The Baer Faxt

The Baer Faxt Art industry newsletter written and published by Josh Baer.

RIP David Hockney (1937–2026) 🖤A master who made an indelible mark on 20th and 21st century art, who inspired generation...
06/12/2026

RIP David Hockney (1937–2026) 🖤

A master who made an indelible mark on 20th and 21st century art, who inspired generations, and who approached life, love, and art fearlessly. In his own words...Love Life.



📸 David Hockney in his studio, c. 1971

Pace Gallery’s bombshell news that they’re cutting roughly 50 artists and staff has taken the art world by storm. There’...
06/12/2026

Pace Gallery’s bombshell news that they’re cutting roughly 50 artists and staff has taken the art world by storm. There’s been quite a pile-on, but here’s our take and a closer look at the model that got the industry here. Op-ed by Josh Baer in this week’s issue of The Baer Faxt, for paid subscribers. Link in bio 🐻📠

📸 Arne and Marc Glimcher. Photo by Kevin Sturman

Here’s a roundup of recent artist representation announcements we’ve covered in The Baer Faxt Newsletter. Congratulation...
06/10/2026

Here’s a roundup of recent artist representation announcements we’ve covered in The Baer Faxt Newsletter. Congratulations to all! For those who like to know the numbers (IYKYK) subscribe to The Baer Faxt Newsletter via the link in bio 🐻📠

Khalif Tahir Thompson () with Victoria Miro ()
Alma Berrow () with Megan Mulrooney ()
The estate of John Nixon with Fine Arts, Sydney ()
Jay Stern () with Andrew Reed Gallery ()
Karla Black () with Rodder (.nyc)
Shahzia Sikander (.sikander) with Victoria Miro ()
The estate of Anna Zemánková with Gladstone Gallery (.gallery)
Iñigo Navarro () with MARC BIBILONI ()
Jill Magid () with Olney Gleason ()
Tianyue Zhong () with Boesky Gallery ()
The Estate of Robert Therrien () with David Zwirner ()
Africanus Okokon () with OCHI ()
The Estate of Franne Davids with Sebastian Gladstone ()

📸
1. Courtesy the artist. Photo by Matt Grubb
2. Courtesy the artist. Artwork: ‘Fortified’ Salad Sconce
3. Courtesy the artist. Photo by Maddelin McKenna
4. Courtesy the artist. Photo by Jay Carroll
5. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne. Photo by Ronnie Black. Artwork: Photo by Genevieve Hanson
6. Courtesy the artist, Sean Kelly, and Victoria Miro. Photo by Landon Speers. Installation view: Shahzia Sikander, 3 to 12 Nautical Miles, 2026. Courtesy M+ and the artist
7. Courtesy the Estate of Anna Zemánková
8. Courtesy the artist
9. Courtesy the artist. Photo by Tom Scanlan
10. Courtesy the artist. Photo by Jim Ling
11. Courtesy the Estate of Robert Therrien. Photo by Leo Holub
12. Courtesy the artist.
13. Courtesy Sebastian Gladstone. Artwork: ‘UNTITLED, N.D.’

Basel Art Week is almost here! The Baer Faxt team will be on the ground in Basel next week, navigating the main fair Art...
06/09/2026

Basel Art Week is almost here! The Baer Faxt team will be on the ground in Basel next week, navigating the main fair Art Basel () alongside satellite fairs add tags for , , and . Swipe through our guide to the must-see fairs opening between June 14-22.

Which ones are on your list? Tag us and let us know below. We’ll be sending out our Basel Report to paid subscribers next Thursday June 18th—link in bio.

🐻📠

05/29/2026

Love art AND sport? The Baer Faxt Podcast is back with two icons: artist Jonas Wood () and tennis legend John McEnroe.

In this clip, they discuss what a painter and a tennis player have in common: the pressure of putting themselves on the line in front of an audience. Recorded live at Gagosian () Beverly Hills on the occasion of Jonas’ exhibition of tennis court paintings, the full conversation covers his work, their shared experiences, and more.

The Art of the Court with Jonas Wood & John McEnroe is out now on all major podcast platforms or at www.thebaerfaxtpodcast.com. This episode is brought to you by Ursula () - A Magazine of Contemporary Culture by Hauser & Wirth ().

New York auction week is in the books and any way you slice it, the week was a positive sign for the market.An estimated...
05/28/2026

New York auction week is in the books and any way you slice it, the week was a positive sign for the market.

An estimated $2.5 billion in art sold by the Big Three, nearly double last year. A Jackson Po***ck hit a record $181.2 million. A Brancusi set an artist record at $107.6 million.

Swipe through ➡️ to see the breakdown by auction house, or read about it in this week’s NoReserve from The Baer Faxt—a free weekly guide chockful of sage advice to help new participants navigate the global art market with confidence—at the link in bio.

In a world of guarantees and irrevocable bids, what interests us are the lots that draw fierce bidding — we love old fas...
05/28/2026

In a world of guarantees and irrevocable bids, what interests us are the lots that draw fierce bidding — we love old fashioned auction theatrics!

At Now & Contemporary Evening Auction, Yu Nishimura’s ‘Leaves Carpet’ (2017) was pursued by 11 bidders, selling for $998.4k against an estimate of $120–180k. Andy Warhol’s ‘Brigitte Bardot’ (1974) drew six bidders and set a record for the series at $24.8m (est. $14–18m). By contrast, Basquiat’s ‘Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)’ (1983) sold for $52.7m—but on a single bid past its irrevocable bid of $45m.

Sotheby’s also had an incredible Contemporary Day Auction: $102.5m total, a 93% sell-through rate, and 60% of lots above high estimate. Day sales are the most predictable and useful profit centers for the big two auction houses, with much less risk than the evening sales. If the evening sale is Haute Couture (expensive, risky, occasionally loss-making), the day sale is perfume (reliable, high-margin).

1. Yu Nishimura ‘Leaves Carpet’ (2017) sold for $990.4k (est. $120-180k)
2. Andy Warhol ‘Brigitte Bardot’ (974) sold for $24.8m (est. $14-18m)
3. Roy Lichtenstein ‘Girl in Mirror’ sold for $6.22m (est. $5-7m)
4. Lucio Fontana ‘Concetto spaziale, Il cielo di Venezia’ (1961) sold for $16.5m (est. $10-15m)

📸 Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Tennis star John McEnroe knows courts. Artist Jonas Wood () paints them. And Josh Baer’s sweet spot? The intersection of...
05/23/2026

Tennis star John McEnroe knows courts. Artist Jonas Wood () paints them. And Josh Baer’s sweet spot? The intersection of the two. 🎾🎨

Tune in next Thursday, May 28th for The Art of the Court with Jonas Wood & John McEnroe — recorded live at Gagosian () Beverly Hills on April 25th to mark the closing of Wood’s exhibition of new tennis court paintings.

Hear from Jonas, who transforms everyday personal subjects into vivid, dynamic compositions defined by color, structure, pattern, and his signature animated surfaces — and from John, a seven-time Grand Slam champion with a decades-long passion for contemporary art.

The Art of the Court with Jonas Wood & John McEnroe is out next Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. 

05/22/2026

“We are one of the very few nations in Asia to have never been colonized by Western powers. So we have this very unapologetically pure, organic culture.”

On last month’s episode of The Baer Faxt Podcast, host Josh Baer () sat down with Purat ‘Chang’ Osathanugrah (), founder of Dib Bangkok (), Thailand’s first major international art museum. In this clip, Chang breaks down how Thailand’s unique history has shaped its contemporary art scene.

‘First Dibs on Contemporary Art in Thailand’ is out now on all major podcast platforms or at www.thebaerfaxtpodcast.com. This episode is brought to you by Ursula () - A Magazine of Contemporary Culture by Hauser & Wirth.

Stay tuned for this month’s episode releasing next week with artist Jonas Wood and tennis star John McEnroe on the occasion of Wood’s exhibition at Gagosian Beverly Hills.


Last night Modern & Contemporary Evening Sale totaled $115.2 million with a white glove result! A number of records wer...
05/20/2026

Last night Modern & Contemporary Evening Sale totaled $115.2 million with a white glove result! A number of records were set for artists of all ages.

Lee Bontecou’s ‘Untitled’ (1985–2001) led the charge at $4,227,000 — more than six times the previous record for a two-dimensional work by the artist, against an estimate of $1.2m–1.8m

Pat Pasloff’s ‘Fortune’ (1960) sold for $580,500 against a $300k–500k estimate, edging past a record set earlier this year.

Joseph Yaeger’s ‘There is a light and it always goes out’ (2021) brought $477,300 against a $60,000–80,000 estimate—proof that the appetite for strong figurative work isn’t cooling.

And Anna Weyant’s ‘Dinner’ (2019) sparked a bidding war between two advisors, closing at $980,400 against a $380,000–450,000 estimate. Subscribe to The Baer Faxt to find out who!

Full auction report—with buyer and bidder info—for paid subscribers. Link in bio 🐻📠

Address

235 Bowery
New York, NY
10002

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Baer Faxt posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to The Baer Faxt:

Shortcuts

Share

Category