As an introduction to the forthcoming review by Sinead of her visit to Frieze Masters 2014, I thought I'd take a few photographs of finer works on display. What caught my eye this time were the selection of Calder Mobiles available at Frieze Masters and PAD this year.
Many thanks to those dealers who gave me the prices and details on their Mobiles. However, I was taken aback to find that not one of the Calder mobiles had a price on it's ticket. This lack of visible pricing lead me to take another walk round all three of the Fairs, and see how many dealers had actually priced the Art for sale, on the item's ticket. Shockingly, I'd say that somewhere in the region of 98% of all Art (and Design) for sale at all three Fairs, was not priced on the ticket, and some stands didn't even have tickets for the items they were offering. What's that all about?
Call me old fashioned, but shouldn't everything for sale at these Fairs be visibly priced? Can you imagine going on a shopping trip to say, Harrods or Harvey Nichols, and 98 percent of everything in the building didn't have a price on it's ticket? If this kind of non-pricing happened in New York, and according to the law in NYC as far as I am aware, dealers could be arrested or fined by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs for not visibly pricing their Art works. You can buy a Jumbo Jet online, you can buy a Lear Jet online, and when you walk into H.R. Owen on Berkeley Square, the Rolls Royces are priced!
In light of such a financially driven and investment touted market, you'd think that the price would be up front and centre?
On a final walk round the Fairs, I made a point of thanking those dealers who had priced their goods openly and transparently. By doing so, these businesses had achieved a trust between the viewer and the dealer; all the information was there on the ticket. On this final walk round, I also had words with one or two dealers who had elected not to visibly price their goods in sterling, and who, quite frankly, should know better, and should be ashamed of themselves.
Here I quote Lewis Baer:
‘’For many dealers the fact that there exists a secret offers the opportunity to play the same game (if you have to ask for the price, you really aren’t ready to buy the item). Price tag(less) items must separate the boys from the men! Get over it; an asking price isn’t necessarily a selling price, nor should it be. Besides “everything has a price”, just start the process with one.’’ Lewis Baer
If you have a moment, take a read of Lewis’ article in full, titled 'Pricing the Goods', by clicking here.
In the meantime, here's a few Calder Mobiles, and the details:
Description Supplied :: Calder, $2,600,000
Van De Weghe | www.vdwny.com
Description Supplied :: Alexander CALDER (1898 - 1976)
La mezza Luna per un Lunatico 1967 - Painted metal and wire
Incised with the artist's monogram, date 67 and dedictaion A GIanni on the outermost black element.
This work is registered in the archives if the Calder Foundation New York, under application number A00984
For more information - VEDOVI GALLERY - www.vedovigallery.com
Price $2,600,000
Description Supplied :: Alexander Calder, Huit Rondelles Rouges - 1971
Painted Sheet and Metal Wire, signed on the upper element: CA 71
The work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number A14013
For more information - Galeria Elvira Gonzalez - www.galeriaelviragonzalez.com
Price : 1,340,000 euros (price also available in sterling and dollars)
Description Supplied :: Alexander Calder, Red Fossil, 1966
Sheet Metal, wire, and paint - 32 x 60 inches (81.3 x 152.4 cm)
Inscribed with monogram and dated CA 66 (on the largest element)
PROVENANCE
Perls Galleries, New York
Christie's New York, Novemeber 14, 1995, lot 28
Private Collection
For more information : DOMINIQUE LEVY - www.dominique-levy.com
Price : $3,200,000
Description Supplied :: Rouge Et Blanc (1967)
For more information : Galeria Mayoral - www.galeriamayoral.com
Price : £1.200,000
