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MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.: Fine Art Commentary

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

New Blog!


Lately the weather has been changing a lot, almost too much; one minute it’s freezing cold and the next it’s broiling outside. Luckily for us, we know that this is Mother Nature’s way of making positive changes in order to welcome summer back into our lives. Well, just as the weather has been indecisive and somewhat unclear, so has our blog. We have been working hard this past month to bring you—our devoted readers—a better publication. A publication that not only can inform you about various artists but can also foster reader interaction and encourage growth in the arts. We are proud to officially launch our new blog at WordPress.com and hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
You can find our new blog at: http://mirappraisal.com/mir-blog/
Please visit our new site and be sure to sign up for a subscription!
Thank you for reading.
~C.L.

George Rickey

While you patiently wait for our new blog site to be fully up and running, please enjoy this article about renowned artist, George Rickey-written and researched by one of our appraisers, Margaret Smilowitz.

George Rickey blended many styles to create his kinetic sculpture. Like his predecessor, Alexander Calder, Rickey was interested in the possibility of movement in sculpture and like his contemporaries, such as Sol Lewitt or David Smith, Rickey created minimalist works which examined the beauty of individual shapes. Rickey’s combination of movement, and minimalism created dynamic sculptures that are able to totally change and rearrange the environment they inhabit and truly capture their audience.

Rickey was born in 1907 in Southbend, Indiana. He spent the first part of his life studying art at various art schools in the United States and in Paris. After receiving his art education, Rickey taught art at many Midwestern schools, including Know College, the University of Indiana and Olivet College. In this part of his career, Rickey was a painter. Inspired by artist in the Workers Progress Administration (WPA) Rickey’s early work was influenced by Social Realism. However, after his years in the army during WWII and after he studied at the Bauhaus Rickey’s art began to change.

In the late 1940’s Rickey began his work with moving geometry. He started to attach simple forms like rectangles and metal spears to podiums and stands. The shapes would be secured by an intricate system of bearings which would allow the shapes to shift or sway from movement. These works exemplified the beauty of possibility. The chance that the shapes might move creates a type of suspense for the sculptor’s viewer. The sculpture has the possibility to change each time it is looked upon and it is this dynamism which makes Rickey’s sculpture so unforgettable.

Rickey continued to make sculpture until he died in 2002. He created several public art works, installing his work in many places all over the globe, including his 57 foot sculpture at the Hyogo Museum in Japan. His work remains in museums, private collections and at the universities he taught at. Rickey’s work will be remembered for its ability to blend the styles from many periods to make unique sculpture which combined geometry with action.


Works sited:

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/metasite/news/magazine/winter2004/onelastthing.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6628263

http://www.ludorff.com/de/artist/george_rickey/works

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/21/nyregion/george-rickey-sculptor-whose-works-moved-dies-at-95.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Coming soon...

Hello to our loyal followers, and to our new readers as well!

In an effort to improve our blog, we are in the process of making some changes:

  • First of all, our blog is under new "management"!
  • Secondly, we are transferring our blog platform from Blogger to Word Press. (You will be able to reach our new blog through this site for a limited amount of time.)
  • When our new site is ready to launch I will post the new address, please be sure to visit & subscribe!
  • We are also looking at some content & format changes.
We are very interested to hear your thoughts and comments on these changes. Feel free to leave a comment attached to this posting or e-mail caitlin.luetger@mirappraisal.com

~Caitlin Luetger

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    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Welcome to our blog site! MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. is a fine art and personal property appraisal company dedicated to serving clients throughout the United States and abroad since our incorporation in Chicago in 1994. We specialize in the multi-faceted field of appraising fine art, jewelry, antiques, and decorative items. We also provide professional fine art restoration and conservation treatment for various media, including but not limited to, artworks on canvas, board, masonite, and paper. We offer professional and precise appraisal services carried out by our team of accredited appraisers for the purposes of insurance coverage and claims, charitable donations, estate planning and probate, equitable distribution and fair-market value. We started our art commentary blog site as a venue for colleagues and fellow art enthusiasts to share their experiences within the art community.