[DOC] Urban Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa: Colonial and Post-Colonial Planning Cultures by Carlos Nunes Silva at Arts-Photography

Review

98 of 100 people found the following review helpful. A shark that is not alone swimming in those waters...By Reich ClaudeWritten by an economist who had access to the most important actors (collectors; dealers; auctioneers; curators; art fair organizers...) while doing his research; this book is an in-depth study of the way the contemporary art market functions; the part played by auction houses; dealers; big collectors; museums; the sometimes incestuous relationship that exists between all of them; how art is priced; how auctions are organized (on and off the scene); how gallery shows are sold (or pre-sold); the importance of art branding in creating an artists reputation (the brand being the auction house; the gallery; the artist himself; a museum; or even a collector if he is important enough)and; most importantly; how these art brands are created. One insightful conclusion is that the art market; and contemporary art in particular; is as much brand-driven as any other high-end luxury market. Through case studies (the dealers Larry Gagosian or Jay Joplin; the artists Damien Hirst; Tracey Emin; Jeff Koons or Andy Warhol; the auction houses Sothebys and Christies; the collectors Charles Saatchi or Ronald Lauder...) and broader considerations on the overall economics of art; the author manages to write a book which is at the same time well informed (with some slight spelling mistakes though; e.g. the Portuguese collector Jose Berardo becoming "Joe Bernardo"; or the dealer Faggionato sometimes mistakenly spelt "Faccionato"); to the point and easy to read. Among the more than twenty books available on this topic on s; this one is the best in my opinion (and Ive read quite a few...).2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. ... in Art nor do I own any art and enjoyed this book tremendouslyBy daniel guerra villarrealI am not in any way involved in Art nor do I own any art and enjoyed this book tremendously. Being in real estate and finance made this book ever more compelling to read. There are a lot of parallels in the psychology and economics of trading modern art; real estate and any other alternative asset which makes this book a great way to force lateral thinking between two; arguably; unrelated sectors. I couldnt recommend this book more to anyone involved in finance or the trading of securities and assets. I wish this author wrote about other industries as the book details just about every revenue stream; challenge and opportunity in the dealer; auction house market. Anyhow; do read this book. It is quite good.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Very Good Book For Art CollectorsBy S. MorganI have recently read a number of books on art collecting and more specifically; contemporary art collecting. The $12 Million Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art; as compared to other books on this subject; provides a 360 degree view of the contemporary art market. The book provides a view of the market from the perspective of the collector; dealer and auction house and really gives the reader a sense of how the market operates and the pros and cons of this unique manner in which art is bought and sold. I enjoyed this book so much that I decided to purchase Mr. Thompsonrsquo;s more recent book on the same topic - The Supermodel and the Brillo Box: Back Stories and Peculiar Economics from the World of Contemporary Art.