Is it Strictly Business?: Shifts in the Artist-Dealer Landscape

By Patrick K. Lin

The relationship between gallery and artist has long been compared to that of a marriage. Historically, a single dealer nurtured an artist’s career. In exchange, the artist exclusively sold their work with that dealer. For instance, after art dealer Leo Castelli offered artist Jasper Johns his first solo exhibition in 1958, Johns continued to work exclusively with Castelli, even developing a close friendship that endured until Castelli’s passing in 1999.^[1] Similarly, painter Wayne Thiebaud met and befriended dealer Allan Stone in 1961, becoming Thiebaud’s sole dealer until Stone’s death in 2006.^[2]

However, this traditional power dynamic has been undergoing significant changes. Not only are artists today more promiscuous (that is, showing with multiple galleries), more and more artists are leaving behind gallery representation in favor of going independent or even owning and operating their own galleries.

This trend is perhaps best exemplified by the 2023 ArtReview Power 100 annual rankings, where the top ten positions are occupied exclusively by artists, including Nan Goldin and Simone Leigh, who both changed galleries in the past few years. Compare this with a decade ago, when mega-gallerists Larry Gagosian and David Zwirner competed for the top spot, and it clarifies just how much power in the art market has shifted from dealers to artists in recent years.