Stefan Simchowitz Read Through Nassim Nicholas Taleb's SKIN IN THE GAME

Stefan Simchowitz

Stefan entered the art world as an EVENT. As a BLACK SWAN as Nassim Taleb might say.

I dont upload books from Amazon anymore if at all possible. Sorry it is not so good an image as Amazon's

Stefan seems to not fully understand his extraordinary position in the art world at this time as he is simply following himself. So far no one is following him but that is just a temporary lag.

I have written my reading of him through Continental Philosophers, particularly Baudrillard and Walter Benjamin. To me he has moved the "selling" of art far away from his idea of collecting. To summarize again he buys directly from the artist he prefers, holds the pieces in his own collection, and uses his ability to make the artist visible and collectible to others. No gallery, no stable, no trotting them around for PR so they can stay in their studios and WORK!

On reading a blog post from one of my favorites Nassim Nicholas Taleb from his latest book:

SKIN IN THE GAME

Now we have the sound bite for Stefan. 

What Stefan has done is HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME! !!!

This is clear. Correct? Stefan has put his money where his eyes have chosen. 

He will profit from his choice. Or not. 

The artist will profit more also. Or not.

So far Stefan is doing very well.

We can say he has a very good eye.

Here's one way artists find him:

And when you read the Nassim Taleb link on Skin in the Game you will see why Stefan is changing the art collecting world. And Stefan will see why also.

NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB 

just told him why!

STEFAN SIMCHOWITZ Enters the Art Market and Changes the DISCOURSE.

STEFAN SIMCHOWITZ

http://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/qa/a-word-from-the-devils-advocate-54458?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=121416_magazine_simchowitzredux_master&utm_term=Master

Quoting Jean Baudrillard on 9-11 the bombers had a PACT with each other, not a contract.In the Order of  Symbolic  Exchange and Death there is not a legal contract. That belongs to the Order of Production in which CAPITALISM is its prime subject.

Simchowitz has begun a new model for entering into a relationship with artists, helping to manage their careers and sell their work so they can be supported on a regular basis to be able to keep "playing" with their imagination.

How does he do this? He simply buys a lot of a new unknown artist's work. How much do you want for it, and then he pays it. From there he will go on to hook the artist up with a gallery/galleries, print a book, promote them in his original way. He may sell to a collector a piece he wishes to be in the collection of a particular collector.

He builds the relationship over time. Some are more intimate and deep than others. But what is significant and infuriating to the big player dealers in the commercial art world is what is invisible to them. Simchowitz is successful, his artists slowly grow to recognition and Simchowitz makes his fees from the art he bought at the beginning. Although he will buy in the middle and the end also. 

And that is his relationship with the artist. He OWNS the work of the artist and this allows him to be aligned with the desire of the artist. The artist wishes to have his works known and so does Simchowitz.

WHAT IS STARTLING AND WONDERFUL TO ME IS THAT SIMCHOWITZ'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARTIST TAKES PLACE IN 

THE SYMBOLIC ORDER

OF PASSION,LOVE,LIVING,SEDUCTION,SACRED,REVERSIBILITY,PACT,SINGULARITY

As the Order of Production is taking over all our lives, turning all the territory into a MAP (Borges:The Map and the Territory) here is a hero standing alone in a world of elegance, affluence,bureaucracy,fascism in a smaller sense than world domination.

AND HE IS FUCKING WINNING!

The artists he chooses get to stay in the studio and do what they love.They don't have to tour,go to fairs, and all that hoopla.They just get to do their work and stay PURE. 

SIMCHOWITZ IS THROWING THE MONEY CHANGERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE!

WE NOW HAVE OUR VERY FIRST CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHER ART PATRON IN OUR ERA. 

The Great LEO STEINBERG would have been thrilled.John McCoubrey would have been thrilled. And many others still alive who studied with them will also be THRILLED.

The beauty of all this that he does is THAT IT CANNOT BE REPLICATED, MANUFACTURED,TURNED INTO AN ASSEMBLY LINE OF ART FROM AN ARTIST.

WALTER BENJAMIN THE WORLD IS HEARING YOU AT LAST.

https://www.amazon.com/Illuminations-Reflections-Benjamin-published-Paperback/dp/B00ES28DO6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481847953&sr=1-2&keywords=walter+benjamin+illuminations

In Illuminations is that gold standard essay Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

 What Andy Warhol took apart in a way that CUT into the DISCOURSE of art history and put a slice deep enough to challenge all artists.