This is how you deliver art in Venice!
Upon completion, Ingrid’s art will be showing at the new Bel Air Fine Art Gallery in Venice Italy, opening soon. The most romantic art in the most romantic city.
Tag: Ingrid Magidson
Ingrid’s Newest Commission Installed in Denver
Ingrid began her most challenging commission more than a year ago. It was just completed and installed in the owner’s home this past Wednesday. The monumental piece entitled, “Goya’s Muse” combines the transparent images of two of Goya’s most well known paintings, “The Duchess of Alba in White” and the “Duchess of Alba in Black.”
Goya’s history with the Duchess of Alba is not fully known, but it seems likely Goya was in love with her. In the painting nicknamed, “White Duchess” one can see “Solo Goya” (only Goya) written in the sand. The Black Duchess was painted shortly after the Duchess of Alba’s husband died. In it we see her wearing her mourning dress, but not so much sad as defiant.
Ingrid’s challenge was to combine the two paintings into her own work. To do this, she made both images so transparent, the viewer can see through both and to the background beneath. They stand over one another, different versions of the same woman, but also part of each other. Ingrid placed many of her familiar objects into the work to denote time: clocks, sand and an hourglass. Also quite challenging was the scale of the work. Standing at almost 7 feet high (213cm) and nearly as wide, it was extremely difficult to handle the large panels and became quite heavy, about 150lbs. In both works the Duchess is standing on the beach, Ingrid wanted to create the illusion of the sand in motion. Using industrial glue and solvent, she created a frozen seascape of sand and shells that looks like a slice of the beach.
Off to the right of the monumental portrait of the two duchesses is the tiny portrait of her dog. Ingrid decided to place the dog in a separate box and frame so it would not lose its importance in the large piece. He stands alone on a bed of shells and sand, illuminated by hidden lights in the box, but also connected to the duchess by a gold chain. The effect is at once poignant and humorous. For all her importance and nobility the duchess couldn’t be without her little dog.
Thank you Brad and Penny for commissioning Ingrid to do this challenging work, for your patience and trust. She is grateful and honored to have created a work of art so special for you.
Ingrid Magidson showing at Art Southampton
The exceptional Unix Gallery of New York, London and Miami just finished a fabulous weekend exhibiting at Art Southampton. Ingrid was well represented with three works among their outstanding contemporary artists.
Be sure to visit the Unix Gallery in New York City (Chelsea) and this weekend (Aug 1 – 4) in Aspen at Art Aspen. For more information, visit the Unix Gallery web site: www.UnixGallery.com
Video Update and New Work by Ingrid Dee Magidson
The holidays are a busy time for everyone. Ingrid reminds us also to do what is important. Somehow with children, family and guests, she was able to fit in time in the studio. Two incredible pieces are the result: “The Angels’ Guardian” and “Gaia.”
Ingrid took a few minutes to discuss these new works and more on her recent video update.
Video of Ingrid’s Work at Art Miami
Take a look at this recently added video of Ingrid and her work at Art Miami, December 4 – 9, 2012. It includes a brief interview with the owners of the Unix Gallery who represent her work there. Under 2 minutes. Enjoy!
A Week in Miami – Art Basel
It has been almost a week since Ingrid and I returned from Miami. It is snowing right now and the warmth of Florida seems far away. What an amazing trip that was. Let me share a little with you.
We arrived late Monday afternoon at our friend’s, the Pathman’s magnificent home in Miami Beach. The art arrived about an hour after us. The Pathman’s were hosting a reception for Ingrid’s work the following evening. We didn’t know what to expect. It was “Art Week” in Miami, an insane number of art fairs and shows swarm the city, thousands of galleries, artists showing their work. Would Ingrid’s private show get overlooked in the plethora of choices? On Tuesday evening, the show was hung and the first guests began to arrive. Before we knew it, our host’s spacious home was filled with art lovers, well over 120 we were told the next day. We were too busy to count. Past collectors and viewers seeing Ingrid’s work for the first time shared their mutual enthusiasm for her art. It was a glorious evening we wont soon forget. Thank you Wayne and Leslie.
But the week had only begun. The next evening we went to the grand vernisage (reception) for Art Basel. This is the art fair that Miami is known for, and brings many of the world’s best galleries to Florida. It is a who’s who of art and collectors at the Miami Convention Center. The art is, well, let’s say just say very challenging sometimes. Some galleries bring traditional masterpieces from the Twentieth Century, but the majority bring cutting edge contemporary. It is clearly not for every taste, but it is pretty exciting to see such enormous creative spirit. If you are an art lover, go to Miami during “Art Week” you are sure to be inspired.
We had been discussing representation with Unix, Fine Art, a Miami gallery before we arrived. Ingrid met with the gallery owners on Thursday evening. They were exhibiting at Art Miami and took time out of their crazy schedule to see Ingrid’s work. Of course they fell in love with Ingrid’s work and insisted on showing it as soon as possible. In fact the next morning, they had a truck arrive and pick up several of Ingrid’s works. One went immediately into their booth at Art Miami. Very exciting. Art Miami has grown to become one of the most important fairs in Miami. In some critics’ opinions, on par with Art Basel. In any case, Ingrid’s works were now in front of tens of thousands of art lovers. Thank you Alex and Daniela, the owners of Unix Fine Art.
Now that would have been enough for the week, but we weren’t done yet. Coincidentally, the Wynwood Art District’s monthly art walk fell on that Saturday. Unix Fine Art Gallery is in the Wynwood Art District. They dedicated almost half of their expansive gallery to Ingrid’s work. I’ve been to art walks in several cities, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Some estimates are that 30,000 people fill the area. I was there and would say that might be a low estimate. It was nuts. Miami loves a party, and clearly art too.
Well, finally we headed home after a wonderful week in Miami. Our hosts treated us like royalty. Unix gallery treated Ingrid’s work like treasure. We made some new friends and will remember the week in Miami with a tropical warmth. Thank you Wayne and Leslie, Alex and Daniela for a terrific week!
A Closer Look at The Traveler by Ingrid Dee Magidson
Ingrid recently completed this exceptional work entitled, The Traveler. It is quite beautiful and deserves a closer look.
The subject is from a 17th Century portrait of a young boy who would later grow up to be king. Innocence pervades this young monarch as he looks to the future. Ingrid wanted to bring him back to our time in her art, so she placed the world within his reach – all the various modes of transportation, maps, a compass and other objects for his journey. Below you can see a detail of the map and compass. These are actual objects in the art and give us a clue as to the actual depth of the piece (almost 4 inches). Photography tends to flatten Ingrid’s work and unless you can see the work in person it is difficult to understand this important aspect of her technique.
Moving to the bottom of the piece, we see a detail of the prince’s hand laying on his helmet, which gives us a different understanding of “The Traveler.” Perhaps you noticed the toy car on the prince’s his belt. It symbolizes his link to his childhood even as he is busy becoming a king, reaching into his own future. Music penetrates the boy’s hand, one could even say his hand is made of musical notes. As in so many of Ingrid’s works, this signifies the importance of culture and beauty.
Next we come to a close up of the prince’s face. We are immediately captivated by his eyes, a young man’s eyes looking out to the voyages ahead, maybe even through time to us. Resting at the outermost layer, they signify a reach beyond his own world. Deeper and below this, we see lines of latitude and longitude, symbols of travel, reminders of those voyages already taken and those to come. Beyond the boy’s face we see layers of music and maps, wisps of clouds, symbolizing life itself, potential, and the unknown.
“The Traveler” by Ingrid Dee Magidson, 31 x 25 inches and approximately 4 inches deep. Thank you for taking a closer look.
Back from NYC – Hermitage Museum Benefit a HUGE Success
We returned from New York City a few days ago. Our hearts go out to all the people of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. For the most part Manhattan looked pretty good (excluding some of the southern part). New Yorkers are a hearty bunch and they got things up and running very quickly. We visited our dear friend Eva Cellini in New Jersey and that was another story. Trees and light poles littered the streets. The damage took one’s breath away. It is obviously much better now, but we certainly offer those still suffering our thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, November 10th the Hermitage Museum Foundation threw its annual gala to support the Hermitage Museum and specifically the “Art From America” program. Jeff Koons and Erik Bulatov were this year’s honorees. Both spoke eloquently about their art and inspirations. Two great artists from different cultures, with more in common as artists than not. Truly inspiring.
After the dinner and speakers the auction began. OK, I’ll admit it now, Ingrid and I were nervous. Her piece was the first to be auctioned off. We held our breaths as the bidding began. This was an $18,000 piece and the bidding began at $2,000. It bounced around, $4,000, $6,000, then stalled at $8,000. OK, somebody’s going to get a great bargain, we thought. Then a collector jumped in at $10,000 and the bidding stopped. The auctioneer was about to slam the hammer down when… I’m not going to tell you. You are going to have to see for yourself. I posted the video of the auction on YouTube. Forgive the poor quality, it was taken using my iPhone.
Hermitage Museum Gala Auction Video – November 10, 2012
The video only shows the auctioning of Ingrid’s piece. The rest of the evening was terrific and I’ve heard report that they raised quite a bit of money from the sale of works by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Michal Rovner and Martin Mull. It is also gratifying to know that a portion of the money raised will go to help relief efforts for hurricane victims – nice touch.
Ingrid and I would like to thank the many people who put on this elegant and important event: the generous board members of the Hermitage Museum Foundation, especially Paul and Chauncie Rodzianko and their daughter Marina, Mark Kelner. Thank you staff and associates of the Hermitage Museum Foundation, especially Annie. Thank you Phillips de Pury Auctioneers for the beautiful setting surrounded by great contemporary art. And thank you Simon de Pury for your auction wizardry. A very special thanks goes to Brad and Penny Place, our dear friends and patrons who helped make the evening possible for us.
Wow what a night, we’re still flying!
Ingrid Dee Magidson – Incarnazioni (Incarnations)
Enjoy this terrific article released today on Centro Sociale dell’Arte. The Article is in Italian and English, so scroll down to the language of your choice. Lots of images too. Be sure to click on the link to see the whole article.
Ingrid Dee Magidson – Incarnazioni
Ingrid’s Recently Completed Commission
Ingrid recently completed a commission for a Colorado client. You can see from the photo how large it is, nearly 7 feet tall. It was a challenging piece that was started in March and finished in mid August. We asked her a few questions about working on this piece and commissions in general.
Was the size of this piece a challenge?
I love working on large pieces, it allows me the space to express my visual ideas. But it is also physically very demanding. Just the shear size of the panels and weight can be hard on my body. [The final piece was well over 100 pounds requiring two persons to move it.] I’m very proud of this piece. It brought out some new ideas and challenged old ones.”
Are there more commissions in the works?
Oh yes, I’m working on one now I’m very excited about. And there is another in the idea stage.
How long does a commission take to complete?
That’s not easy to answer. It depends how busy I am, if I’m working towards a show. And it depends on how large the piece is. But all things being normal (which they never are) I usually tell the client to allow 4 to 6 months. If I can do them quicker, I always do.
Do you put more effort into a commission?
I pour my heart into every piece I create.
Would you advise collectors to buy a completed piece or wait for a commission?
It depends on the collector, but I usually advise that they buy the piece they fall in love with when they see it. If that piece is already sold, let’s talk. I can’t do the same piece twice, but I can create something similar. Some collectors are wary of commissions, that they may not be as good as the works the artist creates for himself. If they are uncomfortable, I suggest they wait for new work. But it might help to remember that many of the greatest works of art were commissions: the Mona Lisa, for example. And many great renaissance painters only painted works for patrons on commission. Some collectors are worried that they won’t like a commission piece when it’s done and they’ll be stuck with it. That’s never happened with any of my collectors, but I understand their concern. Each person has to judge their own comfort level about doing a commission. Either way, it always works out.
The Art of Ingrid Dee Magidson 