Guns, drugs, prostitution, and art are the only deregulated businesses in the world. And you think cartels and pimps are ruthless! Look beneath the veneer of every painting and sculpture you'll discover an equally seedy underbelly.The art world has changed in the fifty years since Patricia Hamilton has been in the business. New York City in 1977 was filled with gentlemen who genuinely loved art. Granted it was misogynistic, anti-black, and anti-LGBTQ but the dealers loved art. Owning an art gallery was a family business and the artists were part of the family.
Today things are radically different. No longer can you have a gallery in a prominent place in New York and be considered a serious dealer. You must have at least three branches in three different cities and participate in 10 art fairs. It's all about money, and if an artist doesn't sell, they're out. Art is no longer a family business, it's big business.
Step inside this rare insider's view of the art world no one talks about. Patricia Hamilton pulls back the curtain on every aspect of the art world from honest dealers to the artists you want to work with, from the collectors to the consultants. This is her memoir and what she uncovers will leave you riveted.