Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Warning to collectors

“Fewer than half of the modern and contemporary artists listed in a Christie's or Sotheby's catalogue 25 years ago are now offered at any major auction.

“Of the 1,000 artists who had serious gallery shows in London and New York during the 1980s, only 20 were still being shown in comparable venues in 2007.”

John Preston reviews The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art and Auction Houses by Don Thompson in the New York Times