But as yet there is nothing in the fair grounds to supersede them.
The fair at its most serious – as with Basel – increasingly concentrates on the secondaries market for past names – Warhol, Twombly, Late Picasso, etc. Schachter then archly notes that the main auction houses – Sotheby’s and Christie’s took torrid beatings in grosses for November, not to put too fine a point on the drift in the secondaries market to fair-y land. He reproaches himself for dismissing Christopher Wool in 1997, only to see the artist’s career soar. But frankly I think you got it right first time Kenny. Wool is way overrated and the NYC market manipulates him so far with impunity. I don’t even think the artist is comfortable with it.
Anyway it’s a longish read for Artnet (3k+) and a good slice of Kenny's world as shrewd appraiser, distant parent, public speaker and gossip magnet. Basically he’s Linda Yablonsky without the heels!
