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Andreas Gursky/Christie's Images, Ltd., 2011

What you’re looking at is Andreas Gursky’s photo, “Rhein II”, which sold for $4,338,500 at Christie’s in November of last year, breaking the record for the most expensive photograph ever sold at auction. Yes, you read that right. Four million dollars. The buyer was anonymous.

Barry, Baker, Brookline, MA by Joel Degrand on zatista.com

According to NPR’s Claire O’Neill, “The photo comes at the mammoth proportion of about 6-by-11 feet, and that’s got to count for something. Plus (sorry all starving photographers), that price tag is nothing unusual for Gursky. Until the purchase of Cindy Sherman‘s Untitled in May, Gursky’s 99 Cent II Diptychon had been the most expensive photo, which sold at Sotheby’s for $3.3 million in 2007. He has photos in major museums like the Museum of Modern Art and London’s Tate Modern and studied under the renowned Bernd and Hilla Becher in Germany.”

Byron Bay by Daniel Grant on zatista.com

The good news is, we don’t sell $4 million photos here on Zatista. We sell affordable photographs, like the two above and this one:

Sheets on a Clothesline by Norman Lerner on zatista.com

And this one:

Shadows by Jeffrey Hummel on zatista.com

And this one:

Negatives #18 by Klaus Rossler

And that’s barely the tip of the iceberg. So make yourself a pot of tea, grab your lap top, sit back in your easy chair, breathe a deep sigh of relief, and enjoy the bounty of budget-friendliness that we have to offer. It’s art that’s fit for folks with fabulous taste and a budget like you and me!

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• Gursky sets record for photograph (bbc.co.uk)

One thing I look forward to each January is the announcement of the Color of the Year selected by the Pantone Color Institute. Some may think having a Color of the Year is a silly concept, but I’m fascinated there is such a thing. OK, ready for it? Drum roll please…

Tangerine Tango!

Prada in Tangerine Tango image: GoRunway/Indigital

Eiseman continues, “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Pantone comments, “Over the past several years, orange has grown in popularity and acceptance among designers and consumers alike. A provocative attention-getter, Tangerine Tango is especially appealing in men’s and women’s fashion.”

“Tangerine Tango is a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way. Tangerine Tango is a complementary opposite that flatters blue or green eyes. When paired with brown, it brings out an amber cast,” says Pantone.

Pantone suggests, “Energize interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned home accessories. Pillows, bedspreads and tabletop accessories in this high-impact hue add spice to any room. Or incorporate Tangerine Tango appliances and personal electronics for an unexpected pop of color.”

Related articles

• Color of the Year 2011 (zatista.com)
• Color of the Year 2010 (zatista.com)
• Pantone names orange as its colour of the year (money-gurus.com)
• Yellow is the New Red (zatista.com)

Interested in joining our “Most Needy” art contest on Facebook? Take this simple quiz:

1. Do you own a Velvet Elvis?
2. Do you have a Van Gogh, Picasso, or similar ‘greatest hits’ poster from college still hanging on a wall at home?
3. Are your walls naked and in desperate need of help?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, upload a photo of your dreadful art or explain to us why your wall needs updating. Then, tell all your friends to cast their votes for you on Facebook! Zatista will choose a winner from among the 3 most voted for entries. The winner will win $100 in free art from Zatista.

So, what are you waiting for? Enter today!

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Today is the day; Gagosian Gallery walls burst with Hirst in New York, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, Geneva, Athens, and Hong Kong.

Beclometasona, 2008 by Damien Hirst gagosiangallery.com

The Complete Spot Paintings exhibit, opening at all Gagosian Galleries today, offers Hirst-o-files and jet setters alike The Complete Spot Painting Challenge where dedicated dot hunters can visit each of the eleven galleries and receive a signed spot print by British artist Damien Hirst.

The Complete Spot Challenge gagosiangallery.com

Spot seekers may supplement the hunt by referencing Gagosian Gallery’s free iPad app which provides an overview of exhibitions and projects at Gagosian Gallery and includes a Damien Hirst “art board” for exploring over ninety spot paintings.

DL-P-Chlorophenylalanine Methyl Ester, 1998 by Damien Hirst gagosiangallery.com

A body of work spanning 25 years, Mr. Hirst’s spot paintings are controversial for a variety of reasons, one of which is, according to the New York Times, “Of the hundreds of spot canvases, Mr. Hirst painted only five himself”.

"Controlled Substance Key Painting," by the British artist Damien Hirst, dates from 1994, an earlier "spot painting" period.

Will this global exhibit be as “fantastically boring” as Richard Dorment, art critic for The Daily Telegraph in London, called the spot paintings? When asked about the premise of the Gagosian shows, he replied: “The accumulation of scores of them in one place like the Tate’s Turbine Hall could make a visual impact, but I can’t see the point of filling all of Gagosian’s galleries around the world. What purpose will it serve?”

Prochlorperazine, 2009 by Damien Hirst gagosiangallery.com

After today, the world (aka the critics) will decide. Meanwhile, let’s go and see for ourselves!

Related articles

• Damien Hirst’s spots: a rough guide to the pricing (telegraph.co.uk)
• Art World Star Doesn’t Change His Spots – New York Times (nytimes.com)
• Will Damien Hirst Dot the Art Market to Death? (bigthink.com)
• Spots (fashioncopious.typepad.com)

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

I came across this house recently in The New York Times.

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

Not surprisingly, the carefully furnished (aka, sparse interior) caught my eye. I couldn’t help but wonder: is there any artwork on the walls?

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

With each photo, the notion became less and less likely. Granted, in a house that doesn’t have running water, I’m not entirely surprised.

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

Clearly, there is an intention of simplicity in this home. Yet for conversation’s sake, my question to you is: If this was your house, would you hang art? If not, so be it. But if so, what kind of art and where?

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

Or, is the view of the dense forest outside the windows framed by the clean lines of the house, art in itself?

photo: Goeril Saetre for The New York Times

I must admit, I’d love to spend a weekend away in a place like this. Would you?

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