They'll increasingly be requesting clauses in their contracts allowing them to take art off the block if market conditions change and promises regarding catalogue entries and the touring and exhibition of their works, says Jo Backer Laird, art-law attorney at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler and former general counsel of Christie's. If they're smart, she says, they'll insist that specific marketing proposals for their pieces be included in their contracts.
The Dealers

It's been lucrative to be in the art business in the past few years, but it's also been quite costly. "Dealers fighting for market share have had to open spaces around the world or lose their artists to other galleries," says John Martin, a London dealer who also runs the Art Dubai contemporary art fair.

In that light, last week's contemporary art sales were "a disaster, but it's a good one," says dealer David Nahmad, one of the world's most active art buyers. Dealers, by and large, were the ones ponying up for the art that did sell at auction in recent weeks, with Larry Gagosian, Jack Tilton and Robert Mnuchin raising paddles.

The downturn was foreseeable, and some dealers started strategizing early, says Robert Goff, principal of Chelsea's Goff & Rosenthal gallery. Last April, his gallery halted price increases, trimmed its stable of artists and cut down on art fairs. Meanwhile, "we're still selling," he says, though not at the breakneck pace of last year. In New York, only a couple of galleries have closed their doors so far, but several are opening only "by appointment" and not staging new shows.
The Artists

And for the legions of young artists who came of age during the boom, right now "it's a case of spray and pray," says New York private dealer Andrew Terner, who curates of the art collection of the Four Seasons restaurant.

“The price disparity between good and great has widened to humongous.” Tobias Meyer, a vice chairman of Sotheby's

Consider Peter Doig, a Canadian who paints works inspired in part by horror films. Mr. Doig's works skyrocketed in the past five years -- from about $400,000 in 2003 to millions of dollars as Peter Norton, Don and Mera Rubell, Charles Saatchi and even the Museum of Modern Art added Doigs to their collections. Collector "waiting lists" for his new works inflated prices and, last year, Georgian industrialist Boris Ivanishvili bought one for $11.4 million. But last Wednesday a Doig priced at about $5.5 million couldn't break half that and didn't sell.

Painter Kehinde Wiley, 31, has had tremendous success with his skilled, Renaissance-style portraiture of black men. He is collected by Susan and Michael Hort, LL Cool J and Russell Simmons, among others. Mr. Wiley says he's aware that his paintings, meant to be somewhat spiritual, have an element of being "high-end luxury goods for the wealthy." But he says that before he even arrived for the party celebrating his recent show at Deitch Projects, "I heard half [the works] were sold."

Indeed, since nearly $747 million of art did change hands at the auctions (a total that would have been considered robust just five years ago), what was in demand? Paintings that sold well were by veteran artists with a small following of extremely passionate collectors in search of works that rarely come up for auction: Edvard Munch, Joseph Cornell and Kazimir Malevich, by and large, defied the slump. Blue-chip, mid-career artists about to have major shows or who have major patrons also are faring well, at auction and in private sales. Women artists, by and large, are selling better than men, as they play catch-up on the price run-ups of the past few years. Works that had been owned by a famous collector, such as Donald Judd or even Lehman CEO Richard Fuld Jr., largely escaped the rout, too.

Nonetheless, some big plans have been scaled back for big names. Since last spring, Sotheby's and Japanese art star Takashi Murakami have been negotiating and structuring a solo sale of his works, similar to the Damien Hirst blowout in September. Now, those plans have been canceled, Sotheby's insiders say.
The Collectors

Certainly collectors have seen the value of their art fall sharply -- and those who've bought in bulk or taken out loans against their collections could face serious financial hits. But art collecting is a passion, even an addiction, that doesn't end based on market trends, says Larry Warsh, a leading collector of U.S. and Chinese contemporary art. Indeed, the collector may now be in the catbird seat.

Dealers "are offering very fair prices," says Miami real-estate developer and art collector Craig Robins. Indeed, he argues that the volume of art sales going on in the weak economy points to the "strength -- not the weakness -- of the art market." Right now, says auctioneer Christopher Burge, Christie's chairman emeritus, collectors are "finding excuses not to buy." But he's seen several downturns in 40 years at the rostrum, and they don't last. Ultimately, art behaves much like luxury real estate, he says, with the best material holding and increasing in value. Moreover, bad economies have traditionally spurred better contemporary art, he says.

That said, art sellers of all stripes are refocusing their marketing on the very top end of the market. Earlier this month, in a soaring penthouse apartment overlooking Carnegie Hall, Palm Beach art-fair organizer David Lester spoke to a crowd that included host Wilbur Ross, coal billionaire; members of the Bancroft family (until recently, owners of this newspaper); and designer Mario Buatta. Urging them to attend his American International Art Fair in February -- and its new menu for VIP guests of golf outings, private museum tours and dinner at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago -- he revealed the silver lining of the current downturn. "Things are going to come to market that would not normally become available," he said. "There are opportunities."

Ms. Peers writes on art and the art market for The Wall Street Journal.

Write to Alexandra Peers at alexandra.peers@wsj.com

via wsj.

Guinea pig festival in Peru -

Happy Saturday!

A closer look at Colette

Catching up with colette’s creative director and buyer Sarah Lerfel, the International Herald Tribune gives us a closer look into the Wonderwall re-designed Parisian retail front. Sarah discusses the role that streetwear and art have played in the development of the concept shop, and how this was reflected in the re-design by Wonderwall.

Medicom Fabrick x Alakazam Collection

Medicom Fabrick got together with Will Sweeney’s Alakazam!. Using the all-over monster print by the artist, they produced a series of product, including a messenger bag, pouches, room slippers and a cushion.

The Medicom Fabrick x Alakazam collection is now available at Haven.

russian mafia plushes by gal shkedi @ rotopolpress, germany (nov 14-jan 28)

"Israeli-designer Gal Shkedi's series of RUSSIAN MAFIA Plush Toys [previously featured on TRE in early 2008] will be on exhibit at RUSSENS (Russian Exhibition) @ Rotopolpress Gallery - Kassel, Germany (Nov 14 - Jan 28, 2009) - and will also see the inclusion of a new AK-47-totting gang-member; KIRILL!"

via toysrevil.

stainless steel showcars

Back in the 1930s, early stainless steel producer Allegheny Ludlum formed a partnership with Ford to show off their new, novel material. The result was a line of stainless steel showcars, starting with the 1936 Deluxe Coupe and ending with the 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible, with a '60 Thunderbird in between.

Examples of all three are extant and parked at the Crawford Auto Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Even cooler, Allegheny Ludlum is still around, and still has two running Continentals that it uses for special events.

via toolmonger

Converse Chuck Taylor Leather Pack

The Converse Chuck Taylor comes in a nice premium navy leather pack. Everything on the upper comes in navy leather, including the toe cap. Undefeated has it available now.

The Swiss Chocolate Knife

Designed to look like a Swiss Army Knife, the Swiss Chocolate Knife is made from the finest Swiss chocolate and hazelnut praline.

1800s Vampire Killing Kit sells for $14,850

Made in America roughly 200 years ago, this authentic Vampire Killing Kit came stocked ready to battle bloodsucking creatures of night with stakes, mirrors, a gun with silver bullets, crosses, a Bible, holy water, candles and garlic. Housed in an American walnut case with crosses carved in the top, it recently sold at auction for $14,850.

via selectism

Visvim Kiefer-Hi 2 Tone Pack » visvim-kiefer-hi-2-tone-4

The pack consists of three Kiefer Hi’s, each coming in a mix of leather and suede. Supply has them in stock now.

via highsnobiety.

For your next vacation

A set of carrying cases molded with a gun, an axe, or a knife, designed by PinkWolf.

Via boingboing.

PO-MO: Skate Cream

Skate Cream — A Sculpture from PO-MO.

Design and the Elastic Mind @ MOMA

"One of the strengths of the Museum of Modern Art in New York is its ability to transfer ideas and experiences from the galleries to the web. Among the accomplishments, and perhaps the finest, in this vein is Design and the Elastic Mind. In short, the exhibit is about the reciprocal relationship between science and design in the contemporary world. How adjustments in human behavior are understood by science, and made to useful objects through the design process. Many of the objects that feature on the web are not on view on site. The web portion itself is a free flowing exhibition, allowing us to bounce back and forth through topics, people and place and create our own trajectory through Design and the Elastic Mind."

Pico Pocket Projector

Now this is super cool.

The Pico Pocket Projector ($430) is an ultra-portable DLP/LED projector that measures just 2 by 4.1 by 0.7 inches, weighing only 4.2 ounces. It projects a screen size up to 60 inches on nearly any surface. The Pico also has a rechargeable battery and a built-in speaker (though headphones or external speakers are recommended).

New Dutch five euro coin

The new Dutch five euro commemorative coin by Stani Michiels commemorates architecture.

via Design Observer

LED WATCH

By Japanese designer hiranao tsuboi of 100%.

Terence Koh: Flowers for Baudelaire

by Ariston Anderson

"Last night France's first brother Olivier Sarkozy hosted an unusual opening in his swank Upper East Side abode, which also happens to be Richard Avedon's former studio. Budding art dealer Vito Schnabel (son of painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel) curated the show featuring Terence Koh, who formerly worked under the alias asianpunkboy. Known as much for outlandish high-fashion statements as for his shocking works often covering pornographic themes (not to mention his apparently guileless approach to it all), everyone was abuzz about what kind of paintings he would show.

In keeping with a common Koh all-white trope, the studio has been turned into a smoky white room, the floor and walls gessoed into a white landscape of slopes eliminating the right angles of the room. After removing their shoes to enter the room, guests are treated to the "flowers," gorgeous readymade canvases, simply constructed from corn syrup and powdered sugar. The results are sweet and mesmerizing in their simplicity, a delicate tribute to the French poet's Les Fleurs du mal."

Flowers for Baudelaire
Open Tuesday-Thursday, 11-6pm
Through January 2009
407 East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021

via coolhunting.

New Handmade Plush from Bytedust

MonstaMix, from last month's Monster Art Rally at Gallery1988 SF. Baito is from the recently opened Plush It show at Ruban Rat in Newtown, Australia. All from Bytedust.

via plasticandplush.

FAILE | “Lost In Glittering Shadows” at Lazarides Gallery

Showcasing a fusion of Native American themes and American pop culture, FAILE continue to impress art aficionados with their signature comic book meets wheatpasting meets painting techniques. On display are a series of collage like paintings alongside smaller pieces and even some wood work featuring an impressive array of skill, which the collective has been showcasing since their formation in the late 90’s. FAILE trace back to some of their Arizona roots with their current exhibition titled Lost In Glittering Shadows at the famous Lazarides Gallery in London. The exhibition will remain open until November 16th!

Photography: Jeremy Gibbs

via SuperTouch

Rockin’ Jelly Bean Crewneck Sweatshirt:

Billionaire Boys Club Rockin’ Jelly Bean Crewneck Sweatshirt.

via bbc.

Callpod's Fuel Tank.

Callpod's Fuel Tank only charges two devices, but it needs no plug at all, at least not on the road; the rechargeable lithium ion battery, which you power up when you're still at home, can then output approximately seven times the charge needed for the average mobile device.

Ocarina for iPhone

SMule: Ocarina [Zeldarian] from SonicMule, Inc. on Vimeo.

Ocarina is the first true musical instrument created for the iPhone. This application is sensitive to your breath, touch and movements.

Introducing $23,000 Denim, Courtesy of Damien Hirst

by Alisa Gould-Simon:

"Brit artist and professional provocateur Damien Hirst has teamed up with Levi’s for the second time. And the fruits of the collaboration -- “three works of art of spin-painted 501 styles and the development of a limited edition collection,” says WWD -- are nothing to scoff at. The collection in question features 12 denim styles, all ornamented with classic Hirst motifs (think “skulls, colorful spots and tropical butterflies,” adds WWD). With jeans slated to retail for around $230 and tees marked at $83 (they’ll be stocked at Levi’s flagship shops as well as Milan’s 10 Corso Como), Damien Hirst X Levi’s is a relative bargain. It’s the spin-painted 501’s that will quite literally cost you an arm and a leg. Each pair features an original Hirst painting atop a reproduction of Levi’s classic 1947 style, the 501, and is priced in the ballpark of $23,000. The cost obviously isn’t too off-putting for some, however; as WWD reports, a private collector already snapped up a pair of the jeans, which recently went on display in Paris at Colette and at London’s Cinch boutique."

via blackbook.

Ato Matsumoto 2009 Spring/Summer Cow Hide Boot

Looking at a March release date. oki-ni currently has a pre-order for the boots.

via hypebeast.

wildbrain x kidrobot

MUNNY on the Run! from Kidrobot on Vimeo.

New animation for Kidrobot.

Nigo day

8tv25ch vol.0 part A from bazza168 on Vimeo.


8tv25ch vol.0 part b from bazza168 on Vimeo.


It's Nigo day here at aarting, so we thought we'd post some stuff about him. For those that don't know, Nigo is the founder of the super Japanese street brand "BAPE". Included in the post is a two part, hour long special tour of Nigo's house and another short showing off the interiors of his many stores.

Enjoy!

"Good business is the best art."