Description
Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock’s drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million?
Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark takes a Freakonomics-style approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art market to uncover what deems certain works valuable while others are ignored.
This book is the first to examine the marketing strategies and financial mechanisms that enable the modern art world to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on extensive interviews with auction house executives, art dealers, artists, and the high-profile buyers who drive the market, Thompson takes readers on a journey of discovery through this peculiar domain.
Surprising, passionate, and delightfully gossipy, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark offers a revelatory look behind the scenes, exposing secrets that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.
ASIN: 0230620590
VSKU: 31UE34003JFA_ns
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Thompson, Don
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
ASIN: 0230620590
VSKU: 31UE34003JFA_ns
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Thompson, Don
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.