Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector's Handbook

Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector's Handbook by Buck, Louisa. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780954699918.

This sharp, practical look at the contemporary art market declares its irreverence early with a full-page, large print citation of Jenny Holzers truism, "Money creates taste." Louisa Buck and Judith Greers analyses of buyers interests and responsibilities (including a section on how artists see the market and how collectors should treat them) make Owning Art a guidebook of interest to armchair travelers as well as its ostensible target market--its not just collectors who seek to understand more about dealers, auction houses, art fairs, selection, pricing and conservation. The authors are equally comfortable going over the pitfalls of caring for contemporary media (they quote Agnes Gund on rescuing Christos "Nine Packed Bottles" from a well-intentioned trip to the recycling bin), and tackling more serious questions like, who makes a good collector? What should you be looking for? Who gets offered the best work? What role do institutions play in the market?