Eric Frank, expert in modern photography

Eric Franck

Eric Franck, expert in modern photography, answers to the Artfinding's exclusive interview about his specialty and vision of the global art market.

“There are several fields in photography: 19th Century photography which is collected by museums and a few collectors and that can go to very high prices; there is normal reportage photography of the 20th Century; and there is contemporary photography which could also reach great prices for major artists such as Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman and this is a totally different market from fine art photography. India, China and Russia have a new client base for my specialty, but traditionally the business comes from the USA and Europe. The new Countries tend to first buy their inheritance that was sold to other Countries, and than come into the contemporary market.”

“Regarding the separation between classic 19th Century photography until the 50's, and contemporary photography, there is a first difference in sizes and the focus of it, even if at its beginning, the photographs tried to find a substitute to paintings; and these photographs used to be painters, so they used the same methodology and pictorial criteria.” Beaudoin LeBon

Nowadays the 19th Century photography is less searched for since 10 years, probably because it was very speculative for both big and smaller prices. So the little collectors couldn't collect any more... The entire specialty collapses; although there is a rarefaction of these pictures, so prices should rise. There is also a generation problem that explains the collapse of classic photography: all the major 80's and 90's collectors were well educated persons since such a specialty requires a certain amount of culture and curiosity. And today the global mass is more attracted by zapping, strong pictures, strong colors; the historical aspect has no importance.

“I have to confess that as a dealer I am afraid by such things because I don't think that anything can justify that a price can naturally follow such a rise. Or I would be OK with it if I could see the same rise for classical artists who are much more known. Today man can buy a masterpiece from Le Gray for 20 000 €, and 600 000 € for a Gursky! So there is a shift that I can't manage to accept.” In terms of the crisis, I think the market will be tough for the rest of 2010. 2011 should be better but I can't tell in which way the market will restart. This is a pretty exciting thing about the art market, nothing can be predicted, the market has its mysteries. Beaudoin Lebon

Paris is a major place for photography lovers, thanks to Paris Photo created in the 90's by Rick Gadella and galleries such as Baudoin Lebon, Blanca Bernheimer or Magnum Gallery that made photography become famous on the Art market. It has been also a successful period of auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's in the UK and in the USA, which are the two leading places for contemporary photography. Modern photographs are more fashionable that in Paris, therefore more expensive. For example; The Pond Moonlight" by Edward Steichen sold 2 928 000 $ in February 2006 at Sotheby's New York or "Los Alamos" by William Eggleston, sold 1 022 500 $ in October 2008 at Christie's in New York.

ERIC FRANCK FINE ART
61 Willow Walk
London, SE1 5SF
UK

Tel: +44 20 7394 9743
Fax: +44 20 7394 1956
Email: office@ericfranck.com

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