Sample # 2:
Artist at work:
So, what do you think? http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/archi...nal-news/793752
Two-year-old's paintings make splash
Aelita puts her finger on what it takes to sell abstract art
She has painted 20 works of art, has her first gallery exhibition this week and buyers are already queuing up to pay thousands of dollars for her work oh, and she's only just turned two.
Pint-sized child art prodigy and Care Bears fan Aelita Andre is causing a sensation in the Melbourne art world and attracting global attention for her abstract acrylics on canvas.
But Aelita's father, Michael Andre, who hopes to exhibit his daughter's work in Wellington, is certain her new-found stardom will not go to her pretty little head. "I can't even say that she's aware of it. I would challenge you to convince her of what's happening. What are you going to do? Sit her down and say, 'Do you realise you could be affected by the limelight'? No, she has no idea at all."
Mark Jamieson, director of Melbourne's Brunswick Street Gallery, was asked to consider showing the work of an emerging abstract artist alongside that of Russian-born photographer Nikka Kalashnikova in an exhibition to open this Friday. He viewed the work and agreed, placing advertisements in art magazines.
Later he learned the artist was Mr Andre's daughter, who uses brushes, fingers and even spatulas to create her organic and vivid art.
Aelita's parents swear they were not trying to play a joke on the sometimes-pretentious world of high art. They simply wanted to show her growing collection she has a solo exhibition coming up and let the world decide whether she has a gift.
"I mean how else can you describe it?" Mr Andre said. "Somebody produces their kind of outpourings on to canvas and the result is something that is not only appealing to the eye, but also contains symbolic objects. So call it what you will. I do I call it a gift."
Mr Andre said the gallery had buyers lined up for Aelita's paintings, ranging in price from NZ$410 to well over NZ$2360 for a large three-panel work.
Aelita's parents believe her love of art came from watching them paint at home and their nurturing of her artistic talent.
"It's interesting because it's created quite a bit of a stir, I guess for obvious reasons, in the art world. She's basically getting worldwide coverage.
"Me and my wife love it. It's just a cut above anything by other kids we've seen. We thought, `It's up there with any abstract work in the art world'. But that's Mum and Dad. But here it's kind of confirmation, so it's quite amazing."
