Great Art Made by Imperfect, Flawed Men

It is a rare exception for the front page of the New York Times to feature an article dealing with the art world. If I remember correctly, the last time this happened was when an astonishing amount of money – close to a half billion dollars – was paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s overly restored Salvator Mundi painting (the authenticity of which is questioned by a number of experts).

there was an article with the subheadline, “Chuck Close Sidelined, Is Picasso Next?”. The article was prompted by the decision of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to “indefinitely postpone a Chuck Close exhibition because of allegations of sexual harassment involving potential portrait models”. Mr. Close, for his part, has denied these allegations.

Classic Photographs Los Angeles, will take place at Bergamot Arts Center in Santa Monica. First of all, thank Gods, it’s not sprawling, but rather intimate in its scope. Its focus is on vintage, modern, and contemporary photography, with a roster of 30 well- known galleries. And, additional good news about this photo fair is the fact that admission is free.