2009 Top 10 Favorites in Art, Style, Music and Film

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View our December 31, 2009 Newsletter Here!

What has 2009 brought us? KiptonART explored not only the business of emerging artists but the entire creative market encompassing art, music, fashion, film and soirées. 2009 -- the year of change -- has prepared art mavens for the coming decade. Reflecting on the seasons past here are influential events that are sure to impact the coming year(s) ahead.  Let the countdown begin! 
 
#10. Let us get the dreaded term out of the way: recession. The weed that spewed from our credit fertilizer haunted the globe thereby weakening an already challenged art arena. As third quarter trudged around the market gradually rallied amidst the buzz surrounding the early November Sotheby’s New York auction of an Andy Warhol painting, sold at $43.8 million. However, morale was low due to a failed auction held at New York’s Christie’s the same week. This may have left a dark cloud brooding over art auctions had it not been for $48 million dollar sale of a drawing by the old master Raphael at Christie’s London in early December.
 
#9. Early December opened with Art Basel in Miami. The lack of sun and party funds left the majority of attendees interested in only one thing, the fairs which fared far better than last year. High sales made gallery representatives giddy, while on-lookers enjoyed works by international talents. Much on displayed felt familiar and sellers were fixated on those that they knew would bring in cash flow. In this economy, why not? Though events were at a minimum, KiptonART hosted an event with Whitewall magazine and attended parties and events over the four day fair including a highlight of the Lanvin boutique opening.  In November, Art Dubai drew significant crowds and attention.
 
#8. Parties elsewhere seemed to have been doing just fine this year (though there was a definite lack of food trays circulating). KiptonART threw several with partners such as Longchamp and Saks Fifth Avenue and even debuted on MTV. The Coalition for the Homeless held their annual ArtWalk Benefit raising $650,000, their most successful event to date. Patrons attended all the major museum galas from the Metropolitan Costume Institute to the Frick Young Fellows. However, the Whitney Studio Party was said to have been the best of them all, where A-list New York supporters wore sponsored Versace gowns to the nines.
 
#7. Spring/Summer 2010 Fashion Week set the standards for a new era: digital prints, nude hues, and underwear-as-outwear. Chado Ralph Rucci gave the show of New York’s season with a flawless presentation.  Finally be rid of the dirty indie look and step into fantastic crab claw Alexander McQueen heels, as Mrs. Gaga did in her epic video “Bad Romance.”
 
#6. Undoubtedly, Lady Gaga is this year top musician, bringing glam rock gender bending aesthetic backs from the trendy 80’s grave of on stage Madonna masturbation and Freddy Mercury. Opposite, of Gaga is the baby-face Taylor Swift who swiftly swept up the awards at every ceremony she attended (and didn’t for that matter as she won several AMA’s while preparing for an upcoming tour in London).  KiptonART continued to collaborate with emerging musicians Joyce DiDonato, Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, Eldar and Orba Squara. Most heartbreaking was the loss of music legend and pop king Michael Jackson.  

#5. We’ve had to say our goodbyes to respected leaders of the arts in 2009.  Most recently was the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Thomas Hoving, who expanded not only the collection of ancient Egyptian art but also the architectural structure of the iconic New York museum. Famed fashion and portrait photographer Irving Penn, who passed at the age of 92, produced classic images for the most respected journals such as Vogue. Another photographer, Dash Snow tragically died at the young age of 27. Snow had been recognized as a talented emerging artist with museums such as The Whitney collecting his works.  Jeanne-Claude who alongside husband and creative partner Christo produced environmental masterpieces guarantee to be known as the most memorable public art works of our time.
 
#4. Jeanne-Claude and Christo both were featured in the brilliant documentary Herb & Dorothy. The story is of the largest private minimal art collectors of the modern age, acquiring nearly 5,000 works in a time period of 40 years. 2009 seems to have been the year of rare film inside glimpses into the major players of the creative niche with films such as Valentino: The Last Emperor and The September Issue focusing on the exclusive glamour of fashion powerhouses. The Rape of Europa gives testament of how Nazi Germany stole thousands of old masters from various private collectors and museums in Europe. This year out on DVD was the fantastic art docu-film Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, The Mistress and The Tangerine, exploring the life and talent of the French feminist whose works are both psychologically disturbing and empowering.

#3. The SFMOMA exhibits a great collection of Louise Bourgeois sculptures in both the permanent collection and the roof garden terrace. This summer the impressive museum held fantastic viewings of works by Georgia O’Keefe, Robert Frank and Richard Avedon. At New York’s MOMA a Tim Burton retrospective is currently drawing crowds (which KiptonART will be covering in early January). A collection of Picasso’s final works was displayed at the always-impressive Gagosian. The innovative New Museum located downtown on Bowery installed works of emerging artists that were both unusual (a live woman sleeping in a bed) and humorous (a banana peel rotting on the floor).

#2. This past November KiptonART granted six emerging artists with the official title of “KiptonART 2010 Rising Artists.” KiptonART Rising is a yearly award given to six artists whose works are passionate, memorable and innovative while still remaining relevant to the aesthetics of our community today. This years awards were given to Kiritin Beyer, Julie Combal, Bon Duke, Emily Korman, Avery McCarthy and Matthew Satz. These artists were selected by a curatorial team consisting of Stephen Frailey, head of the photography department at the School of Visual Arts, and independent curators Alexander Glauber and Rachel Smith. Congratulations to the selected group who are sure to have great success in the coming year!   

#1. KiptonART will be sure to document all art related ventures that take place in 2010. This coming spring we are most excited for the Whitney Biennial that will gather current influential American artists for a grand exhibition. Keep on the look out for exclusive interviews with artists, galleries and designers that will be featured in our bi-weekly newsletter. Most importantly, KiptonART will be venturing to other cities (hint, hint) besides New York and Miami in the hopes of finding new ways of Giving Artists Access. Thank you for coming along for the ride with us!

Photographs from left to right, starting at the top: Acqua Art Miami Basel entrance, Chado Ralph Rucci's incredible Spring/Summer 2010 collection, AP FILE - Hoving attending a party in New York, KiptonART's 2010 Rising Artists