FACTUALITY #9

At the end of this weeks contemporary art sales in New York Christie’s pulled in an impressive $231.9 million and Sotheby’s $189.9 million, each house selling 94 percent of their lots—by all appearances two controlled, confident sales. Christie’s total was more than triple their fall auctions; Sotheby’s more than quadrupled its results from last May. Sales especially “paid off” for living artists, with Cattelan, Brice Marden, Richard Tuttle, Richard Serra, and Ellsworth Kelly achieving new records at Sotheby’s; Johns, Mark Tansey, Lee Bontecou, and Christopher Wool setting records at Christie’s. “While the Euro may be falling, America is clearly in recovery,” Christie’s Amy Cappellazzo said after Tuesday’s sale.