I've had people say to me, "Well, how do I start collecting artworks?" Well, you start by buying. Buy what you like, buy what you can afford - and I'm not just saying that because I'm a dealer. You can't be so paralyzed to where you keep saying, "I've got to learn more." The best way to learn is to go home and actually put something on the wall. Then you've got an investment. Then you're living with it. Then you're in the game.

Larry Gagosian

Categorized in : Home Games Wall

The sun never sets on my gallery.

Larry Gagosian

gallery sun

The art market is global now, and theres becoming more of an international consensus about what constitutes good art.

Larry Gagosian

consensus becoming art

For me, collecting is sort of a natural extension of being an art dealer, because if you don't want to collect the artist, then you probably shouldn't be representing them.

Larry Gagosian

natural want art

Professionally, what comes first is representing the artist.Whether they're alive or dead.

Larry Gagosian

alive artist firsts

I don't think you can tell somebody how they should collect. I think it's just about being turned on by art.At the end of the day, some people just kind of get it. They don't all get it in the same way or get the same artists, but it's a journey that excites them.

Larry Gagosian

journey art thinking

I never really took a proper art class in college. I just started reading art magazines and going to galleries.

Larry Gagosian

reading college art

A lot of artists are involved with fabrication. Artists today are making more objects and many of them need the participation of a dealer in order to facilitate and provide support for projects. So that has changed. But I don't know if what it means to be an artist has really changed. I hope that it hasn't.

Larry Gagosian

artist order mean

I think functioning as a business manager can be a hindrance to having a real dialogue with the artist. I do think that artists need good lawyers and accountants, because they're dealing with serious money. But an artist who stands behind a manager? That's a little different. I think that can be a bad buffer.

Larry Gagosian

artist real thinking

I play hard. So the critical stuff doesn't surprise me or bother me.

Larry Gagosian

play-hard surprise stuff

Working with younger artists kind of tests your judgment. You're not always right, but when you are, it's exciting.

Larry Gagosian

tests kind artist

I don't know what 'loyal' means.

Larry Gagosian

loyal knows mean

The so-called "secondary market" has also always been something that I'm comfortable with. I'm not a dealer who turns his nose up at that part of the business. I'm an art dealer - my primary responsibility is to represent the artist.

Larry Gagosian

responsibility noses art

The way you present your work has a lot to do with how people receive and regard it.

Larry Gagosian

regard people way

When a collector says, "You've got to educate me," or "What's a good investment?" then I don't know what to say. I have no idea. Let's face it, I'm probably going to recommend artists that I represent.

Larry Gagosian

artist faces ideas

Honestly, I grew up in pretty modest circumstances. We were a middle-class family.

Larry Gagosian

middle grew-up class

Nobody really needs a painting. It's something you kind of create value for in a way that you don't with a company. It's an act of collective faith what an object is worth. Maintaining that value system is part of what a dealer does, not just making a transaction but making sure that important art feels important.

Larry Gagosian

you painting faith art

I was always very focused on how people dressed.

Larry Gagosian

dressed always focused people

I never really took a proper art class in college. I just started reading art magazines and going to galleries. I was really drawn to it.

Larry Gagosian

never reading college art

You get to a point where you really can't manage more artists, because representing artists takes a lot of time.

Larry Gagosian

more get you time

When a great artist gets my attention, I pursue it. If I don't, someone else will, you know what I'm saying?

Larry Gagosian

someone great know you