The Wall Street Journal prints our story

Sorry it has been so long since my last posting but I have been so busy and the complications so many. I just wanted to share the exciting news that we have gotten coverage in the world most widely distributed paper The Wall Street Journal. Please Google my name+ Chris Muth and the Wall Street Journal and it will pop up.We hope it will be the

 

 

beginning of more coverage in major news outlets and that it will allow us to attract the right partners for the project. The last flashing box is a teaser to get you to visit our website still in construction at www.voicethread.com/share/2804456#

The Reporter Robert said that the story was cut and he could not include the very positive quotes from the famous curator @ + Peter Selz  of MoMA fame who visited the mural and gave us the beautiful letter of endorsement nor from @ +Harry Rand the Harvard art historian who wrote the 1983 book on Hundertwasser just reprinted. He works at the Smithsonian as a senior curator and has been very encouraging to our efforts over the years. He is the one who said to take the slow and the high road through academic and curatorial circles. He said that we could qualify for grants for the restoration of the mural and the film and scholarly monograph about this remarkable work. We were in the running for a $400,000 dollar grant with a Swiss bank and almost got it. I know we are getting close now to finding the right partners.

@+Andrea Furst the director of the Hundertwasser Archive has continued to support out efforts with her words and suggestions

@ +Philipp Gutbrod the curator who visited the mural three years ago and was quoted so favorably in the first big story in the Brooklyn Eagle has also continued to encourage and support our effort.

Finally Ralf Wittig the conservator in his museum who worked with Hundertwassers is also waiting patiently to continue the restoration when funding allows. His five page condition report is on our site.

We have over time developed an online presence that we hope will give us credibility and bring forward the support we need to move the project quickly forward. I and my family brother +Steven Muth , sister+ Mary Muth and mother+ Patricia Muth   have invested a lot of time and money into the effort and we think it will soon result in a great reward, the restoration of Hundertwassers collaborative masterwork. The money that is derived from the eventual sale of the restored mural as well as the books and films will allow us all to contribute to the causes close to our hearts and take care of two sick family members suffering from Lyme's Disease,

My brother +Steven Muth helped  co-found www.NYCMedics.org . We hope to fund this important effort that saves lives with a part of the proceeds. He an my Sister +Mary Muth who is a PA are handling the business aspects of the project. I stick to the art world and restoration aspects that I am better suited for by experience and inclination.

My father Edward L. Muth  worked with AID,WHO, and the UNDP, United Nations Development Program would I think be proud of our efforts with this cultural and Humanitarian effort.

Best wishes from NYC Chris Muth
 

Huge colorless diamond goes for record $27 million

Huge colorless diamond goes for record $27 million

I had a long detailed dream 11 years ago where I saw the face and hand of god in the clouds. In his hands were two diamonds. I was in jail working on a chain gang he said he was going to help me escape and that I should run hard when I saw the first diamond and continue running in the direction of the second diamond and I would escape to freedom . When I first saw Hundertwassers Mural called Paradise I knew that he was keeping his promise. The second diamond I discovered was the story itself which professionals say is worth even more than the great mural itself. It has been a six year run at this point but we still have a distance to go. This struggle is no dream but quite real and requires great effort.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Against the Grain. Works 1949-1970 opens at Kunsthalle Bremen

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Against the Grain. Works 1949-1970 opens at Kunsthalle Bremen

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Against the Grain. Works 1949-1970 opens at Kunsthalle Bremen

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Against the Grain. Works 1949-1970 opens at Kunsthalle Bremen

I am told by many that we need to set up a  facebook account instead of the blog, which has not gotten much traffic. It is more a historical documentation of a slow, persistent and underfunded effort to make a dream come true. Many people still have difficulty believing the basic story. We have a new website at http://www.voicethread.com/share/2804456# please visit and although not complete I think you will be happily surprised.
We are continuing to seek partners, private and public to fund the project. Andrea Furst the director of his archive has requested the crated 13 pieces of the painting be sent to Austria for restoration and an exhibition in Oct.
I believe that we will eventually succeed in finding the right partners for this project, we are persistent and hopeful.We have in fact "Prof of Faith" a museum grad lexan mounted portrait of what appears to be a group of monks at prayer. It is in fact one many in many different poses. I saved it from destruction also , it was in the streets of New York hidden in protective wrapping and in mint condition.The artist Drew Tal , www.drewtal.com, told me that it was an artists proof of a unique piece.It is his signature piece and on his business card. Please visit his sight and you will find it under the heading of "Facing East" I was hoping to find a way to hock my newly found "proof of Faith" to raise money to restore Hundertwassers  Paradise. I do not want to sell out my "Faith " just borrow against it. I am going to approach the Richard Gere foundation. I am certain he would like the piece and our project. The photograph has a value of $15,000 dollars.

Behind the scenes there has been ongoing an interesting struggle with real drama that I have not shared here.It will be the subject of a reality styled documentary. This will be the whole funny story. The NY art/adventure story that has been hidden will be shared. This will be separate from the serious  documentary that I have hired Trever Lawrence to direct. His recent work Florent just played on PBS and we hope our film gets the same good exposure.
One of five film makers I interviewed said he saw the whole project between the sale of the restored mural in Hundertwassers Vienna museum, the books and the films that can be generated as being worth $40 million dollars.
This project has grown organically and slowly into something much bigger than I could imagine five years ago when I encountered the mural two weeks before it was slated to be destroyed. It was blocking a $10m new wing on an old mansion on the gold Coast of Long Island outside of New York city.

Update 0n progress after 4Th year anniversary.

Memorial Day , four years ago we moved this painting and have been moving slowly to have the restoration work completed and the painting to be returned to a museum setting . I went by the Brooklyn museum and was happy to see an exhibition of 3 murals that had been lost and found. It took them 4 years to finally raise the $350,000 to restore the paintings which are worth millions. It makes us feel better about our slow progress. It is the end result that counts and the earnest efforts of our journey, to restore Hundertwassers Lost Paradise Mural. I will attach so photo's of that move and must unfortunately return to my day job that is calling.

The news story by Mike Weiss that came out on 3/30 in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle has helped start the media train and the NY Times and Der Spiegle have expressed interest in the story. Hopefully this exposure will bring us the collaborative help we seek to move this project forward.

Funding for the film.

I just got an offer from from my lawyer to introduce me to a film financier who could make this whole project happen. He said the financier could lend $400,000 which would be enough for the restoration of the mural as well as the film. This is an exciting development and I am hoping that he is going to be reasonable, after all I was told that I could theoretically get grants for both. We are tired of waiting and terning down offers to sell the painting.

I placed a posting on kickstarter.com hoping to get funding, we will see what happens and keep trying to find some combination that finally succeeds in financing this project. It would be nice, if the story of our adventure in finding this painting with such a rich history that had already been saved by Jean Aberbach once before could somehow pay for its restoration. We also have four years worth photo's of this project and the painting that has not been available to the public ever. These images alone might be valuable to the art going public. Perhaps we can set up a pay pal account and a website to sell the photo's as postcards, calenders or print in limited or unlimited editions.