Photo Gallery vs. Contemporary Art Gallery: Market Divide
The contemporary art auctions in New York during November showcased the strengthening US economy, evidenced by robust sales of American masterpieces, including those by Willem de Kooning. On November 13 at Phillips, Simon de Pury auctioned a distinctive Pierre et Gilles photograph of singer Lio, fetching $196,500 after a competitive bidding war that reached €150,000 among five participants. The Paris-Photo fair underscored the gap between photography and contemporary art, lacking participation from prominent contemporary artists. Éric Rondepierre, with the backing of Michelle Chomette, presented his work at Léo Scheer's booth, offering his Moins X series priced between €3,000 and €7,000 for editions of three or five, which is considerably lower than that of well-known contemporary artists.
Key facts
- New York contemporary art auctions in November saw strong sales, especially for American classics and minimalist artists.
- At Phillips on November 13, a unique Pierre et Gilles image of singer Lio sold for $196,500.
- Simon de Pury was the auctioneer for the Pierre et Gilles sale.
- Emmanuel de Noirmont represents Pierre et Gilles at his Avenue Matignon gallery.
- Five bidders of different nationalities competed up to €150,000 for the Pierre et Gilles lot.
- Paris-Photo fair highlighted a divide between photography galleries and contemporary art galleries.
- No leading contemporary artists using photography (Gursky, Sherman, Pierre et Gilles) were present at Paris-Photo.
- Éric Rondepierre, represented by Michelle Chomette, showed at Paris-Photo on publisher Léo Scheer's stand.
- Rondepierre's work is held by FNAC, MoMA New York, and LACMA.
- Rondepierre's series Moins X was priced €3,000–€7,000 for editions of three or five.
Entities
Artists
- Willem de Kooning
- Pierre et Gilles
- Lio
- Andreas Gursky
- Cindy Sherman
- Éric Rondepierre
- Pierre Guyotat
- Daniel Arasse
- Hubert Damisch
- Jean-Max Colard
Institutions
- Phillips
- Galerie Emmanuel de Noirmont
- Paris-Photo
- Léo Scheer
- Michelle Chomette
- FNAC
- MoMA New York
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Avenue Matignon
Sources
- artpress —