US dealer holds art world power

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BBC NEWS – Thursday, 28 October, 2004, 09:02 GMT 10:02 UK

Gagosian was described by Art Review as a ‘mega-dealer’

Art dealer Larry Gagosian has topped a list of the art world’s 100
most powerful figures.

The annual chart, compiled by the magazine Art Review, called Mr
Gagosian “the world’s greatest art businessman”. Sir Nicholas Serota,
the director of the Tate galleries, remained in third place for the
second year. But art collector Charles Saatchi dropped 11 places
down the list to number 17. He topped the chart in 2002 and was sixth
in 2003.

Larry Gagosian(dealer/gallerist)
Glenn Lowry (museum director)
Sir Nicholas Serota(museum director)
Maurizio Cattelan (artist)
Sam Keller (fair director)
Dakis Joannou (collector)
Bill Ruprecht (auction house)
Ronald Lauder (collector)
Robert Storr (curator)
Takashi Murakami (artist)

The top 10 includes two artists, but is predominantly made up of
gallery owners, collector and dealers.

Los Angeles-born Gagosian opened the largest private gallery in London
earlier this year. Art Review said: “Gagosian is a figure of mystery
and controversy. That alone should tell us something about the art
world and the place of mega-dealers in it.

“If artists today are defined less by their styles than by the prices
they command, then no individual has done more to charge that market
than the dealer called GoGo.”

The director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Glenn Lowry,
raced up the list to number two after being listed in 14th place
last year.

But the highest climber in the top ten was artist Maurizio Cattelan
at number four. He was up 20 places on 2003.

Inaugural list

Contemporary artist Damien Hirst slipped to 78 from 49 last year. The
contents of his Pharmacy restaurant recently sold at Sotheby’s for
more than £11m. Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor is a newcomer
on the list, at 83, along with Scottish artist Jack Vettriano who
rounded off the list in 100th position.

Other British newcomers include Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover,
founders of the Frieze Art Fair, at 32.

But Tracey Emin, who appeared on the inaugural list in 2002, was left
out of the list again this year.

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