Elvis May Have Left The Building But His Piano Hasn't - It's Just Looking For Someone With a Cool Million +

MEMPHIS, TN.- Elvis Presley's beloved White Knabe Grand Piano, as featured in his music room at Graceland from 1957 to 1969, is expected to bring $1,000,000+ as the centerpiece of Heritage Auctions' Signature® Elvis Memorabilia Auction, Aug. 14, in Memphis, TN.

“This elegant musical instrument, so well-loved and played by Elvis, is presented with wonderful provenance back to the 1930s,” said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment Auctions at Heritage, “not to mention that it was an emotionally-charged prized possession of the King himself.”

The Knabe piano, besides being owned by Elvis for more than a decade, is a storied set of keys that occupied the position as the house piano in Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, TN from the early 1930s through 1957, when Elvis himself bought it and had it refurbished in white. Not only is it an instrument that Elvis loved to play in his own home, it is also the very piano played by his favorite gospel performers at revivals that Elvis attended as a boy, during which, as an enthralled member of the audience, he surely must have dreamed of his own future stardom.

“During the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s, the stage at Ellis Auditorium was graced by the greatest local and national touring musical acts of the period including W. C. Handy, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and certainly many, many others,” said Norwine. “In 1957, this Knabe grand piano was sold during a remodeling project at the Ellis. He could have afforded any piano on the planet, but when Elvis heard this one was for sale, he didn’t hesitate.”

The piano is the emotional centerpiece of an auction that features a number of truly spectacular pieces of Elvis memorabilia, more than 270 in all, that reads like nothing less than a Pop Culture survey of the mid-Twentieth Century, when Elvis was ubiquitous and easily one of the greatest stars on the planet.

Among these important pieces, it is hard to imagine one that had a greater impact on the direction of both Pop Culture and Rock and Roll than Elvis’ legendary 1955 original personal services contract with RCA Records, signed at Sun Records on Nov. 21 by Elvis, his father, Colonel Tom Parker and an RCA Executive. It is estimated at $150,000+.

“This was the deal that led to the transformation of a 20 year-old Memphis boy from a popular Southern act recording on the regional Sun Records label,” said Norwine, “into an international superstar with the full power of the large and prestigious RCA label behind him. This astonishing document is considered by many to be the most desirable, important, and valuable recording contract ever signed. There is not an Elvis fan anywhere that is not familiar with this document; there is not an Elvis fan anywhere that wouldn't want to add it to his or her collection.”

There can be almost no mention made of The King without mentioning his famous Memphis mansion Graceland, and this auction features a key piece of Graceland memorabilia: the Elvis Presley and parents signed Graceland Sales Contract, a three-page real estate purchase agreement for Graceland, dated March 26, 1957. It carries an estimate of $35,000+.

Another one of the truly premier lots of the auction, and certainly the most personal, is an Elvis handwritten and signed four-page letter written to his then-girlfriend Anita Wood in 1958, just after Elvis entered the army, estimated at $75,000+.

“This letter was penned just six weeks after Private Presley arrived in Germany,” said Norwine. “Elvis reveals himself to be more the typical lonely soldier missing his girlfriend back home than the nation's number one entertainment attraction.”

When Elvis wrote he usually kept it short, rarely using more than one page. This is not only one of the longest letters by Elvis known to exist, it is also among the most emotional. The complete text of this fascinating letter is found in Elvis - Word for Word (Osborne Enterprises, 1999), but only the actual handwritten letter can convey the heartfelt outpouring of raw emotion that Anita Wood read as Christmas approached in 1958: "It sure is going to be a blue Christmas this year. But in 15 short months it'll be over and as General MacArthur said, 'I shall return.'"

The 1976 Triumph TR-6 Convertible that Elvis gifted to Ginger Alden, his main lady at the time of his death, is included in the auction, looks as fresh today as it did when Elvis presented it to Alden, and is estimated at $70,000+. A pair Elvis' custom gold-framed sunglasses, made in West Germany by Neostyle, with tinted lenses and 14k gold "TCB" lightning bolt logos at the temples, customized for Presley by his personal optician, Dennis Roberts, during the early 1970s, is expected to bring $20,000+, while Elvis’ .22 Harrington & Richardson Revolver, purchased by him at Tiny's Gun Shop in Palm Springs, CA, serial number 466218, is estimated at $8,000+, and Elvis’ personal address/phone book dating from the mid-‘50s to the early ‘60s – something Elvis kept close to him at all times, loaded with the address and phone number of many big Hollywood stars, plus personal notes (want to know what kind of cigars Colonel Tom Parker preferred?) – is estimated at $3,500+.

Further highlights include, but are not limited to:

Elvis' Opal Ring (Lowell Hays, 1970s): Quite possibly the most beautiful personal effect of Elvis offered in the auction. This stunning opal ring was one of Elvis' favorites, sold to him by famed Memphis jeweler Lowell Hays in the 1970s. The impressive opal is approximately 24 x 20 mm and is surrounded by 34 full cut diamonds with a total weight of 1.45 carats. The ring is 14k gold, with the top an antique broach that's been soldered to the shank. Estimate: $50,000+.

Elvis Presley's Cherub Lamps from His Beverly Hills Home: This striking pair of lamps was imported from Italy by Elvis to add just the right touch to his bedroom suite in Beverly Hills, California. The lamps' bases are gold-painted cherubs holding floral vines leading into four-bulb candelabras. Estimate: $35,000+.

Stay Away Joe - Special Location Radio Program LP (1967): All evidence indicates RCA needed only one copy of this LP -- and made only one copy. That makes it the most sought-after, most valuable Elvis record on the planet. It was made for a one-time broadcast by only one radio station -- KVIO, a Cottonwood, Arizona station that served the Sedona area (where Stay Away, Joe was filmed). Estimate: $30,000+.

Elvis Worn Belt with Photos and Rare Interview Acetate (circa 1956): Elvis must have loved this slim-style belt a lot, as he's wearing it in a lot of photos. The belt appears to be a custom-made item, with no size or any other markings. Included are eight photo prints of Elvis, five prominently featuring the belt (two in color), plus a 1978 issue of Parade Magazine with vintage photos of Elvis (one wearing the belt), and a laminated page from the St. Petersburg Times for Sunday, September 16, 1956, with a photo of Carmelita DeGormar being presented with the belt as winner of a radio contest. Included with the belt is a 12" acetate recording featuring a five-plus minute interview with Elvis that was also presented to Miss DeGormar, as shown in the photo. Estimate: $20,000+.

Elvis Presley's Show Jumpsuit by Nudie Cohn: This pink jumpsuit with hand-sewn jewels and rhinestones was custom-made for Elvis by legendary tailor Nudie Cohn. A rare and fantastic piece of Presleyana. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Nudie Cohn. Estimate: $8,000+.

Elvis Presley's Loving You Slacks: This pair of maroon Western-style slacks with white piping was a back-up pair made by legendary tailor Nudie Cohn for Elvis during production of his second feature film (and his first Technicolor appearance) in 1957. Nudie's personal label is sewn onto the waistband, and a second Nudie label with Presley's name and a Paramount studio stamp are on the outside lining of one of the back pockets. Estimate: $4,000+.






Images Shown:
Elvis Presley's white grand piano which is going up for auction in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on 14 August 2010, expected to fetch more than 1 million dollars (767,000 Euros) auctioneers have said. The white Knabe piano was owned and played by Presley for a decade. The singer bought it in 1957 from the Ellis auditorium in Memphis where it had been played by visiting gospel performers for more than 20 years. The piano was placed in Graceland's music room until 1969.

Let's Hope The Lady Comes to Town - I've Already Bought My Tickets Just in Case...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A decision on whether Zenyatta will start in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 7 will be made before entries are due on Wednesday, and indications are that the undefeated two-time champion will start in that Grade 1 race.



Friday at Hollywood Park, Zenyatta worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 under jockey Mike Smith, a workout designed to have her ready for the Clement Hirsch, which is run over 1 1/16 miles. Furthermore, trainer John Shirreffs said there are few other races in the near future that are suitable for Zenyatta’s 18th career start.



“My only influence is that we want to run her a couple of times in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup,” Shirreffs said after the workout. “The options aren’t that many.”



Shirreffs said the decision on whether Zenyatta will start will be made in consultation with owners Jerry and Ann Moss. Jerry Moss attended Friday’s workout at Hollywood Park.



Shirreffs said that how his horses perform on the Del Mar Polytrack in the next few days will influence whether Zenyatta runs in the Hirsch. On Sunday, Shirreffs starts Breakmark in a maiden claimer and Scenic Blast in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes.



“Everybody has to feel good about it,” Shirreffs said of running Zenyatta in the Hirsch.



Shirreffs said the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29 is not being considered for Zenyatta, but that the $350,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 2 is a “possibility.” Zenyatta has not started since she won the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 13.



If Zenyatta starts in the Clement Hirsch, she will spend the first half of the week training at Hollywood Park, where she is based year-round, and be sent to Del Mar most likely on Wednesday. “I’ll take her down as late as I possibly can,” Shirreffs said. “I would want to school her one day.”




Zenyatta has won the last two runnings of the Clement Hirsch and appears to be approaching the race this year in peak form. Friday, she worked in company with Galayo, a 4-year-old maiden half-brother to 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and the 2007 Santa Anita Derby winner Tiago. Galayo has not started since December 2008.



When the workout began, Zenyatta was in front for a few strides, but was quickly passed by Galayo, who led by four lengths on the turn. Zenyatta caught her stablemate in early stretch, drawing off to finish about six lengths in front. Sherriffs timed Zenyatta galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.19. Galayo was timed in 1:15.40.



“I thought that was a really good work,” Shirreffs said. “She does it so easily. She was really relaxed today.”



-steve anderson-

Ohio's Butler Museum to Host Exhibition by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood

YOUNGSTOWN,OHIO - The Butler Institute of American Art, The Butler Institute of American Art, located at 524 Wick Avenue in Youngstown, will present Ronnie Wood: Paintings, Drawings and Prints beginning September 21st, 2010. This exhibition, accompanied by a full-color catalogue, will continue through November 21st.

Ronnie Wood is both a musician and an artist. His work as singer, guitarist and songwriter with The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and The Faces is well-known. Lesser-known is his ability as a visual artist. Wood has been painting and drawing since age twelve, even longer than he has been playing guitar. According to Butler Director, Dr. Louis Zona, “Ronnie Wood is a most accomplished painter whose work demonstrates a wonderful knowledge of the medium, outstanding technical abilities and an extraordinarily creative mind. The Butler is honored to host the artist’s first major American museum exhibition to showcase this remarkable talent.”

Ronnie Wood was born in Middlesex, England, and is from a musical and artistic family. Before beginning his musical career, he received formal art training at Ealing College of Art in London. As his musical career progressed, Wood continued painting and drawing. Throughout his dual-career he has also depicted the musicians with whom he plays, documented his world tours, and portrayed his recording sessions in vibrant action portraits. He also uses family and close friends, as well as the landscape, as subjects in his art work.

Over the years Wood’s work has been widely exhibited. In 1996, he had a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has had numerous solo shows in North and South America, in the Far East, and throughout Europe. Included in this Ronnie Wood exhibition, the first to be held at a US museum of art, are 30 paintings, 22 pen/pencil drawings, and 7 mixed media works. The show was organized by the Butler with assistance from Daniel Crosby and Danny Stern (SPS Lime Light Agency, Los Angeles and San Francisco) and Bernard Pratt (Pratt Studios, London),

The exhibition catalogue writers are Butler Director and Chief Curator Dr. Louis A. Zona, and David Shirey, Dean of the Graduate Program at Manhattan’s the School of Visual Arts, and former art critic for The New York Times. This exhibition by a well-known British artist is presented as a part of the Butler’s ongoing Influence on America Program, which features exhibitions of work by historic and contemporary artists who have been inspired by or whose work has been informed by American art.

Negatives Verified by Team of Experts as Ansel Adams' Work

A trove of old glass negatives bought at a garage sale for $45 have been authenticated as the lost work of famed nature photographer Ansel Adams and are worth at least $200 million, an attorney for the owner said Tuesday.

A team of experts concluded after an exhaustive, six-month examination that the 65 negatives are Adams' early work, which were believed to have been destroyed in a 1937 fire at his Yosemite National Park studio, Arnold Peter said.

"These photographs are really the missing link," he said. "They really fill the void in Ansel Adams' early career."

Adams is best known for his striking black-and-white photographs, mainly landscapes, of the American West. He died in 1984 at 82.

Rick Norsigian, a construction worker and painter, said he bought the negatives 10 years ago at a Fresno garage sale after bargaining down the seller to $45.

"When I heard that $200 million (figure), I got a little weak," he told a news conference.

Norsigian said he bought the negatives because they contained views of Yosemite but never suspected they might be from Adams, whose images of the Sierra Nevada national park are world famous.

"It took a while, close to two years," before his suspicions were aroused, Norsigian said.

He stored the negatives in a bank vault and hired Peter three years ago to authenticate them.

Peter said two handwriting experts concluded that writing on manila envelopes holding the negatives was that of Adams' wife, Virginia.

He also said a meteorologist studied the cloud formation, snowdrift and shadows on one image and compared it with a similar photograph by Adams, concluding they were taken at the same location on the same day.

The 8½-by-6½-inch negatives are the size that Adams used in the 1920s and 1930s when the photographs appear to have been taken, Peter said, and they are of locations he was known to have snapped, including Yosemite, Carmel and San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf and Baker Beach.

Adams' early negatives were believed to have been lost in the 1937 fire and several of the garage sale negatives appeared to be charred around the edges, Peter said.
Experts surmise they survived the fire and Adams brought them with him when he went to Pasadena in 1941 to teach photography, Peter said.

Norsigian said the man who sold him the negatives said he bought them in the 1940s from a salvage warehouse in Los Angeles.

Art appraiser David W. Streets said he conservatively estimated the negatives' value at $200 million, based on current sales of Adams' prints and the potential for selling reproductions.

Norsigian said he tried to contact the original purchaser after learning of the negatives' true value but has had no success.

"This has been such a long journey. I thought I'd never get to the end," Norsigian said. "It kind of proves a construction worker-painter can be right."

An exhibition of 17 of the photographs is planned for October at Fresno State University, and a documentary is planned on the negatives' sale and authentication, Peter said.

Image Shown:
Rick Norsigian holds up a photograph made from a glass negative shot by the late photographer Ansel Adams during a news conference in Beverly Hills, on Tuesday July 27,2010. A lawyer says the trove of old glass negatives found in a garage sale for 45 dollars by Norsigian a painter from Fresno, Calif. has been authenticated as the work of photographer Ansel Adams and are worth at least $200 million. AP Photo/Nick Ut.

On a Day Like Today, The First Stone of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was Laid

July 25, 1795.- The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee, between the villages of Trevor and Froncysyllte, in Wrexham in north east Wales. Completed in 1805, it is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, a Grade I Listed Building and a World Heritage Site. The name is in the Welsh Language and means junction or link bridge. For most of its existence it was known as Pont y Cysyllte ("Bridge of the Junction").

Now, that's some cold whiskey!

A crate of Scotch whisky that has been frozen in Antarctic ice for more than a century is being slowly thawed by New Zealand museum officials — for analysis, not to be tasted.

The crate of whisky was recovered earlier this year — along with four other crates containing whisky and brandy — beneath the floor of a hut built by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton during his 1908 Antarctic expedition.

Four of the crates were left in the ice, but one labeled Mackinlay's whisky was brought to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, where officials said Wednesday it was being thawed in a controlled environment.

Nigel Watson, executive director of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, said the whisky might still be liquid.

"When the guys were lifting it, they reported the sound of sloshing and there was a smell of whisky in the freezer, so it is all boding pretty well," he said.

An Antarctic Heritage Trust team that was restoring the explorer's hut found the crates in 2006 but couldn't immediately dislodge them because they were too deeply embedded in the ice.

Drinks group Whyte & Mackay, the Scottish distillery that now owns the Mackinlay's brand, launched the bid to recover the whisky for samples to test and potentially use to relaunch the defunct Scotch.

Watson said the whisky may still be drinkable but would probably not be tasted.

"This was a blend so they are hopeful if there is enough alcohol left and it is in good condition they may be able to analyze and hopefully replicate the liquid so in fact everyone could partake in this," he said.

"It has been put on ice for 100 years so I don't think it is too unromantic a suggestion. The reality is that it is very limited quantities and our focus is on the conservation and not the drinking."

Shackleton's expedition ran short of supplies on its long ski trek to the South Pole from the northern Antarctic coast in 1907-1909 and turned back about 100 miles (160 kilometers) short of its goal.

The expedition sailed away in 1909 as winter ice formed, leaving behind supplies — including the whisky and brandy.

Yea and Hurray!!! The Turf is Meeting the Surf - Del Mar Live Meet Started Yesterday and Will Continue Through September 8th

The City by the Bay

I had a f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s trip to San Francisco last weekend. I flew up early afternoon Friday and stayed until Sunday late. Monday was a blur because by the time I returned home and went to bed it was practically time to get up for class. If I could have I would've cancelled class and stayed in bed for more sleep. However, this is the last week of the summer session so alas (and alack) I couldn't "play hooky". Anyway,what a f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s trip! The weather was considerably cooler which was a blessing in itself. Visited college friends who have been living in Russian Hill for the last few years since inheriting property and who had invited me a while back to come see the current exhibitions at the deYoung and MOMA. I do so enjoy San Fransisco and seeing Ella and Stefan and go when I can (not as often as I'd like as this is my first and, in all probability, only trip this year) and this trip date was planned to coincide with reservations at The French Laundry (which take, on average, a couple of months to procure). Some of the same places are always on the "to-do" list but, since my trips up north are so so infrequent, we always try to go somewhere new each time I visit. The deYoung is always on the list as is the Japanese tea garden. Didn't have time for Chinatown,Fisherman's Wharf or City Lights Bookstore this trip because but the time we got back to the city (see TFL below), went to the Japanese tea garden and had a early dinner it was time to head to the airport. The "new" experience this trip was dining at The French Laundry. Oh.My.God!!! What an over-the-moon experience TFL was - the food was almost as good as an orgasm. Then again, 'twas a culinary orgasm so... . The French Laundry was, without a doubt, the finest dining experience I have ever had in my entire life. Astronomical prices so it was fortunate that the eve was "comped" by monied parents. Just unbelievable! And because it takes a long while to truly savor a 9-course meal and there were quite a bit of "adult beverages" consumed we stayed the night in Yountville (where TFL is located). Just an overall amazing weekend. Images shown were not taken by me.


Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay at the deYoung.


Calder to Warhol:Introducing the Fisher Collection
at MOMA

The French Laundry




Japanese Tea Garden







Images Shown:
San Francisco Cable Car
deYoung Art Museum
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The French Laundry
Japanese Tea Garden

Hmmm.....

Wonder if this would help recalcitrant student brains get the message that this summer session wasn't an online course and that they can't submit the entire 6 weeks worth of assignments on the last day of class. Yes, there are three more days, counting today, of summer session and some slacker/slackerettes in class are still lobbying for turning in the entire 6 weeks of assigned work on the last day of class. Or maybe it would help me since it says it cures headaches and they're certainly giving me one with all of their whining.

Summer Session Student Sniveling

Next week is the last week of the 6-week summer session I've been teaching. Students who, for the last 5 weeks, have been slackers and not submitted ANY work (but haven't had any absences so they couldn't be dropped) are suddenly serious about the class. For the past 2 days I've been barraged with emails and in-person excuses as to why they've not submitted work and why I should let them submit an entire semester's worth of work this weekend and next week. Mind you, these are students who took spots in the class that could have been given to others that actually care about their education. With all the budget cuts that have resulted in class cuts (we had to reduce summer offerings by 50 percent and there were over 4,000 students on waitlists for the summer session) it is more than frustrating to have a student take a spot in the class and then proceed to not participate in said class. I am so glad I'm turning off the computer (and, by extension, student email reading) and flying to San Francisco in a few hours for 2 1/2 days in "the city by the bay". In any event, the art piece above reflects what my brain has been hearing.


Image Shown:
Blah, Blah, Blah, Mel Bochner, 2010, oil on velvet, 63 x 57 x 1.8 inches

Happy Bastille Day!

Images Shown:
Claude Monet - Rue Montorgueil, Paris
Veuve Clicquot for celebratory toasting of Bastille Day
Eiffel Tower Fireworks Celebrating Bastille Day

First Comprehensive U.S. Museum Survey of Dennis Hopper Opens at MOCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), presents Dennis Hopper Double Standard, the first comprehensive survey exhibition of Dennis Hopper’s artistic career to be mounted by a North American museum, July 11 through September 26, 2010, at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.

Best known for his work in film, Hopper produced an oeuvre of remarkable breadth that blurs the boundaries between art, film, and popular culture. The exhibition will trace the evolution of Hopper’s artistic output and feature more than 200 works spanning his prolific 60-year career in a range of media, including an early painting from 1955; photographs, sculpture, and assemblages from the 1960s; paintings from the 1980s and ’90s; graffiti-inspired wall constructions and large-scale billboard paintings from the 2000s; his most recent sculptures; and film installations. The title of the exhibition is taken from Hopper’s iconic 1961 photograph of the two Standard Oil signs seen through an automobile windshield at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and North Doheny Drive on historic Route 66 in Los Angeles. The image was reproduced on the invitation for Ed Ruscha’s second solo exhibition at Ferus Gallery in 1964. Dennis Hopper Double Standard is curated by Julian Schnabel, whose work has been inspired by Hopper’s fusion of art and film.

“Dennis Hopper’s work has been a springboard for the work of many artists and filmmakers of a younger generation,” comments MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch. “His fusion of artistic media has become an inspiration for the new artistic generation who often draw on performance and film as well as painting, sculpture, and photography in the creation of their work.”

Julian Schnabel calls Hopper, “a painter without a brush,” articulating a visual statement that is “beyond language.” Schnabel speaks about how Hopper “made film into art,” and describes how he “takes the viewer on a high risk journey with him, working without a safety net.”

Hopper prefigured the union of art, life, and popular culture that characterizes much of the art of the 21st century. He was a creative connector, introducing and collaborating with artists, actors, writers, and musicians for nearly six decades. His works made in the 1960s capture the quintessential pop imagery that symbolizes Los Angeles during that time. “L.A was Pop,” Hopper recalled, talking about that period, “L.A. was the billboards. L.A. was the automobile culture. L.A. was the movie stars and L.A. was the whole idea of what ‘Pop’ was about.” Ahead of his time in bringing the art of the street into the gallery, Hopper’s work also constructs a dialogue between abstract expressionist painting and graffiti and gang signs from Los Angeles street culture.

Dennis Hopper Double Standard assembles key selections and bodies of work examining the artist’s creative development with a focus on artworks made between 1961 and present day, as many of Hopper’s earlier paintings were destroyed in his studio by the 1961 Bel Air fire. The exhibition will be organized in several sections reflecting the cyclical and serial nature of the artist’s work. The layout will bring together various groupings of work emphasizing Hopper’s interest in Duchampian appropriation of common objects and the dialogue between pop and progressive culture. It will also highlight the ways in which Hopper has utilized a range of styles—from abstraction, the ready-made, and pop art to conceptual and performance art—to further his investigation into the “return to the real.”

The first portion of the exhibition will include a comprehensive selection of sculpture and assemblages as well as photographs documenting the progressive, changing culture of the time and the pop-art scene in both Los Angeles and New York from the 1960s. The second section will feature a series of paintings from the 1980s and ’90s inspired by graffiti-covered walls and the urban Los Angeles landscape. This segment also incorporates Hopper’s set-like wall constructions. Hopper’s monumental billboard paintings from the 2000s, which borrow images from his earlier life and work, and more recent series of abstract landscape photographs will also be included in the exhibition. In the final section, a series of film installations highlighting Hopper’s career as a director and actor will be presented.

Fred Hoffman, who has a long association with Dennis Hopper, is the curatorial consultant for Dennis Hopper Double Standard. The museum thanks Tony Shafrazi and Tony Shafrazi Gallery for their dedicated collaboration in realizing the exhibition.

For nearly six decades, Dennis Hopper (b. 1936, Dodge City, Kansas; d. 2010, Los Angeles) was at the center of the Los Angeles creative community. He had a prolific career working in film, photography, as a painter, and as a sculptor. He directed numerous films including Easy Rider (1969), The Last Movie (1971), and Colors (1988), and acted in many more including Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Apocalypse Now (1979), Blue Velvet (1986), Speed (1994), and Basquiat (1996).

Hopper has been celebrated in monographic and group exhibitions around the world including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; MAK Vienna: Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art, Vienna; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and most recently the Cinémathèque Française, Paris, and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne.