The thing is clear the art market between in the crisis

Wisdom was still travelling recently in the art market: while the economy showed all sides of the signs of panic, the trading of works would be, him, saved. It is true that, on September 15, the day even the collapse of Lehman Brothers in New York, English artist Damien Hirst flung at Sotheby's in London a stock of works, mostly simple repetition of older pieces for the colossal of EUR 140 million sum. Last week however, the atmosphere at the Frieze Art Fair in London was not as playful. To the usual rates, the level of transactions was overall low, less than 200,000 euros, and few sales. But, especially, on 18 October, specialist Sales House of contemporary art Phillips now controlled by a Russian company of luxury, Mercury Group , was buying at 25 of the expected value. Christie's and Sotheby's are leaving with, respectively, 55 and 72 of the lots that had changed hands in the sales of contemporary art in London also held last week. The thing is clear: the art market between in the crisis. The the more human response in such a context, at the opening of the international fair of contemporary art, Fiac, held at the Grand Palais and the square of the Louvre courtyard, is to turn to works which it characterizes as "safe securities." For this character comforting, they must meet several criteria. Of course, they can be already entered in the history of art, the great. In a context of scarcity of major parts of modern art, can be found on paper works that express well the verve of the artist.

A gouache

Max Ernst

On the stand of the Gallery 1900-2000, David Fleiss, the avant-garde of the early 20th century specialist, exposes a small format gouache representing a desert landscape dated 1946-1947 by the surrealist Max Ernst. It is proposed to mental euros.

Calder on paper

Nathalie Seroussi exposes of mobile and static of the famous American artist Calder. If the sculptures which play with the balance and color they have given him posterity are for sale on the stand up to EUR 1.5 million, can be also acquired some of his gouaches between 40,000 and 100,000 euros. The Miró as nicely "Mighty to the soul of Nightingale" has produced a large number of these works on paper very graphic and marked by primary colors. He said about the gouaches, "this will quickly and can be surprised yourself."

Martin Barre to rediscover

The safe values are more difficult to assess in the field of contemporary art, but some of the artists already old career have demonstrated the relevance of their creation. Example: Martin Barré (1924-1993). French abstract artist had its moment of glory just before his premature death was followed by a period of forgetting. Upwelling interest in this artist to the radical practice has been about exhibitions at the galerie Nathalie Obadia to Paris and then to New York by the influential merchant Thea Westreich and, last may, at Andrew Kreps Gallery in Chelsea. According to Nathalie Obadia, Barré prices have multiplied by four in three years and influential collectors such as François Pinault or institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in the city of Paris recently made the acquisition of some of his paintings. In addition the gallery owners produced a monograph on the artist (distribution Koenig, 50 euros). On the stand of Nathalie Obadia, a canvas marked yellow dated from 1989-1990 points is sold for 80,000 euros. "His works are still at a reasonable price and there are few tables in circulation, which guarantees a stable market," said the gallery.

Growing rating

of Lawrence Weiner

In the space of the Burgundian Gallery Pietro Sparta, you can see the work of one of the great historical names of conceptual art, the American Lawrence Weiner (born 1940). On a wall a 1985 phrase that refers to a sculpture is listed: "a block of iron enough hit to attract and retain the properties of the stone magnet which is located beside". The price of these words is fixed by the artist: 120,000 euros. Its rating increases progressively but his works of the 1970s are more expensive. He is also represented by heavy weights in the marketplace as the American Marian Goodman and French Yvon Lambert, now also installed in New York and London.