Due to my general lack of interest in auctions, I won’t be commenting much on this week’s contemporary sales, except to say I’m pleased Takashi Murakami’s ejaculating My Lonesome Cowboy commanded $15.16-million at Sotheby’s last night, since erotic work tends to have a few more market challenges than say, landscape painting. The big winner of the evening, Francis Bacon’s Triptych 1976, brought in a 77 million hammer price, also setting an auction record. For further commentary on the 17 artists who set auction records I recommend Culturegrrl’s extensive coverage. Readers might also check in with Carol Vogel’s report in the Times, though as a word of warning, I’ll note it runs with a slightly grating quote from Barbara Gladstone, who after the auctions remarked, “Recession? What Recession?” We all get it; the contemporary auctions did well in the face of an economic downturn, but I’d prefer some thoughts on why. Anyone care to speculate?
