Blu Whitewash

True Art long since moved out of the confines of the gallery, creating a schism between art that is truely contemporary, and the sanitized approximation of modern art, that the world of big gallery acceptance would have us believe is modern.

Cosying up to rebellion and controversy can lead to much cachet. It can also backfire, as street art champion Jeffery Deitch director of LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art found this week, when he was forced to whitewash out a mural by Italian graffiti artist Blu.

The giant mural featured rows of coffins with dollar bills attached to the lids. A yawn-some anti war protest that might not go down to well with MOCA’s big money sponsors and moneyed fine art clientele? A decision that I leave to the conscience of individual Juicelings.

But big Jeff didn’t take any chances, and the offending work was painted over quicker than an unsavory epithet scrawled with a sharpie on one of MOCA’s restroom walls.

According to Marcel Duchamp, ‘All art must shock and provoke thought.’ fine words from the creator of the signed latrine and the godfather of the prototypicaly rebelious Dada movement. A sentiment that certainly applies to the work by Blu. But do we really want to be shocked and provoked all the time? Do we care about political cliche writ large on the gallery wall?

The real statement here is of course the disrespect and the metaphorical wedgie that Blu has pulled on MOCA and Deitch, who has only made things worse for himself by claiming the mural might upset Japanese American veterans and that Blu can return to paint another (presumably less controversial) mural if he likes. Oh dear, it would seem big Jeff and MOCA’s David Geffen wing aren’t quite as hip as they thought they were after all.

Picasso art hoard sparks controversy

It’s hard to find good help these days. Overcharging, shoddy workmanship and all manner of service sector shennanigans lay in wait anyone foolish enough to invite the modern tradesperson over their threshhold. It is therefore vital to use trusted and well referenced help when planning home improvements. The wheels of commerce should always be well oiled with cash tips, the occasional bottle of good quality booze and perhaps a brace of partridges from the country estate, when season or occasion demands it.

It is therefore understandable that Claude Picasso was some what surprised to learn that the families former electrician Pierre Le Guennec, 71 of the French Riviera town Mouans-Sartoux, has come forward with 271 works by Pablo Picasso claiming that Jacqueline Picasso the great artists final wife had bestowed the works on him as thanks for his deft wiring skills.

Le Guennec, Picasso's electrician between 1970 and 1973, had been storing the pieces in his garage,  The works including watercolors, sketches and collages date back to the period between 1900 and 1930,


"It was madame who gave them to me, because she was pleased with my service," claimed the tousel haired codger, who also appears to be a collector of plaid shirts. At a present day value of $79 million, that is quite some tip from Madame Picasso. French culture is naturally socialist minded of course and this egalitarian gesture is to be commended. Sadly, Jacqueline Picasso passed away in 1986, so confirmation of the legitimacy this generous gift may be hard to come by.

Le Guennec presented the works to the artists estate  for authentication in September. The estate much surprised at the reemergence of such a large quantity of work once thought destroyed, claimed theft and sued for possession.  The works were seized last month by the Office Central de Lutte contre le Trafic de Biens Culturels, the French art-trafficking squad. Perhaps we should look out for the opening of yet another Picasso Museum? Watch this space.