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The Great Contemporary Art Bubble film
Saturday February 06, 2010 |
 Damien Hirst Butterfly paintings have sold for up to $9 million. That’s a big chunk of change. The super rich have fluttered around contemporary art for ages, and with the past economic boom, art couldn’t have been selling for higher prices. UK reporter Ben Lewis took a look at this phenomenon in the documentary The Great Contemporary Art Bubble.
“The Great Contemporary Art Bubble questions whether artists like Hirst, who sold a conceptual golden calf in formaldehyde for millions the same day the financial collapse was announced, deserve to be immortalized in art history textbooks, or if they'd be more appropriately referenced in a marketing primer.”
While the film delves into squirrelly practices by big auction houses and international galleries, Farr leaves us with a good note in reminding us why we love local galleries in the first place:
“What I liked best about the film was that it made me think about how much I appreciate small, artist-run gallery spaces sustained by dedicated individuals who are happy for the privilege of living on creativity, no matter how small their bubble might be.”
Kristin Farr’s entire review lives online at KQED.org.
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