Displaying items by tag: advertisement

Paris-based publicist Franck Davidovici is accusing American contemporary artist Jeff Koons of unlawfully copying a 1985 advertisement in a work on display in the French capital, the plaintiff's lawyer said Wednesday.

A stone sculpture of what appears to be a goddess was uncovered in Brooklyn, NY last summer at the site of an old spice warehouse hub. Local developer, Two Trees Management Company, discovered the sculpture while building a mixed-use tower at the location.

The armless nude who measures about three feet tall and weighs approximately 400 pounds, was trapped in demolition debris from the mid-20^th century. Excavating equipment damaged the sculpture, affectionately named Ginger, before anyone noticed it. Other artifacts such as 18^th century foundation stones and pottery shards were also found at the site.

Experts believe that Ginger could have originally served as a garden ornament, brothel advertisement or ship ballast and that the sculptor was most likely not formally trained. Scientists will analyze Ginger this spring in hopes of learning more about the artwork’s maker and age. Until then, Ginger will remain on view at the Two Trees headquarters.

There was plenty of excitement when the San Antonio Museum of Art’s exhibition, Aphrodite and the Gods of Love, opened on September 15. Since then, the show has turned into a source of controversy. Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition features 125 statues, vases, terracotta and bronze figures, mirrors and jewelry from the MFA and seven works from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, Italy. Aphrodite is the first exhibition to focus on the art of ancient Greece in the San Antonio Museum of Art’s history.

A 2,000-year-old statuette of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, has been used in promotional material to spread the word about the rare exhibit and has left some people in shock. The San Antonio Current, San Antonio Magazine, San Antonio Jewish Journal, and San Antonio Business Journal all ran the advertisement without question. Three other publications as well as the San Antonio International Airport refused to promote the exhibition as long as a nude Aphrodite was featured in the ad.

While the controversy has some people flustered, it has brought a good amount of attention to the San Antonio Museum and the exhibition. Aphrodite will be on view through February 17, 2013.