Simchowitz & Sustainability

 

 

Dear ArtFacts Members,

You’ve heard the name Simchowitz being muttered among the elite. Countless publications have profiled him (New York Times), many respect him, and in the age of social media his presence has only become more commanding.

For those who aren’t familiar, Stefan Simchowitz is the king of self-promotion. He does it often and he does it better than you, employing Facebook and Instagram as primary tools to discover new artists and show off his favorites. He invests everything into his protégés, which always seem to be plucked out of the ether and absolutely ripe with work. Then later, he’ll rub it in your face that he paid for Parker Ito’s prints back when they were just $500 a pop. And so you know, they now sell for upwards of $16k.

 

Parker Ito, *The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet, 3 Hook-Ups Girls”

The thing is, Simchowitz is right to preach that social networking plays an ever-increasing role in the world of fine art. Building upon the principles that social media can determine a rising star by particularly difficult to define criteria, he quietly launched Simco’s Club in 2015. The aptly named club rests simply on his ability to curate a roster of amazing artists- yet it’s not exclusive. In that sense he’s flipped the script by allowing clients to purchase directly from him instantly, effectively giving a middle finger to the institutions that once determined whether art was ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and the protocol of art collecting. His clients are hip and trust his taste. In the past you might have sat at an auction and held up a number. Today, you just have to click “Buy Now”.

Do sales tell the whole story?

Yes and no. Seeing as ArtFacts measures fame, we decided to take a closer look at some of Simchowitz’s stars (or problem children) and see where they’ve been since they were discovered. Oscar Murillo is a good example of sales and acclamation correlating closely. Simchowitz began purchasing Murillo’s works in 2011 before his career skyrocketed out of seemingly nowhere. His career tapered off around 2014 and has since remained steady, earning him an ArtFacts rank of 1211. The same goes for Kour Pour, whose popularity also peaked in 2014, dipped, and has been slowly climbing since late 2015. Perhaps Simchowitz and co. had fallen victim to the very fast money that propelled them to fame in the first place, leading us to believe that his newer, more methodical strategies are reactions to the past year’s fall. 





The opposite can be said for Petra Cortright, the face on the home screen of Simco’s Club and quiet force to be reckoned with. Since 2008, her career has gone nowhere but up at an astonishing rate, though her rank sits at 4608. It would seem at the moment Simchowitz’s sustainability is on her side for the time being.

We’ll certainly be watching.

Until next time,
Team ArtFacts

What’s your opinion on Stefan Simchowitz? Do you think his influence will last? Will his artists stand the test of time and turnover? Have another inquiry you want us to investigate? Write and let us know. We appreciate your feedback.