Seven Days In The Art World

From London to China to New York, art sales are booming like never before, and the art world receives the sort of breathless media attention once reserved for celebrities and royals. In Seven Days in the Art World, Sarah Thornton, a brilliant young sociologist, takes a riveting and stylishly written journey through the international art market, looking at all aspects of buying, selling and creating serious art. Thornton has exceptional access, and each chapter takes the reader deep inside one of seven key arenas: the auction room, the museum, the studio (in Tokyo, in this case), the Basel art fair, the Venice Biennale, the magazines, and the art school.

Thornton brings a keen critical eye to her coverage of this glamorous milieu, making the book more than just a glancing survey or simple gossipfest. Instead, she offers the first authoritative account of what is now a multi-billion dollar global marketplace-cum-playground for an ever-expanding number of collectors, investors and enthusiasts.