artnet Art World Glossary of Terms

For the artist-dealers and lawyer-collectors who are so much more than their label.

Adam Lindemann.

Art is life is beauty is truth is money makes the world go round. For those who need to make sense of the daily definitions of the day, artnet News presents: The artnet Art World Glossary of Terms.

1. The C-deal-er  n. •  kə’-dēlər  A collector who has evolved into a dealer to support his collecting habit and scholarly ego. Example: Adam Lindemann.

2. The D-llec-tor  n. •  ‘-‘lek-tər  A dealer who masquerades as a noble collector. Examples: Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn or any one of the Mugrabis.

3. Coll-vest-or  n. •  kəl-‘ves-tər  The collector who is also an art investor and regularly sells off part of his collection. Example: Peter Brant.

4. Ar-deal-er  n. •  ‘ärdēlər  The artist who deals to survive because he or she makes more money selling works other than his or her own. Examples: Julian Schnabel, Tony Shafrazi.

5. Art-llect-or  n. •  ‘ärt-lek-tər  The artist-turned-collector because he can afford it. Example: Jeff Koons.

6. Art-vest-or  n. •  ‘ärt-ves-tər  An artist and investor in one, representing the pinnacle of art as an asset class. Example: Damien Hirst.

7. Ad-llec-tor  n. •  əd-‘lek-tər  The adviser who collects—one for you and one for me! Examples: Thea Westreich, Karen Boyer.

8. Low-deal-er  n. •  ‘lōi-dēlər  A lawyer who wants to get in on the action and deal, too. When a lawyer deals, we wonder why. Example: Nothing doin’. You know who are. 


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