Can Christie’s Gagosian-ize Itself?

Rumors that Gagosian Gallery’s John Good, who resigned last week, is going to work at Christie’s in their private sales division, headed by Amy Cappellazzo, remind us that new CEO Steven Murphy has put private sales at the center of his strategy for the future of the company. But one question nags. Can an auction house, which is ultimately an agent for the seller, find within itself the culture and drive of a sales organization?

As anyone who has worked in sales will tell you, truly effective sales organizations are different animals from almost any other type of enterprise. Think Glengarry Glenn Ross.

Here’s the Observer’s GalleristNY on the move:

“This shows that Christie’s is ambitious about private sales,” said one collector familiar with Mr. Good’s new position. “It will bring in a large number of relationships.”

Before joining Gagosian, Mr. Good had his own gallery, which closed in the early 1990s after the market crash. At Gagosian, he worked with a number of artists and estates, including the estate of sculptor David Smith. He was instrumental in bringing the estate of Alberto Giacometti to the gallery.

John Good Leaves Gagosian, Reportedly For Christie’s Private Sales (GalleristNY)