Amy Plumb Oppenheim, Director of the Dennis Oppenheim ~studio, had a decades long working relationship with the artist, Dennis Oppenheim. Her work continues with the development of the Program at Teacher’s College. Recent activities include a Public Program at Electronic Arts Intermix, Dennis Oppenheim Form-Energy-Subject. She is currently working on a one person show at the Henry Moore Institute, The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and MOT International planned for the end of this year.
Dear Amy,
I trust this email finds you well.
We first met in 1989 in New York in when I bought 6 paintings from your late husband Dennis Oppenheim, and one more when you came to Nice in France the following months.
I took them in France and since that time I’m very happy with them.
A few months ago, I went to a specialist to get the painting “Study for spinning dancers from the power tools series Steel table buffing disks Five electric drills ” framed. She told me she was going to apply an invisible film to protect it. It turned out she simply used a stabilising varnish.
Unfortunately, the different colors and materials used by Dennis reacted in different manners to the varnish. Some parts are very matt and some very glossy, which now gives a leopard skin type effect to the painting. I attach a photo, although its difficult to see the impact on the photo.
Unfortunately, I fear my painting has lost most of its artistic value despite what the framer is now saying, ie the varnish is not altering the oeuvre in any way, shape or form.
Could you please kindly let me know, as you’re the one closest to his work, whether you think that if Dennis really wanted to give some effects (like leopard skin) he would not have done so himself, given all his drawings follow the same technics and confirm that unfortunately the artistic value of my oeuvre has been damaged beyond repair?
Many thanks
Patrice Caramalli
To the person who did not take any crap at the Met. Greetings!