Affinity Group Talk: $40,000 per Square Inch: Has Success Spoiled Photography?

Join us for a talk by Barbara Tannenbaum, curator of photography, as she speaks about the inflation in prices for contemporary photography. In the 1970s, when photography was finally accepted as a fine art by museums, masterworks by Walker Evans could be bought for under $300. In 2023, a work by his contemporary Man Ray sold for over $12 million, or over $40,000 per square inch. What led to this recent steep inflation in value? How will it influence which photographs are collected and exhibited? Does the art market impact what artists produce and how the history of the medium is written? And is there a correlation between financial value and historical significance?

This talk is for members of Column & Stripe, Contemporary Art Society, and Friends of Photography. Members of these groups have recived a digital invite.

Learn more and become a member of Column & Stripe.

Learn more and become a member of Contemporary Art Society.

Learn more and become a member of Friends of Photography.