Synopsis
At Frieze London 2006, dealers reported brisk sales despite collector complaints that top-tier work was increasingly scarce—a contradiction that only underscored the market’s momentum. “We’re selling like crazy, but you’d have to be stupid not to be selling right now,” said LA dealer Patrick Painter, joking he might switch to green dots to show what’s still left. From Kei Takemura’s $15,000 textiles to six-figure Holzer commissions, the fair had clearly matured beyond its reputation as a playground for emerging art. As Olivier Belot of Yvon Lambert put it, “This used to be hyped as a young fair for young artists… Not anymore.”
