It's absolutely amazing how much power major dealers have in the contemporary art market. They have significant influence and control over many artists, the value of their works, customers, and almost everything in between. They are like the superstar agents for professional athletes, except they get a much larger commission and have more control over their clients. After reading Thomson's analysis of the role of the dealer, I think they may often have more power in the contemporary art market than the artists they represent. It's not surprising that Don Thompson is a professor of marketing, as the more I read for this course, the more I think that the art market is more mostly about marketing and public relations than anything else.
I have chosen to write about Marian Goodman of New York, whose gallery features Gerhard Richter and Jeff Wall. The goal of her first gallery, which opened in in 1977, was to "establish a vital dialogue among artists and institutions working internationally." Her gallery is all about the front room. Goodman seems to stay away from the business aspects of being an art dealer. She never sells works that her artists haven't made. She is known for being more concerned about showing art, rather than about selling it. This is unlike Gagosian, who seems to be very caught up in the monetary and hype aspects of the contemporary art market. While she is not the same level of branded dealer that Gagosian is, she definitely has a strong loyalty and integrity with the artists she represents and the clients of her gallery.
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