Artpress Editor Criticizes Media Focus on Money Over Art

In a September 2008 editorial for artpress, Richard Leydier criticizes the media's obsession with the financial aspects of the art world, arguing that coverage of major sales and collectors neglects the artworks themselves. He cites the example of Roman Abramovich purchasing Lucian Freud's 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' (1995) and a Francis Bacon triptych at Sotheby's and Christie's in New York in May 2008, noting that articles focused on Abramovich's wealth, yachts, and girlfriend's gallery opening rather than the paintings' qualities. Leydier describes Freud's painting in detail, highlighting the model Sue Tilley's corpulence and the entropic feel of the work. He also criticizes Le Figaro's June 19 front-page coverage of Jeff Koons' upcoming exhibition at the Château de Versailles (starting September 10), which emphasized auction records and prestigious collectors like François Pinault, Dakis Joannou, and Eli Broad, rather than the art itself. Leydier laments the contrast between journalists' complacent chatter and art critics' silence, calling for a return to focusing on artworks. The editorial promotes the issue's features on Georg Baselitz, Jörg Immendorff, and Jan Fabre. A note promises future coverage of Koons' exhibition by Philippe Dagen in November and a Francis Bacon retrospective in London that autumn.