Nadler Slams Christie’s and Sotheby’s on Resale Rights

Siegelaub’s “Artist’s Reserved Rights…” Agreement.

At a talk last Thursday at the Princeton Club, New York Representative Jerrold Nadler didn’t mince words as to why Christie’s and Sotheby’s are against resale royalties for visual artists,

“So, I would argue that their concern is not so much with the details of the bill (although they may want you to think that), but with the whole concept to begin with. And on that front, we are just going to disagree. They are the ones out of step with the rest of the world, not us. We stand with the artists, while they stand with the collectors.”

According to artnet news’ Brian Boucher,

Christie’s said that it cannot support the bill because the number of working artists who would benefit is too small, the beneficiaries are already successful, and galleries and dealers ought to be subject to the law as well.

So basically, and as it concerns artists, the auction houses argue that no one will purchase unknown artists works and those artists that are being bought at auction are already rich enough.

At the risk of sounding cynical, this is why we love the so-called artworld. Everyone, and I do mean E…V…E…R…Y…O…N…E, is for supporting artists except when it’s time to be for artists rights. I wonder if these are the same people that voted for Obama and applauded Obama Care–you know, kind of like those luminaries over at Harvard.