Watch The Price of Everything

The Price of Everything is a fascinating documentary film from 2018 that delves into the inner workings and psychology of the contemporary art market. Directed by Nathaniel Kahn, the film features interviews with a variety of artists, collectors, dealers, auctioneers, and art world figures to provide a multifaceted look at the forces that drive the prices of works of art to dizzying heights.

The film opens with a scene of an auction at Christie's in New York, where a painting by the artist Christopher Wool sells for a record-breaking $30 million. From there, we are taken on a journey through the art world, exploring the many players and factors that contribute to the high prices of art in the 21st century.

One of the key figures in the film is the artist Jeff Koons, whose larger-than-life sculptures have sold for tens of millions of dollars. Koons is interviewed extensively and provides insight into his creative process and the way that he thinks about the market for his work. He describes how he sees his work as a form of communication, and how he is always trying to reach a wider and wider audience.

Another important interviewee is the art historian and curator Paul Schimmel, who talks about the historical and cultural context of contemporary art. He explains how the art market has evolved over the years, and how artists have always been at the mercy of external forces like politics, economics, and societal changes.

The film also features interviews with a number of collectors, who offer their own perspectives on the value of art. One collector, who owns more than 400 works of art, talks about the emotional attachment he feels to his collection, and how he sees it as a reflection of his personality and identity.

At the same time, the film highlights the ways in which the art market can be irrational and unpredictable. One collector describes how he bought a painting by an artist that he had never heard of, simply because he liked the way it looked. He later discovered that the artist had committed suicide, and the painting had become extremely valuable as a result.

Throughout the film, there is a sense of tension between the creative impulses of the artists and the commercial pressures of the market. Larry Poons, an abstract painter who enjoyed great success in the 1960s and 70s, talks about how he became disillusioned with the market-driven nature of the art world and eventually gave up painting for years.

At the same time, the film also suggests that the market can be a powerful force for good. The collector who bought the obscure painting with no knowledge of its artist later became an advocate for the artist's work, and helped to raise its profile in the art world.

Overall, The Price of Everything is a thought-provoking and insightful look at the complex ecosystem of the contemporary art world. It is a film that will appeal to both art lovers and those interested in the economic and social forces that shape our lives.

The Price of Everything is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 76.