E-Photo
Issue #72  5/8/2004
 
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SOTHEBY'S MAY MOVE…Sotheby's, after selling its building to RFR Holding, LLC last year to raise much needed funds, appears to be ready to sublet its space in that same building to a neighboring hospital, according to a column in the New York Post. Real estate columnist Steve Cuozzo reported that the company may now be looking at Time Warner's space at 75 Rockefeller Plaza. That location would make them neighbors of rival Christie's. But Cuozzo reported that Sotheby's is considering several options including relocating to space in the new Time Warner headquarter's building on Columbus Circle and remaining at their current location but in smaller space. After huge staff cuts over the last few years, the present space is just too much for Sotheby's.

ART WAR OVER VINTAGE FOTOS?…At least that is the headline in the New York Post article reporting that the son of photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard is suing Howard Greenberg Gallery (their spelling of photos, not mine). The tabloid's William Neuman reports that the son is maintaining that after he broke off relations with Greenberg in 2001 and demanded the return of all the unsold prints, 897 vintage ones were missing from the returned inventory. The suit demands $7.5 million to compensate for the missing prints. According to the article, Greenberg responded, "It is not true at all. The Meatyards have misconstrued a lot of normal business…Invariably, we're working for years and years and I told them there may be a few mistakes, 10 or 20 printings that need to be resolved, but that's the extent of it."

ANOTHER PARTNER IS BOUGHT OUT AND PHILLIPS SHORTENS NAME…In March auctioneer Simone de Pury bought out the shares of partner Daniella Luxembourg in Phillips, de Pury and Luxembourg, which the pair founded in 2000. The new auction house has now been renamed Phillips de Pury & Co. Luxembourg has launched her own private art dealership, Luxembourg Art, and is also starting ArtVest, an art-investment company.