GREEK MARKET SAW THE HEIGHTS AND LOWS OF SALES…
I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ART FOR NEARLY FORTY YEARS NOW. I HAVE SEEN MARKETS PLUMMET AND RISE, I HAVE SEEN ARTISTS SPURNED AND TRIUMPH AND I EXPECT MANY MORE TURNS OF THE SAME KIND TO HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER.
I WAS SORTING OUT MY CATALOGUES LIBRARY, THERE ARE ABOUT 2000 OF THEM AND I COULD NOT STOP AND LOOK AT THE GREEK SALES THAT SOTHEBYS AND BONHMAS HAD IN THE YEARS 2007, 2008, 2009. RECORDS THAT RAISED HOPES OF MORE MIRACLES FOR THEM ALL TO BE DASHED IN 2010 AT SOME POINT. THE REAL DISASTERS FOLLOWED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND SOTHEBYS STOPPED GREEK SALES BECAUSE THE UNSOLD RATES WERE TERRIBLE AND DEMAND DRIED UP.
VASILIS ZENETZIS, CLOSE UP
THUS REMAINED BONHAMS SELLING GREEK ART AND THAT IN THE MILLION POUNDS TOTALS. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF FIVE AND EIGHT MILLION SALES.
GONE ARE ALL SORTS OF SALES NOW AND RETURNING TO THE SALES OF THE LAST TEN YEARS WORLDWIDE WILL BE A VERY DIFFICULT MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB. THE WORLD IS IN SERIOUS FINANCIAL TROUBLE, YES A MELTDOWN, AND IT WILL BE UNFORTUNATE FOR US TO SUGGEST A RESURRECTION RIGHT NOW, NOR HELPFUL TO SUGGEST THAT THINGS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
WITH EXPERIENCE IN THE DOWNTURNS OF 1987, 1990s AND 2008-9, WE SEE THIS SITUATION OF ECONOMIC CHAOS IN THE WORLD AND MARKETS, REMAINING WITH US FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS AND THAT DEPENDS ON WHETHER COVID-19 IS BEATEN AND THE WORLD RETURNS TO SOME SORT OF NORMALITY.
MY STORY OF 30 YEARS IN A BOOK
FORTUNATELY THE ART MARKET DOES NOT SELL FRUIT OR VEGETABLES THAT GO OFF BUT IT ALSO SELLS FASHION AND TRENDS AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THE TRENDS WILL BE IN TWO TO FIVE YEARS, IF ANY OF US REMAIN AFLOAT AND IN GOOD HEALTH TO CONTINUE WITH OUR PASSION;
ART
PETER CONSTANT
