The A-Z of the International Art Market: The Essential Guide to Customs, Conventions and Practice

(Paperback)

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"A comprehensive, wide-ranging and historically well-informed account." - Charles Saumarez Smith, Royal Academy of Arts It is estimated that there are over 300,000 companies involved in the world's art market, employing around 2.8 million people. But the art world carries a veneer of mystery and secrecy that many people find daunting, and the language used by market insiders can be alienating and confusing to those new to the art market. The A-Z of the International Art Market not only clarifies useful terms and definitions, but also represents a significant contribution to the fast-developing processes of transparency and democratisation in the global art business. Comprising art market terms and core concepts both historical and contemporary this book is a long-awaited reference source that offers a unique introduction to a dynamic business sector. The A-Z of the International Art Market provides an accessible and thorough insight into critical areas of market practice and custom that anyone involved in the art market will find useful and enlightening.

Reviews

Tom Flynn is unusual in being a scholar and academic who is deeply knowledgeable about the operation of the international art market. He provides a comprehensive, wide-ranging and historically well-informed account of the sometimes arcane language which surrounds the art market, including brief descriptions of the leading dealers, galleries, art fairs, websites and tools for understanding the art trade. -- Charles Saumarez Smith * Royal Academy of Arts *
Tom Flynn delves into the sometimes opaque language of the art market and comes up with a clear explanation of its terms, often coupled with useful historical perspectives. The introductory essays are a good overview of the market both yesterdays and todays. -- Georgina Adam * Art market editor-at-large, The Art Newspaper; Art market contributor, The Financial Times *
Tom Flynn is the least servile art historian I know and his writing on the art market is characteristic of him--thank heavens. -- Anna Somers Cocks OBE * CEO, The Art Newspaper *

Author Bio

Tom Flynn is a visiting lecturer in the history of art and the history and professional practices of the international art market at a number of UK and European universities. He is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.