Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Dealer take all

The art world talks about über dealer Larry Gagosian in Sarah Douglas’s 4000 word plus profile, The art of the deal, in Intelligent Life.

“He's like a visitor from another planet, an extraterrestrial trying to communicate with our species.”

“He's like a shark or a cat or some other perfectly designed biological mechanism."

“He's sort of a combination of a corporate raider, a dark lord, Peggy Guggenheim, and a railroad magnate.”

"Of two great paintings, Larry can determine what makes one greater".

“It's a perfect storm where Larry becomes art.”

On brand, Gagosian wouldn’t talk. The best of three short quotes from him in the piece came from way back in 1980. “If I weren't doing this, I'd probably be in real estate.”