Author: admin

In 2003, artist David Hammons presented “Which Mike Would You Like to Be Like,” three vintage microphones standing alone in a room, representing three Michaels: Jackson, Tyson and Jordan. It was an ironic commentary on role models for African-Americans, a funny play on words, a great pun, all of the above; that’s the magic we’ve come to expect from David Hammons. He’s given us several memorable art moments: shoes slung… Read more

I was just in Paris, visiting a painting I had loaned to the wonderful Basquiat show at the Musee d’Art Moderne and marveling at the two-hour-long line to get into the show. The French love our American mythic pop figures–Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean–and you could feel how easily Jean-Michel, prodigy, addict and star, fit right in to their vision of America.   Basquiat sought fame and fortune from the very… Read more

Times like these can turn art buying into something akin to stamp collecting. What do I mean by that? The unfortunate consequence of our new economic reality is conservative and often myopic collector demand. All those tired and stultifying guidelines like “paintings resell better than sculptures” or “only buy works that can fit into a Park Avenue co-op” are put into practice. Such clichés inhibit ambitious acquisitions, and inhibit some… Read more

The art market is rolling along with plenty of momentum, while the rest of the world still feels pretty shaky. Although I cannot fully explain this phenomenon, there are number of plausible reasons–some economic and some specific to the art world. Try them out at Christmas and New Year’s parties when the inevitable art doubters appear and, scratching their heads at record prices, ask, “How is it possible that pigs… Read more

“It’s the best game you can play in the world,” said Jonathan Meese, the sculptor whose show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami was one of the hits of the huge Art Basel Miami Beach week. Mr. Meese, talking to me about art, added, “I believe in the total power of art, and I think it will one day rule the world.”   It says a lot about… Read more

I keep an eye on the Impressionist and Modern art auctions because they’re thought to be an early indicator of the contemporary art sales that follow. But talking to Impressionist and Modern art experts about my penchant for contemporary artists like Maurizio Cattelan or Urs Fischer always leaves me feeling like an insecure fashionista. They’re convinced that “real” art by historic names like Pablo Picasso or Paul Cézanne is not… Read more