- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd (25 Jan 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1845133021
- ISBN-13: 978-1845133023
- Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 15.4 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 215,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
$12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark
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More About the Author
Product Description
Richard Morrison in The Times, January 16th 2008
"If you read no other book about art in your life, read the one that's gripped me like a thriller for the past two days."
The Independent, 28th March 2008
an 'entralling revelation-rich trip through the money game of the art market.'
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Written by an economist who had access to the most important actors (collectors, dealers, auctioneers, curators, art fair directors...)while doing his research, this book is an in-depth study of the way the market for contemporary art functions, the part played by auction houses, dealers, big collectors, museums, the sometimes incestuous relationships that exist 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 artist's reputation (the brand being the gallery, the auction house, the artist himself, a museum, or even a collector if he is important enough), and, most importantly, how these art brands are created. One insighful conclusion is that the art market, and the market for 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, Andy Warhol, Tracey Emin, Jeff Koons, the auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's, the collector Charles Saatchi...)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 spelling approximations, e.g. "Joe Bernardo" for the Portuguese collector Jose Berardo), to the point and easy to read. Of the more than twenty books on the topic available on Amazon's, this one is the best in my opinion (and I've read quite a few...).
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are interested in the financial side of art then this is a great book. If you think art is all about money then this book will be an agreeable read. But if you think art is on a higher plain than filthy lucre then you'll be spitting blood with this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I don't know why I bought this book, but have found it very easy to read. It does reveal the very unscrupulous side of art that professionals like myself knew existed. Well explained and illustrated by Don Thompson some of the 'scams' are breathtaking in their audacity. Integrity is not a word that can be attached to any part of the game. That there has been no exposee of the goings on in the 'Art' market is not surprising since Thompson links Christies, Sotheby's and the Super Rich with the few artists who are overexposed in the media and the BBC. An old boys' network. Fascinating and somehow tawdry and depressing.
Recommended reading for wannabe artists and those who hope for recognition.
Recommended reading for wannabe artists and those who hope for recognition.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fascinating insight into the economics of contemporary art - well...
Don Thompson took on the phenomenon of contemporary art, and more importantly the very hair raising prices achieved for some of the pieces (where on occassion your average observer... Read more
Published 18 days ago by AK
The problem of "Store of Value" for Very High Net Worth people
The recent past has seen a massive increase in inequality of assets and incomes on a global scale. Such surplus wealth needs to be invested safely. Read more
Published 3 months ago by N. Ragavan
$12 Million Stuffed Shark.
How is it that a stuffed shark or an unmade bed can be worth millions? Don Thompson explains the economics of the modern art world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gordon Ross
A different read
This is an excellent book of interest to anyone in the art world or in business. It is surprising in combining very wide experience, first-hand accounts and research into a good... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Pete H
Jaws - The Revenge
After years of anti-shark PR, the shark finally gets its own back!
This book is a very readable introduction to the crazy world of the contemporary art market. Read more
This book is a very readable introduction to the crazy world of the contemporary art market. Read more
Published 16 months ago by SME
inside information
Superb writing - get all the inside information! Everything you ever wanted to know or didn't understand about the art market put into clear perspective through observation.
Published 19 months ago by Ms. Donna Bernhardi
An eye-opener.
I have bought this book for SO many friends. It is entertaining, as well as a revelation. I love Don's account of rich couples who only attend evening auctions, air-kiss the prime... Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by History Girl
Swim with the sharks: making sense of contemporary art
When it comes to contemporary art, many observers simply scratch their heads and mumble, "You call that art? Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by Rolf Dobelli
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary...
This book had been highly recommended but I must confess to finding it a less easy read than I had hoped. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2009 by R. Dennistoun
Art for Money's Sake, Money for Art's Sake
Whilst the art industry traditionally shrouded the artwork behind a transcendental aesthetic fetishism which rendered redundant any notion of use value, the contemporary market has... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2008 by D Moore
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