In the latest issue of artnews Sue Gardiner looks at the Art for a Cure auction held in Auckland arranged by the Breast Cancer Cure Trust. While it was successful, she says: “It was one, however, in an increasingly packed calendar of charity art auctions being held in Auckland, prompting discussions that, with so many options, perhaps the charity art dollar is being spread too thinly. Is there charity art auction fatigue out there?”

Derrick Cherrie's exhibition of collaged works on paper is showing in our Project Space to 28 November 09. You can read the exhibition release here.

Jerry Saltz reports on the rise of a “don't-settle-for-business-as-usual dynamic” in New York Magazine. His piece was prompted by a series of events that included listening to Explaining Pictures to a Dead Bull, a send up of art history by a loose collective of young artists known as the Bruce High Quality Foundation. He says: “These human bullshit detectors aim to provide an alternative to everything—their mission is to call out an art world mired in irrelevance.” You can read Saltz's article here.

Stella Brennan’s video projection South Pacific (2007) is showing in the exhibition FEEDFORWARD, The Angel of History curated by Steve Dietz and Christiane Paul. The exhibition runs at the LABoral Centre for Art and Industrial Creation, Gijon, Spain from 22 October 2009 to 5 April 2010.  

Derrick Cherrie's exhibition of recent collaged works on paper runs in our Project Space from 2 to 28 November 2009. You can read the exhibition release here.

Reviews of Frieze 09 are published here and here.

After looking at some of the best examples of public art in the country we decided to present a a few works commissioned by private and corporate collectors. First up is Billy Apple’s Credit Held, a wall work in the reception foyer of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts’ Auckland offices. With this transaction work (art for legal services to the value of $100,000) Billy Apple re-brands the MERW brand, adding value to it by making it over as an artwork, creating a space where the art of business meets the business of art.

Art Review's 2009 Power 100 is published here.

For the past few years Grant Stevens has explored the languages of popular culture through his text, images and sound videos. His works appropriate and de-contextualise a range of cultural cliches and conventions that seem to surround us every day. Whether it's through the over abundance of mixed metaphors or the incessant onslaught of predictable plotlines, his works seem to disrupt and challenge the way we read mainstream culture.

Gavin Hipkins' Bible Studies (New Testament) series is one of five exhibitions forming Source Material: 5 conversations with the past at the Adam Art Gallery, Wellington. Bible Studies (New Testament) runs from 17 October to 19 December 09 / 8 January – 4 February 2010 . For further information on this new body of work please contact us at starkwhite@starkwhite.co.nz 

Following our group show at Art Los Angeles Contemporary in January 2010, we'll be presenting 1001 Nights by John Reynolds at The Armory Show, NY. The fair runs from 3 – 7 March 2010.  

The Bieringa's portrait of Peter McLeavey, THE MAN IN THE HAT, screens at Auckland's Academy Cinemas from 15 October 09.

Phil Dadson's video Breath of Air is showing in Modern Physics at Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts to 29 November 09. Curated by Stephen Cleland, the exhibition also includes work by Bas Jan Ader, Shaun Gladwell, Alex Monteith, Hanna Shwartz and John Ward-Knox. You can read more on the exhibition here.

The White House has released a list of 45 artworks that the Obamas have selected for the mansion. They include: Ed Ruscha's I think I'll … Against a glowing sky the painter has superimposed words that epitomise the agony of indecision: “I think I'll …” “Wait a minute … I … I …”, On second thought, maybe” “Maybe … No …” You can read an article here on the White House choices.

In a recent article published in The New York Times Carol Vogel says: “Between the sagging economy and the proliferation of competitors, the organisers of art fairs have to shake things up continually to make sure collectors keep coming back.”

Our recent post on Pontus Kyander's end-of-year move to an art museum in Norway left us wondering about the future of public art in Auckland. (Kyander currently manages the city's public art programme.) So we decided to put the spotlight on some of the best examples of public art located in cities around the country. Over the next week we'll post some high points, beginning today with Len Lye's Wind Wand located on New Plymouth's Coastal Walkway.

frieze has announced the winner of this year's frieze Writer's Prize, which was judged by critic and art historian James Elkins, novelist and critic Ali Smith and co-editor of frieze magazine Jennifer Higgie. You can read the prize winning entry by Jessica Lotts here.

Sydney-based artist Grant Stevens picked up the Blake's Emerging Artists Prize for his In the Beyond video. You can see images of his most recent exhibition at Starkwhite here. Stevens is also one of the artists we will be presenting at Art Los Angeles Contemporary (the new art fair replacing ART LA) in January 2010.  

This week we are installing a new project by Richard Orjis, which opens on Monday 12 October, but our upstairs spaces will be open for viewing. On display are works by Stella Brennan, Glen Hayward, Matt Henry, Gavin Hipkins, Layla Rudneva-Mackay, James Speers, Grant Stevens, and Peter Stichbury.