Boom. Crazy Money, Mega Deals and the Rise of Contemporary Art

The contemporary art market – a special world, developing according to its own laws, and at the same time an uncontrollable, untamed element, accumulating gigantic financial flows. Michael Shnayerson, a contributor to Vanity Fair, is interested in the hidden mechanisms of this market, its participants and the history from the 1940s to the present day – that is, the history of its incredible growth and transformation into an industry.
The phenomenon of 57th Street in New York, the flourishing of art galleries in Soho and Chelsea, the art fair "fever" of the 21st century, the most significant events in the art world in recent decades – all of this is discussed in the book. However, the art market cannot be imagined without art dealers – the tastemakers, those who financially support emerging artists and guide them to success.
At the center of Michael Shnayerson’s focus are the famous art dealers who worked with the greatest artists of their time – Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Basquiat. The author had the opportunity to meet the characters of his book – Larry Gagosian, David Zwirner, Arnie and Mark Glimcher, Ivan Wirth, and others. Their experiences show that behind the scenes of the modern art world, in conditions of fierce competition, there is room for everything – honest partnerships and betrayal, pragmatism and philanthropy, painstaking work and adventurism.