If you want to get rich, you become an artist - not the most correct decision. Of course, the contemporary art market in the last half century has grown substantially, but few people alive today the creators managed to put together on him a state comparable to the wealth of leading collectors and art dealers. Resource ARTINFO.com published a list of seven artists who can be counted among the most successful.

Information on specific earnings, of course, were not disclosed, so an idea of the income of an artist could only the method of expert estimates, based on an informal journalistic information and "leaks". Data on auction transactions will not help here: the vast amounts of which are trumpeting all the media, is divided between the sellers and auction houses, and the authors of works (with rare exceptions) to get the crumbs. And then do nothing. As for the gallery-sales, then we must bear in mind that a certain percentage of the amount of the transaction always goes to the dealer. In addition, buyers are often traded with gallery owners, after which the final price of work is considerably lower than the announced. However, the authors list, use both open source, and insider information, have shown that some conclusions about the welfare of artists do still possible.

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most true contender for the title of the richest in the world of the artist is an Englishman Damien Hirst (Damien Hirst, pp. 1965) . His name figured in the list of richest people in Britain (Rich List), published by the Sunday Times in April 2009. At that time his condition totaled 388 million dollars - 110 million more than in 2007. Now, according to sources close to Hirst, it had already reached a billion. In 2008 the artist gave an incredibly good performance - a solo auction Beautiful Inside My Head Forever ( «In my head I'll be beautiful forever"). At the auction there were 223 works, almost all of them have found buyers. The auction, which brought 198 million dollars, the culmination of a boom in contemporary art. The installation, entitled "The Golden Calf" went for $ 16 million - a record for the artist's work. But the auction was remarkable not only that. All lots Hurst gave himself, thus violating a taboo: the artists usually do not even appear in the auction rooms, selling their work. Of course, he, as seller, went to the lion's share of proceeds. And who does not remember the famous platinum skull with diamonds, which the artist sold for 50 million pounds .. This facility became the most expensive work of living artists. The buzz surrounding the deal somehow overshadowed the fact that one member of a group of investors has acquired the creation, was himself Hurst. Artist earns not only the sale of their works: in his possession is still a dozen companies. He is one of the few people in the arts, who have their own business manager, Frank Dunphy (Frank Dunphy), who works with him for more than ten years.

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Talking about the artists, businessmen, could not fail to mention American colleague Hirst, a legend of pop art Jeff Koons (Jeff Koons, pp. 1955) . This art-superstar, whose works were exhibited last year in the Versailles and whose sculpture "Dog" the distinguished critic Jerry lard (Jerry Saltz) called the greatest work of art from all that have been created in the past decade. Giant sculptures of Koons astonishingly flawless technical execution: Take the famous "Hanging heart", sold in 2007 at Sotheby's for 23.6 million dollars. It seems that tknesh it with a needle - and it bursts, it is impossible to believe that it is made of steel and weighs a half ton. The standards of production from Koons is so high that in 1990, preparing the famous series of "Celebration" (which includes the "Heart"), he nearly drove his sponsor, gallerist Jeffrey Daichi (Jeffrey Deitch), bankruptcy (the dealer in eventually rescued Sotheby's). Another fan, and the engine of the market the artist - Larry Gagosian (Larry Gagosian), the buyer "Hearts". Incidentally, the previous owner of the Adam Lindemann (Adam Lindemann), bought it a year earlier (where you would have thought?) In its, Gagosian, the gallery. I paid it for her entire $ 4 million ...

At the beginning of his career, Koons, in order to finance the creation of works of art, worked as a trader on Wall Street. Now in its possession is a huge studio, this plant, which employs more than 120 people.

• Takashi Murakami,
  Pharrell Williams Simple things. 2009
  Source: nytimes.com

Native Land of the Rising Sun Takashi Murakami (Takashi Murakami, pp. 1962) also directs this art factory, which he opened in 1996. The army of assistants at Murakami smaller than Koons: it has about 100 people. Artist's Workshop held in Tokyo and New York. They produced paintings, sculptures, bags, Louis Vuitton brand to the "anime" motives, inflatable balls, videos, t-shirts, keychains and plush toys. Products designed for mass market, alternate with sverhdorogimi works; example of the latter may serve as installation "Simple Things", on which the art factory has worked for nearly two years. As a sponsor made eminent rapper Pharrell Williams (Pharrell Williams). The work represents the figure of a psychedelic monster, in the jaws of which are different everyday objects (including keksik in glasses and a bottle of baby lotion), made of 18 carat gold and inlaid with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Results for the decoration of these gizmos took more than 26 thousand gemstones. At last year's "Art Basel" for installation given over 2 million dollars.

Like Hearst, whom the artist calls his "star", Murakami likes to provoke the audience and critics for its tentative overtures to the culture consumption. In 2007, he even placed in the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, which hosted a retrospective of his, this store Louis Vuitton.

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American painter Brice Marden (Brice Marden, pp. 1938) gained fame thanks to its monochrome paintings, which he created in 1970. In those years his work has gained popularity among collectors, which largely contributed to the efforts of dealer Mary Boone (Mary Boone). In the early 1980's the artist carried away by Asian calligraphy and radically changed his style, which, however, had no effect on its image - the price of his works have remained as high. But the main source of income is the Marden estate. They say a painter at one time bought at bargain prices huge amount of real estate in New York's Soho, which was then the only area of industrial upgrading. But in the 1980's Soho was subjected to total gentrification, and the prices were fixed in the sky-high heights. Now the artist owns land in Tivoli (New York), the studio area of 465 sq. m in Manhattan, located nearby mansion, a house and workshop on the Greek island of Hydra and the hotel on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean Sea.

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famous New York artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel (Julian Schnabel, pp. 1951) also owns the elite real estate: he has two studios - in New York and Montauk, and the house in the Spanish city of San Sebastian. In 1987, at the height of fame, Schnabel was settled a shop in a strange "palace" pink called Palazzo Chupi, located in New York's West Village. Ten years later, he bought the building, restored it and sold the apartment with his famous friends, among whom was the actor Richard Gere (Richard Gere).

Like Brice Marden, Schnabel was a ward, Mary Boone . In the 1980's about his success on the art market was legendary, but prices for his work suffered greatly when the then art-boom gone sour. Painter still writes and sells paintings, but the demand for its product is not the same. But Schnabel has made significant strides in the cinematic career: he shot such films as "Basquiat" and "until opening night».

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again the British. Anish Kapoor (Anish Kapoor, pp. 1954) earned on the sale of his sculptures 62,7 million, of which 27 occur in 2008. According to the newspaper Times, this year the artist will go to the list of richest people in the country. Now he is in talks to buy 8-million country house in the south of England. The artist already owned homes in London (one cost him 4.2 million dollars, the other - in 6,2 million) and the Bahamas (3.1 million). Last year, 29 works Kapoor brought in the open bidding 8,6 million dollars.

• Jasper Johns False start. 1959
  Source: artchive.com

ARTINFO.com also included in the list of the patriarch of American Art Jasper Johns (Jasper Johns, pp. 1930) , whose works go for staggering sums: in 2006, for example, collectors Anne and Kenneth Griffin (Anne & Kenneth Griffin) bought his painting "False start" for 80 million dollars. Work is the most expensive piece of picturesque now living author. In 1998 the Metropolitan Museum acquired its "white flag" for an amount which is said to exceed 20 million. Rating of the most valuable works of art ever sold at auction (compiled by Skate's Art Market Research) includes seven of his creations. The artist rarely pleases his fans new products - from his shop out a few paintings a year. And the demand for his work, of course, is only growing.

article prepared by Julia Maksimova, AI

Sources: artinfo.com , artinvestment.ru