Westport's David Pogue Uncovers "Dumpster Diver" Who Found A Multi-Million Dollar Art Treasure
Work on exhibit at the Hollis Taggart Gallery In Southport by Francis Mattson Hines found in a dumpster
Many Westport residents will recognize David Pogue who was the New York Times weekly tech columnist from 2000 to 2013. He’s a six-time Emmy winner for his stories on CBS News Sunday Morning, a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker, and host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS. His recent story on Sunday Morning is amazing and started with a skateboarding mechanic turned art investigator who came to see a barn in Watertown Connecticut and has now lead to the Hollis Taggart Gallery just over the Westport line in the quaint village of Southport.
It happened like this; Jared Whipple got a call from his buddy George Martin who was emptying out a Watertown barn which had not been touched in forty years. Martin found a 40 yard dumpster completely stuffed with fine art work, some wrapped in plastic others just covered in dust. Appreciating the works he saw, Whipple noticed each was a signed F. Hines. He began an internet search which didn't provide much info until he discovered one canvas signed Francis Mattson Hines. He hit "pay dirt", so to speak after becoming obsessed with finding out the artist's history and eventually discovered that Hines had achieved his "15 minutes of fame" according to art historian and publisher Peter Hastings Falk. In 1980 Hines wrapped the famous Washington Square arch in Manhattan in 8,000 yards of polyester fabric and he continued "wrapping", also doing JFK Terminal and Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, becoming the only artist in history to wrap NYC billings in fabric.
As it turns out Hines was only interested in creating art which he did constantly from his New York studio, having the finished artwork sent to the Watertown barn where it would be stored for all those years until being discovered by Martin and Whipple. After
contacting the Hines family he was given much of the valuable artwork to offer for sale. Prices are expected to be as much as $35,000. for certain pieces and once sculpture is priced at $55,000.
When Whipple attempted to see about showing the work, gallery owner after gallery owner "slammed the door in my face" he told David Pogue in the CBS Sunday morning story. Feeling quite overwhelmed by the whole saga, Whipple told Pogue, "I still can't wrap my head around it", maybe "Hines could wrap my head around it".
Part of the Press release from Hollis Taggert Gallery: Hollis Taggart announced today an exhibition devoted to the work of Francis Mattson Hines (1920-2016), an artist known for his wrapped paintings, sculptures, and public art projects, especially the wrapping of the Washington Square Arch in 1980. Though his work received critical acclaim during his lifetime, Hines slipped into obscurity toward the end of his life. Fortunately, most of his work was salvaged from a dumpster outside of his barn studio a year after his death. Unwrapping the Mystery of New York’s Wrapper revives Hines’ work and career, positioning him at the forefront of expressionists experimenting with wrapping, and demonstrating his unique vision to imbue his works with a tension and kineticism reflective of the changing world around him. Hines’ paintings will be presented alongside archival material, including photographs and project drawings. The exhibition contextualizes his work in the creative output as a groundbreaking style within the New York art scene of the 1960s through the 1980s. Unwrapping the Mystery of New York’s Wrapper is curated by Paul Efstathiou, Director of Contemporary Art at Hollis Taggart, and Peter Hastings Falk, art historian and publisher, and will be on view at Hollis Taggart’s Southport, Connecticut location from May 5 through June 11, 2022, with an accompanying focused presentation on view at the gallery’s Chelsea location.
The gallery will hold an opening reception Thursday May 5th from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at 330 Pequot Avenue, Southport CT 06890. For further info contact the gallery at info@hollistaggart.com.
To see Whipple's story visit www.francishinesartist.com