You have to be a little bit cautious when the market gets quite strong because there's a tendency to anoint a genius artist every other day. That would be a word of advice for the collectors out there. Larry Gagosian More Quotes by Larry Gagosian More Quotes From Larry Gagosian 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 wall games home 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
