And Damien Hurst (Damien Hirst), and Jeff Koons (Jeff Koons) long and comfortably settled on top of rate the most famous and highly paid living contemporary artists . It is clear that to hold the art ratings first place may be the absolute antipodes, but not in this case.

Hurst Koons and constantly attracts the attention of the media. Hurst and Koons provoked much debate. Hurst and Koons set records at auctions in 2008. Hurst and Koons are able to communicate and produce the impression of these managers, it is heeled financially. In September this year, Hurst and Koons at the margin in the five (!) Days were the focus of the world's art community: American Jeff Koons plunged into the history of Queen of France, opening Sept. 10 exhibition in the Palace of Versailles , a Briton Damien Hurst has caused a real stir, sold September 15, their new work directly at auction Sotheby's , bypassing the gallery.

mortgage system crisis, bankruptcy of banks, a decline on Wall Street - all of these world problems, it seems, does not care about collectors and art dealers who have participated in the recent auction. Sotheby's totally devoted to works by Hirst auction session, 15 and 16 September and thereby acted as a promoter of his works that were previously the prerogative of galleries White Cube and Gagosian. Thus, Hurst has bypassed the traditional market of galleries and open a new chapter in the history of auction trade. He showed that the market is in a position to «digest» works for sale right «of the plant», without any information on the origin, except for the signature of the «star» Hurst. In the current difficult economic situation, he still decided to risk, although buyers could lose interest. But this game worth the candle: Sotheby's received a profit of 70.5 million pounds (more than 127 million dollars) and added to the piggy bank Hirst bulk up. That is how the artist became a manager and found the most profitable way to sell their work.

According to Sotheby's, for 11 days pre-show Hurst visited nearly 21 thousand people. At the auction on 15 September, more like a show than a commercial event, it was crowded. The event resembled a gathering of pagans who had gathered to worship the golden calves. The work of the same name has gone under the hammer for 10.3 million pounds and broke the previous record of the artist, set in June 2007 year when the installation «Sleeping Spring» was sold again, at Sotheby's for 9.7 million pounds .

At Hirst and Koons are hundreds of assistants. Hirst and Koons supported such «heavyweights» art world, as the Gagosian Gallery. Hurst and Koons collect multimillion yields at the auctions. Current record auction sales of Jeff Koons continues to point to the 12,92 million pounds received for «A flower from a balloon (Purple) »at Christie's auction on 30 June . But the similarities do not end.

Hurst and Koons distinct penchant for independence and have a great experience for the art market, which began to earn more in the 1980's. In 1988, when Hurst was a student, he organized an exhibition Freeze, and showed himself a master of self-promotion. He immediately noticed an advertising magnate, collector and art dealer Charles Saatchi (Charles Saatchi), who later, in 1997, changed to Young British Artists. At that time, Jeff Koons, who at 10 years older Hirst was stock broker on Wall Street. She started her career as an artist, he also enlisted the support of a very high-level sponsor - French billionaire, owner of Christie's, François Pinault (Francois Pinault).

Today, Hurst and Koons is so famous that Koons invite «knock off the dust» of cultural heritage in Versailles, and Hurst, due to their transactions, keeping in constant voltage and gallery owners and auctioneers.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Source: artprice.com , artinvestment.ru