© ROBERT LONGO E+ in Arcadia Ego Digital pigment print 22 in x 34 in ( 55.88 cm x 86.36) Estimated Value: $3,500

© STEPHEN BLISS Life Sentence , 2010 Ink on vintage paper 23.75 in x 18 in Estimated value: $1,000

Free Arts NYC will host its 13th Annual Art Auction to benefit their art mentoring programs for underserved youth. This year there will be works by artists Aurel Schmidt, Stephen Bliss, Cecily Brown, Dan Colen, Tara Donovan, Hugo Guinness, Eric Haze, James Nares, Elliott Puckette, Yoko Ono among others.

The show also includes a Sterling Ruby ashtray, a Richard Serra drawing, Massimo Vitali print and an Edward White photo of the veteran New York clubber, the 95 year old Zelda Kaplan who passed away this year.

Paddle8 the online auction platform will be hosting the bidding through noon April 22nd after which the bids will transfer to the live event at Eyebeam to be held on April 23, 2012.

The artworks priced in value from $1,000 – $25,000 will offer a good chance to acquire works well below market prices.

© SPENCER TUNICK Dead Sea , 2011 C-print 11 in x 14 in ( 27.94 cm x 35.56) Estimated Value: $2,000 C-print under plexi 8 in x 10 in - 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm Estimated value: $2,000

© HUGO GUINNESS Gothic Rose 2011 - w: 11” (27.94cm) h: 13” (33.02cm) Estimated Value: $500

The auction will be conducted by Alexander Gilkes, co-founder of Paddle8.

© ELLIOTT PUCKETTE Untitled , 2010 Print 21 in x 15 in ( 53.34 cm x 38.1 ) $750

© STERLING RUBY 166 , 2011 Ceramic 2 in x 13 in x 13 in Estimated Value: $8,000

© ANDRE SARAIVA Round Pink Mr. A , 2012 Oil and acrylic on canvas 12 in x 12 in ( 30.48 cm x 30.48 ) $2,500

For more information:
http://www.paddle8.com/forgood/freearts
http://www.freeartsnyc.org/benefit2012

Auction at Eyebeam, 540 West 21st Street, NYC

"Aurel Schmidt," shot by Juro Schneider

Though only slightly more than half of the artists showing at the Whitney’s 75th annual Biennial are women, it’s already been dubbed “the Women’s Biennial,” thanks to cyberspace’s fervid bloggers and social networkers. The split highlights the blase gender blindness that the art community has boasted for years, and if people can actually buy into it, it may prove to be a very effective measure taken by chief curator, Francesco Bonami.

One artist that SPREAD ArtCulture is particularly interested in braving the elements to see at the Whitney is Aurel Schmidt, and her deranged 7-foot-tall drawing of a minotaur, comprised of condoms, cigarettes, banana peels, and bottle caps. “It’s really an insane portrait of a man, but it’s interesting to explore what is masculine and make it look sexual and positive,” Aurel explains about her newest piece, going on to add: “I don’t want anyone to accuse me of being a man hater, which I’m not. This is also about the masculine side of me.”

"Master of the Universe: FlexMaster 3000" by Aurel Schmidt