At 106, trailblazing Cuban-American Abstractionist Carmen Herrera is no more

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

Carmen Herrera Passes Away in New York

Carmen Herrera, a Cuban American artist whose trailblazing hard-edge abstractions received mainstream recognition in the later years of her life, died on Saturday in her New York City apartment at 106. The news was confirmed by Lisson Gallery, which has represented her for a decade. “Herrera is best known for her dazzling abstractions in which crisp whites and blacks, eye-popping greens and oranges, and electric blues and yellows butt against each other in such a way that can only be described as a creation of pure beauty. She created these works in various patterns: vertical stripes, alternating cubes, askew zigzags, and more. All were defined by their sharp edges. Her most recognizable innovations are often her most minimal ones: a sliver of green on a brilliant white, for example, feels intimate and raw in her hands. She first worked on canvas, then began creating shaped canvases in wood,” writes ART News in a detailed obituary.

 

Museum returns painting looted by Nazis 71 years ago 

A fine arts museum in Belgium has returned a painting to the heirs of a German Jewish couple who had their property stolen by the Nazi regime before World War II. ‘Blumenstilleben,’ (Still Life with Flowers) painted in 1913 by German artist Lovis Corinth, was among dozens of artworks stolen by the Nazis from Gustav and Emma Mayer. The couple fled Frankfurt to Belgium in 1938, and later settled in the UK. After the war, the painting of pink flowers in a blue vase was exhibited in Belgium’s Royal Museums of Fine Arts because the authorities at the time failed to establish the original owner. What happened next? RT tells you all.

 

‘Mental illness is not a joke’: London gallery under fire for Van Gogh souvenirs

Vincent van Gogh is perhaps equally famous for his sunflowers and his act of self-mutilation. Apart from his paintings, when people think of the artist, they also think of his missing ear. But references to this and his mental health in souvenirs on sale at the Courtauld Gallery in London have attracted criticism. Currently displaying a major exhibition of his work, including his infamous self-portrait with bandaged ear, some of the Courtauld’s products – such as a £6 eraser in the shape of an ear – have been branded insensitive. Critics have attacked gift shop items highlighting the severe mental health crisis Van Gogh experienced, and which culminated in his suicide. The Courtauld has been approached for comment. The Guardian reports.

 

Mondrian museum acquires nine of his pieces 

This year marks the 150th birthday of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. To celebrate, the Mondriaanhuis purchased nine of his early works for their permanent collection. The paintings and drawings are from the period between 1899 and 1908. Since 2010, the nine newly-acquired works were on a long-term loan from an heir of art collector Dr. J. F. S. Esser, who died in 1946. However, the death of his heir meant the paintings could have disappeared from public view. Only after extensive communication with the heirs were the paintings and drawings able to be permanently retained for the public to see.  The paintings and drawings will be open to the public from February 15, says the NL Times, where you can read more on the development.