July 21, 2012

Meet artnet Auctions Specialist Eric Winkler

We sat down with artnet Auctions’ Eric Winkler, specialist for Impressionist ad Modern Art, to talk American Scene, appetizers with Andy Warhol, and his new show at David Zwirner. 

1.     What were you doing before you came to artnet?

Before this I was the Fine Arts specialist at the New York office of Bloomsbury Auctions.  Like our auctions, they started strong in 2008. Unfortunately, the strain of the economic crisis forced them to close the office after only three years of auctions.  During that time, I was fortunate to work with a lot of talented individuals, and I gained a good deal of experience in a variety of areas.

2.     Did you always want to work in the art world?

Actually when I was a kid I wanted to be a paleontologist. That’s probably what got me into art though because I would draw dinosaurs constantly.

3.     Tell us about what you do at artnet

I find the art, evaluate it, price it, and then sell it. It’s like fishing. Lots of waiting and anticipating. But when you hook something, that’s when the work really begins.

5.     How do you like the new artnet office?

Have you seen where I sit?!? I can see all the way up 5^th Avenue to the Chrysler Building from my desk! Believe me, I like it.

 
You and the art world

1.     What is your favorite art period?

American Scene 

2.     Who is your favorite artist?

Probably Thomas Hart Benton; he’s like the Mark Twain of painting.

3.     If you could own any artwork, which would you choose?

Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, but I’d need to get a bigger apartment first.

4.     Which events are you looking forward to this year?

The George Bellows exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

5.     What is the latest art show you attended?

Dana Schultz at Friedrich Petzel.

6.     What are some of your favorite museums/galleries in New York?

The Brooklyn Museum is about five blocks from my house so I tend to pop in there a lot.

7.     On top of loving the art world, what do you do?

I collaborate with the performance artist Bryan Zanisnik a lot. I just wrote and drew some comics for his recent exhibit called Every Inch A Man. We’ve also got something coming up this weekend at the new David Zwirner space.

8.     If you could have dinner with any three artists living or dead, whom would you choose?

Dinner with three artists seems like a bit of a nightmare, even if they were all from the land of the living, so I think I’m going to have to break this into courses. I’d have soup for the appetizer with Andy Warhol, Thanksgiving style dinner with Norman Rockwell, and candy and sweet cakes for dessert with Wayne Thiebaud.

9.     How do you imagine the art world in 25 years?

Probably just like it is today, except everyone will have hoverboards and be mostly robots.