jerry saltz

Jerry Saltz on Anderson Cooper: ‘Auctions Are a Nasty Piece of Work’

New York’s senior art critic and patron saint Jerry Saltz appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 last night to talk about the results of Christie’s $700 million-plus Monday auction results. “Auctions are nasty pieces of work,” he said, regretting that the $179 million sale of Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’) means that it will likely disappear from the public. “Museums can’t possibly compete with these kinds of people,” Saltz said. This kind of exchange might not be all that new, however: “Art and money have slept with each other since they first met,” he added.

Watch the full video of the appearance below.

Jerry Saltz: Auctions Are a Nasty Piece of Work