Zatista The premier source for original art online

The false Mary Todd - before and after restoration on nydailynews.com

In recent art news, it has been determined that a famous portrait of President Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, which has been hanging in the Illinois governor’s mansion, is a fake. This deception was discovered by an art restorer, who found that the portrait is actually of an anonymous woman with elements added to the painting to make it appear as Lincoln’s wife.

The Goose Girl by Stanley Royle (originally credited to William Leach) on ireland-information.com

Art forgery is not a new concept, and I was surprised to learn that, according to Wikipedia, there are three categories of forgers: the person who actually creates the fraudulent piece, the person who discovers a piece and attempts to pass it off as something it is not, in order to increase the piece’s value, and the third who discovers that a work is a fake, but sells it as an original anyway.

A City on a Rock by 19th century forger Eugenic Lucas was once attributed to Goya on wikipedia.org

The Association for Research into Crimes against Art, or ARCA, is a non-profit organization that studies, offers education, and reports on art-related crime. A quick glance at their statistics shows that out of all countries, Italy leads the world in art crime. In 2001, 142,258 forgeries were recovered. A staggering number!

Leonardo or not? The controversal La Bella Principessa on telegraph.com

For art collectors, the best way to avoid frauds is to use common sense. Only deal with reputable dealers, and make sure each work comes with a certificate of authenticity. Educate yourself fully about the artists that you are interested in, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus a Vermeer fake by Van Meegeren on essentialvermeer.com

On Zatista, you can only find real works of art from real artists. There are no fakes or forgeries, just original artwork that is 100% guaranteed so you can always buy with confidence.

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

Related articles

• Top finds and fakes in the art world (telegraph.co.uk)
• Art Forgeries (simplysalmagundi.wordpress.com)
• Artist Glimpse – Doug Hockman (zatista.com)
• 10 Ways to Make a New St(ART) (zatista.com)

New Beginning 1 by Konnie Kim on zatista.com

Now that that the holidays are over and the season of making good on resolutions has begun, here are ten ways to bring more art into your life in 2012:

1.  Visit a museum or gallery – Museums and galleries are perfect spots for artistic inspiration and a low cost or even free way to spend an afternoon.

2.  Attend a lecture – Lectures are often intellectually stimulating no matter what the subject is, be it an artist’s talk or art historical exposé.

Abandon by Laura Carter on zatista.com

3.  Take a class or workshop – Most communities offer a wide variety of classes and workshops. If you’ve wanted to try your hand at creating some of your own art or crafts, this is the perfect way to start.

4.  Volunteer at a cultural institute or community center – Volunteers at museums and cultural centers are usually given free passes to events and shows. This is a great opportunity for a wide exposure to all types of art while helping to keep these institutions strong.

Tall Grasses - Blue by Michelle Han on zatista.com

5.  Check out some of the many wonderful art zines and artists blogs online – The internet is full of art blogs and zines, and most offer an unflinching view on the art community around the globe.

6.  Rent a movie about an artist’s life – There are many documentaries and biopics about artists out there.  Spend an evening and get to know your favorite.

Eucalyptus by Mary Lea Bradley on zatista.com

7.  Set aside daily time to create something (anything) and don’t forget to have fun – It only takes a few minutes each day to create something unique. Remember, practice makes perfect!

8.  Fill your coffee table with oversized art books – Go to your local bookstore and browse the bargain section. You can often find art books at a fraction of the original price.

Theater Crowd, King Street by Jacquelyn Sloane Siklos on zatista.com

9.  Take a walk with full attention to your surroundings – Both the city and the country are full of examples of artistic forms, natural and manmade, very much like a museum on the go.

10.  Last but not least, buy original art from Zatista.com – Zatista is the Internet’s premiere source for original art. With new additions added weekly, there is something for every taste.  Enjoy!

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

Related articles

• Best of the Year (zatista.com)
• It Takes Two (zatista.com)
• Need Art? (zatista.com)

Here are some items I came across this weekend. Some are gifts, some are not. Either way, I thought I’d share them with you. Let us know what cool things you’ve found this holiday season, here on WallSpin.

1. Gift for the kids – What’s not to love about this modern doll house?

Brinca Dada Dylan Doll House from brincadada.com

2. Gift for the photo lover – Customize your own View Master:

Custom Viewfinder from image3d.com

3. Gift or brilliant idea for the cocktail party – A great way to keep track of your glass:

Chalkboard Wine Glass from chalkboardchina.com

4. Recipe for the holiday menu – This is a proven crowd pleaser:

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle from foodnetwork.com

5. Gift for the art lover, yourself or otherwise – There’s nothing better than the real deal from Zatista.com:

Looking South by Jan Ter Weele from Zatista.com

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Related articles

• It’s About Time (zatista.com)
• Wood Works (zatista.com)
• Intimate Interiors (zatista.com)

Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe www.warhol.org

You know the saying, “If you find something you like, buy three”? Well, that applies to jeans and shoes, but how about art? Most of us don’t have the resources to purchase multiple Warhol “Marilyn Monroe” prints, but once you see a few of them together, it’s easy to see why someone would want to spend the money.

Amanda Beckmann "IMOK114" zatista.com

Alone, a work of art can be magnificent. The really amazing thing is when individual pieces come together to form what might as well be another larger piece. In some cases it’s completely unintentional, but in others, I like to guess whether or not a given piece was conceived on its own or if it was actually meant to be view as part of a series.

Amanda Beckmann "Intimate Loveliness" zatista.com

Case in point: Zatista artist Amanda Beckman. Amanda has a real passion for collage. I first came across her work while browsing Zatista one afternoon, which I do “from time to time” (ahem!). Specifically, it was a piece from her “imOK” series that caught my eye, a beautiful, whimsical burst of retro colors on a tattered, earthy background. When I clicked on the artwork, I noticed something I had never seen before: in addition to multiple views of this particular collage, I also saw it was a series.

The complete "IMOK Series" by Amanda Beckman zatista.com

Something clicked! Genius! Suddenly, there was interplay among the pieces: the colors, the compositions, and the arrangement of the bursts, which could be aligned or alternated if hung together.

Amanda Beckmann "Morphosis" zatista.com

Be on the lookout for opportunities for synergy in your art collection. Perhaps pieces you already own look even better when hung as a group, or it just might be the time to invest in a series. Judging by the impact you’re sure to make, it’ll be well worth your investment.

Image: Park Life

If you don’t watch out, the art world will make your head spin. This week when Jeff Koons, an American artist who has made a career out of commenting on kitsch, slapped a San Francisco boutique with a cease and desist order it wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. He’s no stranger to the business realities of the art world, having cut his teeth as a Wall Street commodities broker before making it big with his paintings and sculpture.

Image: Wikipedia

The fact that he and his battery of attorneys would threaten legal action isn’t what’s surprising: it’s the object in dispute that’s of interest. In the 1980s Koons rose to fame with his large, polished stainless-steel statues of children’s toys and balloon animals.  This week it was a likeness of a balloon dog, sold as a bookend by Park Life, a San Francisco gallery and shop, that caused a stir.

Evidently, Koons is of the opinion that, at least within the realm of art, he owns a trademark on any likeness of the ubiquitous balloon dog. That’s a pretty serious claim to make, but realistically, he may have a leg to stand on. As an artist, he has chosen to elevate familiar forms to previously unimagined status — that of objets d’art. I guess in this instance it comes down to whether or not the shop was selling other balloon animal bookends. That’s the dividing line between referencing the work of an artist, and working with a concept of your own.

Image: Flavorwire.com

It’s murky territory, but it’s also very unlikely that Park Life will contest the cease and desist order. Battling millionaire artists isn’t always financially viable for small store/galleries, so they have removed the product from their shelves.

Wasabi Boy by Izumi Kastner zatista.com

If you’re disappointed you missed buying the bookends, don’t worry. Zatista has plenty of arty dogs for you including this one, and there are no tricky legal docs or threatening goons involved.

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