Customer Reviews

Artists' Estates: Reputations in Trust

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This book provides a fascinating look at both some of the better known and some of the more obscure deceased artists of the second half of the 20th century and the efforts of heirs and dealers to maintain interest in the artists' work. It is fascinating and informative to read about the mismanagement of David Smith's estate by Clement Greenberg or of David Park's estate by his widow's second husband. (In both cases, the children finally stepped in to rescue depleted bodies of work and help rebuild their value.) Equally interesting are the efforts of Elmer Bischoff's and James Brooks' widows to continue to promote their late husbands' work while also trying to selling their own.

Many of the artists profiled are far more obscure, but their names come up over and over again in Stevens and Swan's wonderful de Kooning biography which provides an incredible overview of the same period. While top dealers fight over the estates of Smith, Diebenkorn, Porter or Avery, all discussed in the book, there is also an emerging group of dealers who are focusing on working with the estates of lesser known artists. They work with heirs, attorneys and archivists on the issues of conservation, documentation and promotion that are involved in boosting the value of artists who in many instances received limited recognition in their lifetimes but whose heirs (widows in most instances) continue to honor and promote their work, sometimes from financial need but always due to love of their deceased spouse. These stories are the core of this well written book.

Attorneys, dealers, conservators and archivists (such as the important Archives of American Art) are interviewed along with the heirs. This new breed of dealer effectively becomes a partner with the estate, sometimes building a position in the more obscure artist's works before making the investment, usually along with the heirs, necessary to promote their work.
In addition to several such dealers mentioned in the book, Thomas McCormick and David Findlay Jr. come to mind as galleries which have made a commitment to show lesser known artists of the '40s, '50s and '60s, for example, including some of those mentioned in the book.

Anyone interested in the art world will find this book highly interesting with its dozens of interviews and many black and white photos of the artists, their work and their heirs today. And, frankly, the gossip is great too!

Despite being an outsider to the art world (and what you would call a total amateur!), I found this book completely engrossing: the widows and children interviewed in this book all have very interesting and varying ways of dealing with the enormous responsibilities associated with managing an artist's estate - their voices come to life in this book. It's fascinating also to read about the interaction between the various players in the art world and their different agendas - galleries, widows, families, museums etc all have views on what is in the best interest of the artist and their careful dance is rendered most interestingly here. Very good read.

I am an arts lawyer, and art lover.

The US copyright law protects an original work of an author for the artists lifetime plus 70 years. The law anticipates the value of those copyrights and how those will exceed the lifetime of the artist for years to come. Even without consideration the copyright the body of work of an artist is only valuable to the public only if that work is valued and is appreciated. This book is filled with many stories of how an artist's work was cared for after the artist's death by individuals, family or friends, foundations or museums, which made sure that the work was treated with respect after the life of the artist was over.

If you are an artist wondering what will happen to the body of work you leave behind this book will inspire you to take steps to make that happen. If you are a museum, gallery, advocate, family member, collector or fan and you are concerned about managing the body of work of an artist this book will give you some stories about how others have handled it and what steps you might take. It might encourage you to come forward and take responsibility for the artist and while you can do it with the advice and consent of the artist.

`The good that artists do lives after them ...'

Rewriting the Bard of Avon has become a fashionable pastime, although that is not my intention here. With the benefit of hindsight, it is possible to examine the legacies of most artists and reveal more of their character and commitment. Once the carefully selected brushes remain in their appointed place, the crushed and distorted tubes of paint lie undisturbed and a colourful palette has dried out for the last time, it is for the inheritors to consider the question - `What happens next?'

The paradox of a painter's life is that the legitimacy of the work can only live on if it is guided and sustained by others. This superb book, elegantly written and beautifully crafted, is a tribute to the diligence of the authors who, with courage and foresight, have succeeded in addressing the relevant question. They have done this with discipline and sensitivity. And together they have produced a most remarkable book, worthy of the task they set themselves, and now most commendably published by the Rutgers University Press.

In her personal introduction to the book, Magda Salvesen reveals something of her own journey alongside the American Abstract Expressionist Jon Schueler. Sharing in his joys and his frustrations on both sides of the Atlantic, she came to know at first hand what the spiritual struggle of the artist is all about. The book builds on that perception and carries the theme forward in a well-structured dialogue with the others - the widows, partners and friends, the foundations and trustees - who continue to hold the reputation of an artist in their care.

Confronted by a blank canvas, the artist has to continually restore and refine a belief system that somehow leads to the act of creating an image in colour and form. Hopefully, with the necessary critical acclaim, this may endure across the generations. In that sense, all paintings convey a message to future viewers of the work. The work can only come alive and continue to live in the presence and imagination of others. And it has to be focused memorably on discovery of the new or on acceptance and confirmation of the past. For the artist at least, time's arrow can move in either direction.

A visit to any of the great collections - to the Uffizi or the Louvre, to the Metropolitan or MoMA, to National Galleries or the Tate, is a chastening reminder of the complex iconography that is the history of art. And yet the survival and sustainability of the work of each and every artist requires immense care and devotion and the dedication of a myriad of diverse individual skills. The estate of any artist deserves to be managed creatively and the many different approaches to this task are admirably described in this very far-sighted book.

Definitely a `must have, must read' book for all art lovers!

I purchased this book to find out more about a certain artist's legacy & family dealings---and yet became enthralled by the ins & outs of how widows & families deal with the artist estates left behind. It's simply fascinating for an art collector or enthusiast who loves to read biographies of their favorite artists, since it covers so much post-lifetime achievements, and delves right into the nitty gritty of the ever-materialistic world of art and fortunes amassed after their passing. This book reveals so much about the artists themselves who estates are carefully protected, therefore is also an essential book for conservators and legal minds as well.

Magda Salvesen does an excellent job interviewing widows and family members, in keeping with her own questions of if she's "getting it right" herself. It may be a part of her own private journey, yet she allows us into her travels and discoveries by asking pertinent questions and seeking out the answers to which many may question.

As an artist myself, it helps to remind me of the importance of record keeping & essential photographic archives -- in hoping that someday someone will step forward to take as much care with my artwork & writings---if I make it that far! If you are an artist, this book will also help to keep you on track to preserve your own legacy and lay out the foundation of what you may wish to accomplish in life; and for your own loved ones, who may be encouraged to share your memory with others once they become aware of what it takes to do so.