Kenny Schachter’s stream-of-consciousness diary for New York’s Contemporary art week has a few vignettes to dwell upon. Here’s Dan Loeb talking to one of the Nahmads:
After the sale, I stepped into the elevator with activist investor Dan Loeb, whose superhuman track record is currently being tested by his Sotheby’s investment. After he nearly bit the head off a Bloomberg reporter, I introduced him to a scion of the Nahmad dealing dynasty and they compared notes on each other’s Rothkos—the Nahmads had snared one for $36.5 million the night before at Sotheby’s Mellon collection sale—and discussed the evening’s Koons failure.
And here’s an interesting anecdote about an artist trying to defend the integrity of her work. Where’s Cady Noland when you need her?
Met with another artist before Christie’s evening sale, one who remains considered and thoughtful about her work even as its market has gone white-hot. When this artist got word that a spec-u-lector was trying to put one of her paintings up for auction, she complained to the auction house that it was part of an installation, not a standalone work, and therefore couldn’t be put up for sale. In response, the would-be seller threatened to sue her.
Kenny Schachter at the New York Auctions (ARTnews)
