Italian Ministry Prohibits Getty Images from picturing Michelangelo’s David in IItaly
Be forewarned before sourcing any images of David by Michelangelo. Italy's Ministry of Culture has denied the Italian website of stock photo behemoth Getty Images from publishing any pictures of the Italian Renaissance masterpiece, which is located at the Galleria dell'Accademia, in Florence, Italy. The sculpture's censure is in compliance with a law that enables the country’s public institutions, such as museums and universities, to request concession fees for commercial reproductions of cultural heritage artworks, regardless of their copyright status. Getty says it has “temporarily removed" images featuring David from its Italian websites, but said it is “convinced of the legitimacy of its conduct and will continue to defend its rights.”
Previous Board Member of the Frankenthaler Foundation Files Second Lawsuit
The estate of Abstract Expressionist Helen Frankenthaler has become a family feud’s focal point since last November when ex-board member and nephew of Frankenthaler, Frederick Iseman, filed a lawsuit against the foundation’s other directors. Iseman accused the foundation of what he dubbed “grabstract expressionism," according to ARTnews. He alleged that Clifford Ross, a fellow nephew of the artist, was donating either artwork or funds to institutions in exchange for publishing contracts and personal exhibitions. Likewise, he also criticized Lise Motherwell, Frankenthaler’s stepdaughter, for using her position as board member to curate exhibitions of Frankenthaler’s work despite having no curatorial expertise to do so. Now, just prior to the original lawsuit’s dismissal, Iseman filed an amended complaint repeating a majority of his argument, but including the request of a jury’s ruling and his own induction as “true director and officer of the board.”
Rodney Graham Posthumous Exhibition Opens in Los Angeles
On February 2, "Rodney Graham: Paintings and Lightboxes" opens at Lisson Gallery in Los Angeles. This will be the first solo exhibition of pop-conceptualist Rodney Graham in Los Angeles in over two decades. The exhibition, which focuses on work produced during the Canadian artist’s final years—he died in October 2022, is a carefully crafted combination of abstract paintings and lightbox photography. Graham himself is the main subject of the five lightbox portraits. The large-scale pieces not only showcase the artist's social commentary, but also demonstrate his many avenues of inspiration, drawing from film, literature, art history, and music (he was also a musician). The show will be on view at the gallery through March 23, 2024.
