Phillips de Pury to Represent Artists!!
My favorite auction house announced a new strategic direction, it will start representing artists, and holding regular selling shows in it's Chelsea Gallery space. Phillips de Pury & Company posted on their website their first selling show for Icon Celebrity Photographer Mario Testino starting on January 28th, 2006!
It's interesting to see, yet another player in the primary art market now fighting to build a stable of artists! I think Mario Testino was, at one point, represented by Mary Boone, or at least the last gallery shows of his work in NYC were with Mary Boone in Nov 1998 and at the NYC Visionaire Gallery in Sept 1999.
Phillips said in a press release "Starting in January 2006, the exhibitions will run alongside the company’s regular auction schedule and will include a select number of leading designers, photographers and artists."
You have to wonder if this new direction as a primary dealer is a conflict of interest with being seen as an "independent auction clearing house"? Or will it bring more transparency of price/valuation information for works of art? Will they be more able to help maintain stable prices for their own in house artists?
Well.. I wish them all the best of luck in this new endeavor.. It's an interesting development. I look forward to attending the openings and seeing the cat fight as they lure artists away from established Chelsea galleries new shows.
Oh my Gawd....gurl, you still writing this mess? Is anyone else reading this?? Hellllloooooooo.....quit before you start looking like Weather gurl
Posted by: Rocco | December 15, 2005 at 05:46 PM
Rooco.. Leave my son alone!! I like Mikey's blog.. Plus it keeps him busy and off of BigMuscle.
So go back to your own lame ass white boy pussy blog!
Posted by: Mike's Mom | December 15, 2005 at 11:56 PM
Don't the auction houses already have a big enough share of the market?! I think this is awful. . . And yeah, what happens when Testino photos come to the auction block down the road? (Bet they won't at Phillips!) There will be some fancy footwork to help maintain his prices, I imagine. . .
Posted by: Clamper | January 08, 2006 at 04:02 PM
Brian.. you're probably right.. these auction houses have alot of influence over prices. It's going to be interesting if this works out for Phillips. My guess they'll start loosing auction business from gallery owners and other artists who are unhappy about the artists they choose to represent. It might totally backfire on them.
Posted by: Mike @ MAO | January 08, 2006 at 06:23 PM