The Art Prophets

Richard Polsky
The Art Prophets
(Other Press, October 2011)

Richard Polsky, art advisor, former gallery director, and author of I Bought Andy Warhol (Abrams) and I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) (Other Press), examines what makes an art visionary. How does someone see the market potential for an artist or trend before everyone else? In The Art Prophets, Richard Polsky introduces us to some of the great 20th century visionaries in the art world—Ivan Karp, Louis Meisel, Stan Lee—and explores how they were able to open doors for new artistic developments. Entertaining, lively, and thought-provoking, The Art Prophets asks what makes a risk taker, a visionary, and answers the question with insightful stories of these trailblazers and the artists and movements they championed.

Praise for The Art Prophets

“Clear, concise and energized by the author’s fiery passion for his subject.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“[An] entertaining book of essays… Polsky’s inside information and chatty tone make for a stimulating read.”
—Artinfo.com

“[The Art Prophets is] an honor for every prophet profiled, and a surprising, smart read for creative aficionados, or anyone interested in art’s future and the icons who paved the way.”
—Royal Young, InterviewMagazine.com

“Part art history, part character study and biography, this wonderful book about the business of art reads like a runaway horse. You don’t dare jump off! Hang on and enjoy every page.”
—Sophy Burnham, author of The Art Crowd

“…A highly readable and fascinating look at the last 50-plus years of art history, rendered concisely in a few hundred pages.”
—Carol Inkellis, Pacific Sun

Richard Polsky is the author of I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon), I Bought Andy Warhol, and The Art Market Guide (1995–1998). He began his professional career in the art world thirty-two years ago and in 1984 founded Acme Art, where he showed the work of such artists as Joseph Cornell, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and Bill Traylor. Since 1989 he has been a private dealer specializing in works by postwar artists, with an emphasis on Pop Art. He lives in Sausalito, California.