The Rake’s progress: last week in gossip

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.

Time was when you could count on artists to be at the very forefront of cutting edge style. Basquiat, for one, was known for painting in Armani suits and parading around New York in the splattered results, while Salvador Dalí famously collaborated with Elsa Schiaparelli on several designs. If you thought those days were gone, fear not, for soi-disant ‘gifted artist’ Michael the III has partnered with Montreal e-commerce brand SSENSE to select what the latter describes as ‘this season’s best boudoir outfits’.

Michael III, is (apparently) best known for his ‘nude selfies’ and ‘satirical commentary’ on Instragram. In addition to his all too subtly disguised artistic prowess, this committed interdisciplinarian also lists himself as a ‘multicultural icon, noted fashion photographer, charismatic politician, Instagram personality, renowned conversationalist, dog masseuse, humanitarian, best-selling author, winner of three Kid’s Choice Awards, and gentle lover’. Should you wish to see the fruits of this latter-day Leonardo’s adventures in the world of fashion, investigate his page at SSENSE here. But you have been warned.

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There’s a bandit on the loose in the art galleries of Edinburgh. Yes, though you may think of broadcaster and art critic Waldemar Januszczak as a pillar of the establishment, his Twitter timeline provides evidence to the contrary: ‘The Police have released a photo of the illegal art photographer Waldemar Januszczak who is on the run in Edinburgh’, he tweeted on Saturday.

The Police have released a photo of the illegal art photographer Waldemar Januszczak who is on the run in Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/NYYURjxSyK

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 30, 2016

From what Rakewell can tell, Januszczak had a standoff on Friday with staff at the city’s Dovecot Gallery after attempting to take photos of works by Jock McFadyen. Cue a Twitter tirade that was still going strong nearly 24 hours later.

Most of the galleries in Edinburgh for the Art Festival are warm and welcoming. And then there is the Dovecot Gallery.. Avoid!

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 29, 2016

Places you can take photos – Louvre, Tate, National Gallery, Rijksmuseum. Places you can’t take photos – the Dovecot Gallery in Edinburgh!

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 29, 2016

Fabulous Cornelia Parker at Jupiter Artland. They let you take photos unlike the awful Dovecote Gallery. pic.twitter.com/hFa66gDJGX

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 29, 2016

What I hate about the photo Nazis is that they cite ‘copyright issues’! As if I’m going to start pirating Jock McFadyen postcards! #dumber

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 29, 2016

Don’t take a camera into the Dovecote Gallery in Edinburgh. They’ll arrest you. You’re obviously stealing Jock McFadyen’s ideas!

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 30, 2016

In any case, revenge, in the form of an illicit snap he managed to take, was not long in coming. Waldemar uploaded the image to social media with the challenge ‘Arrest Me!’. Not for nothing did TV critic AA Gill once compare our hero to a gunfighter in a Sergio Leone film.

So this morning I donned a disguise and sneaked into the Dovecote Gallery in Edinburgh where I took this.Arrest me! pic.twitter.com/RPmLPLU9Rk

— WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK (@JANUSZCZAK) July 30, 2016

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Robert Rauschenberg is quite the man of the moment. Last week, Tate Modern announced that his ‘iconic’ work Monogram (1955–59) would be travelling to the UK from Sweden for the museum’s forthcoming retrospective. The sculpture, which features a rubber tire, a tennis ball and, most memorably, a stuffed goat spread across a horizontal canvas, has not been on show in the British capital since 1964.

Altogether more importantly, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has a job vacancy going for a chef-in-residence at the artist’s former home on Captiva Island. Successful candidates will have the honour of cooking for staff and visiting artists in residence – but this ain’t no déjeuner sur l’herbe. As Shuna Lydon, the incumbent chef in residence, told the New York Times: ‘some of these artists are doing really physical work […] sometimes it’s like feeding a bunch of workmen. They’re hungry.’ Goat curry, anyone?

Got a story for Rakewell? Get in touch at rakewell@apollomag.com or via @Rakewelltweets.