saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this book. It is non fiction and all about the ridiculous world of contemporary art. Some of the descriptions of the works of art (and their prices) had me laughing for DAYS!
xenobio's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting and light-hearted read explaining some of the crazy prices behind contemporary artworks and why the art market works that way. Maybe it's not good enough if you're a professional economist, artist, or art buyer, but it's not meant to be for those people. For the average person wondering how some paint on a canvas can cost bazillions of dollars, and who are all these big shots you hear about in the newspapers, it's helpful.
divyasudhakar's review against another edition
3.0
A very interesting read mostly because I knew next to nothing about the contemporary art market world. Some chapters tended to drag more than others.
alisa_dyl's review against another edition
I felt like it was getting repetitive with what it said although it gave some powerful facts
shireen72's review against another edition
3.0
dry but a good overview of the current art world for a newcomer.
marginaliant's review against another edition
3.0
Right I've been sitting here for over an hour trying to decide if I actually liked this book and if I would recommend it, and have come to two conclusions: no, I didn't, but yes, I would. That might seem odd, but trust me, there's some logic behind it.
The thing is, the book is flawed in that the focus is narrow, the humor falls flat, and some parts are unnecessarily sexist, BUT it's super informative. I guess there's no better way to understand a market populated by clueless jerks than by hearing it explained by a clueless jerk. I'm baffled by how Thompson thinks he's going to cover the economic of contemporary art when he limits himself to paintings/drawings and sculpture, when the really interesting economics surround works that can't be put in your home: how do you sell performance art, besides by tickets? How do art works on film straddle the economics between art and mainstream movie production? How about large-scale instillation pieces, or outdoors sculptural projects? Ongoing projects? Art that's illegal? All of these questions Thompson dismisses because he doesn't "understand" that art, (the claim, I think, is made to appeal to the every man who derides a Pollock because "my child could do that", but it just makes Thompson seem dim.)
(If you're turned off by that paragraph, I recommend Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton. She covers much of the same things with less technicality and less grossness.)
BUT what it does cover, it covers well. The economics are dumbed down enough to be understood by someone who only got a B- in AP Econ in high school, and the amount of names dropped is just staggering. When you're done the book, you're really not, because you're going to want to spend the next few days looking up everyone he mentions. There are a lot of interesting characters in the art world, that's for sure. It's also still kind of funny to read books about economics published before the recession, which renders his "speculation on the future of the art economy" chapter at the end of the book tragically quaint.
A last note: not recommended to anyone who would repeatedly throw the book across the room at the mention of hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on art. Or who doesn't get Readymades. Better to just not.
The thing is, the book is flawed in that the focus is narrow, the humor falls flat, and some parts are unnecessarily sexist, BUT it's super informative. I guess there's no better way to understand a market populated by clueless jerks than by hearing it explained by a clueless jerk. I'm baffled by how Thompson thinks he's going to cover the economic of contemporary art when he limits himself to paintings/drawings and sculpture, when the really interesting economics surround works that can't be put in your home: how do you sell performance art, besides by tickets? How do art works on film straddle the economics between art and mainstream movie production? How about large-scale instillation pieces, or outdoors sculptural projects? Ongoing projects? Art that's illegal? All of these questions Thompson dismisses because he doesn't "understand" that art, (the claim, I think, is made to appeal to the every man who derides a Pollock because "my child could do that", but it just makes Thompson seem dim.)
(If you're turned off by that paragraph, I recommend Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton. She covers much of the same things with less technicality and less grossness.)
BUT what it does cover, it covers well. The economics are dumbed down enough to be understood by someone who only got a B- in AP Econ in high school, and the amount of names dropped is just staggering. When you're done the book, you're really not, because you're going to want to spend the next few days looking up everyone he mentions. There are a lot of interesting characters in the art world, that's for sure. It's also still kind of funny to read books about economics published before the recession, which renders his "speculation on the future of the art economy" chapter at the end of the book tragically quaint.
A last note: not recommended to anyone who would repeatedly throw the book across the room at the mention of hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on art. Or who doesn't get Readymades. Better to just not.
cerysh1's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly essential if interested in art like this book explains everything so well and such a crazy insight into what the art market is actually like. Also written really enjoyably and doesn't get dull even when talking about a couple of dull subjects!!! this book is SO good !!!!!! i devoured it so fast when I did read it earlier this year like honestly deeeeevoured it.
monikasreadingadventures's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a confusing read, Thompson didn't explain how auction houses worked in any clear way or would describe the process so quickly that I wouldn't understand exactly what was going on so I ended up knowing pretty much as little as I knew before I started.