ARTES MAGAZINE

July 9, 2010 Fine arts magazine   

Robbed or Deprived of Fine Art and Historical Artifacts, We All Die a Little

Lioness Attacking a Nubian, Ivory, (8th c. BC). One of thousands of artifacts still missing since the looting of the National Museum of Iraq , a masterpieces from museum's collection.

An article in the New York Times came to my attention the other day. It noted that the looting of Iraq’s ancient ruins is rampant again.  With the withdrawal of U.S. troops, many sites known to contain priceless artifacts are being looted by thieves and opportunists who see  profit, rather than cultural treasure buried in the sands surrounding Bagdad.  Ironically, former officials and employees of the Iraqi, State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, may be the very ones taking advantage of the vacuum in enforcement left by the coalition withdrawal, since they are most familiar with where opportunity lies, so to speak. The newly-installed government was to have a staff of 5000 protecting the artifacts of their national heritage, but, unfortunately, there are currently only 106 on the job; barely enough to guard the Ottoman-era mansion in their capital city, let alone keeping a watchful eye over a country the size of California.   

Most of you recall the looting of Iraqi National Museum in the days following the American invasion in 2003, when thousands of objects, including many recognized world-wide for their beauty and historical relevance, disappeared into the alleyways and backrooms of collectors and black market traders.  Closing the barn door after the horse had run out, American authorities explained this atrocity as an oversight, based on the other priorities that occupied their attention at the time.  That may be a rational assessment, but it nevertheless, reflected poor planning, operational control and a misread on the deeply enduring cultural significance of this country, in spite of the corruption that had persisted there for generations.   

The destruction and desecration of treasured artifacts is not new.  In fact, it has a long and illustrious history. Invading countries destroy and pillage one another’s precious possessions for two reasons: subjugation and profit.  Biblical records report the destruction of the Solomon’s Temple in Judea in 422 B.C. , before the Babylonians marched the Jews off to several hundred years of bondage in a foreign land. The Second Temple was subsequently destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. to drive home the point that they were in control of the Holy Land (the remaining foundation of that structure is now the Wailing Wall, a centerpiece of the Jewish faith).  But, from those early incidents, including the burning of libraries by Alexander the Great, to the pillaging of treasures by the troops on behalf of the royal sponsors of crusading Soldiers of the Cross during the medieval Holy Wars, to the bombing of churches and museums by both sides in the 20^th century’s two world wars, or the razing of historic properties to make way for condominiums, destruction of historically-relevant symbols of our past has been a form of mind control that rivals any action a terrorist might dare in the heart of a large city today.   

Alfred Sisley, The lane of Poplars at Moret (1890). Recently stolen from a French muesum

Theft of fine art continues to  make headlines, even today. The removal of art and artifacts from their indigenous surroundings, or from the museums and homes that display them, is more a matter of greed and ego, than of spite and revenge.  With international data banks and global alert systems now in place, it would seem impossible that any notable work of art or object could successfully find a market.  Many of these works, though, find their way into the very private collections of wealthy, but obsessive megalomaniacs, or lie rolled up in foreign vault for decades, until finally discovered and being returned to their rightful owners.  It is common knowledge that if certain desirable Chinese Eastern Zhou or Tang artifacts, removed and packed up from freshly raided tombs in the countryside, can make their way to Shanghai or Hong Kong, they are safe from the intervention of local and regional authorities and can be expediently dispatched by the container-load to Western markets.  While Chinese nationals on that side of the Pacific and Native American activists here have both effectively curtailed certain kinds of vandalism and abuse of grave sites and other symbolically-rich cultural materials, and ultimately repatriated these objects, it is only a fairly recent phenomenon.    

Through Western eyes, the destruction of Afghanistan’s, 1500-year old, 30-story tall carving of two Buddhas in the region of Bamiyan, north of Kabul, by the Taliban in 2001 was considered a travesty.  The rationale of the ruling mulahs: that there were no Buddhists left in the country and, in the eyes of the Islamic faith, any representation of the human form was considered idolatrous.  The world stood by helpless as these cliff-side figures were first fired at with artillery shells and eventually dynamited into oblivion.  In this case, should we respect the cultural values of the Afghanis or consider it an abuse of cultural stewardship?   

Destruction of the 6th c. Bhuddas by the Taliban at Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 2001

And this was only one example of the obliteration of treasures which, by virtue of their longevity and high public profile, truly belong to the world.  Such destruction (while more public than most) occurs somewhere in the world every day.  In the name of corporate development, urb an expansion, demands for water and oil and a seemingly insatiable desire to acquire-for-acquisition’s-sake, the jewels of our historical and cultural crowns are being traded away to the highest bidder or are falling prey to political and theological ambitions.   

We must find the means to value and protect the legacy of our past…those ‘things’ that have been handed down, entrusted to us for safe-keeping.  These are not primitive objects or crude renderings of faces long departed. Often elegantly and skillfully rendered, these pieces serve as a collective consciousness for civilization as a whole.  Whether we parse the globe ethnically, socially, by religious or political preference, by gender, geographical latitude, heritage or family history, careful examination of the relics and artifacts of our past reveals a common theme:  humanity is bound together by a slender thread of shared and remarkably similar emotions and memories.  We must never relinquish these bonds to our history, even under the greatest objections; and with the knowledge that, once we turn our attention away from our heritage, it will imperil us all in ways we cannot possibly foresee.   

Please let me hear fro you regarding this important issue.   

Richard Friswell, Publisher & Executive Editor  

Illustrations at top of page: Banner (detail) William Merritt Chase, At the Boat Landing (1902), private collection; John Singer Sargent, Lady with Parasol (1900), Collection Abbey of Monserrat, FR 

June 6, 2010   

A Fine Arts Magazine in Search of its Subject Matter: the culture of art and the art of culture

Navajo Klagetoh Rug (1920)

I have just returned from joint annual meetings of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries and the American Association of Museums in Los Angeles.  It was an eye-opener.  With hundreds on museums represented and thousands in attendance, the scope and purpose of museums in our culture was being widely debated. Increasingly, this event is attracting museum experts from around the world.  With 400 delegates from more than two-dozen countries present (including a Cuban delegation), it was truly an international event.  Universally, museums, historical institutions and experiential settings like zoos, arboretums and theme-based settings are all confronted with the same issues in the current economy: How to stretch dollars, continue to develop traffic in their buildings and, once there, provide a vibrant visitor experience.   

Bristol City Museum, England: Throne of Weapons,evocative African sculpture, made of decommissioned weapons following Mozambique civil war

Taken collectively, museums are like most other business.  The key difference between the gallery exhibition, latest artifact installation or most recent collection acquisition is that their expressed purpose is to educate and enlighten. This can often appear to be a subtle—even mundane—mission, especially given the competition offered by video games, Uber-theme parks and a blunted appreciation for our history and collective memory among younger generations.  The challenge is great and it takes more than a painting on a wall to attract the busy family to a museum in today’s world.   

The Virtual Fossil Museum, www.fossilmuseum.net

The editorial message of ARTES is that there is a complex inter-connectedness between our everyday lives and the objects history has left behind for us to treasure.  The hidden value is these traces of humanity and cultures long-gone in that they tell us a story about ourselves.  Psychologists know that diseases and conditions that wipe out memory, eradicate personality.  Through memory, we are able to recall who we are each day and BE that person.  Without recall, personality goes flat and we are adrift in the world, forced to rely on the patience of family and kindness of strangers.   

Museums are the repository of our memories—both collectively and on a very personal level. The depth and breadth of our identity as a society is pooled in even the smallest or remotest collection of memorabilia or fine art objects. When we stand before them, our lives are reflected back, richer and fuller.   

After visiting the far west for these museum conferences and making new friends who devote their time and energy to telling their own unique part of our global story, I realize that the scope and focus of ARTES, as a fine arts magazine, must broaden its horizons and extend its reach to all corners of this country. We have an obligation to our readers to represent the larger picture and to capture the color, creativity and extraordinary mastery of the craft of fine art, in all its forms, that awaits us.   

Warm regards,   

Richard Friswell, Publisher and Executive Editor   

p.s. Please visit the growing collection of beautiful and informative material at the ARTES Museum Shop      

May 7, 2010   

A Fine Arts Magazine Must be Tended Like a Spring Garden

The goal in publishing an on-line fine arts magazine is to provide material that is fresh and informative, while maintaining a high standard for meaningful content.  The ARTES readership base is growing by 10% a month, offering proof-of-concept that there is a virtual community of people out there who want to take the time for an indepth read and see ARTES as a useful tool in their search for thoughtful and comprehensive feature articles and departments.  As publisher and executive editor, I am always on the prowl for exciting material and qualified contributing writers to maintain that high standard for the site’s pages.   

This month, we are launching the Museum Shop, an on-line shopping experience, offering  yet another creative concept for a fine arts magazine. The best-of-the-best will be offered in one location! ARTES will be scanning the national and international marketplace for museum catalogues, books and DVDs that represent best sellers for those institutions.  Popular exhibitions ( present and past), well-known and emerging artist profiles and subject matter that has captured the public imagination will be included in the Museum Shop.  Additionally, a gallery section will offer limited-edition prints and photographs, original art direct from private collections and artists’ studios and hand-crafted artisanal jewelry and objects d’art from around the world.  Please visit the Museum Shop soon and often, as inventory will be added regularly and many items will only be available in limited quantities.   

I invite comments about what you see here and extend an invitation to anyone who would like to contribute their thoughts and ideas on fine art, architecture or design.  So many of you aspire to write and, with the Internet, so much content (the good, the bad and the unenlightened) is out there, ARTES offers you an opportunity to share your work presented in an elegant and thought-provoking format, finding the global audience you have always dreamed of having.   

Let me hear from you!   

Warm Regards, Richard Friswell, Publisher and Executive Editor   

Publishing a Fine Art Magazine: The apple never falls far from the family tree

I come from a family of risk-takers. This is my great-uncle Howard trying to get someone’s (anyone’s!) attention and taking a few risks in the process. As a young woman, my grandmother climbed to the top of the tree to get the best apples for her pies. My aunt (that’s her father on the chairs) mistrusted banks and so hid money behind the radiators (pronounced rah’-dee-ātors) in her house.   

Risk is…well, risky! And leaves little room for error. Putting yourself out there as a writer, a bobbing head in a field of editorial long-distance runners and hoping for the best, can make for a great story- one that can be either comic or tragic, dramatic or heroic. It can go either way.   

For ARTES, a fine art magazine, to risk meant designing a site that would place the emphasis on the full story. With so many fine arts Web sites pulling news tid-bits from around the world, while others try to focus on every aspect of the arts world (dance, music, literature, etc.), ARTES focuses on one area: the visual arts. With in-depth stories about fine art, architecture and design, we opt for depth and comprehensive treatment of the topic, not just the headlines of the day.   

The readers of ARTES have provided proof-of-concept. Our statistics show that thousands visit every month and settle in to read an average of 4 articles per visit. There are people out there who still want meaningful content and the opportunity to learn about a topic that may interest or puzzle them.   

Welcome, if you haven’t visited the site before and welcome back if you’re a regular! The writers and editorial team that make the trains run on time at ARTES will make this a fine arts magazine worth your while.   

Richard Friswell, Publisher & Executive Editor