An ongoing blog series offering insights into the international art market through my own eyes. A journey that began in Japan, continued through Europe and Scandinavia, and concluded in New York. This recent exploration delved into art galleries, museums, artists' studios, and private art collections.
A phone call with Rock Walker, emphasized the importance of staying ahead of other art galleries often came down to simply doing the homework—dedicating time to reading about the art world, artists, and exhibitions, and making an effort to understand the trends and developments shaping the art community, especially when engaging with art exhibitions.
In addition, all the signage provided valuable insights into important cultural shifts and offered deeper understanding of the artwork being viewed or experienced. This led me to understand the artist as a person and how they perceive life, as well as any looming influences that may, in some way, affect their art—such as political or economic climates, social and environmental influences, the regions where they create their work, friends and family, or other artists who may have indirectly contributed to the final piece.
In Kyoto, I had the privilege of visiting the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, where I experienced a large-scale solo exhibition of works by Takashi Murakami. This particular signage resonated with me—especially the part about how the museum director played a significant role in pushing and influencing the artist to produce the exhibition.
During one of my visits with Rock in New York, I asked, “How is it possible to know if an artist will become established and impact the art world, let alone be significant in the art market?” His answer was blunt: “You can’t.” I then asked who decides that these artists become established. He pointed to himself and said, “I do.” What he meant by that is that, for almost all artists, there is usually someone behind the scenes helping to launch their career—whether a collector, a gallerist, a relative, or a significant other. This person often remains unknown, a silent hero. However, it is most commonly a gallerist or collector who plays a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of an artist’s career.
As I began to read the text, I quickly noticed that this art exhibition perfectly aligned with what Rock had mentioned months earlier. Here, we had an outstanding art exhibition that was initially sparked by the museum director of the museum who was highly educated in the history of art, particularly that of Japan, and more specifically Kyoto, one of the epicenters of Japan’s well-preserved culture. This director enlisted Murakami to create a show not only for the museum but for Japan and the world to experience.
Rock’s point about artists having someone behind the scenes supporting or influencing them to exhibit their artwork was exactly what I was witnessing firsthand in this exhibition.
Walking through the art gallery and experiencing the exhibition from a deeper perspective made the experience much more interesting and insightful. It felt as though I was walking through a lesson, taught through the artwork and text—witnessing the results of artists and patrons working symbiotically. Although sponsors like Louis Vuitton were involved in bringing the artist's vision to life. In the end, Murakami personally contributed a significant amount of funds to make the exhibition a reality. While Murakami was exhibiting in a major museum, the same concept Rock had shared was simply enlarged and scaled up. I would actually encounter this theme several times throughout my trip.
At this very same museum, I also stepped into the world of Cubism, which showcased a variety of artists who brought the movement to life. Here, too, I found a deeper understanding of the historical aspects of how artists become established in the art world—often through the support of someone behind the scenes. Throughout the exhibition, it became apparent that only a handful of artists are widely known for establishing and perpetuating the Cubist movement. However, many others also played a crucial role in bringing the movement to life, including women who offered their own unique perspectives. They combined abstraction and color harmonies, expanding Cubist principles into textiles, fashion, and decorative arts. Notable figures like Jean Metzinger and Albert Gleizes, who co-authored Du "Cubisme", an influential text outlining the theoretical foundations of Cubism, were also part of this broader movement.
At the beginning of Cubism, only a few art gallerists and galleries were willing to showcase and invest in these artists. I’d go as far as to say that, likely because of the gallerists' experience in seeing so much artwork, they were able to recognize Picasso and Braque’s work—at the time very contemporary and experimental—as something worth exhibiting. It was something new and outstanding, something that would have an impact on culture.Though I’m sure there were a variety of other factors that played a role in the dissemination of Cubism in contemporary artwork at the time.
Once again, Rock's message was echoed in the exhibition: The people behind the scenes ultimately had the ability and foresight to initially showcase the artwork of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in art galleries. In particular, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, a German-born art dealer in Paris, was the most significant supporter of Picasso and Braque during the early Cubist period. He provided financial backing to both artists, showcased their works in his gallery, and published writings to promote the theoretical underpinnings of Cubism, including his book The Rise of Cubism (1920). Kahnweiler was also instrumental in establishing relationships between the artists and collectors, helping to bring Cubism to an international audience.
This exhibition was significant for me because, in the past, I always assumed that it was the museums that had the ultimate authority of which artists and artworks were of cultural significance. In actuality, it’s the galleries that have their finger on the pulse of the art world. Through their experience and, frankly, their inundation with the sheer volume of artwork and artists they encounter, galleries gain a unique insight into the art market and any shifts in its overall direction. Later along the journey, while in Amsterdam, I had a conversation with a very special gallery owner and artist who shared their insight that it was museums following galleries due to gallerists' "in the trenches" perspective and experience, being part of the art world at the ground level. Art galleries tend to have more mobility when it comes to exhibiting contemporary artists, whereas large museums and institutions may be less capable of maneuvering the often swift exhibition processes associated with presenting cutting-edge contemporary artwork.
As I write this, I find it fascinating how a seemingly brief conversation in a casual setting—whether in a Manhattan suite or over the phone—can later manifest as a museum exhibition on the other side of the world, months later. These exhibitions provided the perfect environment to solidify the knowledge and wisdom shared in that earlier exchange.
I thank you for joining me on these journeys. Writing these blogs helps me solidify what I’ve learned, define my future goals and direction, and provide an outlet to share important highlights along the journey in the art world. I hope you find value in reading these blogs. Stay connected as the series rolls out under the title "The Road to Rome."