|
Alexander Iolas or Alexandre Iolas (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Ιόλας; born Κωνσταντίνος Κουτσούδης ''Constantine Koutsoudis''; 25 March 1907 – 8 June 1987) was a Greek gallerist and collector. He owned galleries in the United States and Europe and contributed in many private and public art collections. ==Biography== He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on March 25, 1907, to Andreas and Persephone Coutsoudis. In 1924, he went to Berlin as a pianist, but soon started studying ballet. He fled to Paris during Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s where he continued to study dance and socialized with artists such as Jean Cocteau, Giorgio de Chirico,〔(Alexander Iolas dance-theatre producer ) Antiques A Society Favorite's many talents, The New York Times, December 4, 1998〕 Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, René Magritte and Max Ernst. There he bought his first work of art. As a dancer he toured extensively in Europe, the United States and Latin America with Theodora Roosevelt〔("Teddy Roosevelt's granddaughter does a cancan at a casino in Rio," ) Life magazine, September 7, 1942, pages 102-105. Retrieved March 22, 2011〕 and later with the company formed by the Marquis George de Cuevas. In 1944, he gave up ballet after an injury and got involved with the art world. In New York, he became the director of the Hugo Gallery, founded in 1944 by Robert Rothschild, Elizabeth Arden and Maria dei Principi Ruspoli Hugo. There, Andy Warhol had his first solo exhibition ''Fifteen Drawings Based on the Writings of Truman Capote'' (June 16 – July 3, 1952)〔(Andy Warhol biography ) The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts〕 After working at the Hugo Gallery, he founded the Jackson-Iolas Gallery in 1955 with former dancer, Brooks Jackson〔(Brooks Jackson on Alexander Iolas, March 22, 1976 ) interview by Paul Cummings, Smithsonian Archives of American Art〕 and later opened and operated a chain of art galleries under his own name in New York, Paris, Milan, Rome (Galleria Iolas-Galatea), Geneva (Galerie Iolas-Engelberts), Madrid (Galería Iolas-Velasco) and Athens (Iolas-Zoumboulakis Gallery).〔('Destroy...Alexander Iolas: The Villa-Museum and the Relics of a Lost Collection' ) by Chara Kolokytha, School of Arts and Social Sciences, Northumbria University. Published February 14, 2014〕 Alexander Iolas represented many artists in his galleries, among them Andy Warhol, René Magritte,〔(''The Guardian - Magritte on Magritte'' ) René Magritte's instructions to New York dealer,February 6, 2011〕 Roberto Matta, Ed Ruscha, Jean Tinguely, Joseph Cornell, Yves Klein, Jannis Kounellis, Takis, Victor Brauner, Jules Olitski,〔(''Clement Greenberg in My Studio'' by Jules Olitski, 1994 ) Retrieved February 4, 2010〕 and Niki de Saint-Phalle. In promoting work that initially found few to favor it, he was able to reassure potential clients with his irresistible and often mischievous charm, dazzle them with his flamboyant personality and often sensational mode of dress.〔''Alexander Iolas, the Greek art dealer, was seen in a floor-length raccoon coat, throwing bills in the air'' (Inside Art ) The New York Times, July 2, 1993〕 Known primarily for his exclusive representation of the major European Surrealists in the United States- primarily Max Ernst and René Magritte - Alexander Iolas helped to form more than one important collection. In particular, John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, founders of the Menil Collection, retained him as one of their three art consultants, along with Father Marie-Alain Couturier and Jermayne MacAgy.〔(Collection Overview ) The Menil Collection〕 In 1972, Iolas took over Carla Lavatelli's studio at 75th Street and 1st Ave. in New York for an exhibition. It was the first exhibition by a dealer at an artist's studio. In 1976, he closed all his galleries except the one in New York after the death of Max Ernst, in order to keep a promise he had made to the artist. In 1984, Alexander Iolas commissioned Andy Warhol to create a group of works based on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for an exhibition space in the Palazzo Stelline in Milan, located across the street from Santa Maria delle Grazie, home of Leonardo's masterpiece. Warhol exceeded the demands of the commission and produced more than 100 variations on the theme.〔(Andy Warhol - The Last Supper, Ayn Foundation )〕 From early 1965, Alexander Iolas started traveling to Greece. Extending his activities there, he contributed to the opening of some galleries in Athens, like the Iolas-Zoumboulakis gallery〔(Alexander Iolas in Athens ) The ACG Art Collection〕〔(Alexander Iolas and Zoumboulakis ) Zoumboulaki Gallery〕 and the Bernier Gallery. He also inspired the founding of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki to which he donated a large number of art works from his collection. He is still listed as the Museum's 'great benefactor'. In 1983, he was accused by a former employee of "antiquities smuggling, drug peddling, and the prostitution of young men"- but never charged,〔(Alexander Iolas and Avriani ) Alexandre Iolas by Gary Comenas〕 accusations that were circulated by the Greek tabloid newspaper, Avriani causing a scandal. In 1984, he was investigated for antiquities smuggling and subsequently charged. The charges were cleared only posthumously. He died of AIDS at Cornell Medical Center in New York City on Monday, June 8, 1987.〔(Alexander Iolas obituary ) New York Times June 12, 1987〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alexander Iolas」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|