From the Publisher
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark delves into the
economics and psychology of the contemporary art world - artists,
dealers, auction houses, and wealthy collectors. If it's true - as
so often said - that 85 percent of new contemporary art is bad, why
were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131
contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights
reached in 2007? The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
explores money, lust, and the self-aggrandizement of possession in
an attempt to determine what makes a particular work of art
valuable while others are ignored.
In the style of the bestselling Freakonomics,
Thompson uses economic concepts to explain the unique practices
employed, to great success, in the international contemporary art
market. He discusses branding and marketing and how various
strategies are tailored to a wealthy clientele, driving a
"must-have" culture. Drawing on exclusive interviews with both past
and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships,
artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the
reader on a surprising journey of discovery.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Jacket
"An irreverent but expert guide to the beguiling business of
contemporary art." Tim Harford, author of The Undercover
Economist and The Logic of Life
"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 $12 Million Stuffed Shark."
- Richard Morrison, The Times (UK)
"Despite the dizzying extravagance of the world he explores,
Thompson's work remains grounded in hard analysis. And in
describing a world that seems insane in its fervour, lust, and
escalation, his steady, thorough, and even approach is refreshingly
cool."
- The Walrus
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Don Thompson is a professor and economist and holder of the Nabisco
Brands Chair Emeritus at the Schulich School of Business at York
University. He specializes in marketing, economic regulation, and
strategic planning. He has taught at Harvard University, the London
School of Economics, and the University of Toronto. He is the
author or co-author of nine books and 75 published articles.
From the Hardcover edition.
Format: Trade Paperback
Published: September 22, 2009
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Language: English
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10: 0385666780
ISBN - 13: 9780385666787
