In the art world, quirky artistic temperament is part of the process & gives value to the dealers role as middle man between the creator & the collector. What role does ethics play in selling the creations made by a cold blooded murderer?
were nightclub owners and boxing promoters. Really they're better known for intimidation, psychotic fits of violence, rigging fights, a platoon of henchmen called "the Firm", celebrity friends, impeccable style and undying devotion to their dear old mum, Violet. The Kray brothers made substantial donations to British boxing charities; Jack Ruby is on record as saying: “boxing and criminality are two faces of the same coin.” It has been theorized that Ronnie's homosexual affairs with several closeted high ranking members of parliament from both parties is what let them get away so long with their criminal enterprises. When the mob boss twins were finally convicted of some
thing, for Reggie it was for the murder of underworld figure Jack 'The Hat' McVitie. For Ronnie he was convicted of the very public murder of gangster rival, George Cornell in front of a pub full of witnesses (most of whom either "didn't remember" or just flat out refused to testify) . They were both sent to jail for 30 years each in January 1969. At the time it was the longest, most expensive trial in British history. Ronnie, who spent much of his sentence at Broadmoor high-security hospital for the criminally insane, died in 1995 aged 61. Reggie died five years later after being paroled a few weeks before his death in response to his deteriorating health from bladder cancer. 
Each twin wrote a book
from a cell, but more than 32 books have been written about them (especially well done are those authored by John Pearson
). The film The Krays
(1990) immortalized their flashy brutal business sense on the big screen. But it turns out they also dabbled in paint while they were locked up.
The personal belongings of the twins that were put up for auction were given to a "very close friend of the Krays" who grew up with them and made regular treks to see Reggie in prison and Ronnie in Broadmoor. Also on sale at the auctions were paintings done by the twins while incarcerated. Every auctioned piece of clothing as well as the art is considered a historic object to collectors of true crime memorabilia.
Collectors of outsider and folk art are known for their affection for interesting work by persons with mental illness, children, monkeys and other self taught artists who rarely make the work with the intention of selling it. The twins should definitely be considered outsider artists due to their limited formal art training. Their work comes with a peculiarly dark provenance which adds market value to the Kray's body of artwork. ART PRICES:
1st Chiswick Auct
ion in London on January 26, 2009 (160 personal effect items) £110,000 total: - Ronnie's cufflinks in form of the intials RK £1,000
- letter to Ronnie from artist Francis Bacon £7,400
- Ronnie's oil painting done in Parkhurst prison £4,800
2nd Chiswick Auction in London on March 30, 2009:
- Ronnie's brevet revolver £3,000
- Reggie's paintings
- Ron & Kate's engagement ring £2,900
- Ron & Kate's Cartier diamond cluster wedding ring £2,800
"Outsider art - (n.) Strictly interpreted, outsider art refers to works by tho
se outside of mainstream (art) society...folk and ethnic art as well as by prisoners...Because fewer and fewer people are sufficiently isolated (from art/media) to be truly outsiders, most are either mentally ill or working far from urban art scenes." [as defined by artlex.com] "A victims’ support group has raised concerns over the sale of a gun belonging to the notorious Kray twins, saying it could reopen 'emotional wounds'. National charity Victim Support, which offers support to those affected by crime, yesterday condemned the sale of items saying many of the Krays’ victims were still living with the memories of what happened to them." A spokesman for Chiswick said '“The trade we work in from day to day is antiques and history – they come hand in hand for use. These items are a part of British history. There is no glamourising of this on our part.'"
AUCTION DATES:
- Bonhams Chelsea: sold Wednesday, August 23, 1995 [Lot 395]
Artist: Reginald
Kray Title: Reggie's turmoil, the despair of a Lifer (oil on board w/2 letters from artist and Ronnie Kray)
- Bloomsbury Auctions: sold Wednesday, November 22, 2006 [Lot 79]
Ronnie Kray, Untitled (oil on board Landscape with house and tree)
-Chiswick Auction in London sold on January 26, 2009
Ronnie Kray oil painting done in Parkhurst prison £4,800
- Chiswick Auction in London sold on March 30, 2009
Reginald Kray oil painting
- Bloomsbury Auctions: sold Thursday, September 30, 2010 [Lot 182]
Artist: Reginald Kray
Title: Untitled (+ 4 others; 5 works), 1986
A few years ago, a friend of mine curated an exhibit of paintings by serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy. What if the mother of one of Gacy's victims had come to the show and had an emotional response to the work being displayed by her child's murderer and violently reacted to the piece or establishment showing it? What if Victim's Support has valid concerns about the torment caused by glamorizing the lesser known talents of an real historical person who in life was despised and eventually punished for the evil done to their victims? Is it any different than the Antiques Roadshow like sale of a gun owned by John Wilkes Boothe or Al Capone? Few capitalists can resist market value when a painting outsells a Cartier diamond ring.
If the line between genius & insanity is so very thin, where do we draw the line in commidifying the art created by known predators? I suppose it is a risk to be assumed by the curators & dealers who choose to indulge their collectors' taste for blood.
In 2010, the three Teale brothers reported they would be releasing a tell-all book about the Kray's
from their perspective as henchmen, confidantes to the Twins, and eventual star witnesses who were forced into hidi
ng after their testimonies convicted the Krays and many others. "They are planning to mark their unexpected reunion (after 42 years) with a book they hope will strip away the veneer of glamour around two of the most sadistic and dangerous killers this country has ever known." One of the brothers, Bobby mused 'But it almost looks like a waste of time...and a waste of our lives...when you find out that people are spinning a pack of lies about the Krays, glamorising them, treating them as heroes.'" 
Back in 1969, the Kray twins older brother was only sentenced for 10 years. After his release, Charlie Kray
returned to crime and died in prison in 2000 while serving time for masterminding a £69m cocaine smuggling plot. I don't know if the less glamorous Kray brother ever picked up a paintbrush. [ARTWORK to the left was done by Ron &
ARTWORK to the right was done by Reg]
SOURCES:
Chiswick auction prices
art auction dates provided by artnet.com (except the Chiswick auctions)
Chiswick auction
victim support group commenting on 2nd auction
kray conviction info
article about ronnie's open homosexuality
online chapter book about krays
star witness Teale brothers return after 42 years in hiding
No comments:
Post a Comment