🔥 Sotheby’s Savage Cut + Otis Quaicoe

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HEY Y’ALL!

Thanks for all the great feedback on the André Butzer piece I shared last Monday!
Quick note: The piece was from 2022, not 2015—thanks Nish!

🔥 ICYMI – Catchs from the Last Weeks:

1. Okokume, Florecer, 2020 - priced at £10,500

2. Damien Hirst, PV110. Inviting Veil, 2019 - priced at £38,000

3. Andy Warhol, Dominique de Menil, 1969 – priced at £55,000

Today we have Otis Quaicoe, a steal considering his past $250K hype, as Gagosian fuels billionaire art-dealing battles.

But first…

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A message I got this week about Artscapy:

Limited spots—don’t miss out!

-Today’s Catch-

Otis Quaicoe

💭 My 2 Cents: Otis Quaicoe’s Sheena Skipper (2020) is pure Quaicoe swagger—gray-toned skin, popping backdrop, and a gaze that dares you to keep up. Listed at £17,500, it’s almost annoyingly reasonable considering the wild ride his market took. Remember 2020? Pieces smashing auction estimates, peaking at $250K at Phillips. Speculators bailed (good riddance!), leaving real collectors some breathing room. But Quaicoe’s still firmly backed by Almine Rech and Roberts Projects, and his institutional cred is bulletproof (Rubell Museum and Portland Art Museum don’t mess around with their exhibitions).

🔑 Key Numbers: A 70% sell-through rate is solid enough to keep skeptics quiet. Auction sweet spots land around $40K–$70K now, making the gallery’s £17,500 sticker feel like you’re scoring a deal. Plus, at 48 x 36 inches, it’s big enough to show off without screaming "new money."

🧠 Why It’s a Smart Pick: Quaicoe keeps getting institutional nods and is clearly evolving beyond the "cool portrait" guy (cowboys, colonial narratives—he’s got range). If you’re thinking long-term, consider this your chance to slide in before everyone else catches up. If you’re hoping to flip quick—sorry, pal, it ain’t 2020.

-In a Minute-

🔥 Words I Like: savage, sketchy, meltdown

Gagosian’s Blood Sport

Sotheby’s latest contemporary sale just pulled a savage move, slashing their total lots by a whopping 64% and still pocketing nearly $20 million. Joan Mitchell saved their ass, pulling almost $4M herself—while Damien Hirst and KAWS watched from the sidelines, unsold. Sotheby’s says this “edited approach” was intentional. Right. And I intentionally shave my head every morning.

Meanwhile, Larry "Blood Sport" Gagosian is laughing all the way to the bank, thriving on the brutal hustle between billionaire bros trying to out-flex each other on blue-chip art. When Gogo calls art-dealing a "blood sport," believe him. This is Wall Street with nicer decor—and zero mercy.

Speaking of zero mercy, unpaid interns at British galleries are finally getting noticed for what they really are: sketchy as hell. Turns out, exploiting broke young creatives for free labor isn't just gross—it might actually be illegal. Sorry galleries, your “volunteers” aren’t buying your Miranda Priestly act anymore.

Over in Shanghai, Bank gallery is feeling the global meltdown vibes and hedging bets with a New York pop-up. Smart timing, because between wildfires torching LA logistics and new tariffs looming, Chinese collectors are jittery as hell. Looks like stability is the new black.

Oh, and here’s another market plot twist, forgotten artists (especially dead Surrealists) are suddenly hot AF. Move aside fresh talent, galleries are digging up overlooked artists faster than Netflix digs up canceled shows. Collectors are throwing money at names you can't pronounce yet, because nostalgia sells better than wet paint hype in uncertain times.

-Whenever You Are Ready-

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See you soon!

-Alvaro (@theartmarketguy)

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Disclaimer

Not financial advice. Frame&Flame is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions.