Art sales are experiencing an upward trend in spite of the recession. Auction house executives in New York have recently found that pieces which aren't actually that valuable are in fact selling for more than they ever have before. For modern and Impressionistic art is becoming increasingly scattered throughout the world or locked up in museums; and apparently it has nothing whatsoever to do with the recession! Some of the not-worth-THAT-much pieces were jokes or sketches done somewhat haphazardly by renowned artists like Duchamp and Pissarro. Join discussion...

This art sale by Christie's made a total of $102,767,000/£68,511,333 /€77,268,421 for paintings and sculptures with top lots from artists Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and Tamara de Lempicka. Recently, more contemporary works have been the ones most wanted by people with enough money to buy them. One of Pablo Picasso's works was the highest selling, which is awesome because he was a weirdo. His painting sold for $14,642,500 million. Which would probably be better spent on wheat crackers. But hey. There were many high-selling paintings. Some were seductive, some were rare, some were boring. This auction ended today, Thursday the 7th, the day this current event was due. How fancy. Join discussion...

This article, titled "Sotheby’s Impressionist Sale Hits 7-Year Low as Picasso Flops", conveys just how hard the art market has been hit by the poor economy. The Sotheby auction's total draw was expected to be at the very least 81.5 million dollars, but ended up being closer to a devestating 61.4 million. It was the lowest number since Sotheby's 2001 election which occured shortly after 9/11. The Picasso painting which was left unclaimed by the end of the night was the former possesion of a New York real-estate developer who was an investigator in the Bernie Madoff ponsy scheme. Join discussion...

On May 27th and 28th, Sotheby is selling Latin American art. Many works are being represented- from the colonial period to the modern sculptures, paintings etc. The auction is expected to bring in around 10 million dollars. One of the most expensive pieces is Chiki by Leonora Carrington, who moved to Mexico and was heavily influenced by their artwork. Other artists featured are Wifredo Lam, Diego Rivera, Fernando Botero, and Armando Reveron. Join discussion...

The economic crisis has definitely permeated the art world. Prices are a tenth of what they were, a Giacometti sculpture is estimated to go for 16 million, while 6 months ago it would have fetched 80 million. Sotheby's and Christie's are attempting to provide cash incentives, but buyers are not willing. This drop occurred around November this year and has continued to tank. Buyers are sticking with Impressionist and modern art because it is so much less volatile then up and comers. This is a good time to invest if you've got some dough, and pick up a rare Degas or Bacon self-portrait. The art market is beginning to feel the pinch of the economic crisis Join discussion...

Nude photographs of Madonna were taken 30 years ago by photographer Martin Schreiber. He was asked to let them be displayed for the 30th anniversary, and they are being shown and sold in England's Impure Art Gallery. Join discussion...

The auctions of 2009 have prices that have dropped at auctions. The economic crisis has families reluctant to sell their valuable works at this year's falling prices. The auction houses find it difficult to get material, though pieces are definitely selling. "Man in Blue VI" by Bacon from 1954 is selling for an estimated 4 to 6 million pounds. Join discussion...

Sales were disappointing at an auction in Hong Kong held by Christie's in November. Although a whopping $18,139,980 (US) was made in sales, only half of the pieces for auction sold. This is a significant decrease from previous auctions held in China, especially considering the clamor for contemporary Chinese art in the months leading up to the auction. Some of the pieces did sell well, however; a portrait of Lincoln by Korean Kang Hyung Koo exceeded its high estimate, and Zhang Xiaogang’s "Bloodline: Big Family, No. 2" sold for $26,420,000 (Hong Kong) as the most expensive item to be sold. This is apparently disappointing, however, and the loss of interest is attributed to the global economic situation. Join discussion...

Major auction houses in London have estimated sales at less than a quarter of the sales of last February. In response to this, auction houses are being more careful about which pieces they take on for sale, only choosing quality works that are correctly priced. They are also taking on less works, so as not to be left with a surplus. Join discussion...

This article is about an auction house, called Christie's International, that is cutting down on spending. This is because of several auctions in the past few months that have not had good results. Some people believed that the art industry would survive the economic crisis, but it now seems that it is slowing down. Christie's will fire some employees and not renew more employees in order to cut down on costs. Join discussion...