The Business of Art Unveiled: New York Art Dealers Speak Up

The recession of the 90’s has caused fundamental changes in the art world. Surviving is the name of the game nowadays. In the 80’s a broad public discovered the art market as a playground which resulted in an exorbitant rise in prices. The origins of this speculation-driven buying frenzy were the auction houses. What we see at auctions are works from artists who have already succeeded in building a reputation and a market. But how do these artists get there? Who discovers artists and builds a market for their work? These activities are the responsibility of art dealers. Art dealers used to conceal from the art-interested public how they work and how the market mechanisms function. To explore the nucleus of the art world was the goal of this research, conducted among New York Art Dealers.