An Art Mogul Talks Shop. Gagosian Gallery Le Bourget. Francesco Vezzoli Cinema Vezzoli April 27th 2014 "Cinema Vezzoli" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California. On view April 27 through August 11, 2014. View More Julian Schnabel An Artist Has A Past (Puffy Clouds and Strong Cocktails): 15 Paintings Over The Last Decade April 11th 2014 "Julian Schnabel: An Artist Has A Past (Puffy Clouds and Strong Cocktails): 15 Paintings Over The Last Decade" at the Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, Texas. On view April 11 through August 10, 2014. View More Richard Phillips Negation of the Universe "Richard Phillips: Negation of the Universe" at the Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, Texas.
View More Bill Powers Boat People Book Release April 9th 2014 Fulton Ryder will be hosting a book release for Boat People by Bill Powers at The Lowell Hotel, New York, New York. Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 5:00 to 10:00pm ET. View More Howard Hodgkin Swarovski Whitechapel Gallery Art Icon 2014 April 2nd 2014 View More Calvin Tomkins The Bride and the Bachelors April 1st 2014 View More AxME. Avenue de l'Europe, Île-de-France, France. Gagosian Gallery. Why Did Hirst & Co. Leave? A Look Back at Gagosian Artist Defections | ARTINFO's Commentary on the Art Market. When news broke recently that three of Larry Gagosian’s biggest artists — Yayoi Kusama, Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons — were defecting from the gallery in one way or another, it challenged the dealer’s reputation as “the leading Lothario” in the “courtship wars” over top artists, as the New York Times once put it.
It’s a title he has earned for moves like convincing sculptor John Chamberlain to end his 30-year relationship with Pace, doubling John Currin’s prices after recruiting him from Andrea Rosen in 2003, and offering German painter Albert Oehlen a greater “global presence” than London dealer Thomas Dane last year. So are the recent developments payback for all the poaching? Perhaps, but those with longer memories know that the megadealer’s market power hasn’t always translated to artist fulfillment.
The loudest complaint is that the gallery operates more like a factory than a family, welcoming only members who can maximize profits. It’s an issue Rosenquist alluded to as well.