In September of 2004, a new men’s magazine “Vitalis” held its lynchpin on “life’s necessities.”  Writer Maura Egan wrote an article called “Art of the Deal” which focused on why collectors were then hiring personal art consultants who were functioning as part investment advisers, part cultural attaches, and part art insiders.

Egan interviewed several consultants, spanning NYC to LA, and then compiled a list of the top nine recommended collectible artists based on the potential for financial gain and art posterity.  Over the next week, I’ll be looking at what each of these artists are now producing as we turn to 2009.  Here’s what’s in store:

1.  John Pylypchuk – mixed media artist from LA, original member of the Royal Art Lodge

2.  Dana Schutz – her “Self Eater No. 1″ had The New York Times & Village Voice breathing hard.  

3.  Banks Violette – part of a growing movement of Goth art at 30 years old in 2004.

4.  Slater Bradley – San Francisco native who featured homage to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.

5.  Eve Sussman – costume based drama that had the art world up in arms with glee.

6.  William Cordova – Peruvian-born artists from Miami graduated from Yale’s MFA.  Small scale drawings.

7.  Martin Edier – Berlin-based painter as promising player in Young German Movement.

8.  David Schnell – Leipzig artist takes former East German environment as his subject.

9.  Chris Hanson & Hendrika Sonnenberg – Canadian couple created installation sprawl with tangled cables, beer coolers and speakers.  

Image Credit:  Dana Schutz, “Feelings”, 46 x 51 cm, oil on canvas, 2003, as featured by The Saatchi Gallery- UK.