Tag: 06.08.05

Investor: Art Prices Are “Fantasy”

A major investor in art says that art prices for contemporary art “are in fantasy land — they’re near lunacy.” “Prices for works by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock have trebled since 1996, according to index-maker Art Market Research, and New York’s $300 million of contemporary art auctions in May set more than 30 records. While some hedge funds may be putting investors at risk, buyers of contemporary art have more chance of losing money on their purchases.”

America’s Preoccupation With Class

“There is an un-American secret at the heart of American culture: for a long time, it was preoccupied by class. That preoccupation has diminished somewhat – or been sublimated – in recent years as we have subscribed to an all-purpose, mass-market version of the American dream, but it hasn’t entirely disappeared. The subject is a little like a ne’er-do-well relative; it’s sometimes a shameful reminder, sometimes openly acknowledged, but always there, even, or especially, when it’s never mentioned.”

Belfast’s Lyric Shrugs Off Extinction

Belfast’s Lyric Theatre has staved off demise with an injection of cash fundraising. “The Lyric is Northern Ireland’s only producing theatre. It famously kept its doors open during the Troubles, with actors such as Simon Callow sometimes performing to a background of bombs and gunshots. Neeson, born in Ballymena, called it his “Belisha beacon of light”. During blackouts, actors would hold candles and ask the audience to hold lamps. But the Lyric’s rotting building has been described as squalid. Backstage, the actors cannot flush the toilet during a performance.”