“We’re looking at around $10 million in sales in the next 5 days. The artist is the recipient of these sales and that’s the important thing to me.” [Tim Etchells at the media briefing]
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“The trend is really for an increase in ideas behind the work. People are beginning to accept that contemporary art is a marriage of meaning and aesthetics.” [Barry Keldoulis at the media briefing when asked about trends in art]
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“More than ever we need to count.” [Alexie Glass Kantor in ‘Does Gender Matter’ talk]
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“There’s a feeling that ‘we shouldn’t give a girl the big box of boys toys’.” [Rachel Griffiths in the ‘Does Gender Matter’ talk speaking about women directors and Hollywood blockbusters]
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“It’s certainly not my intention to have a head on fight with them.” [Tim Etchells when asked about Melbourne vs Sydney art fairs]
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“But we don’t have any blue rooms. Where are we going to put it?” [Fairgoers discussing prospective purchase]
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“This is a nice one. I like my own work.” [Artist to prospective buyer]
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“Oh… I get it, Pearl Lam. I thought you said Pearl Jam.” [Fairgoer to fairgoer]
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We don’t do pricelists. I am the price list. [Gallerist to prospective buyer]
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“It’s so old school. Interesting though…” [Artist to non-artist friend asking advice on a purchase]
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“There’s Glenn Barkley coming in with more stuff…” [Man in stand [eyes rolling] as Glenn Barkley walks past with a milk crate of work]
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“I would have spent more than I could afford on that work but there’s no way I’d buy it from him.” [Two fairgoers emerging from a stand]
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“How come the New Zealand gallery people are all soooo nice?” [Fairgoers leaving Gow Langford stand]
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“The New Zealanders certainly punch above their weight.” [Fairgoers in the crowd]
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“[A certain esteemed art critic] reminds me of Miranda Priestly…like, the pout!” [Fairgoers laughing in the crowd]
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“They’re all sold. We don’t do dots here.” [Fairgoer asking prices at gallery stand]
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I don’t like that they painted the wall. It takes away from the painting.
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“Like – where’s the wine? You pay $30k for a stall and they don’t even give you a lousy bottle of wine. In Melbourne, there’s wine flowing everywhere.” [Gallery rep to TAL]
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“I wish they’d do dots here. I’m tired of having everyone feel sorry for me.” [Artist to friends]
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“Compared to Melbourne, Sydney is just lighter and brighter.” [Gallery rep to prospective buyers]
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“I love the VIP area. You pay more than everyone else for a ticket, and then pay over-the-top prices for a drink and the privilege of watching the VVIPs drink and eat for free.” [Prominent lawyer to TAL]
